Atlas Achromatic cables promise high-end performance to match high-end price

Atlas Ailsa Achromatic
(Image credit: Atlas)

Atlas has expanded its new interconnect and speaker cable range called Achromatic, which means 'no colour' – a fitting name for a component designed to carry audio signals without adding colouration. 

First up is the Atlas Ailsa Achromatic RCA interconnect (above), which has been "designed from the ground up" and offers an upgrade from the company's Element, Equator and Hyper cables. The Ailsa Achromatic features PTFE as the dielectric, as used in Atlas' reference Mavros and Asimi models, and uses OCC copper as its conductor material and high purity OFC copper and copper Mylar foil as the shield. Atlas has also used a new solder-free Achromatic plug and improved both body material (it's now ABS polymer) and plug contact geometry. 

The Ailsa Achromatic is available in many lengths between 0.5m (£250, AU$500) and 3m (£750, AU$1500).

Atlas Element Achromatic

(Image credit: Atlas)

Next up is the Element Achromatic RCA interconnect (above), the latest iteration of the British firm's award-winning Element cable. Compared with its predecessor, it has a new foamed  polyethylene dielectrics, said to improve bandwidth; increased OCC copper content, reconfigured to reduce inter-strand distortion; and improved cable geometry to stabilise the concentricity along the entirety of the cable. It too benefits from the new Achromatic plug. The Element Achromatic is available in various lengths, from 0.5m (£80, AU$160) to 3m (£110, AU$220).

Last but not least is the Hyper Achromatic bi-wire speaker cable (below), which comes into the line-up to replace Atlas' Hyper bi-wire. The Hyper Achromatic combines solid conductors (for the high frequencies) and stranded conductors (for the low frequencies), both made from OFC copper and complemented by cotton anti-vibration filler. There's now a foamed polyethylene dielectric, and a new Achromatic Z that has 35 per cent less mass than the previous design, has a body made from "high stability" ABS polymer, and is solder-free and self-cleaning.

Atlas Hyper Achromatic

(Image credit: Atlas)

The Hyper Achromatic cable comes pre-terminated in lengths between 2m (from £400, AU$800) and 7m (from £650, AU$1300), however custom lengths are available on request too.

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Becky Roberts

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10 years in the hi-fi industry, she has been fortunate enough to travel the world to report on the biggest and most exciting brands in hi-fi and consumer tech (and has had the jetlag and hangovers to remember them by). In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.