Polish-based Audiomica has been around the hi-fi industry for ten years and specialises in cables. Installed to tackle electromagnetic distortion, each cable includes a bulky filter placed halfway along the length. The Rhod Reference features the same DFSS (Double Filtering Signal System) found on the Borax Gold but also includes the company’s DSS (Double Screening System) which isolates each conductor to prevent cross-contamination. The cable is also hand-terminate with a gold RCA plug.
SOUND QUALITY
As soon as the Rhod Reference sprang into action via Handel’s 'Wretched Lovers’ from Acis & Galatea via the Dunedin Consort & Players track, my instincts forced me to nod with a knowing, self-satisfied knowledge that this is how you want your music to sound. The filtering system really came into its own here. Each vocalist sounded terribly in control. The entire group almost swaying like long grass in the wind. There was also a distinct rhythm in the tidal effect of their vocal gyrations. Upper mids were quite sublime in their smoothness: there was certainly no glass ceiling effects to stifle the potential sound quality here. The low noise floor that was heard initially on the Borax Gold ran deeper here, giving the backing orchestra a greater chance to insinuate itself from the vocalist’s melange, adding to the experience.
Bass didn’t so much stand out as evenly integrate itself into the mix. This sense of calm was a welcome aspect of the Half Man Half Biscuit track whose high-pitched rhythm guitar can easily squawk if not controlled, leading to listening fatigue. Lead vocals featured a greater intelligibility while the treble performance was lifted to hover over the track. Similarly, bass and percussion, while not emphasised, were strong and tried their best to integrate into the mix as a whole.
CONCLUSION
The Rhod Reference cable offered a rich maturity to the soundstage, one that extended listening pleasure by almost encouraging the ear into the mix to see what it might discover. A rewarding listen.
