It began and ended with BulletPlug® from Eichmann Technologies in Australia. This beautifully designed termination broke the rules of conventional RCA plug design and established the neutral performance of the Reference. Initial auditory testing and ongoing evaluation of this revolutionary connector indicated that this unique termination was essential to the Reference signal cable in our product line.
The bullet plug adapts to any RCA receptacle, providing a strong, secure fit, easy disconnection, and leaving no marks on the receptacle when removed. The connector housing is made of precision-cast aerospace-grade polymer, encapsulating milled copper telluride contact pins plated with 24-karat gold. This pin material offers up to 320% more conductivity than the standard brass pins in most RCA plugs.
As RCA plugs change, so do the insulation materials. While our very successful Synchestra Signature uses a silicone sheath, thorough auditory testing concluded that the bare conductor of the Reference prototype, without the sheath, sounds better. This not only improved the cable’s response speed but also increased the likelihood of damaging the ultra-high-quality 20-gauge ONO 6/9s (99.99998) single-crystal copper conductor.
The solution was to use a highly inert, fine-mesh fiberglass cloth “magic” jacket, a material with extremely low capacitance. Only air cushioning can insulate the sheath from the conductor, a solution that simply cannot match the sheath.
From the signature to the reference is a military-grade polyurethane coating on the copper conductor. Applied immediately after conductor formation, this coating prevents oxygen from penetrating into the copper and provides the cleanest path for the audio signal. Listening tests ultimately showed that the unsheathed conductor, combined with BulletPlugs®, provided a more detailed and dynamic interconnect than we had previously offered.
However, without the synthetic material jacket surrounding the conductor, the reference is more prone to mishandling. Do not bend the signal cable at 90 degrees or greater; remove the signal cable from the RCA jack using the plug body, rather than pulling on the fiberglass sheath, and minimize twisting of the plug when inserting or removing it from the assembly. The sonic advantages of Synthestra Reference will bring you a lifetime of listening enjoyment. Thank you for choosing Luminous Audio Technology products to complement your home audio or home theater system.