HS Speaker Cable Build Quality
Since before working for Audioholics the Canare 4S11 cables have been my preferred choice for speaker cables. They may not be the best choice for tight spaces or in-wall runs but they look a lot better than the Belden alternative and generally have a lot of weight and heft to them. They just feel like quality. Ram Electronics is giving you access to these cables with top of the line termination options. While you can find some brands for cheaper, if you're looking for the best construction, looks, and components, the HS cables are for you.
Build Quality
The Ram Electronics HS
series of cables is built on the tried but true Canare 4S11 cable. The Canare
4S11 is four stranded and PVC wrapped cables in a single insulated PVC jacket.
They are color coded white and off white, red and pink. When you combine the
two whites and reds into a single termination point, you get an effective gauge
of 11awg. This is more than enough for all but the most ridiculously long runs.
The outside of the cable is thick and hefty which allows you to set it down and
not worry about it moving too much. It also affords the 4 internal cables a
level of protection that your typical speaker cable just doesn't have. The
jacket also has a sort of velvety finish that is very pleasing to the touch.
The HS cables came terminated with Ram’s house brand banana plugs at both ends. A WBT connector option is available under the HSW moniker. Many companies claim to use WBT connectors with their cables. The fact is that the WBT connectors are very pricey. When you compare them to the competition, you can see why. Ram’s house brand is a bit thicker and more substantial than the rivals. The difference between the Ram cables and other Carare 4S11 offerings is that they are construct using the WBT crimp ferrules under the quality house banana connectors and heat shrink on the cable pairs. This makes identifying which cable is which very easy and it also keeps the two neat. One thing missing was the red/white designation on the actual banana plug. In the past I've seen companies take a small piece of heat shrink and use that for marking (there is even a little groove for that in the plug).
The only marking on
the cable other than the stamps from Canare was a heat-shrinked Ram label with
their website and phone number on it. The label looks a little messy as either
the shrinking process or the cable rubbing against itself seems to have smudged
or dirtied the white label. I'm actually a little surprised that Ram didn't
decide to wrap this cable in something else like techflex. While techflex, in
particular, would have reduced the flexibility (ironically) of the cable, it
would have given the end user some color options. Canary gray is their standard
offering, techflex options are available in black with white line or white with
black line as a special for an additional $1.00 per foot.
Options are not a
problem on the termination front. Ram offers spades, banana plugs, or with the
WBT gold plated crimp sleeve ferrules exposed. What's a crimp sleeve? Well,
essentially it is a gold plated cover for the end of the wires for use with the
WBT connectors. This crimp is made with a commercial tool that gives a gas
tight, cold weld of the ferrule to the 14awg joined wires. This results in
an 11awg equivalent speaker cable that will not oxidize or require
re-termination. In addition, you can change the connectors to any set
screw type connector in the field should your needs change. You can actually
use the wire without the termination and just the sleeve if you want. It would
be similar to a pin (more popular in Europe than the US). This is where the Ram offering distinguishes itself from the rest of the
pack. Even with DIY options, changing termination types is a real hassle. With
the ferrules crimp method, it is easy to switch types AND
you don't lose any cable length. In order to do this with the cables that I had
in for review, I'd have to remove the heat shrink from the end of the cables. Then
I’d have to loosen the two screws out and the banana plug to remove the
termination. Switching the termination type should be only a matter of minutes
(if that). Right now, Ram only offers banana plugs and spades but their site
says they will be adding more in the future.
Of course, only a true Audioholic would care what his speaker cables look like - most people just care about two things - cost and performance.
Performance
Overall, I was really impressed by the HS series of cables. The Ram brand banana plugs worked well with every 5-way binding post I encountered. The additional girth of the connection made it a little easier to lock down the plug. On the back of some AV receivers, you find very little room. While you'd think the additional girth would make operating the plug harder, in most cases I found that it made it easier. I was able to better grip the sides than the thinner terminations. The only exception was when I had multiple plugs right next to each other (covering three sides). No matter your termination option, the backs of some of these receivers were made for leprechauns and hobbits.
