Darwin Cable Company Ascension Plus... REVIEW DEMOS... SAVE $200!

Here you go— a little bit of audio history. Here are the Darwin Ascension Plus IC's Stereo Times' Greg Simmons reviewed last month. Greg's done all the break-in and returned them in perfect condition. We've included excerpts from the review. Our Peace of Mind No Risk 30 Day Money Back Guarantee applies. 

Our goal has always been to create the most effective, uncomplicated signal path at Darwin Cable Company. Point to point wiring for your components. Rather than go down the dark road of suspect, convoluted geometry that creates more problems than it solves, we concentrated on the finest details of a pure signal path with exceptional materials voiced for staggering performance, neutrality and transparency. In a relentless (and ongoing) pursuit to improve on our best efforts, we recently developed a two-stage CryoWise© process. 

Available only at the most advanced cryogenic laboratory in the country, this is a computer controlled process typically reserved for NASA deep space testing and other esoteric research. The materials involved are extremely difficult to procure and cost 40 times as much as other cryogenic treatment. From this uncertain supply chain emerged the Darwin Ascension Plus. It is everything the original Ascension is, only with a significant advance in focus, pinpoint accuracy in every frequency. EVERY customer has quite simply been stunned by the performance. Compare this cable to any other at any price. We are taking on all comers. 

Darwin Ascension Plus IC's and Ascension Speaker Cables earn high praise from Stereo Times!

Highlights from the Stereo Times Review October 2014, by Greg Simmons 

RE: Darwin Ascension Plus IC's and Darwin Ascension Speaker Cables

Darwin Cables feature some very distinct design features that the company believes enhance the accurate transmission of the signal between components. Their cables all feature cryogenically treated silver wire and low-mass designs, and they’re be heavily invested in the idea of using an air-dielectric, meaning the wire passes through a tube of air to minimize contact with external non-transmission related insulation material. They’ve also taken the unusual step of designing and manufacturing their own RCA jacks to better fulfill their desire to maintain low-mass through the transmission chain. Silver wire is used because Darwin believes its faster signal transmission offers superior, uncolored sound.

I found the Ascension’s terminations to be robust and well constructed. They slid on and off my amplifier easily enough, but with enough resistance to instill confidence that they were making good contact.

The Ascension speaker cables also feature Teflon dielectric for their single transmission wire, but the entire cable is then sheathed in a second Teflon and braided steel exterior jacket. Darwin’s website claims that the jacket provides additional damping to the cable, and I have no reason to dispute that, but I also noted one other practical benefit: That steel braid is among the most rugged cables coatings I’ve ever seen. Unless your Mastiff decides to have one for a snack, it is unlikely that normal household use will ever result in any damage.

My review samples came terminated with spades. One unexpected feature, especially on a cable with such a stiff, heavy-duty exterior covering, is that there was a great deal of flexibility under the rubber covering between the spade and where the wire sheathing begins. The flexibility at the terminations made it a little easier to connect the cables to my amp and speakers.

My listening notes had a lot of one-word descriptions: fast, crystalline, incisive, pure, defined, focused, and so on. The Darwin Ascension cables are indeed very fast, have a tremendous amount of detail, and – in my system – did a good job of helping to delineate individual instruments within the recorded soundstage. Their treble extension was very clear without becoming hard or harsh, though perhaps missing the last iota of silken refinement that I’ve heard in my system with some far more expensive cables. The soundstage is very well illuminated and physical space is audible.

During the review period I swapped out a full tube set of power tubes on my Cary V12r amplifier from KT77s to 6550s. The 6550s are cleaner and more linear top to bottom, and have more punch than the KT77s (or EL 34s) ever did. The Darwins were very revealing of system changes, and even the break-in period of the new tubes revealed audible changes to the sound that were really quite dramatic. As the tubes opened up, the bass went lower and the soundstage got significantly deeper. This would have been audible with many cables, but the Darwins really put those changes into high relief.

But of course, what really matters is what they do for music playback.

One of the recordings I return to over and over as a reference is Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya’s Sotho Blue (editors note: this is one of my favorites as well Greg). This record is a bass and lower mid-range paradise with truly deep, powerful acoustic bass, and heavy representation from the tenor and baritone saxophone with the trombone filling out the bottom. Moreover, Ibrahim doesn’t neglect his left hand on this one, using the sheer weight of the piano’s lower registers to great effect. Best of all, it was really well recorded by Klaus Genuit at Hansahaus Studios in Bonn, Gernmany. With the Darwins in my system all of those instruments are tight and focused, and that focus is especially important because it allows instrument timbres – the wood body of the acoustic bass for example – to shine through. I’ve had far more expensive cables here that didn’t quite exhibit the image specificity – the lack of smearing – that the Darwins have.

The Darwins also perform admirably at the other end. Treble extension has the same high definition as the bass with crystalline clarity. Cymbal taps were hung precisely in space with flutes and guitars clearly delineated within the soundstage, again without any smearing. Tonal balance in the treble also seemed very accurate allowing, for example, the reproduction of subtle woody piano soundboard reverberations on high notes, something that is far easier to capture in the mids. More so than other cables I’ve had the pleasure of listening to recently, the Darwins emphasize precision and clarity. 

Visit darwincables.com for many customer reviews. Like us on Facebook and check our other listings on Audiogon. We sometimes list demo, B-Stock and superb prototypes. 701-710-1517