Cable Asylum: REVIEW: XLO Ultra 6 Cable by LowPhreak

Model:	Ultra 6
Category:	Cable
Suggested Retail Price:	$300./10' pair
Description:	Four 9's OFHC, Teflon di-electric, quasi-random Litz-variant geometry
Manufacturer URL:	XLO
Manufacturer URL:	XLO

Review by LowPhreak ( A ) on November 28, 2005 at 21:43:56
IP Address: 24.195.0.117

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for the Ultra 6

Not one of my usual windy reviews, but just to say that the XLO Ultra 6, along with the Ultra 12 (shotgunned or bi-wired, doubled Ultra 6) is probably the best "affordable" speaker cable I've used, (ballpark of $300.-550./8' pr.). BTW - the components listed (Levinson, Marantz, JBL) are just one combo I've used with these cables; I've also used them in much more expensive set-ups but I'm too lazy to list them all out right now. :P
Clean, dynamic AND detailed with a certain sense of ease, great bass (especially with the U12 but U6 is no bass wannabe either), uncongested, pretty well-balanced. Not perfect, but I doubt anything in its price range can beat it. In my not-so-humble experience, you'd have to spend in the $2.5k-$3.5k range to significantly better this stuff. Messing around in the $2k/pr. and lower range would not be worth it considering the performance here. I know, because I've done so and made a lot of expensive mistakes until I discovered the Ultra's a few years ago.
This in comparison to various similarly or higher priced speaker cables I've owned, including:
Harmonic Tech, Audio Research, Monster, Kimber, Audioquest, MIT, Acoustic Zen, NBS, Cardas, Nordost, Tara Labs...as well as sundry Belden homebrews, zip cords, and flotsam.
In other words, if I don't have any of my fave high-zoot cables around, the Ultra 6 and 12 are the ONLY speaker cables I'll use instead.
[url=http://www.xloelectric.com/programs/productCategory.php?category=3&productCode=Ultra 6&pictureSize=2]XLO Ultra[/url]

Product Weakness: As stated.
Product Strengths: As stated.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Levinson No. 383, Marantz 2250B, others
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	various
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	various
Speakers:	JBL 4412, others
Cables/Interconnects:	XLO, Nirvana,
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Most everything but rap
Time Period/Length of Audition:	+2 years
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	As stated.
Product Strengths:	As stated.