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Third Quarter 2008 Review
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October 1, 2008
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NOTE: We have changed our format to make it more convenient for you. Use the links to the left to view each article within our newsletter or simply scroll through. Your choice! In conjunction with the launch of our new website: www.thecable.com, the Cable Company has changed its own main email address! Please add our new address to the address book or "friends list" in your email program so that any messages from your consultant are not filtered out: cable@thecableco.com
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Please open this email in your browser to view all included images. To ensure consistent delivery of this publication, please add our sender address - <thecableco@thecableco.pmailus.com> - to your address book. Thank you!
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Summer Against Hunger fundraising results. 20:1 funds match!
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In August each year, we at The Cable Company donate our efforts to CARE as part of what we call Summer Against Hunger. We were excited this year, based on matching fund guarantees, to be able to promise our customers that 100% of "sponsored" purchases in August would benefit CARE, and half of all other purchases, even used products, would benefit CARE.
This program works because of the leverage of 4 stages of matching funds:
1. CableCo donates 5% of sales
2. For sales of their products our sponsoring vendors donate 5%
3. An anonymous donor matches #'s 1 and 2.
4. This donor also guarantees a match of at least 4:1 from unaffiliated donors (up to a limit of $250,000)
We are pleased to announce that the 4th step has come in at a 20:1 level!
Incredibly this means:
- If you spent $100 on a sponsored product in August, not $100, but rather $420 will go to CARE.
- For other purchases in August, not $50, but $210 will benefit CARE.
Thank you all for supporting this project!
If you want to do more...
In addition to your purchases, a few of you sent in checks made out to CARE to further participate in Summer Against Hunger. For anyone that wants to make an additional tax deductible donation to CARE, for funds received now through October 15, we will send your checks made out to CARE with ours so that your donation will also receive this 20:1 match.
Donate $10, CARE will get $210.
Donate $100, CARE will get $2100.
(The availability of matching funds for this program will limit the total new October donations which will benefit from this part of the program to $25,000, resulting in additional matching funds of $500,000.)
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Featured Products:
• Standard-setting Veloce Audio Linestage.
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In the middle of the Summer, which is high end audio's slow season, in the middle of a recession, it was only a personal relationship that got us all together to listen to the first product of a new company called Veloce (pronounced Ve-LOACH -ay) Audio. Expectations were for polite head-nodding and smiles, quick glances at the clock, and home in time for dinner with the family.
It would have taken the heaven's opening to get me interested in a new $12,500 line stage preamp from a new company, but this listening session turned into an extended and exciting night of music and more music. We left singing HALLELUJAH, after all! The Veloce unit has a 100 hour run time between charges, and is as dynamic and colorful as any preamp we have come across.
Veloce has also developed a unique biasing system for the tube-based gain stage. This technique, which Veloce calls UltraBias™, is an “active” biasing method. Whereas typical biasing involves setting a static reference voltage via a resistor or battery, UltraBias provides the tube cathodes with an electron-rich voltage source which automatically adjusts for changing conditions. Veloce claims that UltraBias reduces distortion significantly.
Other technical twists are happening with this unit, and you can read more on their website.
But more interesting is... The Sound: The role of the preamp is most often thought of as a sort of basic signal router: source switching with a volume control. But hearing a unit like the Veloce brings you back to the reality that this is where the heart of a music system beats. Adding a state-of-the-art preamp to a system rewards the listener with a deeper, richer palette of colors and contrasts, essential to the goal of getting close to the music.
With the Veloce these colors are at their most vivid against the blackest background allowed by the complete isolation from the AC. This clever power supply arrangement, the details of which we only just touched on above, also seems to free the music from its attachment to the electronics. The "organic," lifelike event that results is akin to hearing live music in a good setting - exciting, dynamic, and sometimes surprising! It makes you want to spin disc after disc.
A New Standard:
We consider the US-made Veloce LS1 Line Stage to raise the bar for this category. A very serious music maker. And now we can't wait to hear the companion phono stage and amplifiers, ready later this year. Let us know if you would like to hear more about Veloce.
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• The Aqvox Balanced Approach to the Phono Preamp
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If our report on Veloce is a "you heard it hear first" article, for this next section on Aqvox (pronounced AK-u -vox), let's give credit where it's due, to Michael Fremer for his scoop on this German-made product which appeared in the July issue of Stereophile .
MF does a nice job of describing the unit's functionality and sound. Although it can serve as a "normal" voltage gain (RCA-Inputs) with plenty of flexibility of both gain and loading phono stage for moving magnet cartridges, the highlight of this unit is the concept of the design which provides for current gain for moving coil cartridges through balanced XLR inputs.
As MF summarizes:
"A moving-coil phono cartridge is an inherently balanced generator: each coil floats relative to ground (the body). A balanced circuit will reject noise common to both the positive and negative connections, whereas a single-ended circuit will amplify it. Given the minuscule outputs of most MC cartridges, the advantages of a balanced circuit are obvious for noise suppression. Why don't more companies build them? Don't axe me."
With use of a high quality DIN to XLR phono cable, such as those built for use with this unit by Aqvox themselves, the reward is performance at a reference level well above the $1999 retail. And make no mistake: this IS a reference level product when used with a moving coil cartridge and the balanced inputs. For transparency and sound staging you could put this up against just about anything at any price.
At this level of performance, the Aqvox 2Ci is both a bargain, and a unit I would be happy to live with for the long term. Or at least until that Veloce phono stage is ready!
Available for home trial through the Library, and Frequent Flyer price incentives apply to both of the products featured in this article.
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• Consonance/Opera Droplet 5.0 cd player.
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Opera/Consonance are relative newcomers to Cable Company/Ultra Systems even though they have been manufacturing high quality audio components in China for the past 15 years. One of their better known and most popular products is the Droplet 5.0 cd player pictured above.
The Droplet is a redbook cd player with 24/192 resolution. Featuring gorgeous design, fit and finish, the Droplet is a top-loading cd player with a tube output stage (6H30) that also includes a volume control for both of its RCA and XLR outputs, which means that this can be used in a minimalist system directly to the amplifier. The included machined metal remote control allows the user to control play, track selection, pause and volume. At just a shade over 60 pounds, the Droplet is one of the heaviest one box players manufactured today, but if you are interested in a beautiful, well made, great performing cd player, the "weight" might just be worth it. The Droplet has received numerous rave reviews for its performance from all over the world, so it is not just a pretty face - it is a stellar performer as well.
Consonance Droplet 5.0 cd player - retail $3495 / or $3995 with gloss black wood (Cable Company "Frequent Flyer" discounts and incentives will apply.)
You can take a look at the reviews and all of the fine Consonance and Opera products on their website.
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• The Rega P3-24 Turntable.
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Roy Gandy has been designing and producing turntables for more than 35 years. Since 1973 Rega turntables and tonearms have been some of the most reviewed and best performing products in all of audio.
Not content to rest on their laurels, Rega has completely redesigned the affordable P3 series of turntables with the release of the new P3-24. The P3-24 comes equipped with the new Rega RB301 tonearm which features a 3 point mounting system for greater stability, and the bias adjustment and cabling from the model RB700 tonearm. The motor is the robust low vibration motor used in the P5 and P9 turntable, and an optional PSU power supply can be added giving the player exact electronic speed control. Typical of Rega players, the P3-24 also includes a felt-matted, glass platter and the main bearing assembly that was previously used on the P3-2000 system.
Thinking about joining the resurgent vinyl/analog playback movement? The Rega P3-24 is a great place to start either for yourself, or as a gift for your children or friends. Rega has long been known for their reliability and ease of setup and use, and the P3-24 even comes in decorator colors - red, white, yellow, green, and black. It can also be ordered as a special package with the Elys 2 cartridge all mounted and ready to go.
Rega P-24 turntable - $895, or with Elys 2 cartridge included - $1095.
For more information on all of the Rega turntable models, not to mention their well regarded cd players, please contact us or visit their website. (Cable Company "Frequent Flyer" discounts and incentives will apply. There are some geographic restrictions on our sales of the Rega turntables.)
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• Rogue Audio Athena Preamplifier.
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Back in the USA, Rogue Audio has been producing high quality, hand made, uniquely designed tube preamps and amplifiers in their Pocono Mountain facility for many years. Their products range from the inexpensive Titan series to state of the art designs like their Hera preamplifier and the Zeus and Apollo amplifiers. One of the newest members of their flagship reference products is the new Athena preamplifier.
The Athena is actually a scaled-down ($5000 vs. $7500) version of the highly acclaimed Rogue Hera Reference preamplifier, both built around the very linear Russian 6H30 tubes, and with separate power supplies to ensure the lowest noise floor possible. Build quality is impeccable - high quality Dale resistors, motorized stepped attenuator for precise volume control, thick glass/epoxy circuit boards, and silver solder are just some of the attention to detail used in producing the Athena.
Full functionality has also been taken into account with two sets of RCA outputs and two sets of XLR outputs, along with a unity gain bypass (home theater), a phase inversion switch, and a true balance control for those setups that have unequal distances between speakers and listener. The elegant brushed aluminum and black milled faceplate bespeaks the quality of the design and construction of the Athena.
Rogue Audio Athena preamplifier - retail $4995 (Cable Company "Frequent Flyer" discounts and incentives will apply.)
For more information on the Athena and other fine Rogue Audio products, contact us or visit their website.
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• Reference 3A MM de Capo i Speaker.
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We have recently reviewed and discussed the magnificent Reference 3A Grand Veena speakers in our email newsletters, but this time we would like to focus our attention on the speaker that started it all for Reference 3A - the stand mounted 2-way MM de capo I.
The MM de capo I is a high efficiency (92db) two way stand mounted monitor that utilizes a 8 1/4" carbon fibre woofer and a 27mm textile dome tweeter. One of the unique aspects of this speaker is that the woofer and tweeter are both running without a crossover, which results in almost zero phase shift and completely seamless integration of the two custom designed and manufactured drivers. Interestingly, the MM de capo I comes with bi-wire binding posts to directly couple the two drivers to the amplifier. Using a bi-wired speaker cable is highly recommended to get the best performance from these speakers.
These are amazingly resolving monitor speakers that work equally well with both tube and solid state amplification. They are one of the few speakers capable of projecting a credible center image even when the area between the speakers is filled by a fireplace or a big TV! The MM de capo speakers have received rave reviews over the years from Stereophile, Absolute Sound, HiFi +, EnjoytheMusic, and numerous other audio publications and the I (improved) version has taken the level of performance to even greater heights.
Reference 3A also makes an elegant, reasonably-priced ($395) all wood, adjustable height matching speaker stand for the MM de capo I, but you can also find these in use on recording studio consoles.
MM de capo I speakers in Red-stained or Natural Maple - $2990, or in gloss piano black for $3289. (Cable Company "Frequent Flyer" discounts and incentives will apply.)
For more information on the MM de capo I speakers, please contact us or visit their website.
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• Purist Audio Design Limited Edition Power Cord.
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Never one to rest on his laurels, Jim Aud, at Purist Audio Design, has come up with a most interesting new flagship power cord called the Limited Edition. What makes this new is that Purist has integrated a multistage power conditioner into the power cord itself to obliterate RFI and EMI from the AC.
The Limited Edition uses the same Contego shielding as the world-class Purist Audio Design Anniversary power cord, but with enhanced conductor metallurgy and geometry. For those not in the know, Purist is one of the very few companies that designs and produces their own conductors in addition to having their own cryo-magnetic treatment facility to optimize the performance of these conductors. For the LE cable, Purist then utilizes the top of the line Oyaide M1 and F1 connectors.
Why design a power conditioner into the cable? Many customers eschew the use of power conditioners for their amplifiers, claiming that most power conditioners rob the amplifier of some of the dynamic energy. The optimal solution, it would seem, would be to design a high current, no holds barred power conditioner and integrate it into the best possible power cord so that the amplifier could perform at the highest level without compromise by "feeding it" the very best power from the wall.
At $4150 for a 1.5M power cord, the LE was obviously intended for those upper echelon systems that are advancing the state of the art. For more information on this newly released, top of the line power cord, please take a look at our website.
Available for in-home audition through the Cable Library.
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• Harmonic Technology Magic Reference II SE Power Cord
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Harmonic Technology has also been busy designing and implementing an onboard power conditioner on their newly redesigned top of the line power cord, the Magic II. Could be a trend!
The patent-pending Pure AC module contained in the round metal casework on the power cord contains integrated circuits designed to analyze and correct common AC power anomalies such as noise, dc component interference and distortion. The ability to analyze and adjust the corrections required to specific power conditions is truly unique. This technology should provide the best possible power, along with the fewest possible negative effects, for any devices that are connected - video, amplification, D to A converters, cd players, transports, etc.
Jim Wang at Harmonic Technology was so confident in this new power cord that he sent a couple to us for evaluation. His description of the circuit appeared to be spot on - when used with a dedicated power circuit (on an amplifier), it improved the articulation and removed a layer of grunge that we had never noticed before. When used with known noisy power (dimmer switches, energy saver lights, etc.), the effect on the amplifier was a dramatic reduction in noise floor, improved clarity and cleaner, clearer high and low frequencies - all with NO noticeable degradation in dynamics or transient speed.
I was intrigued enough to try the Magic II SE power cord on my HD rear project video system. To make this a fair test, I played about 30 minutes of a dvd (it happened to be "We Own the Night"). I then hit stop on the dvd player, turned off the monitor, changed the power cord and restarted the dvd. Without making any other changes in the system, the picture quality improved by a huge margin. This was not something you had to strain to see or think about - colors were brighter, clearer, and had more shades, action on the screen was more detailed and less grainy, and overall the blacks were ..... well, blacker - more intense and there was more differentiation between black and dark shadows.
At $1599 for a 1.5M length, this is certainly something that should be evaluated via home audition from our Cable Library, and we have a few available for that purpose. Please call or email your sales consultant and set up a borrow if you are interested. For more information, visit our website.
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Special Offers:
• Nanotec's High End DIY cable products: Save 12% now.
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We first announced Nanotec's high end bulk cables in July, and the response has been extremely positive. if you want to "roll your own" cables, this is a great way to go. Highly recommended!
For those of you that don't spend a lot of time viewing the Discovery Channel, Nanotechnology has been one of the hottest topics in the scientific community in the past few years. Nanotechnology deals with microscopic, near molecular-sized particles used to enhance the performance of a wide range of materials - metal, glass, magnetic media, or just about anything - the prospects for this science are endless.
The Japanese Nanotec company has applied this science to improve the performance of their audio cables. The Nanotec cables are available primarily as "elite level" DIY cables (interconnects, speaker, and power cords), although they do offer their products in a finished, terminated form as well. The pricing is extraordinarily good for the quality and performance, and earns our highest recommendation for DIY applications.
What makes these Nanotec cables different from all others is that the OFC conductors are treated with a colloidal liquid that contains a suspension of micro particles with a ratio of gold and silver, chosen by ear as most appropriate to the application. The theory is that as the conductors are extruded (pulled), microscopically small surface scratches are formed on the surface of the conductors that affect the ability of the conductors to transmit an audio signal unscathed. When the conductors are treated with the micro particles suspended in the right type of liquid, these small scratches will be filled in and the surface will become a far better conductor.
The liquid that Nanotec uses is made, believe it or not, from shark liver oil. This type of oil, also known as Squalene Oil, has been available in audio for some time as a contact enhancer, so this application makes good sense. What I can tell to those of you snickering in the background, is that it is NOT snake oil.
The Nanotec cables are well made with special attention paid to vibration control and natural sound using of cotton spacers and Japanese paper in addition to the high quality conductors and dielectric. For more information on these high performance cables, please take a look at the product listings in our website or read the online reviews of the Nanotec cables at 6moons or EnjoyTheMusic.com.
Nanotec Golden Strada #301 bulk power cable starting at $56/1M
Nanotec Golden Strada #302 bulk power cable starting at $75/1M
Nanotec Golden Strada #79 speaker cable starting at $46/1M
Nanotec Golden Strada #79 Nano 3 speaker cable starting at $69/1M
Nanotec Golden Strada #201 Nano 3 Interconnect starting at $57/1M Offer redux: - Save 12% for orders ithrough October 15 , 2008. Just enter Special Offer Code: X708NANOTEC in the "comments" section of our Express Order Form if ordering through our website shopping cart, or mention this email special to your Cable Company consultant.
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• Ebony Power Connector upgrade: Special price.
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An effective add-on product for AC cables is the new resonance tuning device from Acme Audio, the Ebony Power Connector. This simple ebony collar fastens around the wall plugs of most power cords, and many of the IEC's as well and delivers added focus and improved harmonics to the overall presentation. Designed with round body plugs in mind, but also works with other shapes.
Our theory is that this clamp reduces the micro vibrations caused by the alternating current (AC) and replaces them with external even-order harmonics induced by the ebony. Ebony wood has long been used in phono cartridges, tube dampers, Mpingo disks, and other resonance control products from companies like Harmonix and Shun Mook because of this pleasing even order harmonic property. It only makes sense to apply this concept to the wall plug and IEC where vibrations occur on a regular basis, like the 60 times a second that US current alternates from hot to neutral. Our advice is to try one of these $80 upgrades - you will soon be addicted to the improvement in sound from your system regardless of how expensive or well made the wall plugs are on your current power cords. $70 offer redux: - Save $10 for orders through October 15. Just enter Special Offer Code: x708EBONY in the "comments" section of our Express Order Form if ordering through our website shopping cart, or mention this email special to your Cable Company consultant.
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• ESP MusicCord Series Power Cords: Save up to $250 on ESP products!
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At the more affordable end of the spectrum, and in fact a downright bargain, is the new MusicCord series of cables from ESP (Essential Sound Products). Subject of a major "push" to musicians active in the musical instrument and pro-audio markets, these cords are also right at home in ESP's traditional audiophile market.
The 16 gauge "MusicCord" at $129/2m is a great way to get started with high end AC cables. The heavier gauge "MusicCord Pro" at $179 is a nice performance step up and better for high current applications.
An "ES" version of each of these products is also available (for $199 and $299, respectively) which incorporates better connectors and some of the proprietary termination processing including cryogenic treatment previously only available from this company in their highly regarded Essence Reference cables. The performance enhancement in the ES models is substantial. ESP has been particularly successful with their Essence Reference outlet strip, a no holds barred, beautifully executed, filterless extension strip with hard wired Essence Reference AC cable, available in USA and Schuko versions. ESP is making a MusicCord Pro Power Distributor as well at $599 ($1000 less than the big boy). Offer extended through October 15: save 15% on all ESP products. Just enter Special Offer code X908ESP in the "comments" section of our Express Order Form for these additional savings if ordering through our website shopping cart, or mention this email special to your Cable Company consultant.
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• PS Audio Line Conditioner Sale.
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We’re having an Autumn promotion on some of our most popular line filters for both audio and video - the PS Audio Duet, Quintet and Power Plant Premier.
You may already know that the Duet and Quintet, with their modest $295 and $495 price points, represent superior performance and outstanding value. And of course, the Premier is PS Audio's most popular product of all time!
All three recently received Editor’s Choice Awards from The Absolute Sound. The Power Plant Premier also won 2 of the coveted “Golden Ear Awards” from the same magazine.
For the rest of 2008, we are reducing prices to:
Duet: $199 (4 outlets; regularly $295)
Quintet: $349 (10 outlets; regularly $495)
Power Plant Premier: $1999 (AC regeneration on 10 outlets; regularly $2195)
Click on the underlined product names to learn more about these products.
Just enter Special Offer Code: x908PS in the "comments" section of our Express Order Form if ordering through our website shopping cart, or mention this email special to your Cable Company consultant.
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• Special offer on Shunyata Research Dark Field Cable Elevators.
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When Shunyata's designer Caelin Gabriel decided to address the issue of cable elevation and isolation from the electromechanical "grunge" that occupies floor level, he took a blank page approach to the issue and came up with a simple product that deals with this grunge in a different way than other cable "lifts." He identified the problem with static electricity not being it's existence at floor level, but rather the "differential" between the charge at the floor versus the charge at an elevated cable. Rather than try to isolate the cable from the static, Caelin Gabriel works with a principle he calls "static-field-unification," where the Cable Elevator is electrically conductive to eliminate the differential between the charge at the floor and at the elevated cable. Interesting!
Where his approach is in basic agreement with other cable lift designs is with respect to managing mechanical vibration, in the case of the Shunyata product by using multiple layers of absorbent foam.
Simple, lightweight, and incorporating novel thinking, Shunyata Research Dark Field Cable Elevators set a new standard in this category. Generally use at 12" -18" intervals (30-45cm).
Originally on sale through September for $299/12 piece set with free surface freight in the US. Extending our Special Offer for two weeks. Just write x908SHUNYATA in the "comments" section of our Express Order Form if ordering through our website shopping cart, or mention this email special to your Cable Company consultant.
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• Lower cost Cable Towers.
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We still also like the performance of the less expensive "Cable Tower," which has its own advantages. In this case the designers developed a product for elevating cables incorporating:
• 4 legs for stability, and low contact surface area for better insulation properties;
• ability to penetrate carpet, but not mar hardwood or tile;
• a material with a better dielectric constant than previously existing porcelain products;
• a design to allow multiple cables to be elevated without being in physical contact with each other.
The resulting product is the low mass, acrylic Cable Tower. Also recommended! Generally use at 12" -18" intervals (30-45cm).
Sold in sets of four for $99. Special offer: two sets/4 for $179. Free surface freight for 8 pieces or more in the US, or flat rate $25 airmail for our international customers.
Just enter Special Offer Code: x908TOWER in the "comments" section of our Express Order Form if ordering through our website shopping cart, or mention this email special to your Cable Company consultant.
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For additional information on these offers and frequent updates speak with your Cable Company consultant, or visit our websites: www.thecableco.com and www.ultrasystem.com. For hundreds of specials on used and demo cables, visit www.usedcable.com.
Or call us Mon.- Fri. 10 -6; Sat. 11-5 Eastern time on 800-328-9973 (or 215-862-4870). Fax: 215-862-4871
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