At Ascot last year (2023), we went to the epic DALI room, which featured the Gryphon Commander and the Gryphon Apex monoblock power amplifiers (202 kg each) with over two million microFarads of capacitor banks inside. The Gryphons were driving the flagship DALI KORE loudspeakers. For this £350k plus setup, some decent loudspeaker cable is required. Enter Scotland’s finest Atlas Cables!

Latik L 3D printed detail to the rear of this photo

A long conversation with Kevin Kelly (Atlas’ MD) turned to their latest 3D printed technology inside their latest Mavros and Asimi interconnects. This technology features an ultra-low mass 3D-printed polyethylene ‘lattice’ insulating sleeve, designed to offer a dielectric termination closer to air, the perfect cable insulator! This technology is called Ultra L (Latik). This technology supports Atlas’ Grun innovations, a grounding system available in specific higher-end cables supplied by Atlas, designed to reduce RFI and EMI ‘noise’.

Furthermore, Kevin pointed out that Atlas will offer an upgrade service to existing Ultra versions of the Asimi and Mavros interconnects, where cables can be modified at the terminal ends to incorporate the Grun system. Because HF&MS has ‘old’ Mavros interconnects (and loudspeaker cable without Grun), Kevin suggested an article on the upgrade process may be of interest to readers, and this article will discuss this journey.

Design

This review is centred on older Atlas Mavros interconnect cables updated with Atlas’ new Cable Upgrade Service, which incorporates their latest technology. This exciting idea really differentiates Atlas from other cable companies.

The process involved is that I sent my older Mavros interconnect cables to Atlas, where they;

• dissembled the cable and removed the old OCC pins and outer contacts
• created a new connection to the cable’s internal screen (now done in the latest cable via their internal dual drain connections)
• re-crimped new pins and outer contacts (Atlas has a better way of achieving a good connection to the screen in current production)
• fitted new Ultra 3D liner and Ultra Latik plug covers
• reassembled the cable with the external Grun connection
• retested the cables.

I’d add that this process took Atlas just a few working days over Christmas. Yes, I’m on the reviewing side, but turnaround and attention to the customer are features of Atlas Cables.

Quality

Atlas GRUN plug for earthing the cables

The updated interconnect cables are still beautiful, quite stiff and weighty. When you unscrew the RCA cover you can see the new Latik L 3D printed sheath in place, the GRUN earthing wire is under this sheath and extends beyond the cover to the point where the earth drain connects. At this point, you can use an independent earth to a ground tag (say on a Modular Block), a plug adaptor or a ground tag on the back of your amplifier; I prefer to go to the plug.

The Upgrade Cost

For the Atlas Mavros interconnect cable upgrade, the cost of the Ultra Grun modification is £90.00 inc. vat per termination x 4 = £360.00 inc. vat, which means I effectively have the latest technology on the interconnect at a fraction of the current RSP of the Mavros Ultra Latik, 1.0m, which is £1,858.00 inc. vat.

The full specifications of the Mavros cable are here.

Performance

This piece was written in April 2024, awaiting the full rollout of Atlas’ cable upgrade offerings. The prices reflect this date.

Review Equipment

There is a review sweet spot here at HF&MS with the peerless Auralic Aries Streaming Transport (fixed output) supported by the iFi Pro iDSD DAC via an Atlas Arran USB cable (Arran is the Atlas range a step up from Mavros).

I am reviewing the Mavros Interconnects (old, upgraded, and new Mavros) between the Moor Amps Angel preamplifier and the DAC RCA analogue output.

Of course, power amplification here at HF&MS is through the Moor Amps Angel 6, driving a beautiful pair of Kudos Titan 505 loudspeakers. I’m using Atlas Mavros loudspeaker cable. I’m using the older Mavros loudspeaker cable, which is unsuitable for GRUN (see above). This ensures some semblance of consistency whilst listening to the interconnect upgrade.

Old Mavros Interconnect (no GRUN) v New Mavros Interconnect Upgraded (with GRUN)

I have previously reviewed the new Mavros interconnect cable versus the old one here. This review is of the old cable versus the new upgraded one. We said of the new Mavros interconnect cable;

…there’s a discernible uplift in the forward presentation…  it’s tangible and compelling.

With the older upgraded cable, I have run the Burn in disc for an extended period, just for the sake of it. With cables, it is a fraction easier if you are A-B-A testing. No matter what the track is should be easy to discern if something is gained or lost.

Swapping in the upgraded Mavros interconnect cable with GRUN into the system confirms the joy of Atlas’ GRUN implementation removing any semblance of noise in the background, it is clear with GRUN. This system is just very sweet indeed. Am I getting a better sound? Maybe a fraction more uplift in the high end; there is more space here, in my view. I should get the same if I heard it with the new Mavros versus the old one. I feel I’m getting a freer, more open delivery if I look at my scribbled notes from when I sent the cables off for the upgrade. Looking back at my notes and the Latik L review from December, Pearl Jam’s Yellow Leadbetter (Qobuz 16-bit, 44.1kHz) is still clean and wide here. That noise floor in the Ryan Adams track in the previous Latik L review is still vanishingly low.

The upgrade has improved the already effective and ‘out of the way’ interconnects.

New Mavros Interconnect Upgraded (with GRUN) v Latest Mavros Interconnect with Ultra L (Latik) and Grun

Spot the difference (upgraded pair above the current model)

…there is little to choose between them

In this case, again, I have run in the new Interconnect over the weekend for consistency and swapped them about A-B several times.

In theory, there should be little to choose between the Upgraded Mavros Interconnect, which now has the Ultra L sheath with GRUN, and the new one. The Mavros conductor is still the same. Sure enough, there is little to choose between them.

Finally, in this system, I can run the current Mavros Interconnect with Ultra L (Latik) and the new Mavros loudspeaker cable with Grun. My cable loom is consistent with this Mavros range. Throughout, I’m getting a high-end stereo image with free-flowing music and a lovely low-noise floor. This is a fantastically musical system.  Even Nickleback sound good here (I’m kidding).

Musical Interlude

HF&MS Atlas Mavros Loudspeaker Cable Project

I have been using the Atlas Mavros Loudspeaker Cable Upgrade Playlist for consistency. It is rapidly becoming a Reference Playlist due to its use and content.

Thoughts

In this throwaway world, an upgrade is always going to be preferrable.

The upgrade to the Mavros interconnector costs £360.00 inc. vat, which is quite a saving on the current RSP of the Mavros Ultra Latik, 1.0m, which is £1,858.00 inc. vat. My turnaround was days. I’m always going to want the latest technology. In this throwaway world, an upgrade is always going to be preferable. If it means I have greater confidence in my system, it is a win.

Without calling this a no-brainer, this seems like a great way to upgrade your cables to Atlas’ latest technology without buying new stuff. (Is this really what Atlas wants?). It might be that Atlas is doing such a good job that they have this one wrong. Nonetheless, if you want consistency across your cable arrangement, which you do ideally, this upgrade may save you a pretty penny to spend elsewhere.

Overall

The Mavros range has always offered the best of Atlas at an accessible price point

The upgrade of this Atlas Mavros interconnector has been an unreserved success. It delivers the latest technology at a fraction of the cost of buying the latest cables. The Mavros range has always offered the best of Atlas at an accessible price point; in this system, it is the perfect partner.

Specification

Full details are on the company’s site.

Mavros Loudspeaker Cable Upgrade

My Mavros loudspeaker cables were too old for a Grun upgrade, which is a shame. The cable did not have the required screen, so the new internal dual drain connections cannot be retrofitted. You should contact Atlas to determine whether your older Atlas cables are suitable.

Nonetheless, Atlas was able to update my old Mavros loudspeaker cable with the latest Atlas Transpose system, a cold-welded termination with the option of fitting different connector plugs to the loudspeaker cables. These could be spades or straight banana (Z Plug) termination; the default is expanding plugs at both ends, which I have here. I personally really like this termination flexibility.