Merlin Cables - Tarantula

Introduction

Cables are often dreaded by audio reviewers, but I enjoy reviewing them—it’s simply a matter of comparing A to B and deciding which one sounds better. It’s not that hard really.

Anyone who says cables are snake oil may not have had the pleasure or opportunity to hear how cables can affect a system. For example, I prefer, by a street, the Tellurium Q Ultra Black II on my Naim-driven system over the more expensive and patently transparent Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II because the Naim amplifier is just that bit more aggressive in the delivery, the Ultra Black II does a calming job for me in this case. By the same method, the Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II is with my Moor Amps in the review setup because they are just so transparent, and the Moor is a more revealing amplifier than the Naim, full stop.

Future Shop, with whom I declare an affiliate interest, has sent me these cables as they wanted a view on these Merlin Tarantula loudspeaker cables. Future Shop purchased the Merlin Cables brand in 2023. The Merlin Cables brand has been around since the early 2000s and has built a solid reputation with products like the award-winning Tarantula power cable (What Hi-Fi).  So, there’s knowledge within Merlin, and Future Shop has developed its original philosophy, with new products and designs that deliver outstanding performance at sensible prices.  The first of these is the Tarantula loudspeaker cable.

Design

The Tarantula loudspeaker cable uses 3.5 mm² 99.99% OFC (oxygen-free copper) conductors. “Four 9s or 4N (99.99%)” copper conductors are pretty rare at this price point. The cable pairs are packed with cotton yarn and a natural fibre wrap for the internal fillers. These fillers minimise mechanical vibration and contribute to the integrity of the signal path.

There is an XLPE (Cross-Linked Polyethylene) dielectric that offers electrical insulation with lower dielectric losses. The cable is finished with a pearl white PVC outer jacket. The cable is flexible, has a slim 8.8 mm diameter, making it easy to route, and it is durable.

The cables are available bare-wired or with Future Shop’s “Elite Reference” banana or spade plugs. The plugs feature a cold-weld design for a cleaner, more secure termination. The banana plugs have a beryllium copper core, and the spade plugs have a silver-plated base. They both feature a 24K gold-plated finish to ensure a high-quality electrical connection.

Quality

The cable features a soft-touch finish, with the pearl-white outer sheath blending nicely into my pale carpets. Out of the box, the cable has ‘straightened’ without fuss, leaving me with an anonymous connection between the Moor and the loudspeakers.

Specification and Price

Performance

Review Equipment

I’m using a Melco-based source on the right side of an ADOT optical data converter, complemented by an Eversolo DMP-A6 as a streaming transport. The transport is connected to a FiiO R2R K11 DAC, which sounds equivalent to these Tarantula cables in DAC form, compared to the evergreen iFi Pro iDSD DAC. I have an Audioquest Carbon USB cable between them, again sourced from Future Shop (with next-day delivery).

As an aside, the A6 is still receiving updates an appears to be just about flawless in delivery, the App is still a winner, remarkable really since I was really concerned, I’d miss the Auralic ARIES streaming transport on its recent return.

For amplification, I have used the peerless Moor Amps Angel 6, paired with the Moor Pre preamplifier. With the Tarantula cables, I’m driving variously Acoustic Energy 320² loudspeakers, ELAC Carina bookshelves and Kudos Audio 505s. I’ve also played with the recently reviewed Rega Brio Mk 7 and a newly arrived Bluesound Powernode. The Tarantula cable run is 3m in length.

Physically

As I’ve mentioned, the cable has unwound from the box nicely and sits discreetly on the floor.  The terminations have a screw fitted cap on them, which I would prefer not to have, as they loosen easily. I have removed them in the interests of not losing them and have put a label on the cable with a Sharpie! That’s a very me thing, having lost many of this type of caps over the years.

The cable was burned in for me by Future Shop for 96 hours; however, they certainly improved as they settled in over the days of the review period, as do most things.

Performance

Let’s cut to it: Is there a tangible reduction in performance with these loudspeaker cables over the resident cables discussed in the introduction? Well, no, there is not. My sub-bass response with the Moor might not be quite as controlled or dominant, but I have no complaints at this level. Vocals are similarly clean with nothing to notice. The high end is equally clear with no hint of sibilance or such nastiness in the presentation. And at £16/m what more do you need?

The only comment I would make on these cables is that the soundstage feels a fraction cramped with the Moor (not because of it), but this amplifier offers a vast expanse within which to work with the right loudspeakers and cable investment. This effect is less evident with other amplifiers (see below). To the casual listener, this is of little relevance.

With the Brio, this performance adjustment is way less pronounced, and the Powernode is the same because these amplifiers are not in the same league as the Moor Amps Angel 6. By the same process, however, you would choose appropriate cables when you invest in a reference amplifier, or would you, now?

Thoughts

The audiophile game, as we all know, is one of diminishing returns. It is about being in the right mood and being in the right place when you listen to music, and it is also about confidence in your system, including the cables. I had recently lost some of this confidence with the departure of the Auralic ARIES streaming transport. Still, the more I continue to use the Eversolo A6, the more confidence I have and the better it sounds to me.

The best way I can think of describing this cable conundrum is that it is like comparing 2K TV (2048 x 1080p) to 4K TV (2560 x 1440p). There’s little in it for the casual viewer/listener, but there is enough there for the discerning viewer/listener. There is also, in this context, a question of aspect ratio (the soundstage). For example, 720p looks fine on a standard iPad for the casual viewer, but may not be suitable on a projected screen.

These cables give me enough confidence to totally recommend them, particularly at this price.

Overall

These Merlin Tarantula cables are very hard to fault at this price. In the context of this Rega Brio review, these cables take nothing away, which is fundamentally all that cables can do. In terms of price and performance, the cables are outstanding.