Ecosse Reference Cable Ltd. Baton Interconnects, Conductor MK11 Interconnects, and ES 2.3 Loudspeaker Cables by Karl Lozier

March 2003

Ecosse Reference Cable Ltd. And The Baton Interconnects
Review By Karl Lozier
Click here to e-mail reviewer Conductor MK11 Interconnects

I received a phone call from Frank Stuppel of FS Audio Web, perhaps best known as the importer of the well-known Heart CD player, which was very favorably reviewed by our Senior Editor, Dick Olsher. He asked if I would like to review some new to the US.A. cables that had been extremely well received in various U.K. magazines. "No thanks, I replied, I am just kind of tired or reviewing cables right now and my editor, Steven R. Rochlin, is asking us to cut down on the number of cable reviews".

Frank then said, "these are moderately priced products that perform well beyond their price range and I am certain you will be impressed". It has been true that so far in my relatively short time knowing Frank Stuppel I've found his thoughts and evaluations to be very similar to mine. I relented and told him that he could send samples of the various cables and I would listen, evaluate and review them. I also told him that we are expected to compare reviewed cables with some other cables and that I would have access to some new Monster brand cables for comparison. "No" he almost shouted. He explained that these cables were designed to be at least competitive in most respects with better if not the best cables. Okay, I told him, no comparisons with the Monster cables.

About a week later the cables arrived, both the interconnects (single ended/RCA type connectors) and loudspeaker cables. The interconnects are a typical diameter with a nice almost copper colored outer covering and seemingly gold plated outer end connectors, not the center pins. The connectors fit all my plugs just fine and the cable itself is very flexible and easy to work with and is listed as being double shielded and non-directional. After a few days of burn-in time, listening sessions began in earnest. It did not take long to discover that this model, Ecosse's "The Conductor", labeled on the box as Mark II (but not on the cable itself) was not the equal of my usual reference interconnects and simply was not fair to compare them. After all, my usual reference interconnects are approximately a thousand dollars more expensive! However I had just finished reviewing Kimber's new budget model, Tonik as well as Harmonic Technology's new Harmony Link and the Ecosse's Conductor II overall was superior to these two budget models. It would be expected to be so as it is almost double Kimber's fifty-six dollar price. It would be nice but not practical for me to have some cables at every price point lying around available for comparison.

Reviewers need some stability in our systems and various cables (unchanging) are a fine place to start. A number of cable companies make very good models in the four to eight hundred dollar price range but then get into trouble modifying those models to get into a lower price range. Basically that lets me describe this new (to the United States) interconnect cable as a fairly priced cable competing in the price range above the budget model cables with only a bit of extra brightness to mar its tonal balance. "We will have to fix that," responded Frank Stuppel when I informed him of my findings, and that he did. I had replied to him that not everybody is a very critical listener and there is nothing wrong with having a good product that is fairly priced.

Three days later an airfreight package arrived from Scotland, home of the Ecosse Company. Do any of our readers know what the word "Ecosse" means? The answer will be found in Karl's Korner in the Viewpoint Section. A knowledge of another language would be helpful to answer it. The package contained fully "burned-in" cables in varying lengths and named "The Baton" and so stamped on the cables' outer sheath. This model is almost twice as thick as the previous model Ecosse I received and is listed as being triple shielded, directional and with the individual conductors silver-plated. Their rather impressive appearance comes from a light gray color capped off at each end with eye catching WBT type of locking RCA connectors (personal favorites of mine) with gold plated center pin and inner contact shield. Please remember that gold plated contacts are not for better conductivity, silver is best for that. It is for resistance to oxidation - copper is a much better conductor than gold. This model looks as if it would be far more expensive to manufacture than the other one (The Conductor II) but is only fifty dollars more at one hundred and fifty dollars for a one-meter pair. Here in the U.S. that is a very moderately priced interconnect!

This new model, The Baton, is conducting in a different league. It is said to be a replacement for their more expensive Diva model at a lower price. I can actually compare it in a relatively meaningful way against the best models. No, it is not going to equal the best models in any particular parameter, other than tonal balance and possibly exterior apparent materials quality. It is also not particularly deficient in any one area. That is, its flaws do not stand out; they could be described as rather mild and evenly balanced or whatever. A thought just crossed my mind. The Vandersteen Model 2 or 2c series loudspeakers are one of the most popular and well-known systems ever in the audio world and rightly so. However, they are not one of the very best in any single parameter of performance. They have no serious faults, do not add faults, flaws or distortions and are simply very musical and easy to listen to. Just think of the Ecosse "Baton" interconnect as the Vandersteen of the interconnect world and available at a very moderate price. It can be accurately described in the same terms. Also add the terms musical, smooth, sweet and very good, period - not just on a price or value basis.

Reviewing and evaluating audio cables of any type is rarely a fun project. In fact a large number of reviewers simply "do not do cables" - or only rarely. Personally I am prejudiced against companies that every year (or two) have a new line of cables, a new top-of-line model and a new, improved design architecture. It is just fine with me if Harmonic Technology or Kimber try to enter the bargain price market with a new design or modification to capitalize on the burgeoning home theater market or Purist Audio develops a unique outer covering that is even better at shielding than their older bulky liquid plus electrolytes design. Business is business and profits must be made or companies such as Kimber could not keep their large research facilities open.

Having said that let me state that I have an unconcealed bias in favor of companies, such as Kimber, whose best model of a few years ago is still the top model. I love the idea that a company can say something like, "we researched it thoroughly designed and developed it carefully and manufacture it with close quality control and we have not found any way to make it better as of now - different, maybe, but not better." While I am preaching I should cut a few readers "off at the pass", as John Wayne used to say, about the forthcoming questions that would be usually be e-mailed to me. No, I have not heard the latest model audio cable from the "Ultra International Research Corporation" for comparison. Their photographs and claims are as impressive as those made by others ten years ago or so. A few years ago I actually counted the number of individual interconnect cable models available for sale in the United States. The total was approximately 660! In my reply to questioners, I was able to state that fact and honestly add that the model he wanted my opinion regarding was one of the 626 I had not heard in my own system. Enough, enough - check out Karl's Korner in the Viewpoint section for some further cable thoughts plus related happenings at CES.

I can rather easily summarize my experience with and feelings about this new Ecosse model interconnect, "The Baton". At a value price point just above the rock-bottom bargain models that I have heard in my home, this cable offers performance that begins to compare with the best on an all around basis and does nothing poorly. It is for the listener that wants something good at a good price. Better can be had but it will cost. If my memory and notes still serve me, Kimber Kable's Hero model serves up similar easy listening qualities and tonal balance in this price range. Harmonic Technology's Pro Silway Mk II does also at more than double the price. However, then things such as even finer musical detail, greater ambiance and better soundscaping as well as imaging, might become apparent. To try to accurately numerically rank these two models as we do for most components, for The Conductor model I would rank: Tonal Balance: 70, Fit and Finish: 75, Value: 70. For the slightly more expensive Baton model the rankings jump significantly to Tonal Balance: 90, Fit and Finish: 95 Value: 95.

I received two pairs of Ecosse ES 2.3 loudspeaker cables. One pair had spade lug connectors and the other had a relatively unique banana type connector. Briefly, it had one open lengthwise slot and overall a very slightly too large diameter. Inserting the banana forces it to close very snuggly and relatively evenly over most of its area. I can see that theoretically there would be a larger contact area than regular banana conductors provide. Overall the diameter of the Ecosse ES 2.3 loudspeaker cables is midway between the two reviewed interconnect cables. The outer covering is between white and light gray and could be called off-white. It is very flexible.

Ecosse calls the design a single wire speaker cable but be aware that each of the two wires (per side) contains almost eight hundred strands per conductor and both the OFC copper conductor and braided shield/screen are silver-plated. Summarizing its performance is surprisingly easy and I have had a comparable situation arise only once in the past two or three years. Briefly my overall summary of Ecosse's The Baton interconnect cable is the same as my considered evaluation of their ES 2.3 loudspeaker cable. In other words, its response is smoothly and musically satisfying. There is no harsh edge added to musical instruments or vocalists. As with their interconnect (The Baton) its behavior remains unchanged no matter what type of music it is handling. It is right at home with Sinatra and Stravinsky as well as some custom CD and SACD recordings given to me at CES in January. It has no really significant flaws though it can be slightly bettered in almost every respect. Bettering it overall will be very expensive.

In general, any thing near the best in loudspeaker cables is much more expensive than the close to the best in interconnects. Separately the Baton interconnect model and the ES 2.3 loudspeaker cables offer remarkably similar performance and a very fair price point. Any slight failings are of the omission category not addition. In other words, obvious distortions, harshness, edginess and so on are not added and musically pleasing sound is the result. It matters not what type of music or musical instrument is being reproduced. A truly good component, and cables should be thought of as a component, is very good in all cases or it would simply not be very good by definition of the words. Used together the result is adding more good performance on top of good performance. Using Enjoy the Music.com's usual ranking system; I can furnish at least close evaluation rankings for some of its parameters. Tonal Balance: 90, Fit and Finish: 80, Value: 92.

Specifications

The Conductor MK II Interconnects: 1 Meter $100
1.4 Meters $125

The Baton Interconnects: 1.0 Meter $150
2.0 Meters $190

ES 2.3 Loudspeaker Cables: 2.0 Meters $150
3.0 Meters $195