Need help? Call us on 0800 772 3688 or 0208 905 1555
Prefer email? Contact us via sales@futureshop.co.uk
Please Note: All Zeno cables ordered in lengths of 1m or 1.5m come supplied with the significantly more flexible black braid.
Atlas Zeno headphone cables are designed to offer a significant upgrade over the cables bundled with even very expensive headphones. Brands typically using 1:2 (cable plugs into both earpieces) connectors include Audeze, HiFiMan, Oppo, Sennheiser, Ultrasone, HiFiMan & Mr Speakers (Some brands may use more than one type of connection depending on model).
‘High-end’ headphones are growing in popularity at an extraordinary rate, but many users quickly come to realise that the original cables supplied with many models tend to be of average quality, not very durable and are supplied in typically quite short lengths.
Atlas Zeno cables are a high performance OCC copper replacement cable for dynamic headphones (not electrostatics) from most audiophile brands. For Atlas to achieve their design and performance goals for Zeno, they employed their proven cold-weld solder-free construction methods, the objective being to produce a signal path with the minimum of the breaks in continuity which degrade fidelity. Staying true to their design principles meant designing a new family of low-mass, wide bandwidth connectors. These Metik connectors are available in 2.5, 3.5mm & 6.3mm jack plugs plus a 4 pin XLR version in their ‘dark chrome’ finish.
If you don’t see your headphone plug listed, please contact us, we may be able to help. Because Atlas design & manufacture in-house, they can accept most custom build requests.
The Metik is a robust, air tight metal to metal solder-free contact jack plug. Available in 2.5, 3.5 & 6mm versions.
In a cold-weld connection, the metal of the connector plug and the wire are squeezed together under a calibrated pressure to form a robust, consistent, air-tight metal to metal contact with no damage to the cable dielectric. The result is a smooth, uninterrupted signal path which behaves as one continuous entity, with minimal degradation of the signal compared to soldered connections.
Atlas also developed their own low mass/high bandwidth connectors to take this approach to its logical conclusion.
The Ohno continuous casting method re-heats the extrusion as the molten copper is forced out of the mould and very slowly and gradually draws the grain or crystal down the conductor''s length, creating a ‘single crystal structure.’ Actually, because no copper is 100% pure, there will always be a few boundaries produced by impurities. The frequency of boundaries created are quite insignificant. A typical crystal in a copper conductor drawn to 0.3 mm diam. using the OCC process is 125.00 metres long!
The benefits are obvious, with almost no crystal boundaries, the audio signal is no longer impeded down the copper wire and more information and detail is delivered faithfully to the receiving equipment.
| Copper Purity Comparison (0.3mm Diameter) | ||||
| TPC | OFC | OCC | ||
| Purity | >99.9% | >99.99% | >99.999% | |
| Specific Gravity | 8.75 | 8.926 | 8.938 | |
| Gas Impurities (ppm) | ||||
| O2 | 200~500 | <10 | <5 | |
| H2 | <0.5 | <0.5 | <0.3 | |
| Average Crystal Size (Metre) | 0.007 | 0.02 | 125.00 | |
| Crystals Per Metre | 150 | 50 | 0.008 | |
PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) is cheap to produce and, as such, is the most commonly used insulation in AV cables. However, PVC is the worst quality insulation a Hi-Fi or AV signal can encounter as its high loss causes a significant reduction in signal velocity. PVC is better suited to power cables and should be avoided in Hi-Fi and AV signal cables.
Other dielectrics in common use are Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Polytetrafluoride Epoxy (better known as PTFE (Teflon™) or Teflon,) and the new and unique Atlas (PTFE).
FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) has a big advantage over PTFE in that it can be applied to sophisticated conductors at lower temperatures, preserving the integrity of the base material.
The table below shows the properties of a selection of dielectrics. Though not used as a dielectric in Atlas' cables, PVC is included for comparison purposes.
| Dielectric Material Comparison (0.3mm Diameter) | |||||
| Property | Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) |
Foamed Polyethylene (PEF) |
Polypropylene (P.P) |
Teflon (FEP or PTFE) |
PTFE |
| Dielectric Constant (@ 50 -106Hz) |
4-8 | 2.3 | 2.25 | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| Dielectric Strength (kV mm-1) |
23-30 | 30-50 | 30-50 | 20-25 | N/A |
| Loss Tangent (% @ 50 - 106Hz) |
8-15 | 0.02-0.05 | 0.02-0.06 (@ 106Hz) |
0.02-0.07 | N/A |
| Volume Resistivity (Ohms.cm @ 20°C) |
1012-15 | >1017 | 6.5x1014 | >1016 | N/A |
| Tensile Strength (Kg mm-2) |
1.0-2.5 | 1.0-2.0 | 3.0-4.0 | 1.9-2.2 | 1.0 |
| Melting Point (°C) |
-130 | 112-120 | 155-160 | 275 | 275 |
| Max. Continuous Operating Temp. (°C) |
60 | 75 | 90 | 200 | 260 |
| Min. Operating Temp. (°C) |
-15 to -40 | <-60 | -5 to -45 | <-60 | -250 |
Central conductor (signal path) surrounded by dielectric material encased within a circular conducting screen which acts as the signal return path.
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"Replacement headphone cables are an obvious upgrade path for the dedicated headphone user looking to squeeze an extra slice of sound quality from their (often) significant financial investment. The Zeno, is a lightweight, solderfree affair utilising Metik plugs and Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) copper conductors covered in FEP (Fluorinated ethylene propylene) low temperature deposition dielectric covered in a soft PVC inner liner, plus a fabric outer jacket. Connectivity options are varied and numerous and include 2.5mm, 3.5mm, 6.3mm and 4-pin XLR mini at the headphone end with the amp end offering 3.5mm, 6.3mm and 4-pin XLR as options." (Read More) Cable Review - Hi-Fi World - June 2016
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Atlas Cables are a major producer of interconnects and cables in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. All products are researched, developed and most are assembled in the Atlas purpose built factory in Scotland.
Many of these products are unique and use advanced techniques of production or manufacture in order to bring to the user the very finest quality products. With each new model we continue to push the boundaries of reliability and performance. It's little wonder then, that Atlas Cables have had so many mile-stone advances in the past and that Atlas Cables have secured so many awards in comparative tests against other products.
Orders received before 4.30 pm Monday to Friday are usually dispatched the same day by FIRST CLASS post (unless premium postal or timed courier services are selected), subject to stock availability. This does not apply to custom-length cables and speaker cables as these require a longer timescale to terminate. This also excludes all cables selected for the burn-in service. Please note, we do not process orders on national holidays in the UK. Over 98% of our orders are delivered the next working day including Saturdays.
Standard delivery is usually within 2 working days, although 98% of all orders are delivered the next working day including Saturdays. In extreme cases, such as delivery to the Highlands and Islands, this may take 3 days.
All items are fully insured and come with an invoice from Future Shop. We use the Royal Mail for delivery of small packages and DPD Local or DHL for items that weigh over 2KG. Items over 2KG are fully insured and will usually be delivered within 48 hours of placing your order subject to stock availability. For international orders, we use FedEx or DHL services where customers have selected this option.
Please note, special orders for non-standard cable lengths may be subject to longer deliver time-scales. This may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
We offer 'Free delivery on orders over £99' subject to the following terms & conditions:
UK Postal & Delivery Charges - FIRST CLASS
Free UK delivery on all orders over £99*
| Weight | Price (FIRST CLASS UK POSTAGE) |
|---|---|
| 0000g – 1000g | £ 3.95 |
| 1000g – 1400g | £ 4.95 |
| 1400g – 1800g | £ 5.95 |
| 1800g – 2000g | £ 6.95 |
| 2000g – 3000g | £ 8.95 |
* Free Delivery on orders over £99 utilises Royal Mail First Class postal service for items weighing under 2KG. For items weighing over 2KG, we use DPD or DHL next working day services which deliver from 9.00am to 6pm within mainland UK.
Free Delivery for orders over £99 excludes Royal Mail Special Delivery Services and timed next day delivery services by DPD or DHL.
We have 99.9% of the UK covered With Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery. We guarantee delivery to most UK addresses by 1pm the next working day. This includes Northern Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey. Some places take longer to deliver to but we still guarantee delivery within three working days by 5.30 PM.
For the Next Day Special Delivery service, orders must be received by Future Shop by 4.30pm weekdays. Orders after the 4.30pm deadline cannot be guaranteed for same day dispatch.
Please note, Royal Mail Special Delivery for next working day may not be possible where non-standard cable lengths are ordered. If this is the case, the item will be shipped via The Royal Mail Special Delivery service as soon as the cable is custom made.
For orders weighing over 2KG, we reserve the right to ship items using Next Day Pre-Noon Courier Services where Royal Mail Special Delivery option has been selected.
We accept orders from all Channel Islands including Alderney, Jersey, Guernsey and Sark. Unless you select a premium service, Items weighing under 2KG are delivered using our standard UK delivery option above. For items weighing over 2KG, a surcharge may be applied for all deliveries to the Channel Islands as well as Northern Ireland.
Deliveries to EU member states are not subject to 20% VAT after December 31st 2020 and therefore the 20% VAT on items is automatically deducted when you log-in, register or proceed to place an order.
The customer will be liable for the VAT at the local VAT rate, duty on the import and the brokerage service fee if applicable. This may need to be paid in advance to your local Customs & Excise office or the delivery company before your order can be delivered.
We offer the following shipping services:
We reserve the right to change your shipping method without notification if you select a method that we cannot use for your shipment (for instance, we cannot ship via postal services for items over 2 Kg to International destinations). If we need to change your shipping method, we will choose the least expensive shipping method for your order.
Deliveries outside of the UK are not subject to 20% VAT and so the 20% tax on items is automatically deducted when you log-in, register or proceed to place an order.
If applicable, the customer will be liable for the taxes at the local tax rate, duty on the import and the brokerage service fee. This may need to be paid in advance to your local Customs & Excise office or the delivery company before your order can be delivered.
We offer the following shipping services:
We reserve the right to change your shipping method without notification if you select a method that we cannot use for your shipment (for instance, we cannot ship via postal services for items over 2 Kg to International destinations). If we need to change your shipping method, we will choose the least expensive shipping method for your order.
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