FAQ Search Results

There are lots of components and tweaks that can offer a lift in performance, however, our current favourite is the UK 13A mains fuse from your wall socket to your distribution block or amplifier. This is an often overlooked component in most systems but the improvements far outweigh it's size and cost.

Diminishing returns are often used to explain the decrease in percentage performance gain of upgrades for Hi-fi systems. The difficulty with this is that the diminishing point changes depending on the system in question. A system worth less than £1000 will have a much lower diminishing returns point than a system worth £100,000. There is also an aspect of worth to the listener that can affect the point of diminishing returns, as one listener may hear more benefit from a component upgrade than another. All in all, this is a personal subjective measurement based upon your own system and circumstances.

Short answer, yes! There are a wide variety of cables available across different connections and quality levels, all of which can offer a benefit to different systems. This does not, however, imply that every cable will offer an improvement on every system. Finding the right cable requires looking at the components in your system, their sound signature, your room acoustics, the type of music you listen to, and matching this to a cable's materials and geometry. This process can be difficult, which is why we offer free expert advice paired with a 60 days cable money back guarantee. 

All cables matter, and your system will require good quality cables for all of it's connections, however, if you were looking for the cable which will make the biggest difference, then we would recommend looking at the power cables from your wall socket, to your distribution block and/or amplifier. More often than not, we hear from customers, manufacturers, and our own tests that higher quality power cables can have a significant impact of the quality of your system.

Historically, there was a 80/20 rule in the industry which denoted spending 80% on your system, and 20% on the "accessories". Over the last 20 years, we have found there are so many more opportunities for improvement in the "accessories" side of Hi-Fi compared to the component side which led us to believe the 80/20 rule no longer works. This is not to say that you should spend 2 or 3 times as much, however, there are benefits to not restricting your spend based upon 20% of your systems worth. We have heard many systems where the cabling, isolation, acoustics and tweaks have been worth equal amounts to the system and the performance is greater than that of spending twice as much on the components. So our recommendation is not to limit your spend based on your system, but to find the right products for your needs.

Yes, but turntables require low‑capacitance phono cables designed for moving‑magnet or moving‑coil cartridges. Standard line‑level RCA cables are not always suitable.

There can be many different reasons for your system to sound flat or bright, for example the incorrect use of silver-plated cables or a mismatch in equipment compatibility. You could try swapping out your cables, plugging your amplifier in to a wall socket (rather than a distribution block), listening to different media or different speakers (if possible). If you are unable to find the cause of your flat or bright sound then please contact our consultants and we would be happy to help you.

In short, yes, although, this depends on the quality of the cable and your speakers/amplifier. High quality speaker cables tend to be manufactured with 4 key areas, their conductor, dielectric, shielding and geometry. Each of these areas can optimise signal retention from your amplifier to your speakers. Cheaper speaker cables can use lower quality conductors (tin-plated copper or even steel-clad copper), with basic dielectrics (PVC), no shielding and minimal strands with no geometry. More expensive speaker cables start to introduce higher quality conductors (Oxygen-free Copper, Ohno Continuous Cast Copper, Silver-plated Copper or even Pure Silver), better dielectrics (XLPE, PTFE, Teflon etc.), different amounts of shielding (foil, ofc-braid, carbon etc) and various geometries (solid-core, different twists, higher gauges etc.). There are diminishing returns to consider between your speaker cable and your system, as well as the potential of bottle-necks in your system if you use a lower...

Cheap interconnects tend to have lower gauge basic conductors (such as Tin-Plated Copper or Oxygen Free Copper) along with minimal to no shielding and standard PVC dielectrics. Higher-end interconnects improve with higher gauge conductors, more conductive conductors (Ohno Continuous Cast Copper or Silver-Plated Copper), multiple levels of shielding (Foil, OFC Braid, Carbon etc.) and better dielectrics (XLPE, Teflon etc.)

HDMI 2.1 introduces eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) as an improvement over HDMI 2.0's ARC. By utilising the higher bandwidth capabilities of HDMI 2.1, eARC can send uncompressed multi-channel audio from your TV to your amplifier/speakers. Similarly, the higher bandwidth of the A/V channels of HDMI 2.1 also support uncompressed multi-channel audio from your source to your amplifier/speakers. The higher bandwidth of HDMI 2.1 is also suited for I2S connections to support a wider range of resolutions.

Yes. Build quality, conductor material, shielding, and connector quality can influence noise levels, clarity, and overall tonal balance, especially in resolving systems.

Use the shortest practical length to minimise signal loss and interference. Longer runs benefit from better shielding and low‑capacitance designs.

Some models are directional to optimise signal flow. Always follow the arrow markings for correct installation.

They are often described as smooth, natural, and detailed without sounding harsh or analytical.

Van den Hul cables use proprietary conductor materials and carbon‑based technologies designed to reduce noise and distortion.