Merlin Tarantula RCA Analogue Interconnect Cable

Item code: Tarantula-RCA

The Merlin Tarantula RCA is a four-core interconnect built with 4N copper conductors, XLPE insulation and dual-layer shielding, delivering a full-bodied, natural sound with UK hand-termination for consistent quality.
£90.00
£75.00
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Cable Length *

Select the desired length for your cable from the drop-down menu.

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Burn-In *

We can burn-in your cable for up to 96 hours FREE of charge using our Nordost VIDAR cable burner. This is a £3000 machine that will optimise the performance of your cables from day one. This means the cables will be in optimum performance mode when you receive them, so you'll be able to make a performance assessment quickly rather than waiting 70 hours+ of usage. The result of conditioning cables with the Nordost VIDAR is, improved sound staging, increased detail, and an overall more musical presentation. Please Note: we are unable to burn-in cables with stripped bare ends, BFA-only plugs, or no plugs selected. (This does not apply to BFA/Banana plugs). Cables are burnt-in for the selected period AFTER your order has been processed. This service is offered at Future Shop's discretion and we cannot guarantee all burn-in requests are fully completed during busy periods.

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£75.00 Ex. VAT
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SPEAKER CABLES:

A quantity of 2 means you will receive a pair of speaker cables e.g. for your front left and front right speakers. By entering a quantity of 1, you will get a cable for a single speaker e.g. centre speaker and this option also enables you to vary the length (and termination) of your cable for each speaker.

OTHER CABLES:

A quantity of 1 means you will receive a single cable in the case of aerial, satellite, subwoofer, digital coaxial & optical cables and a pair of cables in the case of 2 rca to 2 rca analogue audio cables.

NON-CABLE PRODUCTS:

A quantity of 1 means you will receive 1 of the specified products.

£75.00 ex. VAT
Available — built to order, dispatches in 24 hours
Delivery: Royal Mail Tracked 24 FREE  ·  DPD Next Day from £8.95  ·  DPD Saturday from £12.95
Order before 4pm (Mon–Fri) for same-day dispatch
Our promise: 60-day returns · Free burn-in · Built in our UK workshop · 5 Years warranty · Expert support on every order

Merlin Tarantula RCA Analogue Interconnect Cable

 

Most interconnects at this price use a simple two-conductor, coaxial-style build. The Merlin Tarantula RCA does something different: it borrows a four-core, opposing-pair geometry more commonly found in balanced cable designs and adapts it for single-ended use. Each of the four 4N oxygen-free copper conductors is individually wrapped in XLPE, a dielectric with lower losses than standard PVC, which helps keep timing and tonal balance intact rather than smeared by the insulation around the wire.

That geometry, combined with an aluminium/Mylar foil layer and a tinned-copper braid, is aimed at noise control. The shield is connected at the source end only, so the cable is directional: fit it with the printed arrows running from source to amplifier and it drains interference away from the signal path rather than looping it back through the system. Natural fillers inside the jacket damp vibration, which matters more than it sounds on a cable carrying a delicate line-level signal.

The result leans towards weight and body rather than outright transparency: full-bodied, tonally substantial, with a natural sense of scale that suits systems where thinner interconnects have sounded lean or clinical. Each cable is hand-terminated in the UK with Merlin's own RCA plugs, silver-plated contacts, PTFE insulation, and a connector barrel that is electrically isolated from the signal path to avoid unwanted contact between adjacent plugs. Every cable is tested before dispatch and, like the rest of the Merlin range, is covered by Future Shop's 60-day money-back guarantee on cables.

 

Features

  • Designed by a team with decades of specialist experience
  • Directional construction and source-end shield termination for a quieter signal path
  • Built with high-spec materials found in many premium cables
  • Hand-terminated and tested in the UK for consistent quality
  • Exclusive to Future Shop and the Merlin Cables range

 

Conductor Material

4 x 24AWG conductors of 4N oxygen-free copper, arranged in opposing pairs to ensure low resistance and a clean, accurate signal path.

 

Dielectric

XLPE Dielectric Insulation. Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) offers strong electrical insulation and lower dielectric losses compared to standard PVC, a material favoured in many performance-focused designs.

 

Internal Damping

Natural fillers help stabilise the internal structure, reducing vibration and preserving the integrity of the signal path.

 

Shielding

A dual-layer shield combines an aluminium/Mylar foil (125% overlap) with a tinned-copper braid (85% minimum coverage), connected at the source end only to minimise noise and interference without introducing ground loops.

 

Premium Jacket

Finished in a pearl white PVC outer jacket, the cable is flexible, durable, and visually elegant — designed to integrate easily into domestic and studio environments.

 

Connectors

Silver-plated RCA pins with PTFE insulation and an electrically isolated metal barrel, hand-terminated in the UK for a secure, low-loss connection. Red and white connector identification ensures correct channel matching, and directional arrows guide correct signal-flow orientation from source to destination.

 

Specification

  • Conductor Material: 4N OFC (99.99% Oxygen-Free Copper)
  • Conductor Size: 4 x 24AWG
  • Dielectric: XLPE
  • Insulation: Natural fillers
  • Shielding: Aluminium/Mylar Foil (125% overlap) + Tinned-Copper Braid (85% min.)
  • Outer Jacket: PVC (Pearl White)
  • Outer Diameter: 7.15 ± 0.15mm
  • Conductor Resistance: 88.8Ω/km max at 20°C, per conductor
  • Geometry: Opposing-pair, stereo twin
  • Design & Testing: UK
  • Termination: Hand-terminated silver-plated RCA, PTFE insulated

 

About Merlin Cables

British-built custom cables, designed around one idea: take the noise out of the system.

Established in the early 2000s, Merlin Cables emerged with a singular mission: to deliver consistent, outstanding performance at an exceptional value. Guided by a distinct design philosophy, Merlin endeavours to minimise system noise, preserving the integrity of the original signal and allowing any audio system to shine at its optimum capacity.

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One conductor material, across the range

Every product under the Merlin Cables banner embodies this philosophy. They universally employ high-purity copper as the conductor material, ensuring that as one navigates up the range, the performance characteristics remain consistent, only elevating in quality at each tier.

Materials chosen to fight noise

In an age where ambient noise is omnipresent and often compromises system performance, Merlin Cables stand out. Their designs deftly integrate superior materials, from high-purity copper to cross-linked polymer dielectrics and even custom noise-reducing compounds intrinsic to the materials. This harmonious blend minimises the detrimental impact of external noise on any system.

Changes only when they earn their place

At Merlin, the pursuit of perfection is ceaseless. Despite receiving accolades and being hailed as best in class by independent reviewers, the drive to push the performance envelope remains unabated. However, change is never arbitrary. Modifications are only introduced when they offer tangible performance enhancements.

Why we stock Merlin

Merlin came onto our radar in 2010 when their power cable took a What Hi-Fi? award, and the results kept up with the price. Our engineers were trained by Merlin's founder to build the Tarantula and Black Widow power cables here in our workshop. They were also the only British brand we carried offering IEC, Figure 8, US, Euro and Australian terminations.

Shop all Merlin Cables →
About Our Free Cable Burn-In Service

New cables (even high-quality ones) benefit from a period of signal conditioning before reaching their optimum performance. The dielectric (insulation) around the conductors needs time to stabilise under the electromagnetic field created by signal flow. Rather than leaving this to you, we run cables on our Nordost Vidar burn-in machine before dispatch, up to the equivalent of 200 hours of use, in a fraction of the time. Your cable arrives performance-ready from the first listen.

01
Cable Built
Cut, stripped and terminated to your specification in our UK workshop
02
Nordost Vidar
Run on our professional burn-in machine, equivalent to 200 hours
03
Dispatched Ready
Arrives performance-ready, simply connect and listen

Specification

  • Conductor Material: 4N OFC (99.99% Oxygen-Free Copper)
  • Conductor Size: 4 x 24AWG
  • Dielectric: XLPE
  • Insulation: Natural filler
  • Shielding: Aluminium/Mylar Foil (125% overlap) + Tinned-Copper Braid (85% min.)
  • Outer Jacket: PVC (Pearl White)
  • Outer Diameter: 7.15 ± 0.15mm
  • Conductor Resistance: 88.8Ω/km max at 20°C, per conductor
  • Geometry: Opposing-pair, stereo twin
  • Design & Testing: UK
  • Termination: Hand-terminated silver-plated RCA, PTFE insulated

We use Royal Mail 1st Class services for our Standard Delivery.

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:

  • Applies only to orders with £99 or more of items (including VAT at the UK rate), at Future Shop
  • 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 (excludes Royal Mail Special Delivery Services and timed next day delivery services by DPD or DHL).
  • Applies only to deliveries to addresses within mainland UK and Northern Ireland addresses. Applies only to orders that are to be delivered to a single Mainland UK delivery address.
  • You will not be eligible for free delivery on your order if any items are cancelled or returned for a refund, bringing the total order amount below £99. Where items are returned, the refund due will be the cost of the item less any postage costs.
  • We reserve the right to change or discontinue 'Free delivery on orders over £99 promotion at any time.
  • FREE DELIVERY FOR ORDERS OVER £99 OFFER DOES NOT APPLY TO TRADE CUSTOMERS.

 

UK Postal & Delivery Charges - FIRST CLASS

Free UK delivery on all orders over £99*

Weight Price (FIRST CLASS UK POSTAGE)
0g - 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.

 

Special Delivery UK - Guaranteed Next Working Day

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.

 

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.

 

Channel Islands & Northern Ireland

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.

 

European Countries

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:

  • Royal Mail First Class International Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 3 to 5 working days
  • Royal Mail Standard International Mail Services - Items are usually delivered within 7-10 working days
  • DHL Express International - Items are usually delivered within 24 to 48 hours. DHL orders must be received by 3:30pm for next day service to most destinations in Europe
  • Federal Express International Priority - Items are usually delivered within 24 to 48 hours. FedEx orders must be received by 3.00pm for next day service to most destinations in Europe
  • Federal Express International Economy - Item are usually delivered within 48 to 72 hours

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.

 

Worldwide - Excluding UK & Europe

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:

  • Royal Mail First Class International Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 7 to 10 working days
  • Royal Mail Standard International Mail Services - Items are usually delivered within 15 working days
  • DHL Express International - Items are usually delivered within 24 to 48 hours. DHL orders must be received by 3:30pm for next day service to most destinations in Europe
  • Federal Express International Priority - Items are usually delivered within 48 hours. FedEx orders must be received by 3.00pm in order to ship items the same day, subject to stock availability
  • Where the actual weight of the package significantly exceeds the shipping cost charged on orders, we may write to you for an additional shipping charge. For larger orders, items may be shipped in multiple packets at our discretion

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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Merlin Tarantula RCA Analogue Interconnect Cable

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Frequently Asked Questions

RCA cables carry unbalanced signals, while XLR cables carry balanced signals that reject noise and interference. XLR is preferred for longer runs and professional-grade audio systems.
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Yes. Longer cables can pick up interference and cause signal loss. Thicker conductors and proper shielding help maintain clarity over longer runs.
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Yes. Well-designed interconnects with quality materials and shielding can improve clarity, reduce noise, and deliver more natural sound reproduction.
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Shielding protects the signal from electromagnetic and radio frequency interference, ensuring your audio remains clean and free from hum or buzz.
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If you have a system which accepts both XLRs and RCAs, we would typically recommend using the XLR connections, as they offer a lower noise floor. However, if you system is pre-dominantly RCAs, then we would recommend sticking with RCAs throughout your system, rather than mixing and matching.
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Yes. Build quality, conductor material, shielding, and connector quality can influence noise levels, clarity, and overall tonal balance, especially in resolving systems.
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Use the shortest practical length to minimise signal loss and interference. Longer runs benefit from better shielding and low‑capacitance designs.
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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.
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XLR - XLR is a specific balanced 3 pin connection for use on suitably equipped system components ; it is generally considered to be of a higher quality compared to standard unbalanced RCA connections , especially over longer distances
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Enhance Your Experience: Free Cable Burn-In Service with Nordost VIDAR Machine

 

Please take note of the following details regarding our cable burn-in service:

  • Cable Compatibility: We regret to inform you that we cannot burn-in cables with stripped bare ends or BFA plugs. In order for cables to undergo the burn-in process, they should be terminated or have connectors.
  • Timing: Cables will be burnt in for the selected period after processing your order. For custom-length cables, the burn-in process will occur after they have been terminated by the manufacturer or our engineers unless specified otherwise in the product description.
  • Availability: Future Shop provides our cable burn-in service free of charge, but its availability is at our discretion. While we strive to fulfil all burn-in requests for the specified time periods, please understand that during exceptionally busy periods, we may be unable to meet the demand due to limited connections on the Nordost Vidar cable conditioning machines.

The Nordost VIDAR cable burn-in machine integrates three key functions into one operation:

  1. Charge Neutralisation: It eliminates charges that accumulate around the cables and their insulation, ensuring a more balanced electrical environment.
  2. Deep Conditioning: The machine provides a wide band and deep conditioning process that affects the conductor core, resulting in changes to the signal transmission through the metal. This deep conditioning enhances the cable's performance.
  3. Ultrasonic Surface Conditioning: The VIDAR machine utilizes ultrasonic waves to condition the surface of the conductors, optimizing their contact and overall conductivity.

The VIDAR employs a proprietary combination of composite and complex signals to condition the cables. These signals comprise ultra-low and ultra-high frequencies, extending beyond the range of video frequencies. The signal moves back and forth along the cable, penetrating deep into the core with ultra-low frequencies and traversing the surface with ultra-high frequencies. This transmission method generates beat harmonics between the two complex waveforms, which permeate all layers of the cable. The circuitry of the VIDAR also drives electrons from the conductor into the insulation area, neutralizing electrical charges.

 

 

Nordost Vidar Burn-in Machine

 

 

So, what does this all mean for you?

The ultimate outcome of conditioning cables with the Nordost VIDAR is improved sound staging, increased detail, and an overall more musical presentation in your audio system.

Now, you may wonder why cable burn-in is necessary. During cable manufacturing, gasses become trapped as insulation is applied over the conductors. Additionally, new cables often possess high electrical charges, resulting in a brittle and bright sound that lacks the desired detail and depth for music production.

When cables undergo burn-in, the trapped gasses are dissipated, and small impurities in the conductor metals begin to exhibit diode-like behaviour, favouring current flow in a specific direction.

Here are the physical effects of the burn-in process:

  • Charge Neutralisation: The burn-in process neutralizes charges in the conductors and insulation, promoting a more balanced electrical environment.
  • Wide Bandwidth Frequencies: The conditioning affects how signals pass through the metal, enabling a wider range of frequencies to penetrate all cable layers.
  • Signal Transmission: The burn-in process establishes the directionality of the cable, optimizing signal transmission from one end to the other.

When cables are properly burnt in, you can expect the following audible changes in your audio system:

  • Fuller and Natural Sound: Your system should be capable of producing a more immersive and realistic performance with a fuller and more natural sound.
  • Increased Detail: You may notice enhanced details and nuances in the music, allowing you to perceive subtle elements that were previously hidden.
  • Improved Soundstage: The dimensionality of your system's soundstage can be greatly improved, creating a more spacious and immersive listening experience.

At Future Shop, our goal is to maximise your satisfaction. That's why we offer a free burn-in service on all our cables before they arrive at your door, enabling you to sit back and enjoy the benefits of properly conditioned cables in your audio system.

 

 


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Merlin Tarantula RCA Analogue Interconnect Cable

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