Technical Overview
Argento cables do make a difference...Specially designed conductors based on Argento's proprietary requirements : • extremely high purity silver conductors (99.997%) • unique shape : near super elliptic with optimized surface to cross section ratio and no edges. • optimized crystal structure and surface by annealing, 2-stage cryo-treatment and polishing*.
Exclusive proprietary designed Vibration Damping Material ( VDM ® ) leading to :• virtually perfect vibration damping and dielectric properties, • very low background noise and a very relaxed but still super dynamic presentation.
The best connectors available made of pure copper or silver and the best conductors to connectors interaction allowing the cables to deliver their full potential.
Validation process using a combination of extensive ABA & ABX tests followed by long term listening tests.
Each Argento Serenity cable is carefully handcrafted in Denmark.
* number and duration of surface treatments determined by the level of Serenity cable (for example : conductors used in the Serenity Master Reference has more and longer treatments than the ones featured in our entry-level Serenity line)
Argento VDM ® - A unique technological breakthrough in advanced cable designAdmittedly, vibrations have an ill-effect on an audio cable's performance. However, it is one of the most dramatically underestimated aspects of cable design, considering the amount of dedicated knowledge and research involved in developing a material able to effectively eliminate vibrations at the conductor level.
During the process of rigorous testing and research and development, Argento concluded that none of the usual “solutions” (plastic, composite materials, etc.) was a correct answer to the problem. They were simply ineffective or created other deleterious and unacceptable effects despite removing the problems caused by the vibrations.
The result of Argento's R&D culminated in the development of VDM® -short for “Vibration Damping Material.” Argento created their own blend of different materials with outstanding complementary physical properties: elastic at typical room temperature, completely electrically stable, and very heavy. Finding an efficient way to apply the VDM® proved as difficult a task as inventing the material. They wanted to make absolutely sure that every last molecule of air was removed from the cable to maximize the damping effect.
The increased performance of the Serenity cables lead Argento to further develop their VDM® compound to achieve the best damping and temperature interval at which the VDM® works best. As a result, Argento is proud to offer VDM® in all of the Serenity cables, making available to you the true epitome of perfect electrical insulation and mechanical damping.
Three lines sharing a common uncompromising design
All Argento Audio products share the same principles and technology issued from their 15-years of dedication and experience, incorporating the same basic ideas of vibration damping combined with optimized pure silver conductors, proprietary specifications, techniques, and rigorous handcraft quality. Whichever Serenity cable you choose will bring you something special that will sound distinctly different and, in our experience as well as in our customers’, immensely more natural than all other cables.Argento’s three Serenity lines : • Serenity • Serenity Reference • Serenity Master Reference (or SMR)
The principles & technology
All the cables in the Serenity line, from the Serenity to the Serenity Master Reference use the same basic parts.
1. The conductor In the past Argento used round conductors, but for the Serenity they decided to start over and try different types of conductors. They discovered that the best sound seemed to be produced by a conductor featuring a certain ratio between cross section and circumference. The result of their efforts was a conductor with the following characteristics: • Material: 99.997% pure Silver. • Condition: long duration low temperature annealing followed by long duration 2- stage cryo-treatment (cooled to -193C by gas and then emerged into liquid nitrogen). • Shape: near super elliptic with optimized surface to cross section ratio and no edges. • Surface: polished (the duration of the polishing is determined by the level of Serenity cable)
2. The electrical insulation and mechanical damping. (Please refer to the Argento VDM® section above.)
3. The use of shielding Argento cables are all made without shielding. The reason for this is very simple. It sounds better, and we have experienced next to no problems. The only problems we have experienced have occurred when using the cables in an environment with heavy electrical interference and low output MC pickups. If you are contemplating using the Serenity Master Reference in such a configuration we recommend that you try it before purchasing it.
4. Connectors The Serenity cables use Xhadow XLR and RCA connectors and Bocchino pure copper XLR/RCA connectors and Argento pure silver spades which all have to be cryo-treated to -190 degrees Celsius to maintain the optimal transmission of the signal throughout the cable. |
