What Hi-Fi? Verdict
A system that justifies £60 on a coax cable will demand something a bit more even-handed
Pros
- +
Fast, detailed sound quality
Cons
- -
Some top-end harshness
- -
bottom-end lacks momentum
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
It might be fashionable to move your digital audio information from player to amplifier via HDMI cable these days, but there are plenty of folk for whom this isn't an option. That's why there's still a healthy market for digital coaxial cables.
This Black Rhodium coaxial, for instance, (which can be had for £50 if half a metre isn't too short), does the job without fuss.
But, as a celebrity frog once observed, it's not easy being green. The Rondo has all the specification bases covered – good connectors and silver-plated conductors along with 75 ohms impedance – but the sonic signature it brings to bear isn't the most enjoyable we've heard.
Too much brash for the cash
There's no shortage of detail, and the Rondo is capable of subtle atmospherics, but the top of the frequency range is brash to the point of being tiring, and the bottom end doesn't carry the weight or momentum of the best. Unless your system's sound is skewed just so, you can do better.
