Ebony Passive Digital (LCX)
"...nothing gets you closer to the music."
Omega Mikro
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Instructions
Ebony Digital Planar Interconnect Series
Omega Mikro Ebony Planar Interconnects are a joint venture of inSound, Inc and Mapleshade Records. These interconnects represent the results of more than a decade of research into the substance of what makes interconnects sound good to the human ear.
Design Principles: The main design principles we derived from our research are simple: minimize skin effect and dielectric losses. The way we implement those principles in the Ebony series is to use a bare, highly refined, annealed in accordance with our special protocols, copper ribbon. The ribbon is then insulated with a low loss mesh dielectric, which is in loose contact with the ribbon. The mesh also serves as an RF shield.
The mesh employs a minimal amount of a proprietary dielectric that is better sounding than any other dielectrics in this application. The total weight of dielectric in the mesh is less than 1/10th that of the air within the mesh tube. Thus the dominant dielectric surrounding the conductors is air. Only vacuum sounds better. Ribbons are attached to the connectors using no solder or welds but rather silver-plated compression screws.
Our T-O Series RCA plugs are a significant advance in the state of the art of audio connectors. They make a significant improvement in the sound of every product we put them on. They express our minimalist design philosophy with their smooth thin-walled high-copper brass tubes for both the ground and hot. They are true coaxial transmission lines with an organic insulator. Products with our new plugs are the equivalent of having moved up to the next higher product in our lineup. The top of the line products achieve a level of sonic realism that marks a new high water mark for our products and for the state of the art of audio reproduction.
“…nothing gets you closer to the music”: Our planar interconnects convey music with startling dynamics while capturing its minutest details and nuances. They also help your system capture the true voicing of each instrument. We accomplish this by faithfully conveying the music’s leading and trailing edges and by assuring that the components of each instrument’s signature harmonics (their voicing and timbre) are kept accurately aligned in time. The result of this design is that each instrument in an ensemble and the three-dimensional spread of the orchestra is rendered with high spatial fidelity. The pacing and rhythm of the music is conveyed with the excitement of live music.
Operation: We trade ruggedness for musical fidelity in our designs. As a result, Omega Mikro Ebony Planar Interconnects must be handled with great care!
• Never pull the interconnects by their ribbons or apply pressure to the insulating mesh (the interconnects will break with less than 6 ounces of applied force).
• Never snag or rip the mesh. Small wire “hairs” are a natural part of the mesh manufacturing process and should not be pulled or cut.
Our interconnects sound best when the two ribbons are separated a few inches. They also sound best when separated from other dielectrics in the vicinity. We recommend lifting the leads off of carpets or tiles and keeping them away from plastic or plastic coated wood or metal. Use small pieces of tape or suspend them with cotton or silk thread or small bare wooden dowels.
In critical listening sessions, be sure to turn off sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI), especially the type that cycle, e.g., air conditioners, furnaces, refrigerators, pumps, computers and fans; and other sources, e.g., light dimmers, battery chargers, VCR’s, DVD player’s and TV’s. Don’t forget to turn these back on after the session is over.
Directionality: Omega Mikro Ebony Planar Interconnects are highly directional! For passive interconnects, the double striped or dotted end or end marked SOURCE goes to the signal source provided the signal it carries is in-phase. If the signal to be carried is out of phase, then the passive interconnect must be turned around, i.e., the single striped or dotted end goes to the source.
Most components do not invert phase. Therefore, our baseline active interconnects are built to carry in-phase signals. If the signal to be carried is out of phase then we supply a reverse phase interconnect. (Please see Clark Johnsen’s “the Wood Effect”)
For active interconnects the end without the pin plugs connects to the signal source whether or not the signal to be carried is in-phase or out of phase. Plug the WHITE pin plug with red stripe or dot into one of the RED pin jacks on the power supply box. The BLACK pin plugs with blue stripe or dot plug into BLUE pin jacks. One RED pin jack will be unused on older boxes.
Warranty: Omega Mikro Ebony Planar Interconnects are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from receipt by the end user. A proof of purchase is required. The warranty is void if the shell is ever removed from the interconnect. The warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from improper or accidental misuse. In any case, Omega Mikro is not liable for incidental or consequential damages of any nature. This warranty applies only to the original purchase of this product.
Please be careful not to damage the interconnects when isolating them from their dielectric environment. Installing them carefully will ensure a lifetime of trouble-free listening enjoyment. Damage from mishandling voids your warranty. However, if you do damage them, we can usually repair out-of-warranty interconnects for a nominal fee. Return them to your dealer for repair.