ZAVFINO 1877PHONO GRAPHENE GOLD RUSH AU/AG GOLD OCC/PURE SILVER TONEARM CABLE REVIEW – M & S

When it comes to dialling-in the sound of a high-end 2-channel stereo system, most long-time industry insiders agree that everything matters. There is near universal agreement that synergy and the compatibility of components matters as much, if not more so, than individual cables or tweaks. Every part of the high-end audio chain matters. Turntables and phono stages, however, conduct microscopically small electrical signals. As such, choosing a phono interconnect that maximizes the potential of any vinyl record playback system is critical to creating lifelike sound.

When Will Trem from Zavfino 1877-Phono™ asked if I’d be interested in auditioning his PC-OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast) Copper (Cu) and solid pure Silver (Ag) Graphene Gold Rush™ phono cable, I jumped at the opportunity to do so.

Mono & Stereo™ was concurrently reviewing the Thales Simplicity II Tonearm. For this review, I decided to hook-up the 1877-Phono Graphene phono interconnect to the Thales tonearm and to my Audio Union Döhmann Helix 1 turntable.

HISTORY

According to Will Trem, CEO at Zavfino 1877-Phono:

“I’ve been designing, manufacturing, and consulting on cables and associated termination parts for over 18 years. I started working in this field in Calgary as an extrusion line apprentice. The first few years, I focused on manufacturing control cords, industrial communication cables, and A/C power cables for Motorola, Ericsson, and Siemens. Later on, I concentrated on developing new cable technologies and manufacturing cables for high-end Consumer Electronics (CE) companies in the USA and Europe.”

Looking back, Will Trem further explained:

“In response to the growing demand and resurgent interest in turntables and vinyl records, around 11 years ago, I started Zavfino 1877Phono™ with two partners. As the company grew, about five years ago I set-up an office in Truro Nova Scotia. As our company’s sales continue to expand, I am now rotating between three locations. By being hyper-attentive to our clients, we give our dealers and customers a ‘friends and family’ personal connection that is lost with far too many of the big mass-produced hi-fi companies.”

“Initially we focused on manufacturing internal tonearm wiring harnesses, DINs, and tonearm connectors. Using higher quality materials and re-engineering the connectors, we were able to simplify the assembly process for advanced and novice turntable/tonearm technicians. Having a background in fine wire engineering, I designed our 5Litz7 (33AWG) tonearm wire. Today this wire is used in hundreds of tonearms worldwide as well as by at least a dozen famous tonearm and turntable manufacturers.”

Reminiscing a bit, Will Trem also commented:

“When we first started the workshop, we were re-wiring vintage arms from SAEC, Micro Seiki, Audio Fidelity, as well as some of Rega’s tonearms. These arms were shipped to us from all over the North America, with some even coming in from Europe and Asia. Engineering on the tonearms and turntables from the early 1980s to 1990s is still to this day, to some degree, unmatched. If you look at today’s tonearms, you can easily see that their design foundations are based on tonearms from Audiocraft, Audio Fidelity, and SAEC. Introduction of the CD in 1982, sadly, killed off many of these great companies before they realized that vinyl was not a dead technology.”

“Many of the arms we serviced needed new internal wiring harnesses that were lightweight and that wouldn’t affect the vertical and horizontal movement of the tonearm bearing and the arm itself. Our 5Litz7 (33AWG) tonearm wire was perfect for these applications. While we were replacing the wiring harnesses, we also repaired and replaced other parts on these arms such as the bearings. We had to develop entirely new cables with low capacitance to match the performance of the tonearms and the needs of the cartridges. The increased popularity of MC carts over MM carts resulted in a need for higher quality internal tonearm wiring and tonearm interconnects.”

“As word of mouth grew and more customers bought our wiring harnesses, we introduced a range of tonearm interconnects from an entry level model to a pure silver (Ag) cable that features carbon DINs.

As our dealer/distributor network expanded, we also developed more turntable related products such as record weights, turntable mats, and headshell leads. Germane to my engineering background, we also designed a full line of high-end wiring. These included A/C power cords, interconnects, and speaker cables.”

“Our internal stranding process for tonearm wires, interconnects, and speaker cables all use our H-Wound™ Litz tight-pitch stranding technique. This results in having cables with a tighter horizontal stranding pitch that contains more conductors per inch than traditional cable designs by other companies. It is physically twisted in the same way that a guitar string is, with upwards of 16,000 twists per meter.”

Why was 1877Phono™ selected as a brand name?

According to Will Trem, the 1877Phono™ brand name was chosen for a very specific reason. He noted:

“The late 1800s was a time of great innovation in North America that introduced the public to electrical inventions from such engineers as Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and Nikola Tesla. Historically speaking, 1877-1925 is now known as the “Acoustic Era.” During this time, many breakthroughs in recorded sound and sound reproduction occurred.”

“1877 was the year that Thomas Edison trademarked the patent for his new invention- the phonograph. Edison was the driving force behind getting the phonograph/turntable into common usage in most households. He is the primary person responsible for what we know today as modern Hi-Fi.”

“To us it seemed the perfect brand name for our products. 1877Phono™ is a tribute to everything vinyl and a testament to Thomas Edison. (I have to thank Simon for the name. He came up with it when we were brainstorming on what to call the company). We later added Zavfino 1877Phono™ to our trademark to make it distinctive and easier to search for on-line.

*Also because the China trademark office pretty much said that we couldn’t trademark 1877phono as a Canadian company in China but a local could so the workaround was to make it into two separate words.

ZAVFINO’S H-WOUND™+ ZERO STRAND LOSS

Zavfino’s H-Wound™+ Zero Strand Loss Technology:

According to Zavfino’s website:

“Drawing on more than 18 years of manufacturing experience, Zavfino developed a remarkable new technique for twisting stranded wire tightly around a central solid-core conductor. An electrical phenomenon commonly known as the “skin effect” occurs when electrons move through any solid core conductor. Higher frequencies tend to travel along the outside (the skin) of the conductor faster than midrange and lower echelon frequencies. This results in smeared PRaT, muddled instrumental timbres, and an unnatural sound. Zavfino’s new H-Wound™ manufacturing technique negates the skin effect.” – Douglas Seth Brown

Will Trem also commented:

“Originally developed by OEMs Siemens and Klangfilm, Zavfino uses a customized transformer wire-stranding machine. We further modified the gears in this machinery to create windings at a slower RPM ratio with a much tighter pitch. This patented manufacturing process enables us to twist the wiring at the tightest pitch possible without overlapping the wire strands.”

Douglas Seth Brown writes: “Most wire-stranding machines can only fabricate windings up to a maximum of 300 twists per meter. Setting the bar far higher, Zavfino’s patented H-Wound™ cable winding machine creates a pitch rate of 14,000 to 16,000 twists per meter; which is currently unmatched by any other audiophile cable maker.

Zavfino’s new Zero Strand Loss™ manufacturing technique protects the bundled conductors from damage during stripping and termination. By ensuring that each core has zero chipped, cut, or mangled strands, we can guarantee that each insulated core is 100% identical.

For audiophiles, the sonic results of tighter windings and Zero Strand Loss™ conductors are cables with quieter backgrounds, remarkable timbral accuracy, lifelike PRaT, jaw-dropping mid-range resolution, and superior low-frequency extension.

Zavfino’s new H-Wound™ stranding technology allows us to protect the delicate electrical signal that’s transferred through our cables. Combined with Zavfino’s state of the art manufacturing techniques, our precision matched pure silver (Ag) and gold (Au) PC-OCC conductors used in the Gold Rush™ tonearm cable bring an unequalled purity and honesty to all forms of music. The results are previously unheard details, finesse, and accuracy across the frequency spectrum.”

Zavfino’s Deep Cryo™ + Ultra Sonic-7™ Thermal Break-in Treatment:

Speaking about Zavfino’s Deep Cryo™ Treatment, Will Trem explained:

“All of the conductors used in our cables undergo Deep Cryo™ treatment before the insulation is extruded over the metals. Our research has proven that the conductor—and only the conductor— benefits from cryo-treatment. Materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC™), Teflon™, PE, and Silicon™ can all be adversely affected by cold-temperature annealing. Cryo-treating non-conductors and insulating materials can cause them to break down and become brittle.” – Douglas Seth Brown

“The purity, size, and molecular structure of each conductor determine the specific temperature within the -186ºC to – a 196ºC range that we cryo-treat it at. Zavfino’s research into cold temperature physics has proven that the absolute lowest temperature is not necessarily the best for cryo-treatment.” – Douglas Seth Brown

Zavfino’s Deep Cryo™ + Ultra Sonic-7™ Thermal Break-in Treatment:

Speaking about Zavfino’s Deep Cryo™ Treatment, Will Trem explained:

Ultra Sonic-7™ High Voltage / Thermal Break-in Process:

In terms of breaking-in all of Zavfino’s cables, Will Trem noted:

“This is a two-stage process. In the first stage, we draw the bare conductor through a ceramic die into an ultrasonic cleaning chamber that bombards the conductor with multiple ultrasonic frequencies. This emulsification process removes all debris from the surface of the wire down to the molecular level and leaves zero residue.”

“After each individual wire is processed, we strand it into bundles and then subject the bundles to further treatment. During the second stage of the ultrasonic burn-in, we increase the voltage to a higher level that’s just below the threshold of the conductor. This adjustment in temperature allows us to get a unique “break-in effect” normally associated with cables that have had 30 to 40 hours of signal and/or current run through them.”

“The results…? Most cables using OCC conductors take months to properly break-in. Zavfino’s patented Deep Cryo™ and Ultra Sonic 7™ thermal break-in treatments pre-burn all of our OCC cables so that the end user will hear the cable at an optimal level within days instead of months. In other words, Audiophiles get better sound in a fraction of the wait time.” – Douglas Seth Brown

Zavfino’s Graphene Dielectric Shielding:

What is Graphene?

Douglas Seth Brown writes: “Graphene is an allotrope of carbon which, at the molecular level, forms a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice in which one atom forms each vertex. It is the basic structural element of various other allotropes, including graphite and charcoal. Raw graphene is a polymer that is both conductive and flexible.

It has many unique electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. This makes it an ideal material for use in audiophile engineering applications.

With an intrinsic tensile strength of 130 GPa and a Young’s Modulus stiffness of 1 TPa (aprx. 150,000,000 PSi), graphene is the strongest material ever tested. Its tensile strength is about 200 times greater than that of the strongest known steels. It is also the best conductor of electricity yet known. Studies have proven electron mobility through graphene at values exceeding 15,000 cm2·V-1·s-1.”

What is Zavfino’s Z-GRAPh-LDPTM…?

Zavfino is the first audiophile cable OEM to integrate graphene insulation into high-end A/C power cables as a dielectric shield. After more than two years in development with a leading American graphene polymer research company, we’re proud to unveil our new proprietary ZGRAPh-LDPTM conductive shielding/dielectric, first used within our Silver Dart™ OCC-Copper (Cu) A/C power cable.

The results of using ZGRAPh-LDPTM

The results of using ZGRAPh-LDPTM

1. Superior protection from electromagnetic interference as the graphene contour moulds to our copper shields and prevents EMI spikes. The result is superior grounding and vastly improved signal transmission. – Douglas Seth Brown

2. Graphene has excellent Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) properties that eliminate static electricity and tribo-electric charging; both of which can negatively affect a power cable’s performance. – Douglas Seth Brown

3. Graphene’s high heat absorption reinforces the dielectric by 30%. This ensures that all of Zavfino’s cables shielded with graphene will deliver unchanged electrical performance for decades to come.

4. Graphene creates a 100% anti-corrosive barrier that prevents the ingress of oxygen into the shield and conductors. An airtight / corrosion free seal further guarantees consistency of signal transfer at a molecular level and unchanged sonic performance for a lifetime of usage.

Why Zavfino’s Graphene outperforms traditional shielding:

Electromagnetic theory stipulates that a signal inside of a closed electromagnetic shield cannot be affected by interference from an outside source.

“Traditional dielectric insulation that uses braided copper (Cu) or mylar shields cannot ensure a perfectly closed shield. Copper braids and mylar wraps both have gaps between their overlaid bundles and layers which inherently occur during manufacturing. Low frequency interference and high frequency noise will slip through these gaps and cause electromagnetic contamination and sonic degradation.” – Douglas Seth Brown

Zavfino’s primary goal is to keep all electro-magnetic interference (EMI) away from the signal’s transmission path.

By utilizing our extrudable graphene polymer jacket over the shield, our new ZGRAPh-LDPTM cover solves a myriad of electrical problems which braided shielding innately causes.

Our graphene dielectric ensures 100% coverage as it moulds itself to the traditional shield and drain of the cable. In effect, this creates a perfectly closed electromagnetic field.

SONIC ARTISTRY

Every high-end audio product needs to perform at a certain level to be worthy of a ‘high-end’ designation. When evaluating orchestra music, I’ve always preferred the Carl Orff ‎– Carmina Burana vinyl record (Supraphon a.s. ‎– 88 765 XAK). When played through a properly set-up ultra high-end 2-channel rig, this recording can deliver a mesmerising and shivering emotional impact. This record does, however, need a transparent and potent phono cable to make it sound its best.

Zavfino 1877Phono’s Graphene Gold Rush™ phono cable recreated the 3-dimensional sonic impact of the Carmina Burana record with jaw-dropping realism. The Gold Rush interconnect allowed the immense palette of tone, timbre, and sonic colour to sound as vivid as I’ve ever heard a stereo system reproduce it.

To blend a piano and an orchestra into one cohesive whole is a difficult thing for any analog front end to do. The Graphene Gold Rush™ phono cable recreated the sonic tension contained within the Carmin Burana recording with a purity, transparency, and musical flow that gave me shivers.

As a counterpoint to a full orchestra, with mediocre vinyl systems, all-too-often the decay and delay of individual piano notes is buried beneath the musical crescendo of the other instruments. This is especially evident with the vinyl version of Andrei Gavrilov, Riccardo Muti, Philharmonia Orchestra, Tchaikovsky ‎– Piano Concerto No. 1 (His Master’s Voice ‎– ASD 3818).

The sound of the orchestra seamlessly combines with the piano on this record as a holistic entity. The music travels towards the listener as a singular harmonic event. At the same time, the solo piano never loses its place within the overall soundstage. This is where high-performance phono cables usually differ from mediocre ones.

The Zavfino 1877Phono™ Graphene Gold Rush™ phono cable allowed the raw and primary nature of the orchestra to sing with the authority that the music demands, without taking away anything from the piano’s musical foundation.

The stereo imaging and soundstaging existed in a thoroughly convincing way. Zavfino’s Gold Rush™ phono cable created a FAR better sound then it should at this price point. It conveyed the PRaT (Pace, Rhythm, and Timing), momentum, and emotion of the music with a realism that was a pleasure to listen to.

CONCLUSION

Zavfino 1877Phono’s™ Graphene Gold Rush™ phono cable is a superb value in high-end audio.

Far too many cable OEMs refuse to explain the technology behind their so-called ‘miracle’ wires. For many audiophiles and music lovers alike, this lack of technical information is confusing. Worse still, the refusal to disclose engineering techniques leads us to believe that we’re being sold over-priced snake oil. Audiophiles want—and to a certain extent… need– to understand what makes a cable special and why they should consider investing in it.

Zavfino 1877Phono™ is a company that prides itself on implementing cutting-edge manufacturing processes. The extensive R&D and advanced engineering that has gone into fabricating the Graphene Gold Rush™ phono interconnect is, simply stated, unique within the high-end audio industry. The deft ability of this phono cable to transfer a tiny electrical signal from a tonearm to a phono preamplifier is what makes it such a special interconnect.

Will Trem and his team are pushing the boundaries of what is sonically possible at this price point. I’m wholeheartedly giving our coveted Mono and Stereo ‘Best Buy’ Award to the Zavfino 1877Phono™ Graphene Gold Rush phono cable.

PRICE

$940 USD for the standard length – 1.5m

TERMINATIONS

Carbon Straight DIN/1.5m

Right Angle DIN/1.5m

RCA-RCA/1.5m

TECHNICAL

Conductor: Rare 24k Gold PC-OCC single crystal copper, blended with solid strand 99.9998% Pure Silver in a tight pitch construction

Insulations: FEP/Teflon dielectric, PTFE dielectric, Graphene polymer and Fiberglas braided silicone coated breakouts, R-Flex 105C degree PVC jacket

Shield: Aluminium Mylar with silver-coated copper, tight-pitch braid Ground: 50cm SPOFC ground wire with 24k gold plated OCC copper ground clip.

Connector Female (DIN): 1877 Carbon straight limited editions gold or TAD-3R Limited Edition Gold right angle DIN, 24k gold plated high purity copper insulated sockets in PTFE/Teflon utilizing 1877 anti-stress pin construction.

Splitter: Machined and anodized light-weight aluminium

Connector Male (RCA): 1877 ZXP-5 G series with OCC copper pin assembly in 24k gold,

Sleeve 1: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) custom monofilament sleeve with anti-static fibre in onyx gold.

Processing: Deep Cryo treated

Processing: Utra-Sonic-7™ Break-in Process

Terminations: RCA-RCA, RCA-Straight DIN, RCA-Right Angle DIN

Length: 1.5m standard

CONTACT

Tel: +1 (902) 701-9289
Web: www.zavfino1877.com
Email: will@zavfino1877.com