Reviewing an HDMI cable used only to carry the video signal could seem reductive and uninteresting for a community that gathers Hi-Fi enthusiasts and in fact... even I have neglected its importance for years, using a cheap cable of unknown brand and price around ten euro. For goodness sake, the appearance was good: nice look, gold-plated to perfection, heavy enough. Perhaps too heavy, as it would disconnect from the TV, dragged by its own weight or by the slightest movement of the TV. Another problem was the occasional missing INTERCONNECT video when switching on the equipment. Knowing Ricable for Hi-Fi cables (of which I own some, especially the Primus series), I decided to invest a more than reasonable amount of money for the first price of the HDMI they produce, sure to go on the safe side 🙂 🙂
and aesthetics of the product?
The construction of the cable is as always impeccable: solid, rigid but not too rigid and above all with absolutely stable connections. Aesthetically it is elegant but not too showy, ideal in short. Like all good quality cables, it could be a bit bulky if the back space is limited. The ideal is not to exaggerate with the length if you don't need it.
Since this is not an audio but a video Hi-Fi test, since I use the cable only to carry the signal from the Android box to the TV, I can only make comparisons with the previous sub-brand cable used with the same devices. The test was carried out by watching some HD movies (recent and dated) available on the Amazon Prime and Google Play Film platforms, as well as watching TV documentaries on the Rai Play platform (Ulisse, Superquark).
listening impressions?
As mentioned above, I don't have any listening impressions as I only use the cable for the video signal. I can report (I don't know how it can be scientifically explained, since it is INTERCONNECT digital) an evident improvement of the video quality. As proof, even my wife (unaware of the umpteenth change of cable and not asked about it), spontaneously noticed an improvement in video quality. Obviously, there were no disturbances or interruptions to the signal while watching. Therefore, while I remain convinced of the idea that it is not convenient to spend astronomical amounts of money on digital cables, I believe that a leap in quality is absolutely perceptible.
Your conclusions.
As always, we applaud the quality and commitment of Ricable in the manufacture of its products and in its pre- and post-sales assistance. The reliability of the products, even in the entry level range, is worthy of note. Although form should never prevail over substance, it should be emphasised that the original packaging and shipping are always impeccable.