I have been using THE FIRST for many years.Over this time I have never found a better cable for use between CD player or DAC and preamp.
Recently I bought THE FIRST ULTIMATE.This is a better cable.It retains much of the pleasing organic sound but adds better bass definition,image depth,air and dynamics.Rhythm is also better.

The beauty of this cable is that [like THE FIRST] it gives digital an analogue/organic sort of sound.The value of this cannot be underistimated.Many people never come to terms with digital replay.I am sure many of these people would if they tried these cables.

I will name 5:

1. Lots of details
2. skilly smooth treble
3. well controlled bass
4. Airy presentation
5. Good mirco-dynamics

I will also name 5 to be fair:

1. Possible hum problem
(I have this problem between my SS pre and power amps)
2. Shows weaknesses of your gear / or the recordings
3. slightly liad back presentation not perfect match for strong energy music like acid jazz
4. It sounds so speical that you either love it or hate it.
5. Not attention grabing on first listen , 'wow' factor is low but give it time and you will carry a smile rather than 'wow' on your face.
6. Once you bought one , you will want to change all you cable to 'carbon' based material. but the problem is the speaker cable 'the thrid' is not that affordable.

ok, i got more than 5, i shall stop here.

The story so far:

Paid US$70 for a pair of 0.8m from a 2nd hand shop to try out between CDP to Pre-Amp after hearing all the hypes on the Internet about this cable.

After a week with it, I rushed out to get another pair for my Phono-amp to Pre-Amp.

And finally a month later I replaced the Pre to Power Amp cable with the 'second' due to the fact that I encounted a hum problem the 'frist' between the pre and power.

It shows how much I appercaited the 'first'. It has a presentation that on other cables so far I have heard can come close when it comes to playing classical music, airy and amazing micro-dynamic, spot on tonal balance.

but if anything other than 'classical' is on top of you listening list, then you might be able to do better with other cables, the first is so natural that it makes pop and rock a bit boring (in my sytem it is the case).

but i have always been of the view that one system can only play classical well when it play rock and pops bad.

Customer Service

No tried so no comment on this but ......

all i can say is van den hul's web site is full of useful articles and information. I would guess that their Customer service should be as good as their web site.

Similar Products Used:

Ecosse MA2 the maestro US$300
Ecosse MS2 the quartet US$400
VDH the Second US$
VDH D102III Hybird
Chord Siren
QED Quenx 2

Extraordinary qualities and more,more realistic reproduction of classical organs (special with strings, violin etc.) Warm and smooth, enough detailed, laid-back relaxed presentation. It is a must buy for classical/barok music listeniing. Very specious and perfect reproduction of sound stage. Warm and not shinny with high frequencies, can be the cure for some bright systems. Relaxed presentation for long-listening without hardness of string organs but without sacrifice of detail or blur presentation.

Not very good control of low frequencies, not the best buy for already laid-back systems.

Van Den Hul First Ultimate MKII (2004) interconnect RCA 0.6m: The best -by far- for barok/classical music listening at this price point. It is simply a must-buy for the real music/hi-end lover. This cable has a gift. It sound perfect and detailed enough on many mid-budget systems but it also can correct tone-shifting problems in the high frequencies like a magic hand. It will make your systems playing of a violin or piano sound by far more realistic and real-life without hardness or harshness found on MANY cables in this category. Its a smooth and slightly laid-back cable (like you are sitting in the middle of a concert hall, not back or front). Its s safe solution for forward or bright systems and magic upgrade for the classical listeners. Warm sounding, very smooth , but it does not like some heavy bass lines. The strange is that it plays rock very well, too.

Warm, egde-free presentation. Fix problems of bright and cool sounding systems, adds a classy smoothness and great soundstage. Fair detail for the money.

Slightly lean-sounding, modest bass control, slightly decreases the dynamics at mid/high frequencies. Also what was laid-back goes slightly more back. Hates the shine of cymbals.

Talking for the 0.6m The First Ultimate RCA interconnect , newest VDH version 2004: I begin comparing this interconnect (and mostly the material , carbon fibres) with copper and silver cables at the same category or maximum double the price. Replacing the Kimber HERO with this interconnect made a huge differance. Basically, plugin this cable you first notice a very relaxed, balanced frequency spectrum. This interconnect's character is smooth, enough detailed, prefering/helping to reproduce violins and female voices with uncomparable naturality . It smoothes out a great amount of edge and sharpness. From the other side, Kimber's Hero and even better SilverStreak had by far better bass control, and not the laid-back character VDH 1st Ultimate presents. Placing this cable to bright and slightly sharp or grainy problematic combos will be a great-great upgrade, but the difference is so large that you may find it after some weeks somehow "boring" and very relaxed presentation. Switching back to silver cables all systems sounded colder and brighter but with better control and air at highs and lows. Not so good with cymbals, may sacrifice the joy of listening the leather of drums, somehow it blurs something. Listen to it before buying, its a very good interconnect that isn't perfect for all combos.

Natural, totaly true sounding, represents the music and soundstage perfectly with lots of detail and dynamic. Eliminates harshness, make the bright systems sound as you wish without sacrifice of detail and upper extension at all. Slighlty laid-back. Tromendous difference from the first hour of listening. And after all... it is extra bonus that if you like this cable (and probably never change it, never) it lives forever.Cymbals/percussions,bass but especially female voices and guitars sounds by far more natural and real-like.

Relaxed, for some who like a fake shine of detail and over-presented bright detail its a crap. If you love tube sounding amps but you own solid-state, this will bring the lush and warm you dreamed of come true like a magic touch. Dont make the hi-hat and percussion over-extended and shinny if you wish for.

This cable is the magic hand that makes bright and cool sounding amps sound as warm and enjoyable as you wish. Compared with Kimber Hero or SilverStreak and KCAG it magically is by far,far,far more reallistic,warm,not over-greassy sounding. The magical is that it actually is a lot more dynamic sounding. Some could say that detail is exactly there but not forward and shinny -i think i prefer this level and character of detail instead the fake/not natural sounding bright generous detail I hear from Kimber's Hero. Absolutelty perfect for guitar listening , piano and even the hardest of rock sounds fantastic, with depth , wood-pseydotube like harmonics. It has a relaxed and sligtly slightly laid-back sound that is almost magical how by far excels the other pricy cables. Try this: Combine this interconnect 0.6mm (First Ultimate) with the Nordost Blue Heaven (rather cool and slightly forward/bright sounding speaker cable) and you get detail and neutrallity/naturality that you wont believe, right sounding not bright , natural lush. Also the strange is that all organs and voices have more air and dynamics compared with all the other cables.

Similar Products Used:

Kimber, Monster, Audioquest.

Depth, breadth, bass and treble. Very comfortable sound to live with.

Maybe a little on the warm side for some systems, although this makes it a great digital cable

This review is for the First Ultimate cable. I had the Van Den Hul D102 MkIII, came into some extra money so I thought I would upgrade. The sound is definitely bigger with this cable - from top to bottom and there is definitely a wider soundstage. Perhaps not the tightest sound around but makes up for it in depth. the highs are very sweet-sounding and the lows go very low. A warm-sounding cable that could I would recommend be used to tame a harsh sounding system. I also have it as a digital conection between my DVD player and my AV Processor. I would strongly recommmend it as a digital cable also.

Similar Products Used:

Van Den Hul D102 MkIII

Detail like you've never heard detail before.

Will bring out flwas in you system. And can't be used to color the sound of your system. So audition before you buy (like always).

Bought the Van den Hul The First Metalscreen. This is one very fine cable. A whole soundstage opens up. There is more detail everywhere. From the lowest lows to the highest highs. Compared to the Van den Hul The First my Tara Labs Prism 33i interconnects sound flat and dull. Like a cloack has been hung over my speakers. I'd like to comment on an earlier review that Van den Hul The First of Van den Hul The First Ultimate should NOT be used to feed a tube power amplifier. The electrical 'pollution' the tubes radiate, is picked up by these two interlinks like an antenna! Guess what that does to your system... Correct! It sounds awfull. Instead, use the Van den Hul The First Metalscreen. They are specially designed to work under these conditions. E.g. the metalscreen totally blocks the electrical pollution from the tube amplifier. System used: Marantz CD17 Kebschull 35/70 mono tube amplifiers Monitor Audio Studio 2 SE Van den Hul The First Metalscreen interlinks Wireworld Atlantis speakercable

Similar Products Used:

Tara Labs Prism 33i Musical Fidelity No Nonsense Interlink

Neutral sound, very good if the sound of your system is bright to very bright. Very good as a digital cable. If you can buy a pair for USD 100 or less it is a bargain.

If used in an already laid back kind of system, its benefits turn into weaknesses.

Van den Hul The First is not as transparent as the van den hul CS122, so if you like a more detailed sound use the CS122. This cable is also best if used as a digital interconnect.

Similar Products Used:

Van den hul CS122, different models of Monster Cables (Monster is not a player against Van den hul), Puresonic, Acoustic research.

NATRUALNESS OH WHAT A SOUND SMOOTH AS A BABIES ASS.

N/A

Van den hul the first is just plain beautiful sounding, warm lush and natrual. compared to my audio quest diamonds they eat them. I hear music as it should be threw these carbon fibre cables natrual, natrual, natrual. ACOUSTIC GUITAR AND WOODWIND SOUND LUSH WHILE VOCALS SOUND JUST LIKE VOCALS WHAT MORE DO WANT FROM A CABLE IT SOUNDS LIKE THE REAL THING WHY CHANGE IT OR SPEND MORE MONEY.MUSIC THREW THESE CABLES PUT ME IN A MASS OF GOOSEBUMPS NOW THATS TELLING YOU SOMETHING. OH WHAT A LUSH, DETAILED, SMOOTH, SILKY, CREAMY, PRECISE, ACCURARTE, TRANSPARENT, HOLAGRAGHIC, SEDUCTIVE, WARM, FOCUSED, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST HEAVENLY (NATRUAL) SOUND.

Similar Products Used:

NOTHING AT ALL BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE LIKE IT AND I THINK THERE NEVER WILL BE.

In my system: Everything.

In my system: None Maybe not for a laid back system.

This is a pair of The First Ultimate interconnects. The're used between my Sony SCD-555ES SACD player, a Yamaha DSP A1 amp., and the fantastic Klipsch RF-7 speakers. They're 'fed' in by-wire mode by v.d. Hul CS 122. With these interconnects you move to the top division of Hi-fi. The music on my Cd's give me so much more insight, and it's all so well defined and detailed. It's all there, from low till high, and dynamic. It feels like I'm in the music, rather than listening to it. They're really worth the money spent. I'm still waiting for my first SACD to arrive, can't wait!

Similar Products Used:

v.d. Hul Thunderline