OPTION-LC

Cable Design

The field geometry and conductor area of Option-LC is the same the Mission-LC Mk.I & II. The design allow for very wide bandwidth and large power transmission.

Directionality

Option-LC is not a permanently directional cable; it can be used in either direction. However, we pay close attention to direction of manufacture, from wire to cable, and identify this by orienting the writing of the cable data labels so it reads in the direction of signal travel—from amplifier to loudspeaker. Connecting it so the writing reads in the direction of signal ensures matching channel fidelity, increased burn-in speed and allows easy direction identification after cable or gear swapping.

Burn-in

Option-LC will sound better as it plays. Full burn-in is roughly 200 hours, but it will sound good right out of the box. The progress is subtle but linear. If you wish to accelerate the burn-in, know we DO NOT recommend any special burn-in devices or special recordings. We do recommend music you enjoy, preferably upbeat full spectrum recordings: rock, roots, full orchestra, big band.... For the possible how and whys about burn-in please see our Answers section.

Maintenance & Cleaning

Connector maintenance and cleaning is covered above. The cable itself doesn’t show dust or fingerprint and shouldn’t require cleaning. Still, spills and pets happen, Option-LC can be cleaned with any common household cleaner.

Termination and Connections for Option-LC

Spades [Forks]

Spades offered for Option-LC are pure copper and plated for excellent corrosion resistant. These are made by KS Terminal in Taiwan. This spade fit both standard 1/4” [6.3mm] and oversized 5/16” [8mm] posts. They are about half as thick as the Kimber or Cardas spade, easily able to work with plastic encapsulated binding posts, the ones that require you to slide the spade through a slit in the plastic.

Maintenance Schedule - None

Banana Plugs

Option-LC is offered with Deltron banana plugs. These banana plugs are affordable and really perform. They are not quite as corrosion resistant as the Kimber banana plug, but the sonic performance and mechanical toughness is right there.

Pros - Banana plugs are fast and easy to use. Deltron bananas are very tough and do not have any loose bits that might rattle off or get dislodged. The silver plating and contact through the main body makes them perform about as good as any banana plug out there.

Cons - Silver plating may tarnish over time, especially if handled with dirty hands, so a bit of maintenance is needed.

Maintenance Schedule & Handling - Since these are silver plated, you want to wash your hands prior to handling the connectors. As for inspection schedule, high desert dwellers should inspect and clean them every time they are disconnected and reconnected, or every five to ten years. Those living right on the seaboard should inspect, and polish if needed, every time they are disconnected and reconnected, or once a year. For everyone else, every other year is enough. We recommend Cape Cod Polish.

Bare Wire

Bare Wire on Option-LC is prepped with 3/4” [19mm] lead-out length and has the tips “tinned” with 4% silver bearing lead-free solder.

Pros - Bare wire can be one of the highest conductivity (DCr) connections, a good thing. And as there’s no wire-side connector, bare wire is less money. In some situations, the mechanical flexibility offered by bare wire connection is desirable.

Cons - Bare wire can be a bit fiddly to connect up, particularly in tight spaces. Bare wire connections require maintenance as they are more susceptible to corrosion.

Maintenance Schedule - Bare wire requires inspection and cleaning. How often depends on where you live and the mechanical qualities of the connection. High desert dwellers that have a good bare wire connection should inspect and clean the bare wire ends every time they are disconnected and reconnected, or every five to ten years. Those living right on the seaboard should inspect and clean the bare wire ends every time the ends are disconnected and reconnected, or twice a year. Those living within a mile of the sea, but without much of a sea breeze should make it an annual habit. For everyone else, every other year is enough. We recommend Cape Cod Polish for cleaning bare wire.

ZuB3

ZuB3 termination is the ideal connection for Zu loudspeakers that feature this connection. The connection is as conductive as bare wire, and has electrodynamics profiles that best matches Zu speaker cables and speakers. The connection is also resistive to corrosion and self cleaning—every time you break and make a connection the contacts are wiped clean. More about this connection is found here. The ZuB3 connection is only offered at the speaker end.

There are no cons to this connection save a bit of cost, and the size of the connector if you are needing to run the cable through an opening in the wall or furniture.

Maintenance Schedule - None

Connectors serve several functions—facilitating easy hookup of your gear being primary. But close to easy of use is the need for good electrical and mechanical connection over time and under your environmental conditions. Since this is a home audio product, the environment is assumed to be your home, which is not as uniform as you might initially think. Those that live on or near the coast contend with salt air, which significantly increases corrosion rates. But even if you don’t live “close” to the sea, say you live as far as a mile [1.6 km] from the coast but still get a sea breeze, you could notice the effects of sea air. Some connections need maintenance, others don’t. Here’s an overview of the termination offered for Option-LC.