Ricable Invictus Signal Reference RT1 – High End RCA Stereo Audio Cable With Noise Reduction
Ricable Invictus Signal Reference RT1 is a $689 USD / 689 Euro per pair of RCA cables with a directionality, Noise Reduction, and they are the absolute prestige of Ricable’s current cable offering for RCA interconnects. Today we will review the RT1 Interconnect RCA from the Invictus Series, with the code 12782 and see how they stand against other options, none of which are quite as high-end, but still good to experiment and see what is there to gain when going full high-end on the cable end of the audio hobby, including today the interconnects.
Introduction
Ricable now makes the latest version of the Invictus cable for Interconnects, and the Invictus Signal Reference uses the newest full copper construction with a Double R-Tec Dielectric and OFC construction. Ricable makes literally the most reliable and high-quality cables I have tested to date, and although cables in general can be a slightly controversial subject, the company is liked by everyone who purchased their products and I have never seen anyone or heard about anyone who could have had any issues with their cables. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to Ricablefor providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion.
PROs – High Mass and reliable construction for the cable, locking RCA plugs that will stay in no matter what, easy to customize and order, you can get any length you may need and desire, exceptionally vivid, detailed, dynamic and clean sound, full OFC copper construction, outstanding support from Ricable. The sound is wide, holographic with a significant improvement in the instrument separation and layering.
Cons – For an interconnect it is quite stiff, so 1 meter would be the shortest length I’d recommend going for.
Product Link
Official Ricable Store – https://www.ricable.com/en/prodotto/invictus-signal-reference-cavo-audio-stereo-rca-hi-end-con-noise-reduction/
Build Quality / Aesthetics
Starting with the build quality, Ricable Invictus Signal Reference is one of the thickest, hardest and best built Intrerconnect cables that you can find in the whole world. We start with the web page of Ricable who identifies that their purpose with the Invictus Signal Reference has been not to create new information but to remove the extra from the signal, thus revealing the art that is already encapsulated. This design started in 2018 and it was the most difficult to improve, although Ricable did implement three new improvements over the previous generation of interconnect cables.
Although I have to admit that we have not reviewed the original Ricable Invictus Signal Reference, we do know that the Conductor in the latest version we’re reviewing today now has a 13% increase in the conductor size, with 0.64mm2 being the size now, and it is made of MARC or Multicore Annealed Ricable Conductor, Copper 7N with strands of 0.08mm, a smoother and a more compact surface, allowing for a quoted number of 70% better audio transmission than OFC copper.
The shielding has been increased by 10% to reduce external reference and improve the preservation of the acoustic signal, and Ricable also included the newly developed Double R-TEC dielectric, which enables a 20% reduction in electrical capacity for the cable, compared to the previous generation.
Among the things that were kept the same compared to the previous iteration of the Invictus Signal Reference cables, the connectors are proprietary and versized with Copper IOFC contacts and non-magnetic anti-interference alloy shell. There should be an improvement in the electrical parameters of more than 40% over common brass connectors. The RNR or Ricable Noise Reduction technology is still here, and it employs a Germanium Semiconductor on all conductors to cut down the background noise and hiss audible with media. This should lead to a system that has a brighter, but more natural and balanced and more detailed sound.
This is actually quite interesting, because a Germanium Semiconductor in the cables would most certainly have an audible effect and be a large reason why the Invictus Reference series of cables have the sound they do. We also still see the Smi-balanced Geometry with Triple Copper / Aluminum / Magnesium shielding for EMI / RFI Interference, on top of the R-TEC Technology, with special polyethylenes and innovative polymers, in order to lower the electrical capacitance and resistance and provide a better support for the audio signal going through the cables.
Subjective Usage / Comfort
Although I hope this is visible from the photos, with the Ricable Invictus Signal Reference, a pair of RCA Cables, you have to both order a longer length than you may believe you’ll need at first, because you physically cannot apply any kind of hard bends to it, but also you should consider that as the cable is very rigid, you won’t be able to put the equipment right glued to the wall, so you have to ensure you have enough back clearance to run the Ricable cables with your DAC and AMP.
The RCA connectors have shells that can be turned, and those clamp on the ground poles of the RCA plugs on your devices, ensuring a very stable fitting. While it won’t matter that much for equipment that stays on a desk and is never moved, it still feels nice to have such reliability from RCA cables, as we usually see with XLR Balanced cables.
Generally, using the Ricable RT1 is easy and fun, and besides those being likely the most solid, most sturdy but also some of the least flexible cables in the whole world, they just look very nice and work as they should. I could not notice any interference when using them, although I did give the cables to a couple of friends for a couple of weeks, and some of them mentioned that in their system, they heard much less background noise with the Ricable Invictus signal Reference versus a standard cable. I could not reproduce their findings because I just typically do not have a lot of interference in my system, but either way, it is good to know that the noise canceling works for some listeners.
Sound Quality
Pairings – An interconnect is much more universal than a speaker cable, and happily I got so many setups that I got to explore the quality o the Ricable Invictus Signal Reference RCA RT1 with multiple headphone and speaker setups so for this review, we have paired the Dethonray Listening M1 DAC using the RT1 Cable, to the Aune S17 PRO Headphone Amplifier, driving a pair of HIFIMAN HE1000 Unveiled, we have explored the Musician Pegasus II R2R DAC driving the Feliks Audio Euforia Headphone Amplifier through the Ricable Invictus Signal Reference RT1, Driving a pair of Sennheiser HD 490 PRO Headphones, and a HIFIMAN Serenade DAC connected to a HIFIMAN Prelude Amplifier using the Ricable RT1 driving a pair of Erzetich Mania V2024 Headphones. For all those setups, I actually did notice a considerably reduced background and noise level in general compared to using an entry-level Amazon interconnect cable, which I was not actually expecting, although Ricable does mention on their website that they have a signal filtering tech inside of the RT1.
Overall Signature – The most surprising part for me was that there is quite a bit of effect RT1 has, and especially when it comes to the noise levels of the whole setup, as RCA is a fairly noisy connector usually, the sound is much cleaner, more controlled, resulting in a higher level of perceived detail and clarity. The overall presentation is vivid, dynamic and punchy, with heavily improved contrast in the sound and with a much better punch in the sub-lows. I now feel that the words of a friend are real – that an Interconnect cable actually can have an even higher impact than a Headphone or a speaker cable, despite me avoiding reviewing interconnect cables for years now.
Bass – We start from the very bottom, with a high impact, with a strong emphasis on the sub-lows, especially the 20 Hz – 50 Hz range, which creates a strong and bold body for all music. There’s a strong separation between the low-end and midrange, and especially in the low-end, there’s a specific emphasis on speed and resolution of the bass. I wouldn’t say that there is any frequency response coloration, RT1 is highly transparent, but what it does is improve the separation and removes noise, which does make the sound stand out more, and increases the contrast.
Midrange – Following the same signature I heard in the bass, the midrange has a highly improved clarity and color to the sound, it is like going from a VA to an OLED display, you get a much cleaner, more contrasty sound that pops up more. Instrument separation is heavily improved, there’s better definition, better layering and instrument separation. The midrange in particular seems to have a stronger separation between the background and the foreground elements, lead voices play more intimate in your ear, while background instruments are pushed more in the back, creating a wider, more holographic soundstage. There’s an equal emphasis on the lower and upper midrange, and while male voices sound deep, powerful and full, female voices are emotional, clean and vivid. This is most interesting because I noted similar findings when reviewing the Ricable Invictus Speaker Cable that has the ability to actually refine both the lower and upper midrange, while most cables on the market tend to favor either the lower or the upper midrange.
Treble – Although the new Ricable RT1 Invictus Signal Reference is fully made of copper with just Silver shielding, it has a sharp, well-defined and dynamic, colorful treble, the extension is everlasting, up to 20 kHz, and you hear the full sparkle, air and resolution of the treble. I love this kind of effect and presentation, because it gives personality and colour to music, creating a sound that is real and alive, similar to a live rock concert, rather than analog recording.
Dynamics – Ricable Invictus Reference as a series of cables has the effect of improving the dynamics of a system, they just make the sound more colorful, contrasty and punchy, and although this sounds repetitive, the effect is strong enough for me to mention it. Basically, if your system sounded dynamic and punchy, with RT1 it will get even better, a higher level of engagement and colour.
PRaT / Textures – The texture level is affected by all cables, and what RT1 does is refine the textures, it does not kill texture or micro detail, but gives a bit of extra body, weight and detail to those textures, without making them hard or edgy. Usually, this can be attributed to the copper construction, as it tends to have this effect, which people find very pleasing.
Soundstage – And the most important ability of the Invictus RT1 Reference cable is to change the Soundstage, to improve the instrument separation, layering, and together with canceling the background noise, resulting in a much more vivid, more 3D holographic sound, regardless of the setup that is connected using the cable. I noticed the same improvements if I used the RT1 cable with a headphone or a stereo setup, it always cancels the background noise, gets the soundstage to be both deeper and wider, and if you’ve read my most recent reviews, very very few products impress me on the soundstage anymore. Ricable Invictus Signal Reference RT1 just happens to really impress both with the width, depth and expansion of the sound.
Value and Conclusion
The price of the Ricable RT1 Invictus Signal Reference is not low, but the quality matches the price, it is a high-end cable, and one of the very few that feature those clamps to secure the connection, as well as the sonic performance that RT1 has, it is exceptional, and the effects audible right away, so despite the high price for a cable, it is also a cable I can say I am happy to pay for.
Award – Ricable RT1 Invictus Signal Reference is right now the best sounding RCA Interconnect cable that I heard, so I will be adding it to the Audiophile-Heaven Hall Of Fame for its performance and high-quality construction.
When you add the fact that Ricable has lifetime warranty for their cables, Free Returns, and exceptional support, you will understand how every customer they have comes out satisfied and happy to have purchased from them, so if you’re looking for a high-end interconnect RCA cable for your system, with a clean, vivid, dynamic and punchy sound that will even clean the background noise, Ricable Invictus Signal Reference RCA RT1 is highly recommended and based on customer reference and fan answers so far, chances are you will be 100% satisfied with your Ricable purchase.
Product Link
Official Ricable Store – https://www.ricable.com/en/prodotto/invictus-signal-reference-cavo-audio-stereo-rca-hi-end-con-noise-reduction/
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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