When Geoff Merrigan from Tellurium Q contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing the new version of their flagship Statement MK2 interconnects and speaker cables, I was thrilled and immediately agreed.
I have been following their development as a brand since the beginning, and there is undeniably an important momentum in the high audio industry timeline with their arrival in the market and out-of-the-ordinary performance across all cable lines made quite an impact.
Launching a new iteration of a flagship product is always a challenging and complex task. It usually involves all the knowledge, research, and development. However, knowing Merrigan, I was confident that he would not launch anything that had not been thoroughly tested and evaluated.
As you can read in this review, the Tellurium Q Statement XLR and speaker cables in the MCU versions more than justify their existence and the improved path.
Statement Cables
With Tellurium Q® many small things come together, which together are very important for the final performance. It is assumed that the “fastest” conductor – pure silver or something even better – must be used for the best performance, This is also one of the reasons for the pointless hunt for nines, as Merrigan calls it, i.e. copper with a purity of 99.9999999 %, as if that were the most important factor for a cable!
Surprisingly, a “natural” sound is not just about pure conductivity. This is because every conductor from every cable manufacturer in the world acts like an electronic filter. By this, Tellurium Q CEO refers to different frequencies that are shifted in relation to each other with each material they pass through and are also affected by insulators, geometries, shielding, etc. The interesting thing is that the materials affect the frequency ranges differently. It is a finely tuned balancing act.
This is the model Tellurium Q uses, a way of thinking about cable design. In a 1930 Bell Laboratories report, transient phase distortion was found to affect the “naturalness” of voices. Many factors contribute to Statement Cables’ market and client acceptance, but “naturalness” is one of the most important factors Tellurium Q looks for when manufacturing the finished cable.
At Tellurium Q testing process is more involved than you might imagine. This even applies to the solder they use. It is by no means a standard for the audio industry, and Tellurium Q has tried numerous mixtures and different proportions of silver in the solder, but at the end of their tests and developments, they’ve found a solder without any silver (and also without lead).
The connectors may look relatively ordinary, but they are coated with multiple layers and are not always made from the material you would expect. The plating process itself is even more detailed and precise, as Tellurium Q determines the thickness of the plating and what can and cannot go into the plating bath.
These are just a few tiny details that makeup only a small part of a cable. The attention to detail, precision, and care are the same as for all Tellurium Q cables. Every little step requires controlled listening and testing compared to other options, which is immensely time-consuming, but Tellurium Q proudly lets the results speak for themselves.
The music
It is an arduous task to decipher and articulate the sonic and musical qualities of a particular product, but fortunately, there is more than enough inspiring material in the infinite wealth of music resources to find a suitable match that accurately reflects its unique qualities.
The original Tellurium Q Statement cable has forged its path and still impresses with its fluidity, warmth, and transparency. The Tellurium Q Statement II cables continue to embrace these strong foundations, but there’s even more aural unfolding, and what new sonic drama they can bring! There’s a lot at play here, and as usual, I’ll dive in with some reference tracks/albums that highlight the merits and qualities of the Tellurium Q Statement 2 XLR and speaker cables.
Ravel: Bolero; Borodin: Polovtsian Dances. London Festival Orchestra – Stanley Black
There is something very special about the London Festival Orchestra’s rendition of Ravel’s “Bolero” and Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances”, conducted by Stanley Black, which is closely related to the unique transparency of the orchestral presentation, and this is precisely the area in which Tellurium Q excels, among other virtues.
Tellurium Q Statement II cables explore intricate micro and macro details with a breath of fresh air, authentically and in a way that brings the music to life in a truly flamboyant way.
Of course, phase4strereo is purposefully spectacular from the outset, but with Tellurium Q Statements II the repetitious yet escalating rhythms of Bolero and Polovtsian Dances unfold with remarkable pellucidity and clarity. Every section of the orchestra and the individual instruments are laid bare, with a fascinating amount of nuanced subtlety that weaves seamlessly into a reproduction of the orchestra’s natural harmonic whole.
As the Bolero builds, lush harmonies of the brass and strings commit to verisimilitude and a keen awareness of micro- and macro-dynamics.
In the same way, the grandeur of the Polovtsian Dances unfolds with stirring authenticity and coordinated adroitness. Not many high-end audio cables regarding of the price range can offer something like this. Considering the price of Tellurium Q, this is a truly impressive quality, to say the least.
Touch – John Klemmer
The newfound transparency was also immediately noticeable in John Klemmer’s Touch, where, in the absence of any details shimmering, the now new norm of micro- and macro dynamics and verismo of musical reproduction let at all times an authoritative replay that at all time readily escaped peaks in any kind of frequency extremes.
The Touch can quickly become a collection of sound objects rather than a reflection of the capabilities of a vast and mysterious aural organism, yet with the Statement II cables, I kept checking how the Klemmer compositions unfolded one layer after another, each one feeling more beautiful than the last.
With their balancing act and natural measure of information, Tellurium Q’s new flagship cables simply dig deeper into the music while keeping timbre and color intact. Thumbs up! Quite a feat!
Rolf Lislevand: La Mascarade Music For Solo Baroque Guitar And Theorbo
With La Mascarade Music, Rolf Lislevand kindles a time capsule and embarks on a journey back in time to the court of Louis XIV and the distinctive world of musique baroque, rediscovering unique timbres in the process of decoding subtle musical spectrum.
Like the original Statement cables, Statement II perfectly exudes a moving program, but the new Tellurium Q flagships take things even further by letting Lislevand’s technique flow even more seamlessly and with more resounding energy.
The three-dimensionality and holographic nature of the originals are still present, but with the MK2 the acoustic focal points are at a higher level of density, allowing for an even more lifelike recurrence of pure musical lyricism.
The Tellurium Q Statement II cables don’t focus on or pay special attention to any particular sonic or acoustic attribute, but open the way to the exquisite micro and macro universe, without blurring the beauties to be found in the smallest fragments and on the whole, always in harmony with an intensely pronounced musicality.
Ana Moura – Desfado
At the upper level of high-end audio, there is a foolproof eschelon that must be matched to align and resonate with the music and allow not only a valid level of sonic details, and acoustic nodes, but also beget emotions and emotional bonds.
The Tellurium Q Statement II cable is one of the few selected high-end audio cables where the curtain falls and the listener is not just an observer, but an active participant in the grandeur of the music.
Statement II is characterized by a rare blend of transparency, interconnectedness, and a true-to-life sonic tapestry that captures the essence of the music and reaches the emotional epicenter. “Fado Alado” by Desfado served as a perfect proof of concept and Tellurium Q Statements simply thrived far beyond the high-end audio cable merits.
Conclusion
It is always a challenge, not only for the manufacturer but also for the reviewer, to follow up on a product that impressed at its launch.
My consistency and curiosity in exploring the high audio and cable niche for many years have opened the doors for me to scour some of the most exotic and interesting audio cable options.
As long as I can not contain my zeal and sheer excitement when something interesting and unique piques my interest, I’m on the safe side of keeping my enthusiasm bottled. That’s what has driven me all these years, and as long as that gameness lasts, I will devote my time and dedication to deciphering what those high-end audio cables of interest can contribute to bringing one closer to the music.
Tellurium Q cables have found their way onto the market and into the homes of some of the world’s most discerning customers for several reasons. First and foremost, they take music to realms that were not possible at their price point. There is also a particular silver lining that connects the
For the MK2 version of the Tellurium Q statement cables, Merrigan and the team have been working in secret, meticulously researching and developing the new iteration of their multi-award-winning flagship cables. Tellurium Q is relatively modest in detail about the improved cable versions and rather lets the products speak for themselves and showcase what the new Statement line is capable of.
The Statement II version has a subliminal potency that punctures deeper into the realms of music, unfolding new details and bringing everything down to an impressive level of quietness and transparency. Added to this is a newfound dynamic scope that allows the music to unfurl with greater dynamism from the quietest passages to the thundering crescendos. The Tellurium Q Statement MK2 delivers a level of micro- and macro-dynamics that far exceeds what I expected for this upgrade.
The look and esthetics have not changed much, but what’s under the cable jackets is fundamentally different. You will still see the familiar Tellurium Q logo, but on the upgraded version, it takes on a silver embossed imprint that exudes a different aura and epitomizes what the new version brings: translucency, a newfound speed, a deeper exploration of the depths of music and, most importantly, the ability to penetrate far into the core of the music.
The interaction between performers and the listener also ignites more quickly. It works on an immediate level, bypassing the usual sensory gatekeepers and allowing the music to hit the inner sensors directly.
Tellurium Q has invested heavily, not only in research and development but also in its listening room and suitable high-end audio components. This provides a good basis for testing and developing the new versions, and it immediately shows that the new Statement MK2 version is not just another high audio cable. It has been designed from the ground up to offer a significant difference and a musicality that justifies Statement II’s name.
There’s currently no shortage of high-quality, high-performance audio cables, and Tellurium Q delivers one of the most enticing options in terms of performance and price with the new, updated MK2 versions of the Statement cable line.
I have already awarded the original Tellurium Q Statement cables with the Mono and Stereo Editor’s Choice Award, and the MK2 version not only confirms that it deserves this award, but brings even more gusto to the listening.
For what it represents musically and performance-wise, I’m happy to award the Tellurium Q Statement II speakers and XLR cables the Mono and Stereo 2023 Editor’s Choice Award.
With Statement II, Tellurium Q is not just introducing an upgrade for the sake of it, as is all too often the case. Head scratchingly, Tellurium Q, under the baton of Merrigan, has created a mighty new cable with a super strong solitude standing that deserves its own unique positioning in the brand’s product portfolio.
Without a doubt, this achievement opens up new avenues for Tellurium Q and puts pressure on Geoff Merrigan and the Tellurium Q team for future upgrades. However, this is the only way to drive development and find new ways to improve the performance of their audio cables. ❖
Price
- Statement II XLR 1m pair £4573 + VAT (UK RETAIL IN VAT £5487)
- Statement II speaker cable £1707 +VAT/ metre (UK RETAIL IN VAT £2049)
Contact
Tellurium Q Ltd
The Willows
Bonds Pool
Langport
Somerset
TA10 9QJ
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1458 251 997
www.telluriumq.com
Email: admin@telluriumq.com
