⌈ The Japanese company TiGLON was founded in 2008. Initially, its name was Kryna Pro, and it was changed to TiGLON in 2010. Its founder and chief designer is Mr. KENTARO OKINO. We test its top speaker cable, TPL-2000SP. ⌋

ABLES OF THE JAPANESE COMPANY TIGLON have been tested in "High Fidelity" on so regular bases that they are no longer exotic products for us, but rather a quite well-known ecosystem. Even more so since the TPL-2000U, LAN TPL-2000L and TPL-2000A power cables are part of the file playback system used in our editorial office.

Based on these experiences, it is possible to point out some common elements of sound for all of them, shared - which is a bit of a surprise - with the TBM-DR20E anti-vibration platform. Among them, terms such as "vibrancy", "smoothness", "calmness" and "energy" appear most often in our texts. The individual components of their sound nicely compose a larger whole and do not interfere with each other. And all this at a more than bargain price.

▌ TPL-2000SP

THE TPL-2000SP SPEAKER CABLE we are testing this time, belongs to the most expensive series of this manufacturer called "TPL". Which doesn't actually mean that it is particularly expensive. PLN 11,900 for a high-quality cable from Japan is not that much. The more so that we are dealing with a coherent offer, some interesting ideas and solutions developed independently by the brand. The basis of its design is DF-OFC copper.

| DF-OFC

DF-OFC IS OXYGEN-FREE COPPER (OFC) obtained in a process called DIP FORMING. This method of production was patented by the American company General Electric. In the mid-1970s, its license was sold to the Japanese company SHOWA Electric Wire And Cable Co., Ltd., which was a separate division of the Tokyo Electric Company (today: Toshiba Corporation).

⸜ TPL-2000SP speaker cable’s cross-section • mat. Press

The process involves producing a fine wire and passing it through a molten copper. After forming a thick core, it is then hot rolled. This type of material formally has a purity of 99.99%, however, it has a higher conductivity than comparable OFC cables; you can find more information regarding the types of copper currently used in audio → HERE and → HERE (PL). ● ●

PRESS MATERIALS SAY THAT the tested cable is "the culmination of the Premium Line 2000 series". It "closes" its offer from the top and is at the same time the latest product from the TPL series; it was introduced in August 2022.

The manufacturer informs that its design uses key technologies previously tested and implemented in the TPL-2000A AC power cable and TPL-2000RX interconnects. The basis of its design is the aforementioned DF-OFC copper, which the manufacturer calls a "miracle conductor". Thin wires were twisted together using a machine specially designed for Tiglon.

The cable is made of two cores in a common jacket. These cores are made of six strands, and each strand has 216 wires, each with a diameter of ø 0.18 mm. The strands themselves are twisted around a dielectric core - the manufacturer does not reveal what it is made of. These elements are insulated with a dielectric, which the manufacturer calls: "Super Clear Isolator". It is used throughout the TPL series, and it's so much optically transparent, but rather "transparent" to the signal.

The outer sheath of the cable is made of a material used in the aerospace industry - unfortunately we do not know its name, only that it is "ultra-flexible". The company informs that it was covered with a "special" material that damps vibrations and that a device called HSE Grande (Hyper Saturated Energizer Grande) was used to "break in" the cable. This is its latest version, which was introduced with the tested cable on August 24th. I am talking about a device, but in fact there are three of them, specialized in improving various aspects of cable performance.

The second most important, next to the conductor material, development used n the tested cable are the magnesium filters: "Advanced Magnesium Filter (AMF)". Tiglon says that this material counteracts mechanical vibrations - vertically and horizontally - but it is also known to be a low-pass filter, minimizing high-frequency noise. In the former role it was used in the cable shielding, which is a tape with vaporized magnesium, and in the latter as filters visible at the ends of the cable.

One can order TPL-2000SP with BFA plugs or Furutech spades. In both cases rhodium-plated versions are used.

▌ SOUND

⸜ HOW WE LISTENED TiGLON TPL-2000SP was tested in the HIGH FIDELITY reference system. This cable connected the transistor power amplifier Soulution 710 and the Harbeth M40.1 loudspeakers, and the reference point was the Siltech Triple Crown. The test was conducted as A/B and A/B listening with A and B known comparisons. The fragments of the tracks I listened to were 1 to 2 minutes long. The comparison was not instantaneous - the breaks were about 30 seconds long.

⸜ Recordings used for the test | a selection

⸜ ROSEMARY CLOONEY, Rosemary Clooney sings Ballads, Concord/Stereo Sound SSCDR-007, „Flat Transfer Series”, Master CD-R (1985/2016).
⸜ NINA SIMONE, Silk & Soul, RCA Victor/BMG UK & Ireland – 82876 596202, CD (1967/2004).
⸜ KEIKO FUJI, Golden Best & Covers Collection Enkato Enka, SMDR GT Music/Tidal, FLAC MQA 16/44,1 (2012).
⸜ CANDY DULFER, Live In Amsterdam, Ariola | BMG Nederland BV/Tidal, FLAC MQA 16/44,1 (2001).

It is impossible not to notice that Tiglon cables have their own sonic signature. The pursuit of "high fidelity" is a priority in audio. And yet it is only a postulate, a path, not an endpoint. We are riders of choices, compromises and possibilities in audio. That's why when I talk about my own sound I'm really talking about choices made by the manufacturer using specific materials and technologies.

In the case of this Japanese company, it would be a combination of tonal saturation and sound scale. Both of these two elements are excellent in it. Better than most other cables in this price range and even some more expensive ones. It is thanks to them that ROSEMARY CLOONEY from Rosemary Clooney sings Ballads sounded so nice. Her vocals were presented close to me, the drums behind her but present, and the piano had a large volume. Also the saxophone was shown in a large, clear way.

At the same time the resolution of this presentation was very good. The album in question was released by the Japanese magazine "Stereo Sound" on the Master CD-R as part of the "Flat Transfer Series". The signal for it was converted from a digital hi-res copy of an analog tape without any corrections, to a CD-R. It's a pity that it was a one-time trip of the magazine in this direction, because the sound of the album is excellent.

Anyway - the Tiglon cable let me hear that the saxophone was recorded separately, that it was recorded differently in both tracks and that the recording had a very high dynamics. The sound I got was smooth, saturated and dynamic. And also a bit warm. This is something I can hear with all products of this company, and which, I think, can be attributed to some extent to the material that the company has made its trademark - magnesium.

The treble, i.e. cymbals, hissing sounds in the vocals, trumpet, etc., were all present, palpable, strong. At the same time, however, they were slightly „tilted back”, as if the midrange was the most important. This "tilting" is not a coloration though, because it occurs on many levels and is not simply about highlighting selected frequencies. It is as if the Tiglon offers the highest resolution in this range, higher than its price would suggest.

Because when I listened to Silk & Soul, the NINA SIMONE’s album, originally released by RCA Victor in 1967, and remastered in 2004, a comparison of two adjacent tracks, The Look of Love and Go To Hell clearly showed me that the vocals were recorded for them in a completely different way. As if it was done by a completely different team. In the former it is warm, velvety, pleasant, and in the latter it is sharp, insistent, withdrawn into the sound stage.

This difference is clear, regardless of whether we listen to it on 1000 or 100,000 PLN system. With high-end audio, apart from the simple statement "it's different", there is a deeper understanding of the manufacturer's choices. This is what I am talking about in the context of the TPL-2000SP speaker cable. Tiglon offers something more. Its warm, forgiving character is not due to the lack of resolution or coloration. Its source is the holistic character of the sound, control over the whole presentation.

It does not allow the sound to be exaggerated, but also does not muddy it. Unlike with a classic tube amplifier or turntables, here we get full-range sound with high dynamics and very good control of all sub-ranges. This is a "friendly" control, not a "violent" one, so to speak.

I had similar feelings with the material played from files. The voice of KEIKO FUJI, one of the great stars of Japanese "mainstream" music, from the Golden Best... compilation was velvety and deep which I’d expected. The bass guitar playing underneath, in Onna No Blues reminiscent of Polish recordings from the 1960s, was clear and saturated. And the trumpet, placed on a very long reverb, blended perfectly with everything.

The Japanese cable has something in its sound that makes the recordings live, develop, and have an internal logic and drama. There was so much emotion in Keiko Fuji's voice, and when CANDY DULFER introduced her guest, Dave Stuart, who on the live album Live In Amsterdam accompanying her in the Lilly Was Here , I had no doubt that she was genuinely touched.

▌ Summary

I THINK THIS IS THE KEY to understanding the uniqueness of these cables. Seemingly warm, they offer a full sound, in a lively, dynamic way. Focused on the midrange, they do not forget about the bass - on the Dulfer’s album it is the wonderful Manuel Hugas. First of all, they are extremely organic in their vision of music. They do not focus our attention on individual elements, but rather encourage us to cover everything with one look. And that's why they are simply - and this is what this test is all about - NATURAL. ■