WhatsApp
Need help? Call us on 0800 772 3688 or 0208 905 1555
Prefer email? Contact us via sales@futureshop.co.uk
Usage Guides
Blu-Ray
CDPlayers
Computers
DAC
Digibox
Matrix / Extender
Splitter / Switcher
Connection Guides
RCA Single
Van Den Hul The First Ultimate MKII Audio Cable Pair
As low as £300.00 £250.00
SKU
Van Den Hul The First Ultimate MKII
12 Months
New
24 hours
The FIRST ® Ultimate MKII is a threefold heavier shielded version of our highly praised classic The FIRST ® has been designed for highest quality.
Van Den Hul The First Ultimate MKII Audio Cable
The FIRST ® Ultimate MKII is a threefold heavier shielded version of our highly praised classic The FIRST ® MKII (world’s first METAL FREE interlink) and has been designed for highest quality (unbalanced / asymmetric) line level audio and SPDIF digital audio connections. With The FIRST ® Ultimate the sonic results are so different and also so much better than found with any metal product we know of, that we think this is a complete breakthrough in cable technology. Besides the many highly innovative technical aspects of this product, its sonic aspects are even more attractive: Especially the lack of dynamic compression on higher signal levels, the extended low level information and the total lack of any harshness make this cable so different from any other product known so far, and for critical listeners with high demands on spatial reproduction, this is your final choice; no other product so far produced, renders so much spatial information as The FIRST ® Ultimate MKII .
The basic conductor material is Linear Structured Carbon ® (LSC). The coaxial constructed The FIRST ® Ultimate MKII has a LSC centre conductor with 12,000 individually insulated 7 micron strands with a total diameter of 1 mm. The individual strand insulation prevents electrons to cross from fibre to fibre. The direct result is that electrons exclusively move trough the 7 micron strands in one dimension. Side movements are virtually impossible. This prevents a lot of audio problems. Sonic result: a much cleaner sound reproduction. The center core insulation is made of polyethylene foam to achieve a low capacitance between the inner and outer group with minimal dielectric absorption. In difference to our The FIRST ®, The FIRST ® Ultimate’s outer braiding, functioning as screen and signal return, is made of 6 (instead of 2) layers of braided LSC fibres. Together 114,000 individually insulated fibres.
The jacket is made of light yellow coloured HULLIFLEX ® 4 with black type printing. HULLIFLEX ® 4 provides a superb mechanical protection and exhibits a very high chemical stability. The result of all this innovative work is a product without any defects. Thus far in any combination of equipment, the improvements were very clearly detectable, and this not just for experienced listeners. The FIRST ® Ultimate performs equipment independently. All owners will be really happy with their sound reproduction for the first time in their life. Also as a digital interlink, The FIRST ® Ultimate performs unsurpassed. The typical interface induced jitter-distortion is definitively finished.
You will remember the day and hour of your first listening to The FIRST ® Ultimate MKII. Why is The FIRST ® Ultimate equipped with a heavier shield? With our classic The FIRST ® connecting to some brands of tube amplifiers in very rare occasions a slight background hum is audible. This weak hum is caused by excessive ground currents flowing through the (unbalanced) cable’s resistive shield, adding up to the audio signal. The FIRST ® Ultimate’s MKII heavier shield exhibits a much reduced electrical series resistance, thus minimizing the risk of experiencing hum problems. What are these so called “ground currents”? Due to the fact that most audio equipment in your installation is powered by the mains voltage, an unavoidable hum voltage residual is induced on all cabinets and audio grounds. At all audio devices these residual voltages are of different magnitude (or phase) and will balance out by means of ground currents flowing through the shields of your interconnecting cables. Generally, these ground currents are in the same order of magnitude as the audio signal currents being transferred (microAmperes); When using unbalanced interconnects they are likely to interfere, thereby reducing transparency and imaging. The external diameter of The FIRST ® Ultimate is 7.8 mm., perfectly matching our C - 8.0 RCA type connector. Available: 0.8 and 1.0 meter, single packed (for digital audio interface applications (SPDIF)) and stereo pair packed with our RCA type connectors.
Specifications:
- Van Den Hul The First Ultimate MKII Audio Cable
- Cable Type: Coaxial
- Conductor Material: Linear Structured Carbon ®
- Design Purpose/ Application Area(s): Highest quality line level audio interlink / SPDIF digital audio interconnect (75 Ohm) (*)
- Eff. Conductor Ø/Eq. AWG No./Strands: - / - / Core: 12,000; Screen: 114,000
- External Diameter / Dimensions: 7.8 mm
- Resistance 20 °C / 68 °F: Core: ~36 Ohm/m.; Screen: ~4.8 Ohm/m
- Capacitance: 61 pF/m
- Insulation / Dielectric Strength / Test Voltage: Core: PE foam; Jacket: HULLIFLEX ® 4 / 300 Vrms min
- Connector Types Suitable: Our RCA type C - 8.0
- Standard Sales Units / Lengths: Stereo pair packed with RCA (unbalanced) connectors in 0.8 and 1.0 m. Single packed for SPDIF transport-dac purposes with RCA connectors in 0.8 and 1.0m
- Jacket Colours Available: Light yellow
- Remarks: Connectors need to be factory mounted. (*): For short distances only and exhibits an excellent impedance mismatch reflection damping. The FIRST ® Ultimate is currently sold in its mark 2 version (Mk II as printed on the cable). There is absolutely no difference in sound quality or electrical or mechanical properties between the original and the newer Mk II version. The latter merely has a thin foil added directly underneath the cable jacket, which facilitates our connector mounting process. Other types available in our “The FIRST ®” series: The FIRST ® Metal Screen
Specifications:
- Van Den Hul The First Ultimate MKII Audio Cable
- Cable Type: Coaxial
- Conductor Material: Linear Structured Carbon ®
- Design Purpose/ Application Area(s): Highest quality line level audio interlink / SPDIF digital audio interconnect (75 Ohm) (*)
- Eff. Conductor Ø/Eq. AWG No./Strands: - / - / Core: 12,000; Screen: 114,000
- External Diameter / Dimensions: 7.8 mm
- Resistance 20 °C / 68 °F: Core: ~36 Ohm/m.; Screen: ~4.8 Ohm/m
- Capacitance: 61 pF/m
- Insulation / Dielectric Strength / Test Voltage: Core: PE foam; Jacket: HULLIFLEX ® 4 / 300 Vrms min
- Connector Types Suitable: Our RCA type C - 8.0
- Standard Sales Units / Lengths: Stereo pair packed with RCA (unbalanced) connectors in 0.8 and 1.0 m. Single packed for SPDIF transport-dac purposes with RCA connectors in 0.8 and 1.0m
- Jacket Colours Available: Light yellow
- Remarks: Connectors need to be factory mounted. (*): For short distances only and exhibits an excellent impedance mismatch reflection damping. The FIRST ® Ultimate is currently sold in its mark 2 version (Mk II as printed on the cable). There is absolutely no difference in sound quality or electrical or mechanical properties between the original and the newer Mk II version. The latter merely has a thin foil added directly underneath the cable jacket, which facilitates our connector mounting process. Other types available in our “The FIRST ®” series: The FIRST ® Metal Screen
UK Delivery
1. We use Royal Mail 1st Class Services as a Standard Postage Option
Orders received before 4.30pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays) are usually dispatched the same day by FIRST CLASS post (unless premium postal or timed courier services are selected), subject to stock availability. Over 98% of our orders are usually delivered the next working day including Saturdays.
Standard delivery is usually within 2-3 working days, although 98% of all orders are delivered the next working day including Saturdays . In extreme cases, such as delivery to the Highlands and Islands, this may take 3 days.
All items are fully insured and come with an invoice from Futureshop.co.uk. We use the Royal Mail for delivery of small packages and DPD or Interlink Express for items that weigh over 2KG. Items over 2KG are fully insured and will usually be delivered within 48 hours of placing your order Monday to Friday subject to stock availability. For International orders, we use FedEx Services where customers have selected this option.
Please note, special orders for non-standard cable lengths or custom-made cables may be subject to longer delivery time-scales. This may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
We offer 'Free UK delivery on orders over £99' subject to the following terms & conditions:
- Applies only to orders with £99 or more of items (including VAT at the UK rate), at FutureShop.co.uk
- Free Delivery on orders over £99 utilises Royal Mail First Class postal service for items weighing under 2KG. For items weighing over 2KG, we use DPD next working day services which deliver from 9.00am to 6pm within mainland UK (excludes Royal Mail Special Delivery Services and timed next day delivery services by UK Mail).
- Applies only to deliveries to addresses within mainland UK and Northern Ireland addresses. Applies only to orders that are to be delivered to a single Mainland UK delivery address.
- You will not be eligible for free delivery on your order if any items are cancelled or returned for a refund, bringing the total order amount below £99. Where items are returned, the refund due will be the cost of the item less any postage costs.
- We reserve the right to change or discontinue 'Free delivery on orders over £99 promotion at any time.
- FREE DELIVERY FOR ORDERS OVER £99 OFFER DOES NOT APPLY TO TRADE CUSTOMERS.
Free Delivery on orders over £99 utilises Royal Mail First Class postal service for items weighing under 2KG. For items weighing over 2KG, we use DPD or Interlink Express next working day services which deliver from 9.00am to 6pm within mainland UK.
Free Delivery for orders over £99 excludes Royal Mail Special Delivery Services and timed next day delivery services by DPD or Interlink Express.
2. Special Delivery UK - Guaranteed Next Working Day
We have 99.9% of the UK covered With Royal Mail Next Day Special Delivery. We guarantee delivery to most UK addresses by 1pm the next working day. This includes Northern Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey. Some places take longer to deliver to but we still guarantee delivery within three working days by 5.30 PM.
For the Next Day Special Delivery service, orders must be received by futureshop.co.uk by 4.30pm weekdays. Orders after the 4.30pm deadline cannot be guaranteed for same day dispatch.
Please note, Royal Mail Special Delivery for next working day may not be possible where non-standard cable lengths are ordered. If this is the case, the item will be shipped via The Royal Mail Special Delivery service as soon as the cable is custom made.
For orders weighing over 2KG, we reserve the right to ship items using Next Day Pre-Noon Courier Services where Royal Mail Special Delivery option has been selected.
3. Channel Islands & Northern Ireland
We accept orders from all Channel Islands including Alderney, Jersey, Guernsey and Sark. Unless you select a premium service, Items weighing under 2KG are delivered using our standard UK delivery option above. For items weighing over 2KG, a surcharge may be applied for all deliveries to the Channel Islands as well as Northern Ireland.
European Countries
Deliveries to EU member states are subject to 20% VAT. We offer the following shipping services:
- Royal Mail First Class International Untracked Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 10 working days.
- Royal Mail First Class International Tracked Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 3 to 7 working days.
- DHL Express International - Items are usually delivered within 24 to 48 hours. DHL orders must be received by 3:30pm for next day service to most destinations in Europe
- Federal Express International Priority - Items are usually delivered within 24 to 48 hours. FedEx orders must be received by 3.00pm for next day service to most destinations in Europe
- Federal Express International Economy - Item are usually delivered within 48 to 72 hours
Worldwide - Excluding UK & Europe
Deliveries outside of the EU are not subject to 20% VAT and so the 20% tax on items is automatically deducted when you login or register.
We offer the following shipping services:
- Royal Mail First Class International Untracked Airmail Services - Items are usually delivered within 15 working days.
- Royal Mail First Class International Tracked Airmail - Items are usually delivered within 10-15 working days.
- DHL Express International - Items are usually delivered within 48 hours. DHL orders must be received by 3:30pm in order to ship items the same day, subject to stock availability.
- Federal Express International Priority - Items are usually delivered within 48 hours. FedEx orders must be received by 3.00pm in order to ship items the same day, subject to stock availability.
Where the actual weight of the package significantly exceeds the shipping cost charged on orders, we may write to you for an additional shipping charge. For larger orders, items may be shipped in multiple packets.
Enhance Your Experience: Free Cable Burn-In Service with Nordost VIDAR Machine
Please take note of the following details regarding our cable burn-in service:
- Cable Compatibility: We regret to inform you that we cannot burn-in cables with stripped bare ends or BFA plugs. In order for cables to undergo the burn-in process, they should be terminated or have connectors.
- Timing: Cables will be burnt in for the selected period after processing your order. For custom-length cables, the burn-in process will occur after they have been terminated by the manufacturer or our engineers unless specified otherwise in the product description.
- Availability: Future Shop provides our cable burn-in service free of charge, but its availability is at our discretion. While we strive to fulfil all burn-in requests for the specified time periods, please understand that during exceptionally busy periods, we may be unable to meet the demand due to limited connections on the Nordost Vidar cable conditioning machines.
The Nordost VIDAR cable burn-in machine integrates three key functions into one operation:
- Charge Neutralisation: It eliminates charges that accumulate around the cables and their insulation, ensuring a more balanced electrical environment.
- Deep Conditioning: The machine provides a wide band and deep conditioning process that affects the conductor core, resulting in changes to the signal transmission through the metal. This deep conditioning enhances the cable's performance.
- Ultrasonic Surface Conditioning: The VIDAR machine utilizes ultrasonic waves to condition the surface of the conductors, optimizing their contact and overall conductivity.
The VIDAR employs a proprietary combination of composite and complex signals to condition the cables. These signals comprise ultra-low and ultra-high frequencies, extending beyond the range of video frequencies. The signal moves back and forth along the cable, penetrating deep into the core with ultra-low frequencies and traversing the surface with ultra-high frequencies. This transmission method generates beat harmonics between the two complex waveforms, which permeate all layers of the cable. The circuitry of the VIDAR also drives electrons from the conductor into the insulation area, neutralizing electrical charges.
So, what does this all mean for you?
The ultimate outcome of conditioning cables with the Nordost VIDAR is improved sound staging, increased detail, and an overall more musical presentation in your audio system.
Now, you may wonder why cable burn-in is necessary. During cable manufacturing, gasses become trapped as insulation is applied over the conductors. Additionally, new cables often possess high electrical charges, resulting in a brittle and bright sound that lacks the desired detail and depth for music production.
When cables undergo burn-in, the trapped gasses are dissipated, and small impurities in the conductor metals begin to exhibit diode-like behaviour, favouring current flow in a specific direction.
Here are the physical effects of the burn-in process:
- Charge Neutralisation: The burn-in process neutralizes charges in the conductors and insulation, promoting a more balanced electrical environment.
- Wide Bandwidth Frequencies: The conditioning affects how signals pass through the metal, enabling a wider range of frequencies to penetrate all cable layers.
- Signal Transmission: The burn-in process establishes the directionality of the cable, optimizing signal transmission from one end to the other.
When cables are properly burnt in, you can expect the following audible changes in your audio system:
- Fuller and Natural Sound: Your system should be capable of producing a more immersive and realistic performance with a fuller and more natural sound.
- Increased Detail: You may notice enhanced details and nuances in the music, allowing you to perceive subtle elements that were previously hidden.
- Improved Soundstage: The dimensionality of your system's soundstage can be greatly improved, creating a more spacious and immersive listening experience.
At Future Shop, our goal is to maximise your satisfaction. That's why we offer a free burn-in service on all our cables before they arrive at your door, enabling you to sit back and enjoy the benefits of properly conditioned cables in your audio system.
READ MORE ABOUT THE NORDOST VIDAR CABLE TREATMENT
Customer Reviews
5 /5.0 of 10 Reviews
Big Difference
Simon
19 Nov 2021
Verified Buyer
Superb detailed, open sound. This is my second pair of these First Ultimate interconnects. I bought them to connect a new Cambridge Audio streamer. My experience is that this is the best pound for pound upgrade you can make to your system. I couldn't believe the improvement it made when I bought my first pair.
Also found the service from Future Shop to be first-class - excellent communication and fast, well-packaged delivery.
Also found the service from Future Shop to be first-class - excellent communication and fast, well-packaged delivery.
Outstanding and worth every penny
Gil
4 Oct 2021
Verified Buyer
I have started streaming high res files. I was using another Van den Hul cable (The Name). A real step up from cheap cable but with the high res files it sounded harsh and didn't allow one to hear all the detail that was available. I have been using the First cable between my phono stage and my amplifier and loved it. Clear and insightful. I now have the first between my streamer and my amp and what a difference! Clear, clean, detailed and delivers a sound that I have not heard with any other cable. It is as if it doesn't get in the way and just lets the music through unhindered.
Van den Hul state "The sonic results are so different and also so much better than found with any metal product we know of." I agree wholeheartedly! Highly recommended.
Van den Hul state "The sonic results are so different and also so much better than found with any metal product we know of." I agree wholeheartedly! Highly recommended.
It did just what I wanted
Neil Sharpe
17 Feb 2020
Verified Buyer
We sometime make mistakes by getting things too right. I completed my high end system with very expensive cables all through to the speakers. Very clear open and bright. Listening carefully I found a slight high edge to some notes from the CDs. I talked to Adam and we decided to try the Van den Hul cable in front of the CD player.
Wonderful, I kept the open sound, the edge had gone and I was aware of more mid frequency detail probably hidden by the top end before. As a side issue I found myself listening more, less fatigue.
By the way a good company, good advice.
Wonderful, I kept the open sound, the edge had gone and I was aware of more mid frequency detail probably hidden by the top end before. As a side issue I found myself listening more, less fatigue.
By the way a good company, good advice.
This cable replaced my vdh The Integration connect.....
Gilbert Simbol
16 Feb 2017
Verified Buyer
This cable replaced my vdh The Integration connecting from CD to Integrated Amp.. It matches well with my system. Very warm and natural sounding. No harshness or metallic sound. I partnered it with CS 122 speaker cable. Highly recommended
Id heard an older pair of these VDH Firsts and tho.....
Colin Mills
29 Feb 2016
Verified Buyer
Id heard an older pair of these VDH Firsts and thought they sounded a little thick compared to a pair of AQ Angles at nearly four times the price.
But these latest ones don't have that issue on my equipment. The difference to the AQ is so marginal I can\'t really distinguish the two. Maybe the AQ have a tad more air whilst the VDH have a more solid quality.
But given the price difference the VDH are a clear winner for me.
But these latest ones don't have that issue on my equipment. The difference to the AQ is so marginal I can\'t really distinguish the two. Maybe the AQ have a tad more air whilst the VDH have a more solid quality.
But given the price difference the VDH are a clear winner for me.
These are my go to cables. Have tried many other b.....
John Blott
19 Aug 2013
Verified Buyer
These are my go to cables. Have tried many other brands including Stealth and the Mountain by vd Hull and while they are different, none do so much right. These just do everything right, low level detail, micro and macro dynamics, and tone. No edgy brittle distortion, just perfect highs awesome lows, and brilliant mids. I have used them in valve and transistor setups and while I have tried desperately to prefer my more expensive recent purchase, I always end up going back to these.
This cable is something special. I was very surpri.....
A.W. Mcgovern
22 Jan 2009
Verified Buyer
This cable is something special. I was very surprised to hear the difference used between a phono amp and pre-amp. It is very transparent without any high end 'edge' or over-emphasis of bass. In particular it made voices much more natural. The bass is tuneful and well controlled. It is perhaps a little less dynamic than some very expensive copper/silver cables but in the context of a mid to high end system I have not come across anything which comes close at anything like the price. It has made me start using my turntable again and it is so 'natural' that it lends itself to long listening sessions. In these circumstances it is a bargain!