Maple Audio is a small Canadian cable company that makes very good products. In fact, several years ago, they won an audio cable shootout that was done in the Czech Republic, by Secrets. Not every brand or model of cable in the world was tested, but of the ones that were tested, Maple Audio came in first.

So, when they contacted me about testing a new video cable product, the Tri-Vision (for use with component video signals), I was anxious to accommodate them.

The Tri-Visions are Maple Audio's highest quality video cable. They have solid core copper conductors that are 99.99% oxygen free (such conductors are called OFC, or Oxygen Free Copper). Although Maple calls them "digital cables", what they are actually referring to is the quality with which they will transmit analog video signals that are in the frequencies normally found with PCM audio digital bitstreams, namely several megahertz.

Not only are the terminal regions color coded for red, green, and blue, the cables themselves have a slight color to them (it does not show up in the photo), matching the brightly colored end sections. This aids in determining which cable you are moving around when you are in the middle of the cable. The three cables are individual, rather than being bound together.

Most high-end cables these days have gold-plated connectors. Actually, silver is a better conductor than copper, and copper is better than gold. But, both copper and silver tarnish (oxidize). I had the Maples long enough to see the silver begin to have dark spots on the outside (silver oxide is black), but this can be removed the same way that copper RCAs are cleaned, with one of the commercial electronic cleaners. Although gold is not as good a conductor as copper and silver, it does not tarnish. All those movies that show ancient bars of gold treasure having a blinding shine to them are accurate. Gold always is bright and beautiful no matter the age. Maybe that is why it has kept its monetary use over the millennia.

Anyway, the Maples use silver RCA, which is very unusual. But, it is the superior conductor. They are also available with gold/rhodium connectors. I kind of like having the silver, and I just deal with the need for occasional cleaning.

I found the Tri-Visions to be very well constructed, they did not fray along the edges under heavy use, and they gave me an excellent picture quality. They are modestly priced, and easily worth it.

- John E. Johnson, Jr. -

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