Why This One Got Our Attention
We receive a great many cable announcements. Most describe the same object in the same words, and the honest truth is that most don’t end up on these pages. And we don’t like to copy and paste the press release and call it a job done. We like to think it through and share our humble opinion.
This one did, for three reasons that have nothing to do with the press release below.
The technology. Rick Schultz calls it Vortex Magnetic Waveguide Technology, a magnetic conduction system that behaves like an electromagnetic lens, concentrating the signal toward the centre of the conductor rather than letting it migrate to the surface. Whether you find that persuasive or absurd probably depends on what you already believe about cables. Hold that thought for a moment.
The University of Toronto. Testing and validation of the Vortex technology was carried out there, by people with no stake in the answer. Independent academic testing is close to unheard of in this corner of the industry, where most claims begin and end in somebody’s listening room.
The patent citations. This is the one that made me sit up. Schultz‘s patents have been cited by Apple, Sony Ericsson, Intel, Texas Instruments, Microsoft and Nissan. Not one of those is an audio company. They encountered his work while solving signal integrity problems of their own and found something in it worth citing. That is not proof that a speaker cable will transform your system. It is a reason to look at the engineering carefully before deciding anything, which is all I would ask of any reader.
The Man, Briefly
Rick Schultz has done this three times. Virtual Dynamics, then High Fidelity Cables, and now RS Audio, founded in 2024 in Alberta, more than twenty-five years into a career at the point where most people consolidate rather than start over. Design, engineering, assembly and quality testing all happen under one roof, in an industry where a great deal of production has drifted offshore.
The catalog is arranged in three series, and the names are not accidental. Illumination, Apparition, Emersion. Emerging, appearing, coming into the light. Three words for the same idea, arranged as a hierarchy, and the Apparition Series announced today sits in the middle of it.
What Is Coming on These Pages
Some transparency, because we prefer to work that way.
Rick Schultz contacted us and asked whether we would be interested in reviewing the RS Audio Ethernet Series. We said yes. What arrived was rather more than expected: two complete trifectas. Shockwave Source, Shockwave Destination and LanSlide, twice over.
That is enough to treat two separate network segments at once, which, in a system running optical isolation between router and switch, is exactly the experiment worth running, and precisely why the quantity matters more than it sounds. They are in the rack now. The review will follow soon and will be entirely independent of this announcement, as our reviews always are.
A Word About the Apparition Series, Before You Read the Release
And it is about money, because any honest introduction to a cable launch can’t ignore it.
The Apparition Speaker Cable starts at eleven thousand US dollars. The power cable starts at five and a half thousand, the analogue interconnect at four thousand two hundred and fifty, the digital interconnect at two thousand one hundred and twenty-five. Those are serious numbers and there is no point burying them under a paragraph of adjectives, so here they are at the top.
RS Audio’s own argument is twofold.
First, Apparition is engineered to outperform traditional high-end cables that cost several times as much.
Second, the design philosophy is to spend the budget on sonic performance rather than on cosmetic flourishes and the inflated pricing that tends to accompany them.
Both claims are testable, and we would like to test them over time. For now, the announcement follows exactly as we received it.
Press Release: RS Audio Launches the Apparition Series: A New Class of Audio Cables That Redefines How Cables Are Designed
A new collection of audiophile cables offer truly innovative engineering that elevates performance to unprecedented levels
September 16, 2026, Alberta, Canada — RS Audio is proud to announce the launch of the Apparition Series, a new family of premium high-end audio cables designed to deliver a rich, highly engaging listening experience to the world’s most discerning audiophiles. Designed and hand-crafted in Canada, the Apparition Series employs RS Audio’s innovative Vortex Magnetic Waveguide Technology to reveal exceptional levels of musical detail, realism and emotional connection. Engineered to outperform traditional high-end audio cables costing many times their price, the Apparition Series represents a breakthrough in performance, craftsmanship and value for serious music enthusiasts.
Positioned between the acclaimed Illumination Series and RS Audio’s flagship Emersion Series, the Apparition Series offers an exceptional balance between performance and investment for serious audiophiles. At the heart of every Apparition cable is RS Audio’s proprietary Vortex Magnetic Waveguide Technology, an innovative magnetic conduction system that guides audio signals with unprecedented precision and purity. The state-of-the-art Vortex Magnetic Waveguide employs an array of powerful magnets arranged in a unique configuration and enclosed within an outer shell of specialized filtering materials. This revolutionary approach to audio signal transmission delivers a level of musical accuracy, clarity and realism that traditional high-end audio cables simply cannot match.
“Every component in a high-end audio system deserves a cable that preserves rather than compromises its performance,” said Rick Schultz, founder of RS Audio. “The Apparition Series was created for audiophiles who desire a significant boost in performance beyond traditional reference cables at a reasonable price point. The result is a collection of cables that reveal more of the music’s natural texture, dimensionality and emotional engagement.”
The Apparition Series Lineup
The new Apparition Series includes four uncompromising high-end audio cable designs:
- Apparition Power Cable
Available in US, UK and EU versions.
Starting at US$5,500 - Apparition Analog Interconnect
Available with RCA and XLR connectors.
Starting at US$4,250 - Apparition Digital Interconnect
Available in RCA, BNC, and XLR AES3 configurations for S/PDIF digital connections.
Starting at US$2,125 - Apparition Speaker Cable
Available with Spade or Banana terminations.
Starting at US$11,000
The guiding philosophy behind the Apparition Series is to maximize sonic performance while eliminating the unnecessary cosmetic flourishes and inflated prices that are often associated with traditional high-end audio cables.
Each cable in the Apparition Series is handcrafted using premium materials and precision manufacturing techniques to preserve signal integrity while minimizing unwanted noise and distortion. The result is a presentation that combines effortless dynamics, an expansive soundstage, precise imaging and remarkable tonal accuracy.
Whether listening to intimate acoustic recordings or large-scale orchestral performances, the Apparition Series is engineered to disappear from the signal path, allowing listeners to hear more of the recording and less of the cable.
The Apparition Series is available now through the RS Audio website and authorized affiliate dealers worldwide. RS Audio offers free global shipping on all website orders.
For additional information please visit www.rickschultzaudio.com.
If you’re interested in becoming an RS Audio Affiliate Dealer, please contact Rick Schultz at sales@rickschultzaudio.com or 1-780-282-1090 [by phone or Whatsapp].
About RS Audio
RS Audio designs and manufactures handcrafted, ultra-high-performance audio cables for music lovers who demand uncompromising sound quality. Founded by Rick Schultz, the company combines decades of engineering experience with proprietary technologies, including its Vortex Magnetic Waveguide Technology, to create cables that preserve the integrity, emotion and realism of recorded music. The RS Audio product lineup includes power cables, analog and digital interconnects, speaker cables and power conditioning solutions, with product families ranging from the essential Illumination Series to the flagship Emersion Series. Every product is hand-built in Canada with meticulous attention to materials, construction and sonic performance, helping audiophiles unlock the full potential of their music systems.
