Few things we write about annoy a section of What Hi-Fi?’s readership as much as a cable review. For many of these readers, the idea of spending any more than the minimum makes no sense as long as the cable meets the necessary impedance and current-carrying requirements. If they are happy with their system’s sound, we see no reason to argue.
However, in our experience, the quality of the conductor and dielectric, along with the construction, makes a notable difference to the way a cable performs. With this in mind, Merlin Cables has taken a hard look at the affordable speaker cable market and come up with the Tarantula: an understated but carefully conceived speaker cable designed to offer class-leading performance for the money.
Build & design
Of course, cables are passive components in a hi-fi system. They can’t improve the music signal as such, only make it worse. With a view to minimising this degradation, Merlin has specified the Tarantula with a pair of 99.99% pure, 3.5mm OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper) conductors and wrapped them in XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) dielectric to reduce signal losses compared to the PVC that many alternatives use.
Speaker cables are also liable to generate structural noise, so it is good to see that Merlin has taken this seriously and specified the use of cotton and other natural fibres to damp any such movement.
A smart and flexible pearl white jacket holds it all in place, and means that the Tarantula is malleable enough to fit around corners or bend behind an equipment rack. It’s a relatively slim cable, just under 9mm in diameter.
Construction 2 x 3.5mm conductors
Conductor material 99.99% pure Oxygen-free copper
Dielectric XLPE (Cross-linked polyethlene)
While it is possible to use the cable ‘bare-wired’, we would always recommend fitting plugs for convenience and long-term stability reasons. Whether you use Merlin’s Elite Reference 4mm ‘bananas’ or spade terminals, they are cold-welded, which is generally the preferred option over soldered joints for consistency.
The rising cost of raw materials has forced manufacturers to increase their prices in recent years, and so the Tarantula’s £16/m (around $22 / AU$31 per metre) may seem a little hefty for starter cable. But Merlin is adamant that the quality and specification present here would usually cost far more.
We use a 5m pair of the Tarantula cable in two systems. Our main source is Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, and we use the cable with both an Arcam A5+ integrated amplifier and KEF LS50 Meta standmounts and in our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power into ATC SCM50 speakers.
Our cable benchmark is the Award-winning Chord Company Rumour X speaker cable, which retails for £20 (around $27/AU$48) per metre.
Sound
Straight from the box, the Merlin cable sounds a little hard and brittle. That calms down after a few days of use to reveal a pleasingly balanced and detailed performance. The Tarantula is a slightly understated performer that doesn’t really flavour the music signal in any obvious way.
As we listen to Prokofiev’s Romeo And Juliet, regardless of the system we get plenty of detail and an impressive sense of composure. While there is a good degree of finesse on offer, the Merlin doesn’t shortchange us when it comes to delivering the music’s wide-dynamic sweeps or conveying the power in certain sections of this piece.
We hear scale and authority when the music demands, but also convincing instrumental textures and a tonal balance that’s as close to neutral as we’ve come across at this price. The good news continues when we listen to Jill Scott’s Beautifully Human, where our systems sound clean and crisp without veering into hardness. There is a likeable solidity to their presentations and a measured handling of complex rhythms.
When we swap in the Chord Company Rumour X speaker cable instead of the Merlin Tarantula, our systems certainly sound more punchy and upbeat. The Chord cable presents Scott’s distinctive voice with greater verve and a touch more dynamic expression, but it also sounds less even and less able to convey the texture of the vocals and backing instrumentation.
Considering that the Merlin is usefully cheaper than the Chord, we would say that’s a job well done.
Verdict
The Tarantula ticks all the boxes as far as we are concerned. While not cheap, it remains sensibly priced and has the kind of sonic characteristics that will slot in effortlessly with a wide range of systems.
Add reassuring build quality into the equation, and it looks like Merlin has a winner on its hands.
Review published: 2nd April 2026
SCORES
- Sound 5
- Build 5
- Compatibility 5
MORE:
Read our review of the Chord Company Rumour X
Also consider the Audioquest Rocket 11
Best speaker cables: our 4 expert picks for every budget
