Tchernov Reference MkIII IC Review: High-End Interconnect, Honest Car Verdict
Updated: Oct 6
The Tchernov Reference MkIII IC is the high-end analogue interconnect in Tchernov Cable's 2026 Indian catalogue: a 110 Ω symmetrical cable with two 1.00 mm² stranded conductors, layered PTFE insulation, fibre torsion damping, Tchernov's X-Shield screening and an 11.3 mm nylon-sleeved jacket. In India it's sold with RCA plugs at ₹1,69,990 for 1 m and ₹2,19,990 for 1.65 m, more than four times the Special Balanced and the dearest analogue interconnect Tchernov sells in India. It's for owners of finished, high-resolution systems who want the top analogue link in the Indian line-up, and who accept that in a car it's a finishing touch rather than a transformation. Details are on our Tchernov Reference MkIII IC product page.
Key takeaways
The heaviest analogue interconnect in Tchernov's Indian range: 1.00 mm² conductors, SATI insulation with extra PTFE tapes, a bonding cotton tape layer borrowed from the Ultimate series, and X-Shield screening.
RCA in India's line-up, in 1 m and 1.65 m lengths; Tchernov also makes an XLR version.
A 2025 Russian hi-fi listening tour reported a rich, slightly warm sound with high resolution, plus complaints about tight plugs and one listener who heard no difference; none of the reports involve a car.
In a car, cabin acoustics, speakers and tuning matter far more, so it only makes sense once everything else is done.
Tchernov Reference MkIII IC specifications
Specification | Reference MkIII IC / Analog |
|---|---|
Type | High-end symmetrical (balanced) analogue interconnect |
Conductors | 2 x 1.00 mm², 19 x 0.26 mm multi-stranded BRC |
Insulation | SATI® with additional PTFE tapes |
Conductor damping | FTDA® (Fiber Torsion Damping) |
Dielectric binding | SASDB® with a bonding cotton tape layer |
Shield | Latest-generation X-Shield® |
Jacket | TPU (Elastollan®) with increased elasticity, under a nylon sleeve |
Outer diameter | 11.3 mm |
Wave impedance | 110 Ω |
Termination | RCA/RCA with Reference NG plugs (XLR/XLR also made) |
India MRP | ₹1,69,990 (1 m), ₹2,19,990 (1.65 m) |
Figures come from the 2026 Indian catalogue and Tchernov Cable's official Reference MkIII IC page. Tchernov offers RCA or XLR plugs; the Indian catalogue and our store list the RCA version.
How the MkIII is built
Each of the two conductors bundles 19 strands of 0.26 mm for a full 1.00 mm², nearly three times the copper of the Special Balanced. Tchernov insulates them with its SATI system plus extra PTFE tapes, applies its FTDA fibre torsion damping to the conductors, and binds the pair with SASDB, which in this third generation gains a bonding cotton tape layer taken from the flagship Ultimate series.
The latest version of X-Shield screening sits over that, followed by an elastic Elastollan TPU jacket and a nylon sleeve, for 11.3 mm in all, terminated with Reference NG plugs. Tchernov's own description promises an exceptional sense of scale and agility, which is a marketing claim, and suggests at least 100 hours of playback to burn it in.
What a ₹1.7 lakh interconnect can and can't do in a car
Electrically, a 1 m line-level link from a processor to an amplifier is an easy job, and the extra copper, damping and screening here go far beyond what that job measurably needs. The differences reported by listeners below are personal impressions from home systems, without controlled comparisons, so we can't tell you how much of them would survive in a car.
A car is also a harsh place to hear subtle changes. Reflections from glass, unequal distances to each speaker and road noise at highway speeds dominate what reaches your ears, and those are fixed with speakers, damping and DSP time alignment, not interconnects. If your system is finished and you value the craftsmanship of a reference-grade cable, this is a coherent choice; if anything upstream is still a compromise, the money will do more elsewhere.
Lengths, pairs and system fit
With 1 m and 1.65 m lengths only, the MkIII suits short links: a processor such as the Zapco HDSP-Z16 V AD-16A feeding a nearby amplifier such as the Zapco REF 150.4, whose RCA inputs are balanced. Count your channels before budgeting. An interconnect pair carries two channels, so an active front stage on a six-channel amplifier needs three pairs; confirm what each listing includes when you order.
What owners and reviewers say about the Tchernov Reference MkIII IC
This is the only Tchernov interconnect in our range with hands-on reports on the exact model, though none comes from a car. When we checked in October 2026, the most relevant was a 2025 listening tour on the Russian DA Stereo forum, which circulated the MkIII in RCA and XLR form (1.65 m) with Tchernov's matching speaker and power cables. Tchernov's own forum account took part, answering questions, and the reports are personal impressions, not controlled tests.
On the first page of the tour thread (late February to mid-March 2025), one participant added two XLR interconnects alongside the tour's speaker and power cables and heard the sound open up at both frequency extremes, though that was his verdict on the whole set. Later posts from late March and early April 2025 are more specific: the XLR version replaced Tellurium Q and Oyaide interconnects with crisper definition, deeper bass and livelier treble, a smaller step than the power cable gave; one participant rated the XLR version about level with an Acrolink 7N-2070 in a desktop DAC-to-amplifier setup; and the RCA version worked very well from a streamer and a CD transport. One participant whose turntable already used a high-end Stealth interconnect heard no meaningful difference.
A detailed April 2025 report from a headphone system heard a neutral to slightly warm, rich presentation that smoothed the character of a bass-heavy headphone amplifier and noticeably raised resolution, close to a Shunyata Z-Tron Anaconda but with a richer, more coloured tone. It matched the resolution gains of much thicker, heavier and stiffer premium cables the participant had tried, JPS Aluminata among them. The same participant found the RCA plugs made poor contact with one amplifier's sockets and needed a lot of force to insert and remove, and noted that the XLR plugs are large in diameter.
Reviews of the previous Reference MkII describe a similar character but cover the older cable. What Hi-Fi? Thailand (November 2019) heard an open, lively sound with deep, controlled bass and a spacious soundstage, and SoundEX (May 2016) preferred it to the Kimber cables it replaced. Audiogon owners (2017 to 2021) praised its upper midrange and lack of harshness, though one later preferred WyWires Diamond cables, while a WhatsBestForum thread (2019 to 2022) described the MkII RCA as favouring body and realistic timbre over the last word in detail, and one 2019 post there dismissed the brand without giving reasons. A MkII XLR review on Tchernov's own website is promotional by definition.
The only car-related trace is a DRIVE2 owner review whose title names Reference MkIII cables alongside a Special Coaxial S IC. We couldn't open it, so we can't say what it reports or confirm it covers this interconnect. If you've used the MkIII in a car, we'd like to hear from you.
Reference MkIII vs the Special Balanced and the Ultimate
The Special Balanced IC uses 0.35 mm² conductors, PTFE tape winding and an 8.5 mm jacket, and costs ₹39,990 for 1 m; the Standard Balanced IC is ₹14,990. Both are offered in RCA or XLR. The Ultimate Coaxial IC shares the X-Shield, Elastollan jacket and nylon sleeve, but it's a 75 Ω digital cable for S/PDIF and clock signals, so it answers a different question.
Who it suits, and who should spend elsewhere
It suits owners of a completed high-resolution system, with speakers, damping and tuning already sorted, whose processor and amplifiers sit close together, and who want Tchernov's top analogue cable in India for its build and finish as much as for any sonic change.
Spend elsewhere if your system is still evolving, your factory head unit feeds everything, or you're hoping a cable will fix a problem. The price of one pair can fund a far bigger audible change in speakers or professional tuning.
Installation notes for Indian cars
An 11.3 mm cable with substantial plugs needs room. Test-fit the plugs on your amplifier before final routing, since one tour participant found them tight, and check that adjacent sockets leave space for them side by side. Support the cable close to the sockets so its weight doesn't load them over rough roads, and keep bends gentle. In a hot boot, mount amplifiers with airflow and keep cables clear of heatsinks. VA3 Car Studio in Ghaziabad offers professional installation and can plan the layout around short interconnect runs.
Price and where to buy
The 2026 Indian catalogue lists the Reference MkIII IC at ₹1,69,990 for 1 m and ₹2,19,990 for 1.65 m. VA3 Car Studio often sells below MRP, and every Reference MkIII we sell is a genuine Tchernov Cable product, made in Russia. See the 1 m Reference MkIII IC or the 1.65 m version for today's price.
The bottom line
The Reference MkIII is a serious piece of cable engineering, and the only Tchernov interconnect here with a body of hands-on reports, all from home systems and largely positive, with tight plugs the main practical complaint. In a car its job is narrow: a short, final link in a system that's already finished. Buy it on those terms and it makes sense; buy it to fix anything, and it won't.
Tchernov Reference MkIII IC FAQ
Is there an XLR version of the Tchernov Reference MkIII IC in India?
Tchernov makes the cable with RCA or XLR plugs, but the 2026 Indian catalogue and our store list the RCA version. If your equipment needs XLR, ask us whether it can be ordered.
Is the MkIII the same cable as the Reference MkII in older reviews?
No. The MkII is the previous generation, and Tchernov says the MkIII adds a bonding cotton tape layer borrowed from its flagship Ultimate series. Reviews of the MkII describe the family's character but aren't a verdict on the MkIII.
Will the plugs fit my amplifier?
Check before you commit. One listening-tour participant found the RCA plugs made poor contact with an amplifier's sockets and needed a lot of force to insert and remove, so test the fit on your own amplifier.
Buy the Tchernov Reference MkIII IC Analog Interconnect in India
Check the Tchernov Reference MkIII IC Analog Interconnect price in India, browse more Tchernov RCA cables or compare all RCA cables in India. Want it fitted properly? Book car audio wiring and installation at our Ghaziabad studio.
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