And this is what the press reports:

[Sonic performance of WBT's nextgen series demonstrated to the public in 2008: at CES, the Bristol and the Munich show. Read the report of hi-fi+ chief editor Roy Gregory on all three!]

>>> Comparison of WBT-0710 Cu, WBT-0110 Cu and the brand new banana WBT-0610 Cu against 'standard' and fakes!

"(BRISTOL:) The set up allowed us to change interconnects and speaker terminals in turn - and each time the difference was clearly audible. But the real shock was going from the all-NextGen to the all-fake set up, a difference that can only be described as huge. The music went from interesting, engaging, intimate and enjoyable to a disjointed, grainly nasty and frankly rather unpleasant facsimile of itself. Indeed, it was hard to credit that this was the same track. And note that these were not fancy, high-priced cables in some super critical system.

MUNICH: Using the fake plugs and speaker terminals turned the music into a flat, two-dimensional collage ... compare that to the solid, three-dimensional, coherent whole presented by the NextGens and that's quite a shock.

CONCLUSION: Impressive stuff for just a couple of connectors!" (Roy Gregory)

[For the true audiophile: Copper or Silver? Full listening test of nextgen sockets and terminals]

>>> Comparison of sockets on Power Amp RG 7MK4 (Symphonic Line): WBT standard socket vs. nextgen WBT-0210 Cu and Ag; WBT standard terminals vs. nextgen WBT-0710 Cu and Ag

"After the changeover to the copper nextgens (WBT-0210 Cu), the same pieces started to grow as if they had been released from their chains and no longer had to struggle against an imaginary resistance.

TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT: The transmission route via the standard sockets fell at the first hurdle. The sound images they generated were spatially cramped and were restrained in terms of tonal colour, reach and dynamism, in fact almost a little 'timid'. The standard versions had the same limitations and were a poor second to the nextgens." (Matthias Böde)

[Report of the workshop of STEREO Chief editor Matthias Böde at the Munich High End Show]

>>> Comparison of pole terminals on Virgo V speaker (audio physic): nextgen WBT-0710 Cu, WBT-0780 Economy and WBT copies!!

"WBT has been warning for years now of fakes of its plugs and connectors since imitators from Far East scent a chance for them due to the high profile and image of the brand.

Not even the Chief Editor of STEREO called "Mister Workshop" has ever drawn such a comparison (pole terminals: WBT originals against WBT fakes). It turned out to be a failure because the difference in the sound we heard was much bigger than predicted.

And the RESULT of the fake terminals can only be described as a disaster. The entire sound spectrum broke down, nothing remained off the nextgen performance. Matthias Böde turned pale, some listeners started to laugh flabbergasted. These things have just ruined the sound!" (M. Böde)

[Comprehensive technical review + listening test of the nextgen RCA socket WBT-0210!]

"Like the nextgen plugs, the eddy current free sockets (WBT-0210) make for a fuller sound dimension and more relaxed and agile reproduction, whereas the music produced by the old technology appeared more constricted and didn't flow quite as freely. The nextgen inputs also led the way in terms of tonal quality with a coherent, silky clarity.

And the UPSHOT? The nextgen sockets really do greatly enhance hifi connections. Dear manufacturers, please follow the example of Esoteric and Soulution - and use the next generation of RCA sockets in your components!" (Matthias Böde)

[Exclusive technical review + listening test of the nextgen pole terminal WBT-0710]

>>> on the loudspeakers Tempo (audio physic) and Focus 110 (Dynaudio)

"WBT is the undisputed world leader in the field of quality audio connectors. And Wolfgang B. Thörner is now crowning his past achievements with the best speaker terminals of all time.

There was such a difference compared to the Hirschmann plugs it was like listening to two different Tempos: a tired one with a matt overtone and one with a vibrancy and spatial reach that really lived up to its claim.

In a further test setup, we hooked the nextgens up to a pair of Dynaudio Focus 110 speakers. The difference was immediately apparent: The upgraded Focus speakers emitted a more open, fuller and more precise sound.

THERE'S NO QUESTION: these terminals are currently the best on the market and deserve to be warmly recommended to both high-benchmark manufacturers and retrofitters." (Holger Biermann)

[Listening test of the nextgen RCA plug WBT-0110]

>>> Comparison of plugs: nextgen WBT-0110 copper, Bullet silver plug, Neutrik

"Turning to the WBTs we find a different but ultimatively even more impressive performance! Greater low-frequency clarity and definition, tone and texture. Indeed, the tonal balance of the WBT plugs is more natural, along with more dimensional images and greater musical presence and body.

THE UPSHOT: The WBT-0110 Cu genuinely does represent the first example of the Next Generation. Expect ot see a lot of them; cost effective, mechanically adept and sonically supreme, at least for the present, there is no excuse not to use them.

Now, if we could only persuade hardware manufacturers to fit the sockets we could be onto something really good ... ." (Roy Gregory)

[Listening test of the nextgen RCA plug WBT-0110]

>>> on the cables XXL Series 2 (Oehlbach) and Grand Finale (HMS)

"There are many ways to boost the sound quality from your hifi or surround system. One method that is not particularly well known but extremely effective is to replace the standard RCA plugs. We fitted first the Oehlbach cable Series 2 with the WBT-0110 Cu for comparison. And voilà! Norah Jones sounded even smoother, was far more buoyant, and the music had a substantially higher "gooesepimple" factor. Any kind of music we played sounded more "grown-up" overall.

The superb sound supplied by the HMS Grand Finale was even more relaxed and laid back after the WBT plugs were fitted, and the spatial effect had even more depth and precision. Even the bass was deeper and more dynamic.

CONCLUSION: What could you buy for 100 euros that improves the sound of your hifi or AV system anywhere near as much as changing the original RCA plugs for WBT's nextgen 0110? We know of no comparable product and reservedly recommend the upgrading of your RCA cables." (Michael Voigt)

[Listening test of the RCA plug WBT-0110]

>>> on the Kimber Select cables KS 1011, KS 1021 and KS 1030

"Even if many hifi enthusiasts have not yet noticed and some of them - as is always the case - refuse to believe it, WBT's nextgen plugs and the 'Bullet Plugs' of Eichmann herald the dawn of a new era in the history of RCA plugs. These new connectors supply a considerably better sound quality from the same cables. Kimber's Select range is among the creme de la creme of the cable world. And together with WBT's nextgen plugs, they sound better than ever before.

THE UPSHOT? What is abundantly clear is that the nextgens are a blessing for the KS 1021, as they transform narrowness into spaciousness, under- statement into airiness and severity into a full-bodied timbre. Anyone who allows the quality of a super cable like Kimber's KS 1030 to be impaired by plugs that are less than ideal is basically pouring money down the drain. Could you imagine a Porsche driver accepting an engine that is even just slightly off tune?

To enjoy the best of both worlds, owners of Kimber Select interconnects should - or rather must - make sure that they have nextgen plugs on the end." (Matthias Böde)

[Reading the fundamentals of the nextgen technology! Listening test of WBT-0110]

>>> Extensive comparison test of the RCA plugs nextgen WBT-0110, Eichmann Bullet Plug, Clearaudio MID-MPC, WBT-0101

"The ultimate for your interlink cables: The connector revolution from WBT!

Hundreds - perhaps even thousands - of hifi enthusiasts will soon be wanting to fit their audio cables with new plugs. The reason behind this predicted euphoria? WBT has developed a new RCA plug. Its name is "nextgen 0110". Sound variations between plugs? Not exactly news to us.

And we didn't need to cross our fingers, as the difference we heard after changing the plug on the 0110-equipped HMS cable required little or no concentration: The overall musical performance suddenly took place in front of a far more tranquil background. It was almost as if someone had increased te signal-to-noise ratio in the chain by at least 20 decibels. The spatial quality of the sound was noticeably deeper than before, and the bass seemed to have an extended downward reach of half an octave.

How could this be? Was our (comparitive) cable defective? A further comparison test using another "Heavy metal model", the Clearaudio plug, removed any doubts. And another listen to the setup with the new WBT plugs provided the benchmark that put all this back into perspective: even the Clearaudio didn't stand a chance against WBT's combination of smoothness, power and definition." (Holger Barske)

[nextgen technology + listening test of WBT-0110]

>>> on the cable Grand Finale (HMS)

"After just a few beats from Heather Nova's album, we were nothing short of astounded. The impact on the sound quality was dramatic, despite the fact the conductors were identical - meaning that it had to be the plug! Heather Nova's voice was richer, more transparent and of superb clarity.

When listening to the Lord of the Rings the orchestral soundtrack gave us goose pimples. The amazing sound quality was underpinned by precise drum beats and the especially radiant tone of the horns.

CONCLUSION: WBT's nextgen range is a major advance. Lovers of high-quality sound reproduction shouldn't hesitate for a second: the 0110 simply belongs on the end of high-grade audio cables, regardless of whether they are transmitting digital or analogue signals." (Olaf Sturm)