AUDIOQUEST RED RIVER XLR Analog-Audio Interconnect Cable

Analog-audio interconnect cable

AUDIOQUEST RED RIVER is an analog-audio interconnect cable from the Rivers & Elements series with triple-balanced geometry that uses a separate ground-reference conductor, so the cable shield is never used as a lower conductor. Regardless of whether they are fitted with RCA or XLR plugs, the cable's three conductors ensure that positive and negative signals have equally superior, low-distortion conduction paths.
To prevent captured radio frequency interference (RFI) from modulating the equipment's ground reference, AQ's Noise Dissipation is required. Traditional shielding systems typically absorb and then drain noise/RF energy to the component's ground, modulating and distorting the critical "reference" ground plane, which in turn causes signal distortion. Noise Dissipation "shields the shield," absorbing and reflecting most of this noise/RF energy before it reaches the grounded layer.
Hard-Cell Foam (HCF) insulation ensures critical signal pair geometry. Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Cable insulation and printed circuit board materials all absorb energy. Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. Hard-Cell Foam insulation is similar to the expanded PE used in less expensive Bridges & Falls cables and is injected with nitrogen to create air pockets. Since nitrogen (like air) does not absorb energy and therefore does not release energy from or into the conductor, distortion is reduced. Furthermore, the rigidity of the material allows the cable conductors to maintain a stable relationship along the entire length of the cable, producing a stable impedance characteristic and further reducing distortion.
AUDIOQUEST RED RIVER features cold-welded, gold-plated terminations that allow for a solder-free connection, which is a common source of distortion. Instead of soldering, the process employs a high-pressure technique. Since the rectified shells are stamped rather than machined, the metal used can be chosen for low distortion rather than machinability.
AUDIOQUEST RED RIVER is made using Perfect-Surface Copper (PSC) which significantly outperforms previous AQ metals that cost over ten times as much. Proprietary metal processing technology protects the wire surface at every stage of drawing and manufacturing. When high-purity, low-oxide copper is kept as soft, pure, and smooth as possible, it becomes a wonderfully low-distortion conductor. In a conventional cable, the electrical and magnetic interaction between the wires is one of the biggest sources of distortion, often causing a rather harsh and dirty sound. Solid conductors are essential for achieving a very clean and natural sound.

Specifications

• Conductors: Solid PSC
• Geometry: Triple-Balanced (Separate ground-reference conductor)
• Dielectric: Hard-Cell Foam
• Noise-Dissipation: Metal-Layer
• Covering: PVC or red and black braided
• Connectors: Cold-welded, gold-plated