Pangea Audio Premier True Balanced™ Audio XLR Interconnect Cable
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The trouble with most audio cables on the market is that they have just two conductors – a single solid core center conductor that carries the positive charge and a braided outer wire that carries both the ground signal and act as a shield against RF (Radio Frequency) and EM (Electro-Magnetic) noise. You can see immediately a problem with this design. Mixing RF and EM noise with the ground signal wire pollutes the audio signal. Many high-end audio cable manufacturers have avoided this problem by having two independent wire conductors – one for the positive and another for the negative – and surrounding these with a separate outer RFI and EMI shield.
Balanced – XLR audio cables were originally designed for the professional music industry where long cable runs are the norm. They feature three internal conductors plus an outer shield. One conductor carries the positive signal, another the negative signal and the third that grounds to the two circuits on either end together. This design provides superior RFI and EMI shielding and promotes greater signal integrity between electronic components.
Noticing that an increasing number of high-end audio manufacturers were featuring balanced connectors on their gear, audio design guru, Jay Victor, set out to create an affordable balanced cable that was superior to anything in its price class.
"Watch out for cheaply made XLR-terminated audio cables," warns Jay. "Some manufacturers 'cheat' by using only two conductors in their cable and then using the cable's braided shield for both circuit grounding and shielding. This is not a true 'balanced' cable."
"I refused to take any short-cuts in the Pangea Audio True Balanced Audio Interconnects design. I included three independently-insulated conductors plus a two-layer outer shield," Jay explained. "For the signal conductor I chose Cardas Grade One Copper. The other conductors, which are not as critical are the high grade OFC copper. Each conductor is wrapped in my favorite smooth-sounding PE insulation."
"Quite Simply the Best Copper on the Planet"
This Pangea Audio cable uses no-compromise Cardas Grade One Copper, which George Cardas of Cardas Audio developed for his own premium cables.
George’s copper is mined in Arizona, then shipped to a New England factory where it is very S-L-O-W-L-Y drawn into conductors in a process that includes reduction annealing between steps to further purify and meld the copper into what George calls "the most amazing audio conductor I have ever experienced. It is quite simply the best copper on the planet."
"The bottom line is that the best phono cartridges manufactured in the world, the best transformer winders, and the best cable manufactures in the world are converting to this smooth sounding Cardas Grade One Copper," George reports.
"It is simply stunning how using a combination of space-age technology (reduction annealing) and ancient drawing process (diamond dies and a slow multi stage annealing) can result in such a refined product," says George.
Another Technical Achievement: Pangea Audio XLR 500 Connectors
"The most impressive external feature are the XLR connectors," observes Jay. "It took me months of searching to find these beauties. I rejected dozens of prototypes. For a time I was worried I wouldn't be able to find connectors that were technically superior and not cost a fortune. Finally, one of my sources sent me a set that knocked me out. They feature gold-plated solid pins, machined metal covers, PE insulators, and a high-quality locking mechanism. I had them plated in black chrome because it resists chipping and scratching and, besides, I just love that finish."
Once the cables were finished, Jay sent them to Pangea with a note. It said: "I'm sure you'll love these. They are the best affordable balanced cables I've ever designed. They sound fantastic!"
Who Should Use Balanced Cables?
Introducing the Pangea Audio True Balanced Audio Interconnects. If your electronics offer balanced connections, these are the cables you should be using for lower background noise and cleaner sound.
Specifications
- Conductors use US-Made Cardas Grade One copper
- Separate solid core Cardas Grade One Copper conductor for the right and left channels
- Separate OFC copper conductor returns
- Flexible PE cable insulation
- Conductors for each channel are wrapped in a foil shield
- Entire cable is shielded with two additional layers of shielding
- Advanced nylon outer braid cover resists cracking
- Premium black chrome plated Prime 500 XLRs
- Gold-plated one-piece solid connector pins
- Spring-type locking XLR mechanism
- Extremely durable baked-on chromium finish
- Hand-soldered XLR-to-XLR cable termination
- Supplied as a pair