Audience |
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Au24 ... cables you can trust We believe the Au24 cables attain the elusive goal of combining exquisite sonic detail with the beauty of true musicality. This is due in large part to the Au24’s incredible time domain performance. One look will tell you these are not "me too" products. The materials, design and construction techniques utilized in the Au24 cable line reflect the latest thinking in state of the art, high-resolution technology. Contributing to the excellent time domain characteristics of the Au24 cables are high quality materials and proper configuration. Most audiophiles are aware of the importance of good insulating and conducting materials. The Au24 cables are constructed of OHNO continuous cast single crystal copper conductors with polypropylene insulation and cross-linked polyethylene jacket material. Relatively few people are aware of the role geometric configuration plays. If a given cable is not optimally configured to perform the task it was designed to do it will never sound as good as a cable with the correct physical/electrical characteristics regardless of which exotic materials are used in its construction. All Audience cables and especially the Au24 series are designed for low eddy-current resistance. This is the key electrical characteristic for good time response. Eddy-currents are created by the magnetic field found around a cable when an electrical signal is present. This magnetic field builds up and collapses as the signal varies. When the field collapses it induces an opposing voltage back into the cable. This opposing voltage causes eddy-currents in the conductor. If they could be seen, eddy-currents would look like swirling water in a river. This late arriving, opposing voltage disrupts the original signal by inducing a time-smearing artifact. These effects are clearly audible. Cables that sound "detailed" or "powerful in the bass" are usually victims of high eddy-currents. Eddy currents plus high capacitance can cause a cable to sound overly "relaxed." The particular type of coloration caused by eddy-currents is dependent on the materials, construction techniques and the geometric configuration of the cable. The Au24 cables exhibit extremely low eddy–current resistance. Many cables are designed for the lowest possible capacitance. Other cables are designed for the lowest possible inductance. Actually, for properly balanced sound reproduction these inductive and capacitive values should both be minimized and the ratio of inductance to capacitance (L:C) must be optimized. By designing for the lowest possible eddy-current resistance at the correct specific frequency, proper L:C ratio is naturally arrived at and both of these properties are minimized. The result is natural reproduction as heard in real life without added emphasis or editorializing. The Au24 cables may not sound as exciting at first but the virtues become apparent as the listener becomes familiar with them. Perhaps even more importantly, the musical overtones arrive in their proper time relationship with the fundamentals. This creates a more convincing illusion of reality and improves sound staging. For example, when properly recorded, a drummer’s cymbals will now be placed back with the rest of the drum kit instead of appearing to emanate from the speakers. There is a common misconception that loudspeaker cable must be large in diameter and have a low DC resistance in order to provide good bass response. DC resistance is relatively unimportant. What really matters is the characteristic impedance (AC resistance) of the cable. Music is an AC signal after all. Most of these large diameter/low DC resistance cables have excessively high characteristic impedance anywhere from 100 to 600 ohms with some measuring in the 1000’s of ohms. The Au24 Loudspeaker Cable is only 4mm or 1/8" in diameter. Although the DC resistance may be slightly higher than the garden hose variety speaker cables the characteristic impedance is only 16 ohms. Musical signals from the bass to the overtones pass through this cable with less actual impedance than a cable with a lower DC resistance. The Au24 Loudspeaker Cable provides nearly perfect bass timbre and extension. Plus, the low eddy-current resistance means the cable is very quick and linear in the time domain. Voices and instruments sound strikingly real with this loudspeaker cable. Audience balanced analog and AES/EBU digital interconnects are terminated with Neutrik XLR plugs. Maestro The Maestro cables are placed in the middle of the Audience cable lineup between the technically advanced Au24 cables and the high performance /price ratio Conductor cables. Like all cables by Audience the Maestro are designed for low eddy-current resistance. We have found low eddy-current resistance to be the most important quality in high-resolution audio and video cables. The Maestro cables are of rugged construction, suitable for professional/broadcast environments. To achieve greater sonic purity the physical design leans towards simplicity. Subjectively, a natural musical timbre is realized. There is a strong similarity to the Au24 cables but perhaps without the ultimate degree of resolution achieved by the Au24. Still, the similarities far outweigh the differences. Maestro cables are an excellent choice when high resolution combined with rugged construction and moderate price are called for. Conductor powerChord description
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