Inakustik Referenz LS-1204 AIR single-wire speaker cable set

Features:
• Air Helix structure
• Extremely low capacities thanks to air dielectric
• Cross Link Super Speed waveguide
• 4-fold Multicore
• Tellurium-copper connectors
• Directly crimped connectors (1.5 T pressure)

As speaker cables carry the highest currents in the entire setup, they require an adequate wire size to ensure low-loss transmission. The current generates correspondingly strong magnetic fields. In addition, the cable inductance constitutes a frequency-dependent resistance to the (alternating) current. Therefore, speaker cables are required to be low-inductance. Exactly this has been systematically implemented with the LS-1204 Air: A highly sophisticated wire layout – the “fourfold multicore” design – lowers the inductance, thus producing a fully neutral sound over a wide frequency range. Moreover, the design leads to a neutralization of overlapping magnetic fields around the individual conductors. All frequencies are transmitted freely and without any latency, allowing for producing an incredibly open sound with unprecedented detail. At the end of the Air Helix, the four conductors inside the LS-1204 run into so-called aluminum splitters arranging them for the receiving connector. Between the splitter and the connector, in-akustik implements ultra-flexible parts molded from a special elastomer. These parts are fixed inside the splitter using a specifically designed plastic plug, thus ensuring maximum cable flexibility even in the connector region. The molded parts extend to the connector front and enclose the inner connector components, which underlines the plain yet charming appearance of the LS-1204 Air.

BREATH-TAKING SOUND AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE
n our quest for finding true air insulation, we have certainly set standards with their Referenz series of high-end audio and speaker cables: Our unique Air Helix technology leads the way to unspoilt audio transmission. Now, we have added two new top-notch Air Helix cables for the high-end newbie to our Referenz range: the NF-1204 Air audio cable and the LS-1204 Air speaker cable. This way, every aspiring music aficionado can benefit from this high-tech design. Thanks to air insulation, enjoying hi-fi sound becomes a literally breath-taking experience. Referenz cables with our innovative Air Helix design have enthralled numerous high-end enthusiasts all around the globe as well as the trade media. Built for interconnecting true “reference” high-end devices, they certainly make more than just a small difference in the sound of best-in-class audio systems. To make the ground-breaking Air Helix technology available to high-end newbies as well, we designed the NF-1204 Air audio cable and the LS-1204 Air speaker cable. The new members of the Referenz family are tailored to the needs of the many small yet fine high-end systems – and the budgets of their owners. Carefully crafted and with outstanding properties, these cables help any high-end system produce the perfect sound.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
For a better understanding, let’s dive into the technical details. It is widely known that the dielectric (i.e. the insulating material) of a capacitor plays an important role for the sound quality of hi-fi components and speakers. Therefore, engineers always select all parts with greatest care – even those incorporating only the smallest amount of dielectric. On the other hand, a cable of some length typically might incorporate several hundred cubic centimeters of dielectric material – mainly the electric insulation. The dielectric stores electric charge or energy, which is perfectly fine with electronic components such as capacitors; with cables, however, the resulting capacity is a “parasitic” effect – and undesirable for natural music reproduction because it significantly affects the transmission properties and leads to interactions with the connected electronic equipment. When it comes to high-end audio, air is the best insulator currently available. Using it allows for achieving low capacities and low dielectric losses—key factors for unspoilt transmission. Any extra material used on a cable (e.g. PVC insulation) causes a degradation of its electrical properties. In an ideal world, there wouldn’t be any insulating material, so our Air Helix cable design is the decisive step towards perfect air insulation. The Air Helix principle is literally unique: we have designed a special clip to approximate to air insulation as closely as possible. Inside the cable, a large number of those clips are arranged to form a special helical support holding the signal conductors freely in the air while keeping them at an exact distance throughout the cable. The structure is highly flexible thanks to two crosspieces that do not only interconnect the clips but also ensure highly accurate spacing. Obviously, the conductors themselves play a key role, too. The Cross Link Super Speed waveguide is made of high-purity copper wires braided around a PE core. A very thin lacquer coating on the wires prevents the formation of eddy currents inside the waveguide. The braided wire design also produces neutralizing effects by ensuring that the magnetic fields created by the current are at least partly compensated. In particular, with speaker cables that carry the highest currents in the entire audio path, this design ensures neutral conductor behavior over the entire frequency spectrum. Just like all speaker and audio cables from the Referenz series, the LS-1204 Air and the NF-1204 Air are entirely manufactured in Germany. The clips are meticulously assembled by hand at in-akustik’s own on-site factory. The resulting Air Helix then receives a PE network jacket and connectors before the finished cable is subject to thorough final inspection. We have opted for tellurium copper as the conductor base material rather than brass. This is because tellurium copper offers almost twice the conductivity. Using a complex technique, a custom-made machine strips the highly pure copper wires of the Cross Link Super Speed waveguide from their lacquer coating. Afterwards, the bare wires are crimped with a 1.5-t pressure directly onto the connector. This technique prevents the occurrence of contact resistances that often occur with the use of additional materials such as solder or wire end sleeves. The connector surfaces are rhodium-coated because this extremely robust material ensures optimum contact even after many mating cycles.