Inakustik Referenz NF-1204 AIR stereo XLR audio cable

Features:
• Balanced stereo audio cable pair
• High-end XLR connectors
• Air Helix structure
• Extremely low capacities thanks to air dielectric
• Cross Link Super Speed waveguide
• Tellurium-copper connectors
• Directly crimped connectors (1.5 T pressure)

Balanced audio connections (XLR) are technically superior to unbalanced connections (RCA) because they almost completely compensate for interference. Also, developers usually pay more attention to the quality of balanced input and output stages, and many hi-fi and high-end devices are equipped with this high-quality interface. However, because balanced outputs deliver very weak signal levels, they react sensitively to high cable capacitances. This means that air insulation using Air Helix technology is perfect for balanced audio cables. Although this design is much more challenging to manufacture, the effort pays off in terms of sound quality. The Referenz NF-1204 XLR is an outstanding cable which combines and emphasises the fundamental advantages of a balanced connection with the benefits of Air Helix technology.

For better understanding, lets dive into the technical details. It‘s widely known that the dielectrics (i.e. the insulating material) of a capacitor plays an important role for the sound quality of hi-fi components and speakers, therefore our engineers always select all the parts with the greatest of care, even those incorporating the smallest amount of the dielectric. On the other hand, a cable of some length typically might incorporate several hundred cubic centimeters of dielectric material, mainly the electrical insulation. The dielectric stores an electric
charge or energy, which is perfectly fine with electronic components such as capacitors. But with cables, the resulting capacity is a „parasitic“ effect and this is undesirable for natural music production because it significantly affects the transmission properties and leads to interactions with connected electronics.
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, this is the key factors to unspoiled transmission. Any extra material use on a cable (e.g. PVC insulation) causes a degradation of its electrical properties. In an ideal world there wouldn‘t any insulation material and this is why our Air Helix cable design is a
step towards perfect air insulation. The Air Helix principal 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 arrange 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 the two cross pieces that do not only interconnect the clips but also insure high accuracy spacing.

AN EXAMPLE FROM EVERYDAY LIFE: ELECTROSTATICS
We all know what it’s like when you take off a sweater with lots of synthetic fibre and it crackles and sparks. This is because the synthetic material builds up an electric charge which is then discharged again. The same happens in the dielectric, the material that insulates a cable. It absorbs electrical energy like a sponge and releases it later. In our case this specifically affects parts of the audio signal. One measure for this is unwanted cable capacitance. This significantly affects the transmission quality and causes interference with the connected
electronic components. An ideal solution to this is air insulation such as with the Air Helix structure.

THE CONDUCTORS
Obviously, the conductors themselves play a key role in the Air Helix design. 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 insuring that magnetic fields created by the current are at least partly compensated. In particular with speaker cables that carry the highest current into the entire audio path, this design insures neutral conductor behaviour over the entire frequency spectrum.