Audioquest Mackenzie XLR interconnect cable

AUDIOQUEST MACKENZIE XLR: CONDUCTORS

The Audioquest Mackenzie XLR interconnect cable uses Perfect-Surface Copper Plus (PSC+) conductors. They have a surprisingly smooth and pure surface. An Audioquest proprietary metal processing technology protects the conductor’s surface at each manufacturing step.

This high-purity low-oxide copper is flexible and smooth. These characteristics allow it to provide very little distortion.

We can highlight the fact that Audioquest has been a pioneer in the use of superior quality copper and silver for over 35 years.

Electrical and magnetic strand-interaction in a conventional cable is the main source of distortion, as it usually produces a rather rough and blurry sound. Solid core conductors used by Audioquest overcome this problem. They play a key role in providing clean and distortion-free reproduction.

Conductors are insulated with hard-cell foam (HCF). It’s filled with nitrogen to form air pockets. Nitrogen (just like air) doesn't absorb energy at all and thus can’t release it towards the conductor, which results in limited distortion. Moreover, the material’s rigidity allows cable conductors to maintain stable connection and geometry on the cable’s entire length, thus ensuring stable impedance and further limiting distortion.

AUDIOQUEST MACKENZIE XLR: SHIELDING

There’s also an NDS shield (Noise-Dissipation System) preventing a large amount of radio disturbance to reach the conductors.

The NDS carbon-filled alternate layers of metal and synthetic material “shield the shield”, by absorbing and reflecting most of this radio noise/energy before it reaches the layer connected to the mass.

Moreover, the shield is never used as a conductor in this configuration. There are 3 different conductors (0, signal + and signal -) and the screen.

AUDIOQUEST MACKENZIE XLR: CONNECTORS

The Audioquest Mackenzie XLR interconnect cable uses specific male and female XLR plugs. The very high-quality contact areas feature a silver plating. Inner conductors are not welded to avoid any distortion. They are crimped or “cold-welded”.

Contact quality is perfect, no matter the material used.