What is a stranded center conductor?

A stranded conductor is composed of a number of strands of copper wire bunched together to form a larger diameter wire.
Solid conductors having only one solid strand are the cheapest way to manufacture cables, because they do not require the twisting and tinning that are needed for soldering.
The problem with a solid conductor is that it quickly fatigues and breaks when it is bent or flexed and is cumbersome when playing music.

Why do we silver plate the copper strands?

We plate several of the copper center condutors with silver to improve the conductivity of bare copper alone.
Silver is one of the best electrical conductors known to man and resists corrosion far better than copper.
By combing both silver and copper we provide the optimal balance of tone and durability in a single cable.

 

This cable uses a blend of Oxygen Free Copper and Ultra Pure Silver Plated Oxygen Free Copper strands for its conductors.

The additional advantage of adding silver plated strands to audio cable is that silver is a better conductor than copper, but alone is too brittle for traditional use.

 

This unique combination of metals provides high frequency response that is less attenuated and far tighter low frequency response than other less ambitious cable designs.

An added benefit of silver is that it is less susceptible to corrosion than copper; the plating offers a protective barrier between the conductor and the insulation in free air.

The result:
Better conductivity than only copper strands
Better durability & flexibility than silver only strands

What about insulation? Why does it matter?

The insulation material and its thickness is a prominent factor in determining the flexibility of the cable.
A finely-stranded conductor insulated with a stiff compound will behave much like a solid conductor, as will a conductor insulated with a very thick layer of a more flexible compound.
The thinner the insulation is, the more flexibility it allows in the overall cable.

The insulation used in Van Damme balanced cable is XLPE (Cross-Linked Polyethylene) which is a superior insulation material for audio signals due to its low dielectric constant. Van Damme unbalanced cable uses foamed polyethylene for uniform low capacitance plus a conductive thermoplastic screen to minimize noise.

What does shielding do? Why is it so Important?

The copper shield of a coaxial cable acts as the return conductor for the signal current and as a barrier to prevent interference from reaching the “hot” center conductor where it would affect the signal. The shield also minimizes capacitively coupled noise from other electrical sources.

Unwanted types of interference encountered and blocked with varying degrees of success by cable shielding include:

• Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) from a source producing signals above the audible range including radio stations, and spurious radiation form other electronic devices (cellphones, computers etc) and electro-mechanical devices (motors and engines).
• • Hum typically produced by power supplies resulting from the use of AC power.
  

What makes one type of shield better than another?

To be most effective the cable shield is tied to a ground, usually a metal amplifier or mixer chassis that is in turn grounded to the AC power line.
Let’s look at a Braided Shield versus a Spiral Shield.

What about braided shields?

A braided shield is made by braiding bunches of copper strands around the insulated, center conductor.
The braided shield is an inexpensive approach in shielding cable as less copper is used.
Generally the shield covers between 50 (cheap cable) and 97% (maximum coverage) of the center conductor.

Consider the braided shield like a screen on a screen door, it lets lots of air thru the holes in the door. But in a cable these holes or gaps in coverage will let noise and interference into your cable affecting your music.

Braided shield also restricts flexibility and makes a cable stiffer.

Why are our spiral-wrapped shields better?

Our spiral-wrapped shield, is applied by wrapping a flat layer of copper strands around the center in a single direction (either clockwise or counter-clockwise).
The spiral shield is very flexible, providing very little restriction to the suppleness of the cable. Tightly braided shields can be literally shredded by being kinked and pulled, as often happens in performance situations, while a spiral-wrapped serve shield will simply stretch without breaking down.

All spiral shields are not alike.

Typically spiral shields are more expensive and difficult to manufacture as they use far more copper than braided shield.

To make a spiral of PRS quality it requires the most complex and time consuming manufacturing techniques.
You can see here what happens when you try to produce a low cost spiral shield cable.

Why our shields protect your sound?

The 100% coverage spiral shield can be likened to an “ACE Bandage” wrapped over upon itself providing for no gaps in coverage.
The result is virtually total protection from noise and interference in your music.

The result is virtually total protection from noise and interference in your music.

 

 

 

 

PRS Signature Series cables are manufacutered uisng Van Damme Pro Grade Classic XKE Instrument cable. Van Damme is recognized by audio professionals as the leading UK-based manufacturer of the finest cable products in the world, Van Damme products have been servicing the audio requirements of the European music, post-production, broadcast, and touring sound communities for decades and is now available in North America throughPRS Cables and Bond Music Research.

“The quality of cable that any guitarist connects his or her instrument has a direct impact on the tone that will ultimately be heard by the audience. Our new PRS Signature Series Cable is manufactured to the most exacting standards and I genuinely believe in this cable’s ability to accurately convey the true musical intentions of the artist.”

“These cables sound great. They’re tangle-free, noise-free and reliable. I use them everyday.”