Many sophisticated design techniques, superior materials, and an exceptional connection system combine to make the Mackenzie XLR possible. Whether used single ended (RCA plugs) or balanced (XLR plugs), the open and natural sound of the King Cobra is obvious.

DESIGN BASICS: Triple Balanced Mackenzie XLRis. This means that there are three identical insulated conductors, plus a separate conductor under the 100% cover foil shield. When used with XLR connectors and balanced electronics, the two positive signals (reverse and non-reverse) and the negative one all get the same low distortion conduction path. The shield is bonded to the chassis ground through the XLR case, providing extremely effective shielding without contaminating the quality of the negative conductive path. When King Cobra is equipped with RCA plugs, two conductors are used together for the much higher potential across the negative connection, providing a substantial performance advantage. The shield is fixed only at one end,

All the drivers on the Mackenzie XLR are solid. The electrical and magnetic interaction between the strands of a conventional cable is the biggest source of distortion, often causing a somewhat dirty and harsh sound. Solid conductors are critical to achieving the King Cobra's very clean sound.

METAL: PSC + (Perfect-Surface Copper +) has a surprisingly smooth and pure surface. Patented metal processing technology protects the surface of the wire at every stage of drawing and fabrication. When the high-purity, low-oxide copper is kept as soft, pure, and smooth as possible, it becomes a wonderfully low-distortion PSC conductor. PSC + is manufactured by applying the same exceptional technology to ultra-pure copper. The resulting sound quality is even more focused and just less on the road. For fifteen years AudioQuest has pioneered the use of higher metals; however, even we were surprised by the huge leap in performance that was made possible with Perfect Surface Technology.

At whatever price.

INSULATION: Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit materials absorb energy (loss). Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. All King Cobra conductors use PE air tubing insulation because air absorbs almost no energy, and polyethylene is low loss and has a benign distortion profile. Thanks to all PE air tubes, it causes much less of the blurring effect common to other materials.

NOISE DISPERSION SYSTEM: 100% shield coverage is easy. To prevent captured RF interference from modulating the equipment's ground reference, AQ's Noise Dissipation System is required. Metal and carbon-laden synthetics prevent most RFI from reaching the equipment ground plane.

COLD WELDING SYSTEM: The new plug design allows a perfect heat-free connection between the cable and the plug. XLR plugs are also available.

Mackenzie gold-plated XLR RCA plugs use a proprietary design that eliminates distortion caused by extra contact inside most plugs. Because earth hulls are stamped rather than machined, the metal can be chosen for low distortion rather than machining.

The combination of these main ingredients and many more subtle details add up to explain how the Mackenzie XLR can sound so wonderfully clean, clear, and dynamic.