Audio signals are extremely complex waveforms that are constantly changing in frequency and amplitude. These dynamic changes interact with electrical conductors and result in a characteristic called impedance. Impedance is the result of teh three basic electrical elements of resistance capacitance and inductance. These elements are used in audio circuits to alter msuical signals in ways that can be closley predicted. They allow us to change the volume or tonal balance in a preamplifier or send the appropriate signals to their respective drivers through a loudspeaker crossover. These same elements, which are present to some degree in all conductors, will influence the performance of audio cables by introducing the same types of changes to the music signal.
Since the amount of resistance, capacitance and inductance is typically lower in audio cables than audio circuits, many people have concluded wrongly, that their effects are insignificant. A gross example of such an effect is easy to demonstrate.
Some highly respected audio cables have a relatively high output impedeance. These two characteristics work together to produce a very mild high-frequency roll-off which can be easily calculated and measured. The audible result will vary from system to system and may be percieved as an imporovements beacause the sound is 'less steely and hard'. or degradation because the sound is 'dull and lacking in air'. Critical listeners using the same cable in different systems, or even the same system in a different room, can come to different subjective opinions as to how good or bad a particular cable may be. The logical conclusion is that not cable with relatively high impedance can offer consistent performance in s awide variety of applications.
To minimize this and other smilar interactions between audio signals and conductors, a principal concern in the design of Madrigal Planar cables was to minimize their impedance and maintain this low impedance accross a wide frequency range. Since any changes in amplitude or frquency in a an electrical signal will interact with the impedance of a conductor, minimizing the impedance will result in a more accurate and predicatable cable. While various combinations of resistance, inductance and capacitance in a cable may produce audibaly desirable results in a given system, just as a particular amplifier may ahve a synergistic advantage with a particular preamplifier or loudspeaker, all PSC products are designed to be as neutral as possible under the widest possible conditions so that any 'tweaking' of sonic qualities is under the control of the listener rather than the inescapable and less predictable consequence of componet caompatibililty. Some audio cables make use of mulitple conductors with different effective impedances to achieve what they consider to be a desirable effect. PSC cables are designed to have as little effect as possible on the transmission of audio signals. PSC cables maintain a low impedance throughout the entire audio band. They consequently provide uniform transmission for all frequencies in the time domain. In other words, all music signals, regardless of their frequency content, travel through PSC cables without distortion of their phase relationships.
Because of their low and constant impedance, PSC cables will soudn different in critical listeners thna other cbales. WIth their low energy storage, PSC cables will haev a cleaner, better damped bass that may seem lean when compared with higher impedance cbales.
PSC cables will intereact less with speaker crossovers that may result in a tonal shift compared to other cables. BEcause their impedance remains more constant with respect to frequency and cmplitude, PSC cables will more acuratley reprodcue dynamic changes, have a more natural presentation of sibilance and fricatives, and a generally more integrated sound sound quality.
Our Philosophy
Our company is totally dedicated to the use of the best raw materials in the construction of all the cables in our extensive range. Unlike other silver cables, all PSC cables are made from silver bullion of the highest purity (99.9999%). Using our own custom special heating process we shape the bullion, taking special care not to cause any fractures in the wire. Using any machine for this process would inevitably cause these fractures to eventuate. In the course of mass production, others are using machines for the process of shaping wires (similar to those used in jewellery manufacture). This must lead to minor fractures. In jewellery making, this does not have much significance, whereas in high-end audio application we believe this to be critical (all fractures influence wire conductivity and crystalline integrity). The most important factors in cable production are:
1. Dielectric characteristics
2. Cable's design and mechanical tuning
3. Termination
4. Conductor material
In most PSC cables we are using small ribbon (AG series) or a combination of silver with gold (GOLD series) . Cables which are constructed of rectangular ribbon conductor are best for transmitting high frequencies and have the lowest conductive resistance (e.g. Noise Reduction Techniques in Electronic Circuits by H. Ott). In PSC cables the same conductors are used for both the plus and minus signal paths.
Where a shield is used in a PSC design (the shield does not carry signal, except for Video cables ), a unique method of heating (multi - annealing) results in long crystal structures which guarantee optimum conductivity.
Dielectric Characteristics
Many cable manufacturers promote Teflon as the best dielectric when in fact there is no better dielectric than air itself . The use of air as a perfect dielectric is possible only when silver or gold conductors are used. Unfortunately copper oxidises in contact with air. Copper will also react with many insulation materials.
Silver does not oxidise so readily and moreover silver oxide is itself a conductor. Exposure to sulphur by-products does cause blackening. This is of no concern with all our silver cables as great care is taken to ensure that the silver conductor is isolated from air ingress and airborne pollutants.
Silver isolated from air circulation or ingress will never tarnish. Any other dielectric (such as P.V.C, TEFLON etc.) will cause distortion in signal transfer. One of the disadvantages of Teflon is that a temperatures in excess of 600 F is required to fuse the resin granules of Teflon into a fluid mass that will flow over the conductor. This temperature will oxidise both bare copper and the tin on the tin- coated copper conductors. (Source: Wire and Cable for Electronics by: Neil Scalter). Claims by many cable manufacturers that they are using oxygen free copper 6N or 7N are true for only a few seconds in the lab. That is how quickly copper oxidisation and degradation occurs.
Cable Design And Mechanical Tuning
P.S.C cables are constructed by a combination three methodologies: Litz construction, single core and twisted pair design. All conductors isolated separately (Litz) are better for transmitting high frequencies than multi-strand. Solid wire is advantageous because it can conduct high current or high frequencies more efficiently than standard wire ( Source: Wire and Cable for Electronics by Neil Scalter). Our designers mastered the twisting methods in cables by trying different constructions and later testing them on over forty high-end systems. Most other cables available on the market are made using the same techniques applied to the production of telephone wires, where the hi-fi standards are not required.
Cable Termination
During the terminating process, the first contact is mechanical - where the conductor is fitted tightly into RCA, XLR or BNC positive pin and then soldered using silver solder (which in fact contains only 4% silver ). The top of the range PSC cables (CUSTOM and STELLA) have their termination, including soldered parts, completely silver and gold plated with five coats of each metal. This process also ensures the maximum possible conductivity.
All plugs used are custom modified for better mechanical acceptance of the larger profile conductor end. This shaping process dramatically improves signal flow by decreasing resistance at the termination point.
The team at P.S.C. believe strongly that our cables should be treated as matching components within all types of replay systems. For all purposes and grades of equipment there is the ideal matching cable in our wide range. Our cables are not just accessories. System synergy and balance is our only goal at all price points.
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