Black Beauty XLR features several AudioQuest design elements that work together to reduce distortion and efficiently dissipate radio-frequency noise. These include: Direction-Controlled Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors, Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network, 0.5% Silver-Plated RF Drain-Wires, Copper-Plated Plug Casings, and Hanging-Silver over Red-Copper plugs.

Key Features & Technology Explained

Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
Solid conductors prevent electrical and magnetic strand-interaction. PSC+ Solid-Copper minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries and maximizes linear RF Noise-Dissipation.

Level 6 Noise-Dissipation: ZERO-Tech + Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network + Direction-Controlled
Radio-Frequency Noise from cellular, WiFi, and satellites is everywhere. AQ’s Level 6 Linear Noise-Dissipation includes a carbon & graphene resistive mesh-network, direction-controlled conductors, and Silver-Plated drain wires, significantly minimizing RF Noise masking effects.

ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance) for Linear, Wide-Bandwidth Noise-Dissipation
The only way to avoid characteristic-impedance mismatch-effects between a cable and its attached source and load circuits is to prevent the cable from having a characteristic-impedance. ZERO-Tech succeeds by eliminating the electrostatic field between the cable’s high and low signal conductors, enabling linear (consistent octave to octave) Radio-Frequency (RF) Noise-Dissipation, and uncompressed transients. In order to preserve ZERO-Tech’s complete isolation between signal conductors, a Dual-72v DBS pack is included for Pegasus, ThunderBird, FireBird, and Dragon XLR cables.

Foamed Polyethylene Insulation
Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit board materials all absorb energy. Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. Because air absorbs next to no energy and Polyethylene is low-loss and has a benign distortion profile, Foamed-PE, with its high air content, causes much less of the out-of-focus effect common to other materials.

Copper-Plated RF-Draining Barrels
Grounded Copper-Plated Barrels maximize Noise-Dissipation by preventing a metal barrel from capacitively coupling RF to the conductors.

Hanging-Silver over Red Copper Plugs
AudioQuest’s finest plugs feature superior Hanging-Silver (not tumbled) directly over extreme-purity Red Copper to ensure uncompromised signal transfer.

• Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors: Solid conductors prevent electrical and magnetic strand-interaction. PSC+ Solid-Copper minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries and maximizes linear RF Noise-Dissipation.
• Foamed-Polyethylene Insulation: Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit board materials all absorb energy. Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. Because air absorbs next to no energy and Polyethylene is low-loss and has a benign distortion profile, Foamed-PE, with its high air content, causes much less of the out-of-focus effect common to other materials.
• Level 6 Noise-Dissipation: Radio-Frequency Noise from cellular, WiFi, and satellites is everywhere. AQ’s Level 6 Linear Noise-Dissipation includes a carbon & graphene resistive mesh-network, direction-controlled conductors, and Silver-Plated drain wires, significantly minimizing RF Noise masking effects.