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CV-4 might look like a
normal round cable, but inside is a fully optimized combination of extraordinary materials and extremely
refined design.
CONDUCTORS: All four of
CV-4's conductors are solid. Electrical and magnetic interaction between strands in a conventional cable is
the single greatest source of distortion, often causing a somewhat harsh, dirty and confused sound. Solid
conductors are the most important ingredients enabling CV-4's very clear sound. Whether a conductor is
solid or stranded, skin-effect is a prime distortion mechanism in speaker cables. CV-4 very simply keeps
this effect out of the audio range by using conductor sizes that are below the threshold for audible
distortion.
PERFECT-SURFACE COPPER+:
CV-4 uses extremely high purity Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors. All conductors are solid, which
prevents strand interaction, a major source of distortion. Surface quality is critical because a conductor
can be considered as a rail-guide for both the electric fields within a conductor, and for the magnetic
fields outside the conductor. The astonishingly smooth and pure Perfect-Surface eliminates harshness and
greatly increases clarity compared to OFHC, OCC, 8N and other coppers. The superior purity of PSC+ further
minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries, which exist within any metal conductor.
DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM
(patent pending): Unfortunately, because insulation stores and releases energy, it is also a "dielectric."
In a cable application, all released energy is distortion. The misnomer "break-in" is often used to
describe the pronounced improvement in performance as the dielectric adapts to a charged state as the cable
is used. Whenever a cable does not have a charge on it, it is re-adapting to an uncharged state; it is
becoming new again. By maintaining a 36 volt dielectric-bias, far above the voltage of delicate audio
signals, the DBS system provides considerably better transparency and dynamics than is possible even from a
cable in continuous use. It takes a couple of weeks for the DBS system to reach maximum performance. Since
DBS battery packs are attached when CV-4 cables are first terminated, CV-4 will be approaching or at peak
performance by the time it is installed in your system. Since there is no "load" on the two standard
hardware-store batteries, they will last for years. A test button and LED allow for occasional verification
of battery performance.
GEOMETRY: The
relationship between conductors defines a cable's most basic electrical values (capacitance and
inductance). However, even when those variables are kept in a reasonable balance, the relationship between
conductors can be varied in ways that greatly effect the sound. The spiral construction of CV-4 allows for
significantly better dynamic contrast and information intelligibility than if the same conductors were run
in parallel. The specific 4-cross geometry used in CV-4 maximizes this advantage. SST (Spread Spectrum
Technology): Any single size or shape of conductor has a specific distortion profile. Even though radially
symmetrical conductors (solid round or tubular) have the fewest discontinuities, any particular size does
have a sonic signature. SST is a method for significantly reducing the awareness of these character flaws
by using a precise combination of different size conductors. The four different SST-determined conductor
sizes used in CV-4 allow an exceptionally clear, clean and dynamic sound.
TERMINATIONS: AudioQuest
offers a wide range of high quality connectors that allow CV-4 to be securely attached to any type of
equipment. "Quality" is in the low distortion sound, not necessarily in the eye-candy effect. AQ ends are
either a dull looking gold or silver because these metals are plated directly over the connector. There is
no shiny and harsh sounding nickel layer underneath. AQ spade lugs are soft because better metal is soft,
and facilitates a higher quality connection. AQ spade lugs are available in several sizes. AQ Benda-Pins
fit all equipment, except pieces requiring a banana plug or BFA connector, in which case the AQ Crimp
BFA/Banana provides unprecedented performance at a fraction the cost of those not-so-good sounding big
eye-candy versions. A combination of these major ingredients, and many more subtle details add up to
explain how even an affordable cable like CV-4 can sound so good.
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Questions?
1.973.239.1799
