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  Cable Products > xStream™ Audio XLR xStream™ Audio XLR More Info Starting at just $199.00!  Balanced XLR connectors are routinely used in recording studios, pro applications, and many of the finest High-End audio video systems.They provide improved signal transfer, lower noise and in many cases, better sonics. The difference between unbalanced and balanced cables An unbalanced cable using the standard RCA connector is the most common form of audio and video interconnecting cable. It has two conductors: an inner “hot” conductor that caries the signal, and an outer ground conductor, which also acts as a noise shield. PS Audio makes one of the best RCA unbalanced cables in the inductry, the xStream Audio RCA. A balanced XLR interconnect has three conductors and a shield. The inner two conductors are both “hot” conductors carrying the musical signal; each of these two signals are out of phase with each other – creating the balanced signal. The third conductor is a ground conductor and this, along with a grounded outer shield, form the entire balanced interconnect. Improved noise and distortion Advantages of the balanced interconnect are many: improved noise and distortion rejection, cleaner soundstage and a lower apparent noise floor.  Any preamp, amplifier, surround processor, D to A processor, or source equipment that has an XLR balanced output or input should be taken advantage of whenever possible. From more ways than one, using this balanced XLR approach whenever possible can make a significant sonic improvement. The Audio xStream™ balanced interconnect series A lot of research and years of listening have gone into the creation of the PS Audio xStream™ balanced series – and we believe the Audio xStream balanced cables are unmatched by any product in the world. This may be a tough claim for many people to accept, especially in light of the affordable pricing we offer these audio gems at, but we couldn't be more serious about their merits. What we are trying to do is bring some solid engineering practices, mixed with a lot of listening, evaluating and testing of every other product we can lay our hands on to produce a world class cable at a sensible price. After all, what good does it do us to create exceptional sounding components if there aren't similarily great ways to interconnect the equipment together. We believe the Audio xStream series epitomizes this philisophical approach to system building and will help music and video lovers the world around enjoy an entirely new level of performance never before achieved on their systems. How do they perform? The Audio xStreams™ are characterized by a clean, dynamic presentation. Systems connected via an xStream balanced cable enjoy an incredibly open audio soundstage, rich with the life and body of the music. Natural in timbre, each instrument is presented in its own space with uncanny accuracy while quiet musical passages appear to reach into the black depths of silent space; so clean are these  cables. There are two models of the Audio xStream balanced: the Statement and the Plus. The Statement As its name implies, the Audio xStream Statement balanced interconnect is unique in its construction, build quality and performance. Based on a “Twin lead” construction method, the Audio xStream Statement is actually two complete shielded audio cables within one bundle. Take a look at the cutaway drawing of the Statement. What we did is deceptively simple; design the finest interconnect we could, then duplicate it, and place everything together in a symmetrical bundle. This construction technique keeps each half of the balanced signal in perfect harmony and maintains the maximum physical distance to the other half of the signal, while dramatically improving the shielding, relative to a standard construction. Around each of the twin inner musical conductors is a lay  er of PE foam; one of the best dielectrics known to us.Extruded over the PE foam is a layer of conductive PVC that acts as a type of shield, followed by a wrapped foil shield for high frequencies, and a 90% OFC copper braid over the foil to improve the lower frequency emission rejection. The build quality is second to none No expense has been spared in creating the Statement balanced interconnect. To accommodate the unusual Twin Lead “Double Barrel” construction technique we had to design a custom connector. This was no easy task, as the extraordinarily wide oval shape, dictated by the “Double Barreled” construction technique would not allow for any conventional off-the-shelf solutions to be applied. We designed both a strain relief and an easy insertion thumb recess area for the body of the connector, then cast a solid piece of material into the shape of the finished connector to complete the outer assembly. Into this assemblage we placed 24 karat gold male and female pins, soldered to the conductors with high grade silver bearing solder to complete the connection.  From the first moment you pick up the Statement balanced interconnect you'll feel its build quality. Never in our experience have we been able to handle anything even close to the beauty and solidity of this exceptional product. It just feels right. The finished product is nothing short of breathtaking One listen to the Statement balanced interconnect and you’ll it sounds right as well. Music comes alive with the ring of harmonics, the open airy top end, the noise free environment. This cable has, perhaps, the best top end performance we've ever heard in our 30 plus years of building and listening to products. Plucked instruments seem to take on a life of their own; drum whacks have incredible intensity, and the depth presented by the soundstage is deep and lifelike in an uncanny sort of way. And the bass......oh, goodness! The bass seems to go down into the basement and display, for those lucky enough to own this cable, an extraodinary experience. A true balanced interconnect in the finest sense of the word, the Statement balanced is a product we would like to suggest sets an entirely new standard for the audio video world to live up to. Whether your equipment is the most expensive hand built product in the world, or you simply have uncompromising tastes for getting everything perfect, the Statement balanced interconnect is a cable you need to audition in your system as soon as humanely possible.  The Plus balanced interconnect The Plus balanced interconnect is also a simple, yet effective concept; take the monumental engineering effort lavished on the Statement balanced cable and cut it in half. Using the same materials as found in the Statement, but eschewing the more expensive “Double Barreled” approach yields a wonderfully balanced and musical interconnect. The same shielding The Plus balanced interconnect uses the same triple shielding as does the Statement. The inner conductors are two pure OFC conductors, each separately insulated with PE foam. Over the two OFC conductors we extrude a layer of conductive PVC as the first distributed shield, followed by the second shield comprised of foil, and lastly a 90% OFC copper braid to lower the acceptance of low frequency radiated noise. From a shielding perspective, both the Statement and the Plus series have nearly identical noise levels. The same high quality connector While not a custom designed XLR connector like the Statement, the Plus utilizes one of the finest off-the-shelf XLR connectors made. Inside the solid cast body of the connector are 24 karat gold plated pins. Each  of the OFC conductors is soldered to the pins with a state-of-the-art silver bearing solder.The results are impressive The Plus is a great sounding interconnect. Used as the basis for any high-end system, or used to connect sources to the system, the Plus Audio xStream Cable is perhaps one of the most affordable high-end solutions to the balanced interconnect market there is. Why choose a balanced cable? The general rule of thumb is pretty simple; if your equipment is capable of taking advantage of a balanced interconnect cable, go for it. Balanced cables tend to be cleaner, more dynamic and far more open sounding that a single ended cable, even the very best RCA based cables like the PS Audio xStream RCA's. Using a balanced approach on 'true balanced' equipment also allows that same equipment to be used in a way it was designed for. Balanced. Check with your equipment's manufacturer for details and advice; but ours is simple - go balanced if you can! Whichever way you go The Audio xStream balanced interconnect models are, in our opinion, as good as they get. The Statements represent the current Edge-of-the-art in interconnecting cables, bar none, while the Plus is unmatched when price and performance are considered. Make one of the bigger leaps in performance you’ve experienced by moving up to the benefits of a balanced interconnect solution. The Audio xStream balanced, a revolution in performance from PS Audio. You can get a pair of these, try them out in your home for 30 days and make sure they're right for your system, by clicking here. Or, if you prefer, audition them at your local PS Audio dealer. Hear what you've been missing!
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