Signal Projects Hydra XLR 2M

Hybrid in metal structure
In theory, the use of pure silver would be the optimum choice for any type of conductor, since it is the metal with the highest value of electrical conductivity, which means that it would provide the lowest resistance than any other material at a given thickness, type and length. But in the real world of reproduction electronics where the signal transferring process is so sensitive to numerous parameters, the “recipe” for the optimum signal conductor cannot be as simple as implied by the above – theoretically stable – assumption. At times, numerous equipment reviewers and many more audiophiles have described their own practical experiences of cables based on high purity conductors of a single-metal structure, reporting that even if they realized improvements in many key areas of reproduction, they still did not acquire the anticipated results from the overall performance of their devices. A very frequent example refers to cables with silver conductors, which on the one hand help systems expand their response (mainly at higher frequencies), but at the same time they make them sound slightly emphatic on the upper bands, as if someone has turned the “treble” knob clockwise by a quarter of a turn or even more. Similar impressions are left by many other examples of units connected with copper cables, with users expressing their satisfaction for the performance in the low and medium bands, while at the same time complain about the lack of “air” and “openness” at the higher frequencies.

All these practical examples and a number of tests and scientific investigations made on the properties of copper and silver conductors lead us to the assumption that no conductor of a single metal structure is able to excel in all areas of audio and video reproduction. Challenged by these references and of course by our experiences and measurement results, we focused our efforts on the development of conductors with a hybrid metal-structure from copper, silver and gold. With the proper containment and the lowest possible level of impurities, our conductors will exploit and combine all the advantages of the metals they are made of, creating ideal signal paths for any type of connection.

The relatively lower resistance values at any given thickness and the flat response across the full frequency range, are the major advantages of our conductors that will assist electronic devices to reveal their original characteristics without adding any unwanted coloration.

Hybrid in geometry
There is a large number of home users, reviewers and professionals that show their preference towards cables made of solid wires, believing that this type of conductor is the ideal one for any kind of connection. Many others support that the optimum performance can only be achieved by cables using stranded wires while others insist on using cables based on Litz conductors, aiming to reduce losses caused by skin effect and proximity effect. Aiming to create the ideal signal paths for any type of connection, we invested on the development of conductors with hybrid geometry, which is based on both solid-core wires and stranded wires that are winded with specific patterns (depending on the application) and they are insulated according to the Litz configuration.

The unique geometry of our conductors in combination with their hybrid metal structure produces the optimum signal paths for any type of connection that practically will create this very desirable feeling of coherence, reproducing musical instruments with impressive accuracy and simulating the three dimensions of the stage with outstanding precision.

Based on the combination of Foil/Braid shields and of Foil/French BraidTM shields, we have designed specific shielding configurations for each type of cable that we produce, achieving the maximum protection from all kinds of emitted interferences. Additional protection against magnetically coupled interferences is also provided by the twisted pair structure of our conductors.

The appropriate number of twists per unit length and the accurate uniform continuation is helping our cables to achieve a very effective noise rejection. The efficiency of our shielding configurations and of our twisted pair structures can be proved by the impressively low transferred impedance values of our cables and of course by the accurate response across the audible frequency range, which is absolutely free of hiss and hum noises.

Conductors

Type: Hybrid
Cross Sectional Area: Varies
Metals: Copper, Silver & Gold
Purity: 99,999994% (refers to copper)