RCA subwoofer cable with solid silver-plated conductors and symmetrical coax geometry
Irish Red links the subwoofer output of the electronics to the RCA input of an active subwoofer. It is a single cable, suitable for the majority of subwoofers on the market, offered in cuts that reach 20 metres.
The design relies on a few clearly defined elements: solid silver-plated copper wire, two identical conductors for positive and negative, insulation rich in air and a shield that dissipates noise rather than sending all of it to ground.
Conductors and geometry
The conductors are solid copper with 0.5% silver plating. Having no strands removes the interaction between individual wires, a cause of distortion in multi-strand conductors. When used with a subwoofer, the silver plating supports the articulation and intelligibility of low frequencies while keeping manufacturing cost in check.
The Symmetrical Coax geometry uses matching conductors for the positive pole and the negative one. As a result the shield is not called on to act as an audio conductor, a role it would suit less well.
Insulation and noise reduction
The insulation is nitrogen-injected foamed polyethylene: the air bubbles inside the material reduce the energy taken up by the insulator and later released as distortion, limiting timing errors and blurring of the soundstage. The Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation shield attenuates RF and EMI disturbances ahead of the ground plane of the equipment.
Terminations and lengths
The RCA plugs are gold-plated and joined to the cable by cold welding, meaning pressure and no solder. Irish Red is on sale in lengths of 2 m, 3 m, 5 m, 8 m, 12 m, 16 m and 20 m.
Key features
- Conductors: solid copper with 0.5% silver plating
- Geometry: Symmetrical Coax with identical positive and negative
- Insulation: nitrogen-injected foamed polyethylene
- Shielding: Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation
- Terminations: cold-welded gold-plated RCA
