AudioQuest ThunderBird XLR to XLR Interconnect Cable

ThunderBird XLR > XLR

Analogue Audio Interconnect Cable

If not for its Mythical siblings — FireBird and Dragon — ThunderBird might be the best analogue-interconnect cable the world has ever heard.

Among other tried-and-true AudioQuest materials and design techniques, ThunderBird features solid directionally controlled conductors of our finest copper — Perfect Surface Copper+ (PSC+) — Copper-Plated RF-Draining Barrels, and our Level-6 Noise-Dissipation System.

All Mythical Creature interconnects are available with custom-made RCA and XLR terminations.

Key Features & Technology Explained

Solid Conductors

Solid conductors prevent strand-interaction, a major source of dynamic distortion in cables.

Perfect-Surface Copper+ Metal

AudioQuest's best copper. To the greatest extent presently possible, extreme-purity Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors minimise distortion caused by grain boundaries.

Graphene Based Noise Dissipation

Alternating layers of graphene, carbon-loaded synthetics, and metal "shield the shield," minimising RF noise before it reaches the layer attached to ground.

ZERO Technology

ZERO-Tech eliminates the electrostatic field between the cable’s high and low signal conductors, enabling linear Radio Frequency (RF) Noise-Dissipation, and uncompressed transients.

72v DBS Technology

72v Dielectric-Bias System (DBS) saturates and polarises insulation, allowing clear, dynamic sound against a quiet “black” background.

FEP Air-Tubes Insulation

Almost no contact between conductors and insulation reduces smearing and preserves dynamics.

Direction Controlled

All conductors controlled for RF-noise directionality.

Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors

Solid conductors prevent electrical and magnetic strand-interaction. PSC+ Solid-Copper minimises distortion caused by grain boundaries and maximises 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 minimising 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.

72v Dielectric-Bias System (DBS)

Insulation is also a dielectric that can act like a shunt-filter. Biasing minimises dielectric-noise and linearises the filter, significantly improving wide-bandwidth dissipation of induced RF noise.

FEP Air-Tube Insulation

Positive conductors benefit from almost no contact between metal and its FEP insulation, which is notable for its superior dielectric constant and minimal signal interference. Negative conductors benefit from intentionally “lossy insulation” — no air and no FEP helps maximise the negative connection’s different job.

6% Silver-Plated RF Drain-Wires

Direction-Controlled Silver-Plated RF Drain-Wires further ensure the proper and efficient dissipation of induced radio-frequency noise for clearer, more natural sound.

Copper-Plated RF-Draining Barrels

Grounded Copper-Plated Barrels maximise 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.