Audioquest Yukon XLR 0.5m

Audioquest Yukon XLR, a balanced interconnect cable

Connecting an analog source to an amplifier via a balanced connection requires a cable that preserves the signal without adding noise or coloration. The Yukon sits at the top of the Rivers series from Audioquest, just above the Mackenzie, whose foundations it adopts while adding air-tube insulation. Solid copper conductors, carbon shielding, and solder-free connectors define this interconnect cable, perfectly suited to carefully assembled hi-fi and home theater systems.

The top of the Rivers series

Audioquest names its cables after waterways, and the Yukon tops the Rivers series. Compared with the Mackenzie, which serves as its foundation, the improvement comes down to one specific point: polyethylene air-tube insulation replaces the solid material used in the models below it. The rest of the formula remains the same, with PSC+ conductors, three-layer carbon shielding, and three-conductor balanced geometry. The Yukon therefore takes what made the Mackenzie successful and adds a more transparent dielectric.

Solid perfect-surface copper

The signal travels through solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductors, which Audioquest refers to with the acronym PSC+. A single solid conductor, instead of a bundle of fine strands, eliminates the electrical and magnetic interactions between strands, one of the sources of harshness and blur in an ordinary cable. The copper surface receives a treatment that keeps it smooth and pure along its entire length, which limits distortion linked to the grain boundaries of the metal. The conductors are installed in a defined direction of flow, marked on the jacket, to drain high-frequency noise toward the point where it causes the least disturbance.

Triple-balanced geometry

The so-called Triple-Balanced design distributes the signal across three conductors, one of which is dedicated to ground. The shielding therefore never serves as the signal return path, a role it performs poorly in many cables. The positive and negative paths follow routes of identical quality, with the same very low distortion. The left and right channels travel in two separate jackets, which gives some flexibility when routing the connections behind a cabinet or rack.

Polyethylene air-tube insulation

Around each conductor, the insulation is not a solid material but a tube in which the wire is surrounded mostly by air. Air absorbs almost no energy, and the polyethylene forming the tube itself has low loss. This air-tube insulation reduces the blur effect caused by denser dielectrics, which store and then release part of the signal energy in the form of distortion. This is the point that sets the Yukon apart from the Rivers cables positioned below it.

Carbon shielding against interference

Three layers of carbon and carbon-loaded synthetics form the noise dissipation system, which Audioquest calls the Noise-Dissipation System. Their role is to absorb and redirect radio-frequency interference before it reaches the electronics’ ground, where it would translate into a veil over the sound. The coverage extends over the entire cable. Combined with the defined direction of flow imposed on the conductors, this shielding keeps RF interference and the electromagnetic fields surrounding any audio system at bay.

Solder-free crimped connectors

The XLR connectors are not soldered to the conductors. Audioquest cold-crimps them, creating a joint with no solder point, solder being one of the sources of distortion in a cable. The silver-plated contacts are mounted on high-purity purple copper barrels rather than the usual nickel-plated metals. The whole assembly ensures stable long-term contact and good mechanical strength of the connector.

Where to place this cable in a system

The XLR format assumes two devices equipped with balanced inputs and outputs. The Yukon can then connect an analog source (DAC, network player with built-in converter, CD player, or turntable routed through a phono preamp) to an amplifier or active speakers. The benefit of a balanced connection is most noticeable with devices whose internal electronics are themselves balanced, and over long cable runs, where common-mode rejection protects the signal against noise picked up along the way. In a modest system or over a very short connection, the difference compared with a good unbalanced cable becomes smaller.

Technical specifications

Cable type

• Balanced analog audio interconnect cable
• Connectivity: male XLR to female XLR
• Designed for high-end Hi-Fi and Home Theater systems

Conductors and materials

• Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors
• Pure purple copper contacts with silver plating
• Direction-controlled conductors for optimized signal transmission

Insulation and dielectric

• Low-distortion polyethylene air-tube insulation
• Reduced loss and preservation of audio signal integrity

Design and shielding

• Three-conductor Triple-Balanced architecture with dedicated ground conductor
• Carbon Mesh Noise-Dissipation System (NDS) shielding
• Triple-layer carbon noise-reduction system against external interference

Connectivity and manufacturing

• Cold-crimped XLR connectors with silver plating
• Cold-welded terminations for a reliable and durable connection

Key features

• High-fidelity balanced transmission
• Advanced reduction of RF and EMI interference
• Extremely low distortion
• More natural, detailed, and transparent sound reproduction
• Excellent dynamics and timbral accuracy
• High-end construction designed for a long service life

Listening benefits

• More open and better-defined soundstage
• Better instrument separation
• Greater respect for musical nuances and micro-details
• More precise bass and more natural mids
• Audio signal preserved from the source to the electronics

Recommended applications

• High-resolution Hi-Fi systems
• Premium Home Theater installations
• Preamplifiers, amplifiers, and audio sources equipped with XLR connections
• Demanding audio systems seeking neutrality and precision