Pangea Audio True Balanced™ Premier SE Cable XLR to XLR with Cardas Copper

Highly Evolved XLR Cable with Cardas Grade One Copper and Premium PE Air Tube Dielectric

If your audio interconnects are more than five years old, you owe it to yourself to try a pair of True Balanced™ Premier SE Signature Edition Interconnect Cables from Pangea Audio, designed by legendary cable expert Jay Victor. In recent years, the technology of cable design and construction has advanced by leaps and bounds. New materials have made it possible to construct cables with less noise interference from outside sources – like Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) – as well as interference from the other audio channels, and it's possible to do this at surprisingly affordable prices.

Pangea's Premier SE interconnect takes full advantage of the latest materials in a highly evolved cable design. Premier SE provides a nice step up in quality from the already excellent standard Premier interconnect. All of the SE's audio conductors are made from premium Cardas Grade One Copper, which many experts consider to be the best copper on the planet. The raw material for George Cardas’ copper is mined in the USA, then shipped to a New England plant where it is s-l-o-w-l-y drawn in a pure Argon-gas-filled chamber into high purity long crystal copper strands.

Premium PE Air Tube Insulation

Both the signal and the return Cardas Grade One Copper conductors are insulated with PE air tubes, which, until very recently, were previously found only on much more expensive audio cables. This manufacturing technology has improved, and Pangea is now able to use these advanced insulators in Premier SE cables while keeping the price tag affordable.

The PE air tube manufacture is far more difficult than standard PE insulation. The cable must be processed more slowly to prevent the air tube from collapsing during this process – which is why this type of insulator is otherwise only used on the most expensive audio cables on the market – cables typically priced above $300. This type of insulator is far superior to other types because air is the ideal insulator.

Superior Triple-Layer Shielding

Premier SE cables feature three layers of shielding from RFI and EMI noise. These include a silver-plated copper braided shield, an aluminum/mylar foil shield, and finally a carbon-filled PE shield. This last item, the carbon-filled PE shield, is a recent innovation and provides another layer of shielding for an even quieter cable without compromising cable flexibility.

While more is not always better, triple-layer shielding is far superior to dual-layer shielding, because the middle layer provides the ideal pathway to drain unwanted radio frequency (RF) and electromagnetic (EM) noise – thus maintaining the purity of the audio signal.

Tough Yet Flexible Thermoplastic Outer Jacket

The outer jacket of Premier SE is made of an advanced thermoplastic (TP) rubber instead of the usual PVC cover. The thermoplastic jacket cover is rarely used in audio applications, but is preferred by Pangea designer Jay Victor. TP rubber is very tough, providing superb protection, but at the same time it is soft and pliable, allowing maximum cable flexibility.

Pangea Audio XLR 500 Connectors

"The most impressive external feature of the balanced version of Premier SE is its pair of XLR connectors," observes Jay. "It took me months of searching to find these beauties. I rejected dozens of prototypes. For a time, I was worried I wouldn't be able to find connectors that were technically superior and not cost a fortune. Finally, one of my sources sent me a set that knocked me out. They feature gold-plated solid pins, machined metal covers, advanced polymer insulators, and a high-quality locking mechanism. I had them plated in black chrome because it resists chipping and scratching – and, besides, I just love that finish."

True Balanced™ Premier SE Analog Interconnect by Pangea Audio

• True Balanced design
• All audio conductors are made from premium Cardas Grade One Copper
• Premium PE air tube insulation
• Triple-layer shielding from EMI and RFI noise (a silver-plated copper braided shield, an aluminum/mylar foil shield, and a carbon-filled PE shield)
• Advanced thermoplastic rubber jacket is tough, yet very flexible
• Prime 500 XLR Termination (see below)

• Premium black chrome plated Prime 500 XLRs with advanced polymer insulation
• Gold-plated one-piece solid connector pins
• Spring-type locking XLR mechanism
• Extremely durable baked-on chromium finish
• Hand-soldered XLR-to-XLR cable termination

"We agreed with Pangea’s statement that they are built similar to, and sound comparably to, cables costing almost double, and found that the cables and connectors for both the XLR and RCA are beautifully made with a high level of fit and finish. They were absolutely silent, not even a hint of noise. "

"So, did the new cables make a difference though the Jade II headphones? In a word, yes. The sound was more open, with a wider soundstage, and quicker transients. There was no noise, but it seemed (and it might have been our imagination) that the XLRs were a bit quieter then the RCAs. But they were both so quiet, it was like being in an anechoic chamber, where you start to imagine and invent noises."

"The [Pangea] XLRs also contributed to a discernable difference in the high end. The treble was a bit more pronounced, and because one of the advantages of balanced XLR cables is their ability to have a long cable run without loss, which allows the system to be located away from your computer or source, maybe on a night table near your bed."

- Harris Fogel, with Nancy Burlan, maceditionradio.com, November 19, 2019