Kimber Kable Hero AG Interconnect Cable - XLR to XLR

Hero AG Is Kimber's All-Silver Four-Wire Braid

Kimber Kable's Hero AG is a four-wire Kimber braid made from silver alone. Kimber uses hyper-pure silver for all four conductors and places the cable in its Classic Series. It is the top of the Kimber XLR range we carry. Like every Kimber cable, it is braided and terminated by hand in Ogden, Utah.

Other length & termination options are available. Call us to discuss your needs.

Four Silver Conductors in a GyroQuadratic Braid

Kimber names the geometry GyroQuadratic. Four VariStrand conductors of hyper-pure silver weave around one another. Kimber says the weave rejects noise without a shield. Each conductor is a bundle of strands in more than one gauge.

Dual Fluorocarbon Insulation and Hand-Soldered Ends

Kimber uses what it calls dual fluorocarbon insulating technology, two layers of fluorocarbon over each conductor. It publishes the result: 52.8 pF of capacitance, 0.499 µH of inductance and 0.042 ohms of resistance per meter. Kimber publishes those figures for the single-ended cable. The plugs are soldered on by hand under nitrogen.

Kimber has braided cable in Ogden, Utah, since 1979, and every Hero AG is woven there. The nitrogen used at the soldering bench keeps air away from the hot joint, so the solder stays bright and the connection stays clean. No publication has reviewed Hero AG, so we describe only what Kimber states.

The Switchcraft XLR Plug, Explained

Hero AG ends in the plug Kimber fits to its balanced cables: a studio-grade Switchcraft XLR with silver-plated contact pins. Kimber solders it on by hand under nitrogen in Ogden, Utah. The plug latches into the jack and will not pull loose by accident. The silver plating keeps the contact clean.

Who Is This Interconnect Best For?

• You want the top of the Kimber XLR range we sell — Hero AG is all silver in Kimber's four-wire braid, so there is no next step to wonder about
• Your sources sit near power supplies — the GyroQuadratic braid cancels induced noise along its length, so the shelf stays out of the music
• You want a hand-built cable — Kimber braids and solders each Hero AG by hand in Utah, under nitrogen, so every joint is clean
• You want a plug that locks — the Switchcraft XLR latches into the jack and its silver-plated pins resist tarnish, so the connection stays put
• Your components have only RCA jacks — the Hero AG XLR is balanced at both ends and will not fit an RCA jack. Choose the Kimber Hero AG RCA instead, or call us and we will match the connector

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the Hero AG from a balanced XLR output on your DAC, streamer, CD player or phono stage to a balanced XLR input on your preamp or amplifier. Keep left to left and right to right. Line up the pins and push until the latch clicks. Press the latch tab to release the plug.

Then listen.

Measure the Path, Then Add a Little Slack

Measure the route the cable will really take between your components, around shelves and behind the rack. Then add a little slack. As audio legend George Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough." Keep the left and right cables the same length. We recommend a matched pair.

XLR on Both Ends, or Not at All

Balanced XLR works when both components have XLR jacks, and we recommend using XLRs whenever they do. If one component has only RCA jacks, use an RCA cable instead of an adapter. You only get the possible benefits of a balanced output with a pure XLR-to-XLR connection.

A Long Run Between Components?

If your amplifier and speakers sit far from your source, we recommend a long interconnect over a long speaker cable. A really long interconnect affects system performance less than a really long speaker cable.

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

An interconnect often stays in a system for years, so it is easy to overlook. Look again when something else changes: a new DAC, streamer or phono stage, a better amplifier, or a move to components with balanced XLR jacks.

Pairs Well With

An interconnect is one link in the chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Integrated Amplifiers — the usual input end
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — DAC output to amplifier
• Phono Preamplifiers — phono stage to line input
• Speaker Cables — the last link to the speakers

Frequently Asked Questions

What XLR connector does Kimber use?

A studio-grade Switchcraft XLR with silver-plated contact pins. Kimber names it on its balanced Tonik, PBJ, Silver Streak, Hero HB and Hero AG. Kimber solders it on by hand under nitrogen.

What does VariStrand mean?

Each conductor is made of strands in more than one gauge. Kimber uses this stranding in every interconnect it makes and says the mix of gauges spreads the signal across the bundle.

Is Hero AG shielded?

There is no separate shield. Kimber relies on the GyroQuadratic braid to reject noise, which is why the cable has no outer jacket.

What is GyroQuadratic geometry?

Kimber's name for the way the four wires of Hero AG weave around one another. Kimber pairs it with VariStrand conductors and two layers of fluorocarbon.

Does an all-silver cable sound bright?

Kimber makes no claim about tone for Hero AG. The braid and the insulation are the same as its copper and silver siblings. Only the metal changes. Try it at home under our 60-day guarantee.

Is there a step up from the Hero AG?

Not in the Kimber XLR range we carry. Hero AG is the top of that ladder. If you want to go further, call us and we will talk through the whole system.

Need a Different Length or Connector?

The most popular configurations are shown on this page. If your system requires a different length or termination, call our audio experts. We’ll help you choose the right configuration and arrange a custom cable for your system.

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