Kimber Kable Select KS 1116 Interconnect Cable - XLR to XLR

KS 1116 Is Where Kimber Select Starts

Kimber Kable's Select KS 1116 is the balanced interconnect that opens Kimber's Select Series, the range Kimber calls its finest work. It is an all-copper cable. Kimber says its goal with the design was to find the limits of what copper alone can do. Like every Kimber cable, it is built by hand in Ogden, Utah.

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

Hyper-Pure Copper in a Constrained-Matrix Braid

Kimber uses what it calls hyper-pure, molecularly optimized copper for the conductors. It weaves them in a geometry it names the constrained matrix orthogonal braid. That is a step past the tri-braid and quadratic braid of Kimber's Classic and Ascent cables. Six solid-core conductors do the work, each with a 2:1 rectangular profile, which Kimber says extends the top end while keeping the warmth and ease copper is known for. They are woven at right angles around a central core compound Kimber calls X-38R, which holds the weave in place and damps micro-vibration. Each conductor is insulated with V-fluorocarbon dielectric, and an ESD yarn deals with static.

Silence Is the Point

Kimber says silence is the most powerful feature of this cable. The geometry and the dielectrics are chosen to push background noise down, and Kimber's argument is simple: a lower noise floor leaves more dynamic detail audible. With nothing competing for your ear, Kimber says, the full range of the recording arrives the way it would occur in the room.

The same team has built Kimber Select by hand for more than ten years. Kimber says the Select Series represents its finest work, and the KS 1116 is the copper version of a family that also comes in a copper-and-silver hybrid, the KS 1126, and an all-silver KS 1136.

The XLR Plug at the End

Kimber ends the KS 1116 in what it calls studio-grade XLR connectors with silver-plated contacts. The plug latches into the jack, so it cannot be pulled loose by accident, and the silver plating keeps the contact clean.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Robert H. Levi, reviewing the KS 1016 and KS 1116 together for Positive Feedback in Issue 51, September/October 2010, wrote that "integration of frequencies from top to bottom are near perfect."

He called them "truly lovable wires" that "never stress your ears," and closed with the pair "most highly recommended." The review predates Kimber's current Select production, so treat it as a description of the design rather than of today's cable.

Who Is This Interconnect Best For?

• You want an all-copper cable taken as far as it goes — Kimber built the KS 1116 to find the limits of copper, so you get the Select Series without paying for silver
• Your system is quiet and you want to hear that — Kimber designed the geometry and dielectrics to lower the noise floor, so low-level detail is not buried
• Your sources sit near power supplies — the orthogonal braid rejects induced noise along its length, so the shelf stays out of the music
• You want a plug that locks — the silver-plated XLR latches into the jack and its silver-plated pins resist tarnish, so the connection stays put

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the KS 1116 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.

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.

• Preamplifiers — source to preamp, preamp to amp
• Stereo Amplifiers — the power amp end of a separates system
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — DAC output to preamp
• Speaker Cables — the last link to the speakers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the constrained matrix orthogonal braid?

Kimber's name for the KS 1116 geometry. Six solid-core copper conductors, each with a 2:1 rectangular profile, woven at right angles around Kimber's X-38R core. It says the braid and the dielectrics are what push the noise floor down.

What XLR connector does Kimber use on the KS 1116?

Kimber calls it a studio-grade XLR type connector with silver-plated contacts. Kimber does not name the maker on this cable.

Is the KS 1116 shielded?

Kimber does not list a shield. It credits the geometry and dielectrics, not a shield, with the cable's low noise floor.

How does the KS 1116 differ from the KS 1126 and KS 1136?

All three share the Select build. The KS 1116 is copper, the KS 1126 is a copper and silver hybrid, and the KS 1136 is all silver.

How long does break-in take?

Kimber publishes no break-in guidance. Robert H. Levi of Positive Feedback found the KS 1016 and 1116 needed 100 hours of run-in in his 2010 review.

Is there a step up from the KS 1116?

Kimber Hero AG XLR is the next rung by price in the Kimber XLR range we carry. It moves to four conductors of hyper-pure silver in Kimber's GyroQuadratic braid.

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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