The big challenge
The big challenge for power cables are extreme current peaks. They are caused by the connected devices themselves by the conversion from AC to DC, because the capacitors of their power supply units can only be charged when the
voltage applied is higher than that in the capacitors themselves - and that is only a short moment at the voltage peak of the alternating mains voltage. What remains are current peaks up to needle-shaped pulses with a multiple of the
rated current of the devices. Because the capacitors discharge again until the next peak, this process is repeated 100 times per second at 50 Hz or 120 times per second at 60 Hz mains frequency. These extreme current peaks cause a whole series of undesirable effects. On the one hand, they cause considerable voltage and thus power losses at line and transition resistances. On the other hand, they cause strong magnetic fields which, due to their steeply rising edges, lead to significant skin effects even at the relatively low mains frequency. These reduce the effectively usable conductor cross section. Furthermore, the magnetic field peaks disturb all other devices in their neighborhood like small pinpricks. Particularly during demanding and dynamic passages in music, the power supply and thus the power cord is subject to high demands.
The Multicore Design
The Reference AC-4004 AIR power cable is specially designed for connecting high-end audio systems and is based on in-akustik's legendary Air Technology. It has many sophisticated construction details that counteract the effects just described. This includes the multi-core structure by which the resulting magnetic fields overlap and compensate each other.
The division into several smaller, separate conductors also reduces the skin effect. In this way, the entire conductor cross-section remains usable. In addition, the cable is shielded by a dense meshwork of tinned copper wires. This protects the adjoining audio components from remaining interference fields.
Safety first
For all its love of audiophile sound, safety plays a special role in this cable category. That‘s why every Reference AIR
power cord is tested and inspected extremely carefully. In addition to an intensive functional test, each cable is also
subjected to an insulation and high-voltage test. The results are registered, and each cable is given an individual
serial number.
The AIR Helix Design
The AIR Helix construction is absolutely unique. In order to come as close as possible to perfect air isolation, in-akustik has developed special clips. Inside the cable, a large number of these clips form the supporting framework, which keeps the signal conductors helically free in the air and guides them through the cable at a defined distance.
Handmade in Germany
Like all loudspeaker and audio cables of the reference series, the Reference AC-4004 AIR is completely manufactured in Germany. The clips are assembled and the conductors are threaded by hand with great care in the in-house factory. The resulting AIR Helix is then also manually fitted with the PE network jacket before the high-quality plugs are fitted and the cable is checked for proper function.
