Product information "NF-204 Micro AIR | XLR"

Because the outputs on hi-fi devices only supply extremely weak signals and are sensitive to high cable capacitance, the capacitance of a cable plays a significant role when connecting components together. A “low-pass filter” can be created that cuts off high frequencies and also causes phase shifts. This is the reason why RCA and XLR audio cables are ideal companions for the air-based insulation used in the MICRO AIR technology. Another special feature of the NF-204 Micro AIR is its symmetrical architecture, which guarantees high immunity to EMC radiation. In addition to this, we have also developed a completely new and entirely solder-free RCA connector for the Micro AIR series. It consists of several component parts that are only joined together during course of the assembly process. The cable ends are prepared in our cable manufacturing unit, with meticulous care and a passionate attention to detail. They are then inserted into contact pins made of tellurium copper and pressure-grouted using a force of 1.5 tonnes. Alone or in combination with the LS-204/LS-204-XL, the NF-204 Micro AIR opens up the connection floodgates and allows your components to perform at their very best.

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Application: High-end audio cable
Cable diameter: 6.5 mm
Conductor design: Concentric copper
Conductor material: High-purity OFC copper
Conformity: CE, REACH, RoHS
Connector assembly: Soldering
Connector housing: Solid metal
Contact enhancement: Rhodium-coated
Contact material: Brass
Customized assembly: On request
Design: Symmetrical
Dielectric: Air chambers
Jacket: PE network jacket
Length: 0.75 m, 1 m, 1.5 m
Shielding: 2-fold (braid + foil)
Product group: Home HiFi
Product category: Analog interconnects
Quality: Referenz
Technology: Micro AIR Double mono
Connector: 2 x XLR (f) > 2 x XLR (m)
Made in Germany: Yes
Free trial listening: Yes
"We registered a clear improvement in comparison with no-name cables. Wherever did this airiness come from, and the fresh, deep-bass power? We clearly need to credit the cables with these wondrous changes. Once again, we found ourselves astonished by something many experts would banish to the homeopathic corner. But they would be wrong! Cables aren’t just interchangeable flimsy wires; they can completely transform a sound profile. A cable can calm down an abrasive system, and the right cable can bring new vitality to sleepy audio chains. In-Akustik once again proves to be a model manufacturer, this time at a very decent price." Audio | 05-2020
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"The new 204 series is technically sophisticated, free of any esoteric touches or perplexing show effects, and an example of perfect craftsmanship. If you’re looking round for a new or alternative cable that will satisfy your needs for years to come, look no further! Just give it try!” Fidelity | 04-2020
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  • 1 x stereo set Referenz NF-204 XLR Micro AIR
  • Quality certificate
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NF-204 Micro AIR | XLR
NF-104 Micro AIR | RCA
NF-1205 AIR | XLR
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Description

Because the outputs on hi-fi devices only supply extremely weak signals and are sensitive to high cable capacitance, the capacitance of a cable plays a significant role when connecting components together. A “low-pass filter” can be created that cuts off high frequencies and also causes phase shifts. This is the reason why RCA and XLR audio cables are ideal companions for the air-based insulation used in the MICRO AIR technology. Another special feature of the NF-204 Micro AIR is its symmetrical architecture, which guarantees high immunity to EMC radiation. In addition to this, we have also developed a completely new and entirely solder-free RCA connector for the Micro AIR series. It consists of several component parts that are only joined together during course of the assembly process. The cable ends are prepared in our cable manufacturing unit, with meticulous care and a passionate attention to detail. They are then inserted into contact pins made of tellurium copper and pressure-grouted using a force of 1.5 tonnes. Alone or in combination with the LS-204/LS-204-XL, the NF-204 Micro AIR opens up the connection floodgates and allows your components to perform at their very best.

Click here and discover the exciting details

Compared to the NF-204 Micro AIR, the NF-104 Micro AIR has a conventional, coaxial architecture. In addition to the Micro AIR technology, another special feature of the NF-104 is the newly developed RCA connector, which is completely solder-free. Omitting the solder significantly reduces transition resistance and element formation. As the name suggests, the NF-104 harmonizes particularly well with the LS-104 speaker cable. Both cables are the perfect way of entering the world of Micro AIR technology.

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Cable capacitance plays a decisive role, especially for audio cable connections between individual devices. As the signal sources are very weak and react sensitively to high cable capacitance, audio cables are virtually predestined for air insulation using air helix technology.

New XLR 180° plug: It is only possible to insert XLR connectors in one direction. This can be annoying as the position of the XLR sockets in devices varies. In order for the cable to fit, it must sometimes be twisted by force. This puts a strain on cables, plugs and device sockets and sometimes simply looks a mess. The newly developed XLR 180° plugs can each be rotated by +/- 45 degrees, i.e. +/- 90 degrees in total. The finishing touch for perfect cabling.

Click here and discover the exciting details

Price

€359.00*

€279.00*

€1,299.00*

Application
High-end audio cable
High-end audio cable
High-end audio cable
Cable diameter
6.5 mm
4.2 mm
13 mm
Conductor design
Concentric copper
Concentric copper
Cross Link Super Speed waveguide
Conductor material
High-purity OFC copper
High-purity OFC copper
High-purity OFC copper
Conformity
CE; REACH; RoHS
CE; REACH; RoHS
CE; REACH; RoHS
Connector assembly
Soldering
Pressure-grouted contacts (1.5 tonnes)
Soldering
Connector housing
Solid metal
Solid metal
Solid metal
Contact enhancement
Rhodium-coated
Rhodium-coated
Rhodium-coated
Contact material
Brass
Tellurium copper
Tellurium copper
Customized assembly
On request
On request
On request
Design
Symmetrical
Coaxial
Symmetrical
Dielectric
Air chambers
Air chambers
Air
Jacket
PE network jacket
PE network jacket
PE network jacket
Length
0.75 m; 1 m; 1.5 m
0.75 m; 1 m; 1.5 m
1 m; 1.5 m; 2 m
Shielding
2-fold (braid + foil)
2-fold (braid + foil)
Dense copper braid, tin-plated (oxidation protection)
Product group
Home HiFi
Home HiFi
Home HiFi
Product category
Analog interconnects
Analog interconnects
Analog interconnects
Quality
Referenz
Referenz
Referenz
Technology
Micro AIR; Double mono
Micro AIR; Double mono
AIR Helix Point-to-Point; Double mono
Connector
2 x XLR (f) > 2 x XLR (m)
2 x RCA > 2 x RCA
2 x XLR (f) > 2 x XLR (m)
Made in Germany
Yes
Yes
Yes
Free trial listening
Yes
-
Yes
Connector highlight
-
-
XLR 180 | +/- 45° rotatable

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Micro AIR technology

We are not able to switch off the laws of nature, so the best we can do is use them as ingeniously as possible. Due to the laws of nature, every cable exerts so-called parasitic effects. These include capacitance – the capacity to store energy like a battery and release it again with a time delay. This effect has a considerable impact on the transmission of audio signals and is therefore unwelcome. Capacitance is a physical property, and its value depends on a number of different factors, one of the most important of which is the insulation material used, also known as the “dielectric”. The dielectric material can considerably increase the capacitance of the cable. Because air doesn’t do this, it’s ideal for insulation purposes. One of the insulation elements in the Micro AIR technology is a complex, diamond-shaped structure. The tiny chambers created by this structure increase the distance between the conductors and raise the air content of the insulation. This method reduces troublesome capacitance effects and optimizes the cable’s transmission characteristics for the sensitive audio signals it needs to transport.

Concentric copper

Unlike the sometimes chaotic arrangement of individual wires in conventional conductor designs, concentric copper conductors are arranged in a precisely defined multi-layer pattern. This design reduces irregular contact points between the wires, which harmonizes the signal flow and minimizes runtime differences. Impulses can be reproduced with pinpoint accuracy and the spatial information of the music is retained. A thin layer of polyethylene protects the high-purity copper from oxygen and thus from oxidation.

Copper is the best electrical conductor after silver under normal conditions. Compared to cheap CCA (Copper Coated Aluminum) in particular, copper has a significantly better conductivity and is also mechanically more resilient. The conductors of the Micro AIR cables are made of high-purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper).

  • "The new 204 series is technically sophisticated, free of any esoteric touches or perplexing show effects, and an example of perfect craftsmanship."

    Roland Schmenner | Fidelity Magazine
  • "We registered a clear enhancement in comparison with no-name cables. Wherever did this airness come from, and the fresh, deep-base power? We clearly need to credit the cables with these wonderous changes."

    Andreas Günther | Audio 05-2022

Electrostatics and capacitance

It’s something we’re all familiar with: when you take off a sweater with a high synthetic content you hear a crackling sound. The reason for this is that the integrated plastic material stores electrical energy, and then discharges it again. The same thing happens in the dielectric material of a cable. It “absorbs” electrical energy like a sponge and then releases it again. In the case of an audio cable, however, this electrical energy is part of the audio signal.

This problematic storage capacity of a cable is referred to as its “capacitance”. While capacitors intended to store energy should have a correspondingly high capacitance, the capacitance of a cable should be as low as possible. If this is not the case, it can have a serious detrimental effect on the transmission characteristics and also lead to interactions with connected electronic devices. The ideal solution is therefore air insulation such as that implemented with the Micro AIR (and previous AIR technology), reducing the capacitance to an absolute minimum.


Cables should not make any sound

The Referenz AIR series cables have already caused something of a sensation in the world of high-end connections. And we have used the very same principles of physics to develop our Referenz Micro AIR series. As the name suggests, air as insulation also plays a key role with these high end connections due to the excellent dielectric properties.

Cables in general don’t make any sound; they have a filtering effect and interact with the devices. We believe audio connections should be as unobtrusive as possible and cause no sound coloration. These would perhaps be astonishing to hear the first time, but they actually distort the original, and eventually are annoying. The trick is to adapt the physical filter effect through the architecture and choice of materials so that losses and interactions are reduced to a minimum. This was our goal when developing the Referenz Micro Air series – and we believe we have achieved our goal once again.

Made in Germany

Just like the AIR Helix cables, the Referenz high-end cables with Micro AIR technology are also manufactured in our own factory in Germany. Along with the complex, manual assembly of the cables, this of course also includes the corresponding quality control. Every cable is put through its paces after production. Both functional tests and mechanical tests are carried out. And of course we also check the live performance as part of product development – for maximum precision and low-loss signal transmission.

The cable manufacturing unit

The beating heart of in-akustik is our manufactory. This is where our success story is rooted – permeated by a congenial working atmosphere, a love of music and a passion for detail. At in-akustik, we believe musical enjoyment stems from a listening experience that remains as close as possible to the original recording and the artist’s interpretation of the piece. That’s why we boast a committed workforce that combines curiosity with a keen sense of precision. With a fascination for music and things that are really special – like the development of our complex AIR cables.

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LS-404 Micro AIR
Referenz Micro AIR Quality: Referenz Air dielectric
Connection type: SW | Length: 3 m | Connector: Banana
The LS-404 Micro AIR is a further installment in the success story of the Micro AIR technology: As with the already legendary AIR Helix cables, air is also a central component of the insulation concept in the Referenz Micro AIR technology. Due to the low speaker impedances, however, low line resistances and a low inductance are also very important for speaker cables. For this reason, the Referenz LS-404 Micro AIR uses a total of 8 concentric copper conductors in addition to the air dielectric. Thanks to this multicore architecture, the magnetic fields of the positive and negative conductors overlap and neutralize each other. This significantly reduces the inductance of the cable, which guarantees unaltered transmission of the audio signal over a broad frequency spectrum. Due to our approach, the LS-404 has an extremely balanced sound character with precise timing, on top of a solidly controlled foundation. This cable is primarily designed for full-size floorstanding loudspeakers. The impression sound makes on the listener is always subjective, of course, and depends in no small part on the overall constellation of a hi-fi system. In the end, the decisive factor is your own personal listening impression. Click here and discover the exciting details

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LS-204 XL Micro AIR
Referenz Micro Air Quality: Referenz Air dielectric
Connection type: SW | Length: 3 m | Connector: Banana
The new Referenz Micro AIR series is a further installment in the success story of the Micro AIR technology: As with the already legendary AIR Helix cables, air is also a central component of the insulation concept in the new Referenz Micro AIR technology. Due to the low speaker impedances, however, low line resistances and a low inductance are also very important for speaker cables. For this reason, the Referenz LS-204 XL Micro AIR uses a total of 6 concentric copper conductors in addition to the air dielectric. Thanks to this multicore architecture, the magnetic fields of the positive and negative conductors overlap and neutralize each other. This significantly reduces the inductance of the cable, which guarantees unaltered transmission of the audio signal over a broad frequency spectrum. Due to our approach, the LS-204 XL has a balanced sound character with precise timing, on top of a solidly controlled foundation. This cable is primarily designed for full-size floorstanding speakers. Sound, of course, is always subjective and depends not least on the overall constellation of a hi-fi system. In the end, the decisive factor is your own personal listening impression. Click here and discover the exciting details

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Phono-202 | SME 90° - RCA
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Length: 1.5 m
Precisely because audio signals are so sensitive, we have equipped our Referenz NF-202 phono cable with some extremely effective technologies: Optimum DUO-PE II insulation, air-filled PE tubes, an innovative GAP connector and, above all, extremely fine, solid conductors made of high-purity OFC copper guarantee uniform runtimes and crystal-clear signal transmission. The ground and signal conductors are the same size and arranged symmetrically. The PE network jacket prevents micro-vibrations.

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The mains cables (power cables) play a really special role within the hi-fi system. They need to manage the impulsive power consumption caused by dynamic music passages on integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers or active loudspeakers. In addition, the extreme current peaks, amplified in the devices during conversion from AC to DC voltage, must be passed to the individual hi-fi units without delay or loss. Any "inhibited" current flow leads to high power losses at line and contact resistances, and has a negative effect on the sound of the hi-fi system. For this reason, the AC-1502 was developed with very low transition resistances. In addition, high-density shielding protects the neighboring components from strong magnetic fields and interference caused by the rapidly changing current increases and decreases in the power cable. The result is a hi-fi mains connection cable with an outstanding price/performance ratio that raises your system to a higher sound level in terms of dynamics and reproduction of detail. However much we focus on high-end sound, safety plays a particularly important role in this cable category. For this reason, every AC-1502 mains cable undergoes exhaustive tests. In addition to the functional testing, each cable is subject to an insulation and high-voltage test. The results are documented, and each power cable is given an individual serial number.

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