Highly Evolved RCA 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 Pangea Audio Premier SE Signature Edition interconnect cables, 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 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.
Premium Prime 750 RCA
Jay Victor spent countless hours experimenting with RCA connectors and visiting factories in the Far East where connectors are made. "Most factories don't understand the requirements for high-end audio," observes Jay. "They think that gold-plating makes a connector 'audiophile quality.'" Eventually Jay found a factory that not only understood exotic materials, but also knew how to employ these materials to create the best connectors in Asia. "These guys get it," enthuses Jay. "They are a step ahead of everyone else. The Prime 750 RCA is a testament to their amazing expertise."
The Prime 750 RCA features a special ultra-low mass design that takes best advantage of the fine properties of exotic metals, while avoiding technical problems like eddy currents that are caused by using higher mass metal contacts.
Prime 750 has an ultra-low-mass, hollow, direct-gold plated Tellurium Copper center pin and ultra-low-mass direct-gold plated beryllium copper spring-type ground contacts. Instead of a heavier metal ring, Prime 750 uses an advanced polymer insulator to hold the connector together – further reducing the amount of metal required in the connector. The outer shell or cover is made from non-magnetic brass treated with a tough-as-nails scratch-and-chip-resistant black chrome plating.
Adding it up, Premier SE audio interconnects feature more advanced technology than other cables priced up to $500 a pair.
