Braided cables are an effective solution for a noise free audio system.
Our Ref4, Ref3 and Litz braided cables provide an aesthetically pleasing and physically effective means to mitigate noise in high end audio systems.
Braided technology is at the heart of all of Maze Audio’s top of the line Litz, Ref3 and Ref4 audio cables. Braided cables provide neutral noise reduction that is not possible with any other production method.
Braided cables bring a level of performance that conventional cables can not provide when it comes to noise reduction and detail retention.
"Inductance rejection" is the ability of any cable to shed or deflect electrical noise from the environment in which the cable operates. The rear of every component in every audio system is congested with electrical noise. This congestion increases with every component you add to your audio rack. The more complex your audio system, the more electrical noise is present. Also every electrical component you have in your house, no matter how far from your beloved sound system, adds to the noise via your audio component's electrical supply. Your expensive audio components pick up this noise at every wall socket in your home.
As audiophiles we have all heard that we should keep AC power cables and signal cables (interconnects and speaker cables) separate from each other. When this is not possible, we are told to run power cables at a right angle to signal cables when they must come into contact or cross each other, since wires with AC power or audio-frequency current can magnetically induce noise in another wire placed alongside.
Maze Audio Ref4 Speaker cable with jacketing upgrade.
These are intuitive and intelligent steps to take when you are building your system. But what is possible within the cable design? How can you produce each cable to help mitigate noise?
In the past component and cable manufacturers simply ignored this question. Or, they took half-hearted, inexpensive attempts at mitigating it. Common solutions offered are twisted pair and sometimes four conductor cables, commonly called Star Quad, which are simply two twisted pairs in a common cable housing. While these “solutions” offered some improvement to a standard parallel conductor cable’s ability to shed noise, braided cables vastly improve noise rejection and emission. Braided cables are not new, and Maze Audio didn't invent them. We are not sure who did, but most likely it was an enthusiast just like you or us. Maze Audio has been using and building braided conductor cables for almost three decades. This technology is not commonly seen in our hobby simply because it takes a lot of labor to produce. For mass market cable manufacturers, braided cable is very expensive to produce and to finish. But we can do it for you because we do it for ourselves. Ultimately we are enthusiasts just like you. We use these cables in every link of our audio chain.
Conductors in a tight braid virtually eliminate emitted and conducted EMI - electromagnetic interference - and RFI - radio frequency interference.
Our Litz wire, Ref3, and Ref4 braided cables reject the emission and absorption of noise interference in two ways:
Maze Audio Ref4 SE Power Cord with jacketing upgrade.
First, a braided cable creates less noise for other cables to pick up. With its intricate braid, the cable has an ability to prevent electrical and magnetic fields from propagating.
Second, when a braided cable is near the electrical field of another cable, it will substantially reject RF and EMI noise much more successfully than a conventional cord. Magnetic and electrical fields that are strong enough to induce noise into another cable will have a more difficult time doing so when both negative and positive -- and in the case of a power cord, ground conductors -- are present in a tight space and crossing each other orthogonally.
Simply put, the more braided cables you have in your system, the less electrical noise will be produced and subsequently induced to other cables. Braided cables are also much less likely to absorb radiated noise from other cables and electrical equipment. This reduces signal smear and tightens the fidelity of your overall audio system.
Maze Audio braided Litz wire speaker cable.
As a pleasant byproduct of this construction, braided cables are some of the most flexible cables available. Because the individual conductors have the ability to slide against each other, these cables are many times for flexible than cables with the same effective wire gauge/cross-sectional area and built from conventional wires bonded together in a common cable. Maze Audio Litz wire, Ref3, and Ref4 braided cables are easy to use in your system. They connect like any other cable. They will bend easily. They will go where other cables will not. Try them for yourself. We are confident that braided cables from Maze Audio will help you build the quietest possible sound system.
Maze Audio Litz braided Headphone/Aux cable.
Maze Audio Ref4 braided speaker cable with jacket upgrade.