in-akustik Extends Micro AIR Across Signal and Power

The German cable manufacturer has introduced the NF-404 Micro AIR analogue interconnect and AC-404 Micro AIR mains cable, joining the existing LS-404 Micro AIR loudspeaker cable to create a three-model 404 family covering signal, speaker and power connections.

Rather than approaching the new cables as products with a deliberately tuned sonic character, in-akustik says its objective is to minimise the electrical properties that can influence signal transmission in the first place.

Central to that approach is the company’s Micro AIR Technology, which uses an internal network structure containing numerous air-filled cells around the conductors. The actual principle is fairly straightforward, being that air makes an effective dielectric, so increasing the proportion of air within the insulation can reduce cable capacitance compared with a conventional solid dielectric.

in-akustik argues that lowering these parasitic electrical effects helps reduce interaction between the cable and connected equipment, although the practical sonic significance will naturally depend on the system and application.

The new NF-404 Micro AIR is designed for low-level analogue connections between source components, preamplifiers and amplifiers, and combines the Micro AIR construction with what the company calls its Guided Copper architecture.

Rather than allowing the individual oxygen-free copper conductors to sit against one another randomly, PE elements hold them in a defined geometry. in-akustik says this reduces unwanted interactions within the conductor structure while maintaining a consistent signal path.

The NF-404 also uses a fully symmetrical construction together with dual shielding to help protect low-level signals from electromagnetic interference generated by equipment such as switching power supplies, wireless networks and other electronics increasingly found around modern hi-fi systems.

Both RCA and balanced XLR versions are offered, with cable lengths of 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 metres. The AC-404 Micro AIR applies a similar philosophy to AC power delivery. Here, in-akustik has developed a six-core Multicore architecture intended to provide a low-impedance connection between components across a broad frequency range.

The company says the arrangement is designed to reduce unwanted balancing currents between connected equipment, while the Micro AIR dielectric aims to minimise capacitive effects. Dual shielding is also employed to limit the high-frequency electromagnetic fields radiated by the mains cable from reaching nearby interconnects and other sensitive signal paths.

Importantly, in-akustik is positioning the AC-404 less as a power-conditioning device than as an attempt to make the cable itself contribute as little additional electrical interaction as possible. Versions are available with Schuko or NEMA mains plugs and C15 or C19 equipment connectors, covering 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0-metre lengths.

Both newcomers continue in-akustik’s emphasis on German production. The Reference Micro AIR cables are assembled at the company’s own facility in Ballrechten-Dottingen, with each cable electrically tested and mechanically inspected before leaving the factory. Custom lengths can also be ordered.

The NF-404 Micro AIR is priced from €625, while the AC-404 Micro AIR starts at €749. With the existing LS-404 completing the trio, in-akustik can now offer the same Micro AIR design philosophy from source component to amplifier, loudspeaker and mains supply. Additional regional pricing will be updated shortly as it comes to hand. 

For more information visit in-akustik