Tributaries - 8AB - Series 8 Balanced XLR Audio Cable (Pair) Series 8 balanced audio cables begin with extremely high grade linear crystal copper (LC-OFC) developed specifically for audio applications. Tributaries LC-OFC is carefully drawn to produce a low crystal volume per foot resulting in less signal loss and distortion. Conductors consist of multiple solid gauges that are mathematically and tonally chosen to support low, mid and high frequencies for a natural sounding cable. Individually insulating each conductor yields zero strand interaction and better sound quality. The Series 8 balanced cables are precision-twisted triple balanced in design. Three dedicated conductors with equal impedance for positive, negative and ground are surrounded by a separate shield to keep noise from reaching the single path. To reduce signal hum during connection the Tributaries Series 8 XLR connectors have the female ground (pin 1) placed forward in the shell so the ground connects first. The end result is a dead-quiet neutral sounding cable that accurately produces the sound of live music. Tributaries 8AB is a high-performance balanced audio cable made by hand. The 8AB is designed with three heavy 20AWG Long-Crystal Oxygen-Free (LC-OFC) copper conductors for true balanced audio signal transfer. The conductors have a unique individually insulated dual-gauge configuration for superior sound clarity. The 8AB is terminated with red & white XLR connectors. The wires are hand soldered with high-quality lead-free solder to solid gold-plated brass XLR connectors. The shield is connected on the source end only making this cable directional and noise free. The connection is protected with a solid collar strain relief and solid brass connector covers that have colored rings for signal identification.