Atlas Element Analogue Audio Cable - XLR - RCA Pair

Atlas Element Analogue Audio Cable - XLR - RCA Pair

 

As one of Future Shop's favourite cables, the Atlas Element Analogue Audio cable offers amazing performance for its value and is available in both RCA and XLR plug options.

Atlas made the Element Analogue Audio an extremely versatile cable with this offering of XLR to RCA and vice versa. Now you don't need to worry about the connection between your source and amplifier with all of the combinations available in the Element range.

The Atlas Element analogue audio cable itself offers a pure high-quality OCC Copper connection where others are introducing silver-plating. This gives the Atlas Element a unique warmth and neutrality to its sound signature, adding a sense of spaciousness to your listening experience and reducing strain on your ears.

If you are looking to improve the overall sound of your system while avoiding the harshness that comes from excessive detail, then you will find the Atlas Element Analogue Audio perfect to achieve this.

 

Here's what Atlas says about the Element Analogue Audio Cable

 

Based on Atlas' multi-award winning Element Integra interconnect, the Element Analogue Audio Cable utilises a shielded four-core construction providing excellent immunity to interference and noise, making it ideally suited to longer cable runs.

Atlas use cold-weld terminations wherever possible, including their current generation ‘dark Chrome’ XLR connectors and Achromatic RCA plugs. By reducing the number of materials and break points in the signal path, Atlas' objective is to minimise discontinuity and loss in the signal path, resulting in more consistent construction and improved audio performance.

The Atlas Element asymmetrical interconnect shares many similar features to it's stable-mates in the Atlas line. It employs a braided copper and aluminium foil giving a 100% screen to provide rejection of radio frequency interference (RFI), it employs high quality Ohnous Continuous Casting Copper (OCC Copper) for it's conductors together with a low loss porous polyethylene dielectric (PEF).

Atlas XLR plugs are wired as follows by default: Pin 1 = Ground; Pin 2 = Hot, Pin 3 = Cold. If you require a different configuration, please contact us.

 

Features :

• Atlas XLR Plug
• Achromatic RCA Plug
• OCC Copper
• Polyethylene (PEF) Dielectric

 

Atlas XLR Plug

The Atlas XLR combines a lightweight aluminium alloy body with precision-fit OFC/OCC connectors and solder-free construction.

 

Achromatic Plugs

Atlas’s expert electro-mechanical knowledge has led to the innovation of the next generation of RCA plugs. Known as the ‘Atlas Achromatic RCA plug’, Atlas has focused on improving both performance and appearance to create a higher performance starting point for their RCA cables as well as eliminating variability in performance. This has been achieved by refocusing on materials and the assembly processes.

Atlas has made 4 key changes with the Achromatic RCA plug. Firstly, the barrel of the Achromatic plug features a high stability ABS material. This is strong, stable and of superlative surface quality.

There is also an improvement to the Achromatic plug’s contact geometry, aiding the contact properties of the plug and the self-cleaning wiping action to ensure contacts are in optimal condition and to maximise signal transmission.

The third change Atlas made was around the rifling of the RCA pin. This improvement self-aligns the conductors during the cold weld processing, ensuring a superior stable connection.

Finally, there is a reduction in the overall mass of the RCA plug by 8% which has shown to improve signal transmission.

The above changes mean a solder-free, low mass, self-cleaning, recyclable RCA plug with a non-conductive body.

OCC Copper 

The Ohno continuous casting method re-heats the extrusion as the molten copper is forced out of the mould and very slowly and gradually draws the grain or crystal down the conductor''s length, creating a ‘single crystal structure.’ Actually, because no copper is 100% pure, there will always be a few boundaries produced by impurities. The frequency of boundaries created are quite insignificant. A typical crystal in a copper conductor drawn to 0.3 mm diam. using the OCC process is 125.00 metres long! The benefits are obvious, with almost no crystal boundaries, the audio signal is no longer impeded down the copper wire and more information and detail is delivered faithfully to the receiving equipment.

Copper Purity Comparison (0.3mm Diameter)
		TPC	OFC	OCC
Purity		>99.9%	>99.99%	>99.999%
Specific Gravity		8.75	8.926	8.938
Gas Impurities (ppm)
	O2	200~500	<10	<5
	H2	<0.5	<0.5	<0.3
Average Crystal Size (Metre)		0.007	0.02	125.00
Crystals Per Metre		150	50	0.008

 

Polyethylene (PEF) Dielectric

PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) is cheap to produce and, as such, is the most commonly used insulation in AV cables. However, PVC is the worst quality insulation a Hi-Fi or AV signal can encounter as its high loss causes a significant reduction in signal velocity. PVC is better suited to power cables and should be avoided in Hi-Fi and AV signal cables. Other dielectrics in common use are Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Polytetrafluoride Epoxy (better known as PTFE (Teflon™) or Teflon,) and the new and unique Atlas (PTFE). PEF (Foamed Polyethylene). The foaming process uses a blowing agent, of which there are two types. Atlas use the gas-foamed method which creates a more inert, consistent and higher quality product. The table below shows the properties of a selection of dielectrics. Though not used as a dielectric in Atlas' cables, PVC is included for comparison purposes.

Dielectric Material Comparison (0.3mm Diameter)
Property	Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)	Foamed Polyethylene (PEF)	Polypropylene (P.P)	Teflon (FEP or PTFE)	PTFE
Dielectric Constant (@ 50 -106Hz)	4-8	2.3	2.25	2.1	1.3
Dielectric Strength (kV mm-1)	23-30	30-50	30-50	20-25	N/A
Loss Tangent (% @ 50 - 106Hz)	8-15	0.02-0.05	0.02-0.06 (@ 106Hz)	0.02-0.07	N/A
Volume Resistivity (Ohms.cm @ 20°C)	1012-15	>1017	6.5x1014	>1016	N/A
Tensile Strength (Kg mm-2)	1.0-2.5	1.0-2.0	3.0-4.0	1.9-2.2	1.0
Melting Point (°C)	-130	112-120	155-160	275	275
Max. Continuous Operating Temp. (°C)	60	75	90	200	260
Min. Operating Temp. (°C)	-15 to -40	<-60	-5 to -45	<-60	-250

 

The improved Element Integra is an entry level audio interconnect for discerning music lovers. Like all Atlas interconnects, it provides a huge sound-stage together with a smooth delivery. It avoids the over bright and irritating sound so often a feature of similarly priced interconnects. Rather in common with all Atlas interconnects, irrespective of price, it offers the listener a sophisticated and relaxing sound with no artificial highs or lows and most importantly, it offers the user fantastic value for money. Just look at the construction, the OCC copper, the quality asymmetrical construction, and the conjugate bracket Integra plug; there's nothing else quite like the Element Integra. 

 

Specification :

• Conductor Material: OCC Copper
• Screen Type/Material: Braid OFC
• Screen Coverage %: 90%
• Dielectric: PEF
• Connector: RCA Plug, XLR Plug
• Colour: Pearl White
• Outside Diameter : 6.0mm
• Capacitance : 63.03 pF/m
• Inductance : 0.3735 µH/m
• Resistance : 0.1612Ω/m
• Impedance : 77.05 Ohms/m

 

About Atlas Cables 

Atlas Cables are a major producer of interconnects and cables in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. All products are researched, developed and most are assembled in the Atlas purpose built factory in Scotland.

Many of these products are unique and use advanced techniques of production or manufacture in order to bring to the user the very finest quality products. With each new model we continue to push the boundaries of reliability and performance. It's little wonder then, that Atlas Cables have had so many mile-stone advances in the past and that Atlas Cables have secured so many awards in comparative tests against other products.