AudioQuest 3m Carbon USB A > B High-Definition Audio Cable Solid 5% Silver ConductorsSolid conductors minimize the harmful effects of both electrical and magnetic strand-to-strand interaction. For digital cables, whose signals are of such high frequency that they travel almost exclusively on the surface of the conductor, increasingly thick layers of silver plating are applied to AudioQuest’s Long-Grain Copper (LGC) conductors to further improve Noise-Dissipation. Placing the superior metal on the outside of the conductor produces the greatest benefit on overall performance—a superbly cost-effective way to maximize a digital cable. Carbon-Based 3-Layer Noise-DissipationIt's easy to accomplish 100% shield coverage. Preventing captured Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) from modulating the equipment's ground reference requires AQ's Noise-Dissipation System (NDS). Traditional shield systems typically absorb and then drain noise/RF energy to component ground, modulating and distorting the critical "reference" ground plane, which in turn causes a distortion of the signal. NDS's alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded synthetics "shield the shield," absorbing and reflecting most of this noise/RF energy before it reaches the layer attached to ground. Hard-Cell Foam InsulationHard-Cell Foam (HCF) Insulation ensures critical signal-pair geometry. Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit board materials all absorb energy. Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. Hard-Cell Foam Insulation is similar to the Foamed-PE used in our more affordable Bridges & Falls cables, and is nitrogen-injected to create air pockets. Because nitrogen (like air) does not absorb energy and therefore does not release any energy from or into the conductor, distortion is reduced. In addition, the stiffness of the material allows the cable's conductors to maintain a stable relationship along the cable's full length, producing a stable impedance character and further minimizing distortion. Direction-Controlled ConductorsAll drawn metal strands or conductors have a non-symmetrical, and therefore directional, grain structure. AudioQuest controls the resulting RF impedance variation so that noise is drained away from where it will cause distortion. The correct direction is determined by listening to every batch of metal conductors used in every AudioQuest audio cable. When applicable, arrows are clearly marked on the connectors to ensure superior sound quality. For most models of AQ cable, the arrows not only indicate the direction that optimizes metal-directionality as part of Noise-Dissipation, but also indicates non-symmetrical attachment of shield and GND in order to optimize full-system performance. A fundamental aspect of AudioQuest's multifaceted Noise-Dissipation technology, Direction-Controlled Conductors ensure induced noise is dissipated and drained properly.Solid 5% Silver Conductors: Solid conductors help eliminate strand-interaction distortion and reduce jitter.USB A/B cable: Designed to transport digital audio, Internet and computer data.Signal conductors: Controlled for digital audio direction.Solid 5% silver-plated long-grain copper conductors: Reduce jitter and distortion. Key Features & Technology Explained Solid Conductors Solid conductors prevent strand-interaction, a major source of dynamic distortion in cables. 5% Silver Metal 5% Silver-Plating is applied to AudioQuest’s Long-Grain Copper (LGC) conductors to improve Noise-Dissipation. 3-Layer Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation Three alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded synthetics "shield the shield," absorbing and reflecting most RF energy before it reaches the layer attached to ground. Direction-Controlled All internal conductors are Direction-Controlled to reduce RF noise. Carbon USB A > B Cinnamon USB-A > B Coffee USB-A > B Diamond USB-A > B Add to Cart Add to Cart Buying Options Buying Options Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars 7 4.5 out of 5 stars 168 3.8 out of 5 stars 2 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 Price $329.95$329.95 $169.95$169.95 — no data — no data Metal Solid 5% Silver Solid 1.25% Silver Solid 10% Silver Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) Noise Dissipation Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation for USB A - B and USB 3.0 A - 3.0 Micro Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation for USB A - B and USB 3.0 A - 3.0 Micro Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation for USB A - B and USB 3.0 A - 3.0 Micro Voltage 5 5 5 5 Finish Silver Gold Silver Silver Dielectric Hard-Cell Foam Hard-Cell Foam Hard-Cell Foam Hard-Cell Foam