AudioQuest Carbon AES/EBU Digital Cable

Carbon Is AudioQuest's Solid-Silver-Plated AES/EBU Cable

AudioQuest Carbon AES/EBU is a balanced digital cable with an XLR plug at each end. AudioQuest builds it with high-purity solid conductors plated in 5% silver, and adds a five-layer carbon-based Noise-Dissipation System.

Solid Conductors, 5% Silver

Each conductor is a single solid wire, not a bundle of strands. AudioQuest says solid conductors prevent strand interaction, which it calls a major source of dynamic distortion in cables. The conductors are AudioQuest's Long-Grain Copper, plated with 5% silver to improve noise dissipation.

Five Layers of Noise Control

Around the signal pair, five alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded synthetics absorb and reflect most radio-frequency noise. AudioQuest describes this as shielding the shield, so that captured noise is kept away from your equipment's ground.

Hard-Cell Foam and Controlled Direction

The conductors sit in Hard-Cell Foam insulation, which is filled with nitrogen to raise its air content. Its stiffness holds the conductors in the same position along the whole run, keeping the signal pair's geometry consistent. All internal conductors are direction-controlled to reduce RF noise.

Built for the Balanced Digital Standard

AES/EBU is the professional balanced digital link, named for the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcasting Union. It runs on a 110-ohm twisted pair with XLR plugs. It carries the same stereo digital audio as S/PDIF, over a balanced link that rejects noise the way a balanced analog cable does.

Carbon AES/EBU has a female XLR at one end and a male XLR at the other. It is not a 75-ohm coaxial cable and will not fit an RCA or BNC socket.

What Owners Are Saying

"Now that the dust has settled, I'm glad I purchased the Audioquest Carbon [AES/EBU] digital interconnect," wrote Steve Graham of wallofsound.ca in April 2020. "Am I going in search of a more upscale digital interconnect? Not anytime soon."

Who Is This Digital Cable Best For?

• Your DAC and transport both have AES/EBU sockets — the XLR plugs fit them directly and latch, so the link will not work loose
• You want solid silver-plated conductors — AudioQuest's solid-conductor design and five-layer noise dissipation in its AES/EBU line
• Your system shares a rack with noisy electronics — the balanced link and five-layer noise dissipation are designed to keep RF noise out of the signal
• Your DAC has only a coaxial RCA or BNC input — this XLR cable will not fit it. Call us and we will match the plug

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug the male XLR into the AES/EBU input of your DAC and the female XLR into the AES/EBU output of your transport, CD player or streamer. The plugs latch, so press the tab to remove them. Then select the AES/EBU input on your DAC.

Carbon AES/EBU comes in 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 3.0 meter lengths. Choose the shortest one that reaches comfortably.

Pairs Well With

A digital cable is one link in a digital chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Digital-to-Analog Converters — the receiving end of the link
• CD Players and Transports — a source with an AES/EBU output
• Music Streamers — a streamer with a digital output
• Power Cables — clean power at both ends

Frequently Asked Questions

What is AES/EBU?

The professional balanced digital standard. It runs on a 110-ohm twisted pair with XLR plugs and carries the same stereo digital audio as S/PDIF, over a link that rejects noise like a balanced analog cable.

Is this a coaxial cable?

No. Carbon AES/EBU is a balanced cable with XLR plugs. For a 75-ohm coaxial link with RCA or BNC plugs, you need a coaxial digital cable instead.

What does the 5% silver do?

AudioQuest plates its Long-Grain Copper conductors with 5% silver to improve noise dissipation. Its higher models use more silver.

Which end goes where?

The female XLR connects to the source's AES/EBU output, and the male XLR to the DAC's AES/EBU input. That is the standard XLR layout, so it only fits one way.

Is there a step up?

Yes. AudioQuest makes higher AES/EBU models that use more silver. Call us and we will help you choose.

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