Kimber Kable Silver Streak Interconnect Cable - XLR to XLR

Silver Streak Is Kimber's Copper and Silver Hybrid

Kimber Kable's Silver Streak in balanced form pairs two silver conductors with one copper one. Kimber calls it its first copper and silver hybrid cable and places it in the Summit Series. It has been in the line since the mid-1990s. Like every Kimber cable, it is braided and terminated by hand in Ogden, Utah.

Other length & termination options are available. Call us to discuss your needs.

Two Strands of Silver, One Strand of Copper

Kimber names the conductors: two strands of its AGSS silver and one strand of its TCSS copper, each in VariStrand form with mixed gauges. The RCA version reverses the mix. The three are woven in Kimber's three-wire braid. The braid does the noise rejection. There is no separate shield around it.

Low-Loss Fluorocarbon and Hand-Soldered Ends

Each conductor sits in a low-loss fluorocarbon dielectric. Kimber publishes the result: 53 pF of capacitance, 0.75 µH of inductance and 0.061 ohms of resistance per meter. Those are Kimber's single-ended figures. For the balanced cable, Kimber lists 37.1 pF, 1.07 µH and 0.105 ohms per meter. The plugs are soldered on by hand under nitrogen, which keeps the joint clean as it cools.

The Switchcraft XLR Plug, Explained

Silver Streak ends in the plug Kimber fits to its balanced cables: a studio-grade Switchcraft XLR with silver-plated contact pins. Kimber solders it on by hand under nitrogen in Ogden, Utah. The plug latches into the jack and will not pull loose by accident. The silver plating keeps the contact clean.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Sam Tellig, writing in the November 1996 issue of Stereophile, said the Silver Streak "represents a major performance breakthrough for the price." He added: "The sound is cleaner, quicker, less confused."

Todd Warnke, reviewing for SoundStage! in April 1996, wrote that "the Silver Streak sets a new standard for me." Both reviews date from the cable's first year, and Kimber has kept the design in the line since.

Who Is This Interconnect Best For?

• You want a taste of silver without an all-silver price — the balanced Silver Streak puts two silver strands with one copper, and reviewers heard a cleaner, quicker sound, so busy passages untangle
• Your sources sit near power supplies — the three-wire braid cancels induced noise along its length, so the shelf stays out of the music
• You dress cables in tight spaces — three thin jacketed wires bend where a fat cable will not, so the plugs sit square on the jacks
• You want a plug that locks — the Switchcraft XLR latches into the jack and its silver-plated pins resist tarnish, so the connection stays put
• Your components have only RCA jacks — the Silver Streak XLR is balanced at both ends and will not fit an RCA jack. Choose the Kimber Silver Streak RCA instead, or call us and we will match the connector

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the Silver Streak from a balanced XLR output on your DAC, streamer, CD player or phono stage to a balanced XLR input on your preamp or amplifier. Keep left to left and right to right. Line up the pins and push until the latch clicks. Press the latch tab to release the plug.

Then listen.

Measure the Path, Then Add a Little Slack

Measure the route the cable will really take between your components, around shelves and behind the rack. Then add a little slack. As audio legend George Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough." Keep the left and right cables the same length. We recommend a matched pair.

XLR on Both Ends, or Not at All

Balanced XLR works when both components have XLR jacks, and we recommend using XLRs whenever they do. If one component has only RCA jacks, use an RCA cable instead of an adapter. You only get the possible benefits of a balanced output with a pure XLR-to-XLR connection.

A Long Run Between Components?

If your amplifier and speakers sit far from your source, we recommend a long interconnect over a long speaker cable. A really long interconnect affects system performance less than a really long speaker cable.

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

An interconnect often stays in a system for years, so it is easy to overlook. Look again when something else changes: a new DAC, streamer or phono stage, a better amplifier, or a move to components with balanced XLR jacks.

Pairs Well With

An interconnect is one link in the chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Integrated Amplifiers — the usual input end
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — DAC output to amplifier
• Phono Preamplifiers — phono stage to line input
• Speaker Cables — the last link to the speakers

Frequently Asked Questions

What XLR connector does Kimber use?

A studio-grade Switchcraft XLR with silver-plated contact pins. Kimber names it on its balanced Tonik, PBJ, Silver Streak, Hero HB and Hero AG. Kimber solders it on by hand under nitrogen.

What does VariStrand mean?

Each conductor is made of strands in more than one gauge. Kimber uses this stranding in every interconnect it makes and says the mix of gauges spreads the signal across the bundle.

Is Silver Streak shielded?

There is no separate shield. Kimber relies on the three-wire braid to reject noise, which is why the cable has no outer jacket.

Why mix copper and silver?

Kimber built the Silver Streak as its first hybrid. In the balanced cable Kimber lists two silver strands and one copper. The silver is Kimber's AGSS, the copper its TCSS.

Is there a step up from the Silver Streak?

Kimber Hero HB XLR is the next rung. It moves to four conductors of hyper-pure copper and silver in Kimber's GyroQuadratic braid.

Need a Different Length or Connector?

The most popular configurations are shown on this page. If your system requires a different length or termination, call our audio experts. We’ll help you choose the right configuration and arrange a custom cable for your system.

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