AudioQuest Diamond USB Lightning

CARBON-BASED 3-LAYER NOISE-DISSIPATION SYSTEM (NDS)

Achieving 100% shielding is simple. To prevent the captured radio frequency interference (RFI) from modulating the ground reference of the equipment, AQ's Noise-Dissipation System (NDS) is required. Traditional shielding systems typically absorb noise/RF energy and then dissipate it to the component's ground, thereby modulating and distorting the critical "reference" ground plane itself, which in turn causes signal distortion. The alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded plastics of NDS "shield the shield" and absorb and reflect most of this noise/RF energy before it reaches the ground-attached layer.

DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM WITH RADIOFREQUENCY TRAP

All insulation between two or more conductors is also a dielectric whose properties affect the integrity of the signal. When the dielectric has no bias, dielectric involvement (absorption and non-linear release of energy) causes different amounts of time delay (phase shift) for different frequencies and energy levels, which is a serious problem for highly time-sensitive audio with multiple octaves. The inclusion of an RF Trap (developed for AudioQuest's Niagara series power products) ensures that radio frequency noise is not induced into the signal conductors of the DBS field elements.

SOLID 100% PERFECT-SURFACE SILVER (PSS) CONDUCTORS

Perfect-Surface Technology applied to extremely pure silver provides unprecedented clarity and dynamic contrast. Solid conductors prevent strand interaction, a major source of cable distortion and jitter. Extremely high purity Perfect-Surface Silver minimizes distortion caused by the grain boundaries that exist in a metal conductor, eliminating hardness and greatly increasing clarity compared to OFHC, OCC, 8N, and other copper types.

FOAM-POLYETHYLENE INSULATION

Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and printed circuit board materials all absorb energy. Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. Because air almost does not absorb energy and polyethylene has low loss and a good distortion profile, Foamed-PE with its high air content causes much less of the out-of-focus effect than other materials.

All conductors controlled for RF (radio frequency) noise directionality

Available lengths: 0.75m-5m