ALLNIC ZL TECHNOLOGY CABLES
What accounts for the Allnic cables’ stunning results, competitive with cables costing much, much more?
In brief, rigorous engineering and deep knowledge… they are designed and built by Allnic Audio’s principal, Kang Su Park, a brilliant audio engineer who has spent decades producing everything from hand-built phono cartridges to award-winning tube amplification products, to speakers and crossover networks, with milestones such as the WORLD’S VERY FIRST constant impedance attenuator and commercially viable direct heated triode preamps and amplifiers.
Kang Su Park knows audio reproduction, inside and out, from one end of the chain to the other, from capacitors, resistors, tubes, and wire, to other materials and componentry of every kind. And does he have good ears!!
Until recently, what was the missing link in his remarkable production portfolio?
Literally, the links, the cables connecting all these components together. After years of study, design and listening, Mr. Park created the award-winning ZL (Zero Loss) Technology line of cables featuring, among others:
⦁ Super high-temperature welded terminations providing reduced signal resistance and improved durability
⦁ Heavy gauge nickel plated OFC for superior high current conductivity
⦁ Mu metal shielding for the absolute most EMI/RFI shielding on all interconnects, phono and digital cables
⦁ Aluminum and nickel copper mesh, double shielding to block all RF noise on speaker cables and power cords
Technical
Zero Loss Technology
Zero Loss Technology includes Speaker cables, Power cables, Phono cables, and Interconnect cables. All of Interconnect cables use Mu-metal as a braided shield.
Key features of Allnic’s ZL Technology cables
• Continuity of Conductor: Hot melt welding, not soldering nor clamping.
• Permanent Contact Pressure: Carved out heat-treated Beryllium copper terminals.
• Perfect shield against magneto electric noise: Only Mu-metal shield could protect, copper could not.
• Maintenance-free double blade patented terminal: No need to go backside of loudspeakers every month for retightening binding posts.
1. Barrier free conductors
Traditional soldered or clamped connections between terminations and conductor create two resistant barriers (solder has much greater resistance than copper or silver). Our direct, high temperature melt welding (1000o C), without solder, removes two obstacles in the signal path by melting terminations and wire conductors into a single, seamless material.
2. Permanent contact pressure via heat-treated beryllium-copper terminations
Contact resistance is a critical factor for signal transmission. Higher contact pressure and a larger contact surface mean less contact resistance and better signal transfer. Traditional bronze, pure copper and phosphorous-copper terminations cannot provide sufficiently secure and long-lasting contact pressure. Our precision-milled, slit, heat-treated beryllium-copper terminations provide maximum contact surface and powerful contact pressure for minimal signal loss – for life.
3. No more loosened binding posts
With our patented double-bladed speaker terminations, there is no need to go behind your loud speakers every month to re-tighten binding posts. Our unique double-bladed spade terminations minimize contact resistance and will not loosen, even when subjected to severe speaker vibration: no need to re-tighten binding posts for years.
4. Mid-Range Control Technology – MRCT®
Allnic considers an exaggerated midrange to be a clear indicator of inaccurate signal transfer through a cable, and the most formidable distortion to overcome in cable design. Allnic’s MRCT is the result of meticulous listening and measurements to select carefully formulated metal plating for slight midrange “braking” and heavier wire gauges for accurate low frequencies, as well as to ensure control of capacitance for provision of stunningly realistic high frequencies.
5. Mu-metal shielding for true protection from EMI
While all other audio cable manufacturers use copper and/or silver shields for signal cables, Allnic uses ‘Mu-metal’ as braided shield for its interconnect and digital cables (RCA & XLR) – a world-premiere in the audio industry.
Traditional copper and/or silver mesh shields provide effective protection against electrically generated noise, but they are ineffective against magnetically induced noise. This is because magnetically generated interference freely penetrates both copper and silver. Only Mu-metal (a nickel alloy material) can protect the audio signal from both electronically and magnetically induced noise. Test data show that Mu-metal shielding reduces electromagnetic noise to less than 1/30th of what braided copper shield allows, down -30dB in comparison.
Kang Su Park Introduction
"Allnic Audio's Kang Su Park is a well-respected South Korean vacuum tube designer. To his name and under his belt are many amps, preamps, DACs and phono stages. Yet today's review is about cables. "So," you think dismissively, "active cables with valves then?" Not. Mr. Park is a serious engineer, not a jester. His ZL for zero-loss cable line is simply an attempt to apply solid engineering to prevailing signal-transmission challenges. To reduce contact resistance between a conductor and its termination, he eliminates solder and hot-welds at 3'000A/1000°C [right]. This creates a molecular merger and single material at the transition point. With it he claims conductivity far superior to even the best boutique solder. To eliminate not just electrical but magnetic noise for his digital and analog interconnects, he runs mu-metal shielding*, the same nickel alloy which traditionally shields noise-critical transformers like phono stepups. To improve contact pressure, he uses special heat-treated Beryllium-copper sleeves, double-bladed spades and pins with six pressure slits. He believes those contacts improve grip over traditional bronze, pure copper or phosphor-copper variants. Finally there's his mysterious MRCT aka midrange control technology. To combat a midrange-centric perspective, Kang Su's recipe addresses the frequency extremes with a strategic combination of thick gauge (better bass), low capacitance (better treble) and specific plating for a particular impedance (midrange). These then are the core design parameters which he applies to his RCA and XLR interconnects, speaker cables and power cords. Presently the latter are available only with EU/Schuko and US plugs."
-Srajan Ebaen, 6Moons review.
The article referenced by Srajan, with appreciation:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/lindsay-geyer-highly-magnetic-cables