Kimber Kable Hero: What's under the cover?

Might just be a difference in terminology, here. I checked with someone who does a lot of reworking of Hero and other Kimber Kables. He says there is no shield in the usual sense--no braided shield. I know that the common (ground) wires braided in (or perhaps otherwise included) serve much of the noise-cancelling function of a conventional shield. Your response, saying that the ground wires are wrapped (you didn't say braided) may be new information for me. I was imagining that Kimber's terminology of "gyro-quadratic" meant a four-strand braid--like maybe a "French braid" type of construction, perhaps like the Corpse Cables brand uses. After reading your last post I'm not sure HERO is braided at all. Not that it matters terribly; they sound great, no matter how they are made. But it does arouse my curiosity as a former Electronics and Space field engineer.
 
But it does arouse my curiosity as a former Electronics and Space field engineer.
I have experimented with different cable configurations for fun and have access to many different wire types at work. I made close copy of the Kimber PBJ's with one center condutor and the other two to ground. I then made a pair just using a twisted pair of same wire and connectors and could hear no difference. They both have no emi or rf interference problems at all. I also put them up against some reasonably expensive cables and could not tell the difference so I have stuck with this design with the twisted pair. I also tried this design with very fine low capacitance solid copper conductors twisted along with them, same result no detectable difference, there are three variations on this theme in the photo.
 

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Thanks for these helpful comments, Tim64. I had considered a twisted four-conductor design, though have not tried it yet. It would be a lot easier than a braided four-conductor! I'm thinking either two signal and two ground, or maybe three ground and one signal. What do you think?
 
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What do you think?[/QUOTE]
I think a four conductor twisted pair would yield better emi and rf rejection but I found it unnecessary where I live. If you want to experiment I found these rca connectors on amazon that let you test you cable without having to solder your good connectors. These are also on the Bay. One idea I will be trying for the heck of it is one 20 gauge strand center conductor and three smaller gauge bare copper wires for ground and shielding like you find at Home Depot and Lowes on those small rolls in hardware. I just need to make sure they are real copper and not some alloy. Heres a picture of the wire I've been using and the connectors most of all just have fun experimenting.
 

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I finally found it on Kimber's website. Hero is (A) not shielded; and (B) is a four-wire braid. I think they must have updated their description, as I don't believe that info was included earlier.
 
I found the answer in some text on the Kimber site that I had evidently overlooked. Here is a quote:

"The HERO's four wire quadratic braid provides wide bandwidth and noise reduction without the use of shielding"

That says it all: it is a four-wire braid, unshielded.

For now, Hero has replaced Timbre as my best-sounding cable.
 
Two fine clear wires twisted around the conductors and grounding at both ends. (this is shielding)

Might just be a difference in terminology, here. I checked with someone who does a lot of reworking of Hero and other Kimber Kables. He says there is no shield in the usual sense--no braided shield.

"The HERO's four wire quadratic braid provides wide bandwidth and noise reduction without the use of shielding"

That says it all: it is a four-wire braid, unshielded.

Braiding or twisting the conductor wires is shielding a cable run of wires, just like a cable run of wires with a wrap of some kind of metal around it. It's just a case that the conductors are doing the job instead of adding a metal incasing to the cable.

IMG_2408.JPG IMG_2411.JPG
 
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