AudioQuest Dragon XLR Interconnect Cable

AudioQuest's Ultimate Balanced Analog Interconnect

The AudioQuest Dragon XLR Interconnect Cable sits at the summit of AudioQuest's balanced analog cable lineup—a no-compromise interconnect engineered for the world's most sophisticated high-end audio systems.

Dragon combines AudioQuest's most advanced analog cable technologies: Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) conductors, ZERO-Tech, Level 7 Linear Noise-Dissipation, Dual-72V Dielectric-Bias System (DBS), FEP Air-Tube insulation, Solid PSS RF drain wires, Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network, Direction-Controlled conductors, Silver-Plated RF-Draining Barrels, and Hanging-Silver directly over extreme-purity Red-Copper plugs.

Every part of Dragon is designed around the same objective: preserve the integrity of the analog signal while minimizing the RF noise, dielectric interaction, conductor distortion, and transient compression that can obscure musical information.

For reference systems built around world-class DACs, streamers, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, and loudspeakers, Dragon XLR represents the highest level of AudioQuest balanced analog interconnect performance.

Solid Perfect-Surface Silver Conductors

At the heart of Dragon are Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) conductors—AudioQuest's highest-quality conductor metal.

Silver is an exceptional electrical conductor, but AudioQuest's approach goes beyond simply substituting silver for copper.

Perfect-Surface Technology is designed to create an exceptionally smooth conductor surface while minimizing distortion associated with grain boundaries. Combined with a solid-conductor architecture, PSS eliminates electrical and magnetic interaction between individual strands while providing an extremely high-quality pathway for both the audio signal and RF Noise-Dissipation.

At the Dragon level, AudioQuest uses PSS not simply as a premium material but as a fundamental part of the cable's complete electrical architecture.

Level 7 Linear Noise-Dissipation

Dragon advances beyond the Level 6 Noise-Dissipation architecture used farther down the AudioQuest range with Level 7 Linear Noise-Dissipation.

Modern audio systems exist in an environment saturated with radio-frequency energy from Wi-Fi, cellular networks, satellites, Bluetooth, computers, switching power supplies, networking equipment, televisions, smart-home systems, and countless other electronic devices.

Dragon attacks this interference through a sophisticated combination of:

• Solid Perfect-Surface Silver RF drain wires
• ZERO-Tech
• Dual-72V Dielectric-Bias System
• Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network
• Direction-Controlled conductors

Rather than simply attempting to block interference with conventional shielding, Dragon is engineered to dissipate RF energy across an extremely wide bandwidth before it can mask low-level musical information.

This Level 7 architecture is one of the defining differences between Dragon and the other Mythical Creatures XLR interconnects.

Solid Perfect-Surface Silver RF Drain Wires

Dragon doesn't reserve Perfect-Surface Silver solely for its signal conductors.

Its Direction-Controlled Solid PSS shield conductors serve as RF drain wires, providing AudioQuest's highest-grade conductor material for the Noise-Dissipation pathway as well.

At radio frequencies, surface quality and conductor material become especially important. Using Solid Perfect-Surface Silver for the drain architecture is designed to maximize the efficient movement of RF noise away from the signal.

This is a major technological distinction between Dragon and the models beneath it.

ZERO-Tech

Dragon incorporates AudioQuest's ZERO-Tech, designed to eliminate the electrostatic field between the cable's high and low signal conductors.

Conventional cables exhibit characteristic impedance because of the relationship between those conductors. That characteristic impedance can interact with the source and load circuits connected to the cable.

ZERO-Tech is designed to prevent the cable from having conventional characteristic impedance in the first place.

The result is engineered for linear, wide-bandwidth RF Noise-Dissipation and uncompressed transient response.

In a reference system capable of reproducing extremely small changes in timing, dynamics, and spatial information, preserving transient behavior is critical to maintaining realism.

Dual-72V Dielectric-Bias System

Dragon XLR uses AudioQuest's Dual-72V Dielectric-Bias System (DBS).

The insulation surrounding an electrical conductor is a dielectric. It can absorb energy, temporarily store it, and subsequently release that energy back into the electrical environment.

DBS establishes a continuous electrostatic field that polarizes the cable's insulation.

AudioQuest uses this biasing to minimize dielectric noise and linearize the behavior of the insulation, improving wide-bandwidth dissipation of induced RF noise.

Dragon's Dual-72V DBS configuration also preserves the complete signal-conductor isolation required by ZERO-Tech.

Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network

Dragon's Level 7 Noise-Dissipation architecture incorporates AudioQuest's Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network.

Alternating layers of graphene, carbon-loaded synthetic materials, and metal effectively help "shield the shield."

These layers are designed to absorb and reflect radio-frequency energy before it reaches the shield layer connected to ground.

Preventing RF energy from contaminating the system's ground reference is particularly important in reference-level audio systems, where even very low levels of interference can mask subtle musical information.

FEP Air-Tube Insulation

Dragon uses FEP Air-Tube insulation around its positive conductors.

Any solid material adjacent to a conductor becomes part of its electrical environment. Insulation can absorb signal energy and release some of that energy later, contributing to distortion and temporal smearing.

AudioQuest minimizes physical contact between Dragon's positive conductors and the surrounding FEP insulation.

Air absorbs virtually no energy, while FEP provides an excellent dielectric constant and very low signal interference. The Air-Tube structure therefore places the conductor in an environment consisting primarily of air.

The negative conductors are intentionally treated differently, using lossy insulation appropriate to the different electrical role of the negative connection.

Direction-Controlled Conductors

Every internal conductor in Dragon is Direction-Controlled.

The grain structure created during metal manufacturing is not perfectly symmetrical in both directions. AudioQuest determines conductor orientation to manage the resulting differences in RF impedance.

This applies not only to Dragon's signal conductors but also to its PSS RF drain architecture.

Directionality is therefore an integral part of Dragon's Level 7 Noise-Dissipation system.

Silver-Plated RF-Draining Barrels

Dragon upgrades the connector architecture with Silver-Plated RF-Draining Barrels.

A conventional metal connector housing can capacitively couple RF energy into the conductors contained inside it.

Dragon's grounded RF-draining barrels are designed to prevent this unwanted coupling while extending the cable's Noise-Dissipation strategy through the connector itself.

The use of silver plating further distinguishes Dragon's connector architecture from the copper-plated barrels used farther down the range.

Hanging-Silver over Red-Copper Plugs

Dragon uses AudioQuest's finest Hanging-Silver directly over extreme-purity Red-Copper plugs.

Rather than tumbling connectors in a plating solution, AudioQuest hangs the Red-Copper connector directly in high-purity silver.

This creates a high-quality conductive surface directly over an extreme-purity copper base without unnecessary intermediate materials.

The objective is uncompromised signal transfer all the way through the XLR termination.

Key Features

• AudioQuest's flagship balanced XLR-to-XLR analog interconnect
• Flagship Mythical Creatures series
• Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) signal conductors
• Solid Perfect-Surface Silver RF drain wires
• Level 7 Linear Noise-Dissipation
• ZERO-Tech
• Dual-72V Dielectric-Bias System (DBS)
• Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network
• FEP Air-Tube insulation
• Direction-Controlled conductors
• Silver-Plated RF-Draining Barrels
• Hanging-Silver directly over extreme-purity Red-Copper plugs
• Engineered for linear, wide-bandwidth RF Noise-Dissipation
• Designed to preserve uncompressed transient response
• Available as a pair or single cable
• Multiple factory lengths available
• Custom lengths and terminations available
• Made to order at AudioQuest headquarters in Irvine, California

Dragon vs. ThunderBird XLR

Moving from AudioQuest ThunderBird to Dragon XLR is not simply a move to a more expensive cable.

ThunderBird uses Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors and Level 6 Noise-Dissipation.

Dragon moves to Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) signal conductors, adds Solid PSS drain wires, advances to Level 7 Noise-Dissipation, and uses Silver-Plated RF-Draining Barrels.

Both share important AudioQuest technologies including ZERO-Tech, Dual-72V DBS, FEP Air-Tube insulation, Carbon/Graphene Noise-Dissipation, and Direction-Controlled construction.

Dragon takes that architecture to its ultimate expression with AudioQuest's finest conductor material used throughout the critical signal and RF-drain paths.

Where to Use AudioQuest Dragon XLR

The AudioQuest Dragon XLR is designed for balanced analog connections in uncompromising reference audio systems.

Ideal applications include:

• Reference DAC to preamplifier
• Reference DAC to integrated amplifier
• Flagship network streamer to preamplifier
• Reference music server or streamer/DAC to amplification
• Preamplifier to power amplifier
• Preamplifier to reference monoblock amplifiers
• Reference phono stage to line preamplifier
• Flagship CD or SACD player to preamplifier
• Fully balanced reference electronics
• Ultra-high-end two-channel systems
• Reference home theater systems

Dragon makes the most sense in systems capable of revealing extremely small differences in noise floor, transient behavior, dimensionality, tonal information, and low-level resolution.

AudioQuest Dragon XLR at The Grid HiFi in Houston

The Grid HiFi is Houston's destination for reference high-end audio, two-channel HiFi, private cinema, and professionally designed luxury entertainment systems.

Our Houston showroom brings together some of the world's finest loudspeakers, amplifiers, preamplifiers, DACs, network streamers, turntables, cables, and power products, giving customers the opportunity to approach a reference system as a complete design rather than a collection of individual components.

The AudioQuest Dragon XLR Interconnect Cable belongs in exactly this type of environment.

At this level, cable selection should be based on the complete system: the source, electronics, loudspeakers, room, AC power, existing cable architecture, and ultimately the level of performance the system is capable of delivering.

Our team can help determine whether Dragon is appropriate for your system and where deploying a flagship interconnect can make the most sense.

Reference High-End Audio System Design in Houston

A world-class audio system isn't created by simply purchasing the most expensive component in every category.

System synergy matters.

At The Grid HiFi, we work with premium and reference-level audio components to design complete systems in which the loudspeakers, electronics, sources, cables, power products, room, and installation are considered together.

Our high-end audio services include:

• Reference two-channel HiFi
• Ultra-high-end audio systems
• Dedicated audiophile listening rooms
• Loudspeaker and amplifier matching
• Reference DAC and streamer integration
• Turntable and analog system design
• AudioQuest cable system design
• AC power design and conditioning
• Equipment isolation
• Speaker placement and system setup
• Home theater
• Private cinema design
• Architectural audio and video
• Whole-home entertainment
• Smart-home automation
• Lighting control
• Motorized shades
• High-performance networking
• Low-voltage infrastructure
• Professional installation
• System calibration
• Long-term service and support

Whether Dragon is connecting a reference DAC to a preamplifier or a preamplifier to flagship monoblock amplifiers, The Grid HiFi can help design the entire system around the performance level you're trying to achieve.

Complete AudioQuest Reference Cable Systems

For reference systems, The Grid HiFi can design a complete AudioQuest cable and power architecture rather than treating each connection independently.

A complete AudioQuest system can incorporate:

• Dragon XLR balanced interconnects
• Dragon RCA analog interconnects
• Reference speaker cables
• Digital coaxial cables
• AES/EBU digital cables
• USB cables
• Ethernet cables
• HDMI cables
• Reference AC power cables
• Niagara power conditioning
• Power distribution and surge protection

Not every connection automatically requires the same cable level.

Our team can help determine where Dragon makes sense, where another AudioQuest model may be appropriate, and how the entire signal and power chain should work together.

Specifications

Cable Type: Reference Balanced Analog Audio Interconnect
Series: Mythical Creatures
Connector Configuration: Female XLR to Male XLR
Signal Conductors: Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS)
RF Drain Conductors: Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS)
Technology: ZERO-Tech
Dielectric Bias: Dual-72V Dielectric-Bias System (DBS)
Noise Dissipation: Level 7 Linear Noise-Dissipation
Noise-Dissipation Network: Carbon/Graphene Mesh-Network
Insulation: FEP Air-Tube
Conductor Directionality: Direction-Controlled
Plug Barrels: Silver-Plated RF-Draining
Plug Material: Hanging-Silver Directly Over Extreme-Purity Red Copper
Configuration: Pair or Single
Application: Balanced Analog Audio
Manufacturing: Made to order at AudioQuest headquarters in Irvine, California

Available Lengths

0.5m / 1 ft 7 in
0.75m / 2 ft 6 in
1m / 3 ft 3 in
1.5m / 4 ft 11 in
2m / 6 ft 6 in
2.5m / 8 ft 2 in
3m / 9 ft 10 in
4m / 13 ft 1 in
5m / 16 ft 5 in
6m / 19 ft 8 in

Custom lengths and terminations are available.

Why Buy AudioQuest Dragon from The Grid HiFi?

When you're considering AudioQuest Dragon XLR, you're no longer simply choosing an accessory. You're making a system-level decision for a reference audio setup.

At The Grid HiFi in Houston, we specialize in the caliber of high-performance audio systems where a flagship interconnect like Dragon belongs.

We can evaluate your source components, preamplification, amplification, loudspeakers, power infrastructure, existing cables, and room to help determine how Dragon should be implemented within the system.

For clients building complete reference systems, we can also coordinate AudioQuest analog interconnects, speaker cables, digital cables, Ethernet, AC power cables, and power conditioning as one integrated cable and power strategy.

From a single Dragon XLR connection to an entirely new reference listening room, The Grid HiFi provides Houston audiophiles with world-class high-end audio equipment, expert system design, professional installation, calibration, and long-term support.

Visit The Grid HiFi in Houston, Texas, or contact our team for help designing an AudioQuest cable solution for your reference audio system.