More About: Mira
Technology of the Mira:
- Unique geometry
Mira is a shielded coaxial design and utilizes a multi strand size core of pure copper conducting the signal, and a hybrid braided shield consisting of a mix of pure copper and silver plated copper conducting the return signal.
- Highest Purity Conductors
Mira uses the highest purity 7N OCC copper and silver-plated copper in its construction. In our research, we've found that higher purity coppers move away from the usual warm copper and get brighter, tending towards neutrality. Despite this, the rich timbre of copper is still retained in addition to the neutral tonality. In contrast, high purity silvers tend towards a warm yet fast sound and high purity SPCs tend towards a smooth, bright presentation, both of which are more colored than copper. Because of this, we prefer copper as a reference material over silver or SPC. We've also avoided gold, palladium and any alloys as we feel that while they add pleasant coloration, they reduce conductivity and limit the maximum ceiling of performance. In addition to sonics, a resultant effect of the high purity of the shield is its glimmer, adding to the Mira's unique aesthetic.
- Hybrid Shield
While the tonality of the cable comes mostly from the signal conductor, it still takes on some tonality of the return conductor. While high purity copper has some brightness, it lacks that last bit of upper treble extension that silver is able to provide. We tried both pure silver and SPC shields in order to try to inject that final bit of extension, but found that they colored the sound too much. As a result we selected a hybrid mix of SPC and copper, with just enough SPC to add extension and improve staging while retaining overall tonal balance. It also resulted in what we feel is an aesthetically striking and distinctive looking cable.
- Dynamic Strand Sizing
The general trend we found in our research is that thicker strand sizes conduct low frequencies more efficiently and thinner strand sizes conduct high frequencies more efficiently. Mira utilizes three specially selected strand sizes. While there are other cables that also utilize multi strand size geometries, most of them follow a fixed ratio. For Mira we've done additional research work to understand the properties of each specific strand size and also how the relative ratios of each strand size affects the sound. In doing so, we learnt which strand sizes convey low, mid and high frequencies best and selected implemented those three strand sizes in tandem, which we feel has resulted in greatly increased macro dynamics and more nuanced micro dynamics.
- Carefully Tuned
In addition, we've found that you can modify the ratio of bass, mids and highs conductors in order to tune the tonality of the cable. Through the high purity copper core and hybrid shield we achieved an extremely neutral and technical sound but found it slightly lacking in emotion, hence we used this information about strand sizes to tune a slight downward slope to add density and weight through the mids. This method of adding fullness has the least amount of compromise to performance in contrast to other tuning methods, resulting in a cable that we feel is both emotionally weighty and technically proficient.
- >98% coverage braided shield
For analog signals, our team strongly believes that shielding is crucial to maintain signal integrity and to squeeze out the final ounce of performance that is usually the most difficult to obtain. With shielding coverage of more than 98% we feel we've managed to create a cable with an extremely clean background and enhanced spatial cues resulting in a larger image size and a significantly expanded soundstage and a grander sense of scale.
- Custom Solder Combination
While our team started off our development journey believing that solder compounds did not make a noticeable difference, we’ve found with testing that solder compounds do in fact affect the sound slightly. If changing wire geometry and composition is equated to mixing in the music production process, then solder tuning is mastering, adjustments can be made to file down any rough edges and add that final bit of refinement to the sound. As a result, solder can and has, in the Mira, been used to round off the tuning, with a specially implemented custom combination of different solder compounds. As a boutique manufacturer, we are able to fuss over small details like this in our pursuit for perfection.