Matrix Audio CAT6A Network Patch Cord

The Matrix Audio CAT6A Network Patch Cord is a Cat.6A audio-grade Ethernet cable built for the network leg of a music streaming chain. Four pairs of multi-core OFC conductors are individually wrapped in aluminum foil, then surrounded by a tin-plated copper mesh second shield, terminated with fully shielded RJ45 plugs carrying 50µm gold-plated pins. Available in 2.0m and 4.0m lengths.

Key Features of the Matrix Audio CAT6A Patch Cord

• Multi-core OFC, not single-core: Four pairs of multi-core conductors, each core made from seven strands of 0.16mm OFC, twisted together. The multi-strand construction is the reason the cable bends without stiffening at the connector.
• Dual-layer shielding: Aluminum foil wraps each conductor pair individually, then a tin-plated copper wire mesh wraps the bundle, then a braided nylon outer sleeve. Internal crosstalk and external EMI both get rejected.
• 50µm gold-plated RJ45 pins: Thicker gold plating than the standard 1-3µm on commodity Ethernet cables. Lower contact resistance, no oxidation over years of unplugging and reinserting.
• Fully shielded metal-shell plugs: The RJ45 housings are full-metal shielded shells (not the bare plastic plugs on most Ethernet cables) that meet the Cat.6A 10 Gigabit speed standard.
• High-frequency FR-4 PCB inside the connector: The internal connector PCB is high-frequency FR-4, providing stable transfer impedance through the termination.
• Flexible build, no port stress: Multi-core wires keep the cable flexible, so plugging the cable into the back of a streamer does not exert long-term pressure on the RJ45 jack.
• Two lengths: 2.0m for streamer-to-switch in a single rack, 4.0m when the streamer or NAS is across the room from the switch.

Multi-Core OFC, Not Single-Core

Most network cables, including audio-grade ones from competitors, use single-core copper conductors because they are cheaper to manufacture and easier to terminate. Matrix Audio uses multi-core: four pairs of conductors, each core composed of seven strands of 0.16mm OFC twisted together. The multi-strand construction does two things at once. It keeps the cable physically flexible, so it can be routed and bent without becoming rigid at the connector. And it changes the conductor's surface behavior, which matters at the gigabit transfer rates this cable is designed for.

Dual-Layer Shielding

Each conductor pair is individually wrapped in aluminum foil, isolating it from the other three pairs. The four wrapped pairs are then bundled and wrapped again in a tin-plated copper wire mesh. Outside that mesh is a flame-retardant PVC inner cover and a braided nylon sleeve. Internal crosstalk between pairs gets blocked by the foil. External EMI from power supplies, switching transformers, and other gear in the rack gets blocked by the copper mesh. The result is a clean signal path even in dense rack environments where a music streamer sits next to a power amplifier and a Wi-Fi access point.

RJ45 Connector Construction

The RJ45 plug housing is a fully shielded metal shell, not the bare plastic plug that ships on most Ethernet cables. The contact pins are gold-plated to 50µm, which is well above the 1-3µm typical for commodity Cat.6 cables. Lower contact resistance, no oxidation over insertion cycles. Inside the connector, the termination PCB is high-frequency FR-4 material, chosen to maintain stable transfer impedance through the plug rather than introducing reflections at the cable-to-jack handoff.

Flexible Without Sacrificing 10GbE

Because the cable uses multi-core wires instead of single-core, it stays flexible while still meeting the Cat.6A 10 Gigabit Ethernet specification. Cables that use stiff single-core conductors can put long-term mechanical stress on the RJ45 jacks of streamers, NAS units, and switches, eventually causing intermittent connections. The Matrix cable bends without forcing the connector.

Length Choice

The 2.0m length is sized for connecting a music streamer to a network switch or router inside a single rack or shelf. The 4.0m length covers the case where the streamer is in the listening room and the switch or NAS lives in a separate utility closet or office. Both lengths use the same conductors, shielding, and connectors, so the only thing that changes is reach.

Compatibility

Designed for Matrix Audio's MS-1, MS-1c, NT-1, TT-1, TS-1, and other network-connected components, but works equally well as a general-purpose Cat.6A audio-grade Ethernet cable between any music streamer or NAS and a network switch or router.

Matrix Audio CAT6A Network Patch Cord Specifications