AudioQuest Mackenzie RCA Interconnect Cable (Cinch/RCA)

The AudioQuest Mackenzie is an analog interconnect cable with Cinch/RCA connectors that combines the triple-balanced geometry of the River series with Hard-Cell Foam insulation and carbon-based noise dissipation.

Why the Mackenzie?

Two components change above the Red River. The insulation switches from foamed polyethylene to Hard-Cell Foam, a plastic foamed with nitrogen that encloses many fine air pockets while remaining dimensionally stable – so the cable's geometry barely changes even when it's bent. And the simple metal layer gives way to a three-layer, carbon-filled Noise-Dissipation System. The separate ground-reference conductor and the solid PSC+ conductors remain, and the connectors are cold-welded and directly silver-plated onto Purple-Copper.

What you get

A terminated stereo pair with directly silver-plated RCA connectors in lengths from 0.5 to 6 metres, special lengths on request. Priced per stereo pair. Systems wired in balanced fashion reach for the XLR version of the same model.

Who is the Mackenzie suitable for – and who isn't it for?

To be blunt: on a system that mainly runs in the background, the extra cost over the Red River is hard to justify. But if you're connecting a high-quality source device to a matching amplifier and want to eliminate every avoidable interference, this is where you get the more thorough shielding and the more stable geometry.

Our verdict

The Mackenzie is the River series' upgrade stage that you mainly notice by the fact that nothing stands out anymore. Whether your system can take this step calmly is something we'll look at together – HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, 044 680 22 00, WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls), or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Technical data

• Type: analog interconnect cable (Cinch/RCA), unbalanced, stereo pair
• Series: River (upper class)
• Conductors: solid, Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
• Geometry: Triple-Balanced, with separate ground-reference conductor
• Dielectric: Hard-Cell Foam (nitrogen-foamed)
• Noise dissipation: carbon-based 3-layer Noise-Dissipation System
• Connectors: Cinch/RCA, cold-welded, directly silver-plated onto pure Purple-Copper
• Lengths: 0.5 / 0.75 / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 m (price per stereo pair)
• Included: 1 stereo pair of Cinch/RCA cables, fully terminated

Frequently asked questions

What is Hard-Cell Foam, and why not just plain foam?

Hard-Cell Foam is foamed with nitrogen, which encloses many small air pockets while remaining dimensionally stable. The conductor keeps its position within the cable even when you route it tightly behind the rack. Soft foam would deform when bent.

How big is the gap to the Red River?

Two components separate the models: the insulation, which switches from foamed polyethylene to Hard-Cell Foam, and the noise dissipation, which is three-layer and carbon-filled instead of a single metal layer. The conductor material and the triple-balanced construction with separate ground conductor, on the other hand, are identical in both models.

Does the Mackenzie help against hum in the system?

No cable helps against genuine ground loops – that needs proper star grounding or an isolation transformer. But the Mackenzie effectively keeps high-frequency interference away from the ground plane. Describe your hum problem to us on the phone, and we'll narrow down the cause together before you spend money on a new cable.

What's the case for getting the Mackenzie at HD Zürisee?

We know both River stages from everyday use and can tell you when the extra cost is worthwhile and when the Red River is enough. We sort out custom termination and the Cinch-or-XLR question at the same time. Our team in Wädenswil can be reached by phone, WhatsApp, or email.

Goes well with

Balanced connections can be found in the XLR cables, more unbalanced ones in the RCA cables; the entire range is in the AudioQuest collection.