Capacitance is a key electrical characteristic in audio cable design. In simple terms, it is a cable’s tendency to store electrical charge. Excessive capacitance can affect high-frequency signal transfer, potentially narrowing bandwidth and reducing the sense of air and openness. Capacitance is measured in picofarads, or pF. One pico-farad is one trillionth of a farad. Typical audiophile interconnects can measure around 50 to 100pF per meter, while the Analog Reference measures just 1.3pF per foot, approximately 4.3pF per meter. That represents roughly 20x lower capacitance than a 90pF-per-meter premium reference point. Why does this matter? Lower capacitance reduces the cable’s electrical interaction with the high-frequency portion of the signal, supporting greater bandwidth and preserving details such as instrument texture, vocal harmonics, and spatial cues. This is where a pico-farad capacitance audio cable becomes especially important. Matthew Bond Audio approaches cable design by focusing on its electrical characteristics rather than simply adding heavier materials or construction. The result is a cable designed to let the recording reach the next component with minimal unwanted electrical influence.

A solid-core conductor provides a continuous conductive path without the individual strand interactions found in stranded construction. The rectangular geometry allows the conductor dimensions to be deliberately controlled as part of the electrical design.

The Analog Reference uses a pair of soft-annealed, 99.9999% pure copper conductors, each carefully threaded by hand through a small air-tube.

Each conductor is threaded by hand into its air-tube. This labor-intensive construction is central to the Analog Reference design.

The result is an ultra-low capacitance interconnect where conductor purity, geometry, dielectric environment, and spacing work together.

A pico-farad capacitance audio cable at 1.3pF per foot has dramatically lower capacitance than many conventional and premium interconnect designs. This low figure is part of the electrical strategy used to support high-frequency extension and wide bandwidth.

In listening terms, that design is intended to support greater openness, more air around instruments, stronger spatial separation, and clearly defined images within the soundstage.

This is why the best high-end interconnect cables are evaluated by more than materials and appearance. Electrical characteristics can be just as important to the design goal.

With the Analog Reference, the 1.3pF-per-foot figure provides a measurable foundation for the pursuit of an expansive, holographic presentation.

Matthew Bond’s work with audio conductors began in the 1970s through experiments with amplifiers, speakers, turntables, tonearms, and other components.

In 1984, he founded TARA Labs in Sydney, Australia, where he developed the first successful single solid-core conductor for audio use. His work continued through the 1980s and 1990s, including innovations involving solid-core conductors, rectangular conductors, floating conductors, dielectric materials, and vacuum dielectric concepts.

Solid-core conductor research began with Matthew Bond in the mid-1970s, while air-tube design originated with him in the early 1980s.

This 47 years of original audio cable engineering reflects decades of listening, measurement, experimentation, and refinement. It provides the foundation for the engineering approach behind today’s Matthew Bond Audio products.

For listeners comparing the best high-end interconnect cables, that depth of original design experience matters.

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