Before any part is utilized in a THOR interconnect, it must pass rigorous testing. Each connector must tolerate the extreme heat generated by the melting of silver solder at the point of termination. Each interconnect is calibrated to control high frequency roll-off behavior, group delay characteristics, resonance, and impedance behavior into a wide range of its intended load conditions. Proper strain relief is also a crucial factor in our interconnect design. It is important that the wire and connector have a seamless integration. Every pair is matched and tested for continuity and fit. All of these processes are done by hand, one interconnect at a time. This combination of quality parts and craftsmanship allow Philex to offer a lifetime guarantee against all manufacturers defects under normal use.

Impedance Stability and Interconnect Flexibility
The impedance of an interconnect is, in the large part, determined by the interconnect's geometry and the material from which the centre insulator is made. The dimension between the centre conductor and the shield of the interconnect, as well as the diameter of the centre conductor, all influence the interconnect's capabilities. During installation, as interconnects are bent, the internal segments (conductors, shields, insulators, etc.) must shift independently to allow easy movement. If the various layers of the interconnect do not slide easily over each other the dimensions between the layers can be altered which changes the impedance. Impedance changes affect the interconnect's ability to accurately conduct signals and cause negative effects on the interconnect/component interface.

Conductor material and purity
Most conductors and braided screening in the THOR Interconnects are manufactured from Oxygen Free Copper. The special non-contaminating insulation seals the conductors from air and moisture to prevent oxidation.

Dielectric core construction
During the development of the THOR range, we researched the ideal insulator materials and design of a particular interconnect. Years of testing and improvement have resulted in a dielectric molecular composition that not only minimises dielectric absorption (mainly effecting the inner detail in your music) but also prevents response overshoot, which occurs in many standard high frequency insulation materials that were not optimised for audio and/or radio frequencies. Our insulating dielectric material consists of Foamed PE, which exhibits a very uniform response from DC to well into the Giga Hertz frequency range. We employ Foamed PE core extrusions for optimal conductor placement and low capacitance, resulting in very low energy storage and neutral sonic characteristics. The special materials used in our interconnects were originally derived from our satellite interconnects, which are well known on the market for their ability to withstand wide temperature fluctuations in all weather conditions year in year out. The use of this technology for AV interconnects guarantees them to sound the same years from now as they do today; detailed, accurate, clean, and as full range as a interconnect can possibly be.
That is what makes our interconnects sound as good with 10 meter runs as they do in 1 meter lengths.

Gold-plated, Solid Brass Connectors
Every THOR Connector has been carefully designed and machined from solid brass and then plated with gold for protection against the potential for the deteriorating effects of contamination, corrosion resistance and good conductivity. The THOR connectors also provide maximum contact area which maintains maximum electrical connection to the system component to ensure uncompromising signal transfer and protection from atmospheric contamination, yet, allows ease of use. The result is enhanced signal transmission.

The parameters that determined the construction of the THOR connectors are:
1. Complete metal construction to shield out any stray signals that could cause sound colourations.
2. Super non-conductive insulator between connector pins and ground.
3. Directional arrows on the connectors where the direction of travel of the signal has been optimised to flow in the direction of the OFC atomic flow.

Shock absorption cord grip and interconnect flexibility
All too often overlooked by other engineers, but a very important aspect of a good interconnect design. Most interconnects are mishandled during installation, which can result in a far less satisfying level of performance compared to expectations.
The impedance of a coaxial interconnect is, in the large part, determined by the interconnect's geometry and the material from which the centre insulator is made. During installation, when interconnects are bent, the internal segments (conductors, shields, insulators, etc.) must shift independently to allow easy movement. If the various layers of the interconnect do not slide easily over each other the dimensions between the layers can be altered which changes the impedance. Impedance changes affect the interconnect's ability to accurately conduct signals and cause negative effects on the interconnect/component interface. The THOR interconnects have received special attention in this area to cut down drastically on such mishaps.

Grounding
A solid gun metal plated casing bonded to the passive shield and ground return path prevents contamination of the audio signal from radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI). Cold welding of the shield to connector body ensures a very low resistance ground connection. The substantial surface area and weight of the ground plane offers a far more stable platform that acts as the ideal ground reference. Signal distortions due to floating earth problems are therefore unheard of, compared to lesser quality leads.

Braided and solid shields for better noise reduction
Today's sophisticated home entertainment systems have far greater susceptibility to noise radiation and extraneous signal pickup. Our interconnect designs offer superior RFI and EMI noise rejection, that are smaller than the measuring equipment we employ. Having a perfect shield and interconnect geometry are absolute necessities, given the proliferation of noise sources in today hi-tech electronics and wireless devices. Only the most advanced materials, construction, and shielding methods can overcome this increasingly complex problem. To achieve a high degree of noise reduction, we use numerous methods of multiple shielding to make it possible to direct up to 100% of the electronic noise away from the program carrying conductor thus achieving the fundamental purpose of shielding.

Termination
Terminations were designed to allow for a direct, positive, hand-soldered and crimped connection of the terminating wire to the interconnect, with a minimum gap at the termination points. This careful planning allows for the full advantage of the interconnect to be heard. Special solder alloys and methods were adopted from many years of experience to mate with our interconnects and squeeze every last detail out of these unique designs.