Hi Brett,
These are true AIR TUBE cables, and yes the tubes make the cables stiffer. I recommend 15X diameter minimum bends (15x 0.320")= 4.8"or about 10 inches diameter. Also, the XLR by their nature require the cable to “twist” some to align the connector to the socket. The twist is absorbed in the LENGTH of the cable, so go too short and that twist can’t be properly relieved into the cable structure. Teflon will “relax” and take a set over time. So future use gets easier but you CANNOT kink the cable! The cables sound so good based on the requirements of the design and a reasonable 1.5 meter length or so.
Race cars are a pain to drive as they are mad to go FAST, not be easy to use. We have a BAV (Belden Audio Video) design of the RCA and XLR that is VERY flexible for studio use. It uses cheaper, more flexible plastics for near the same electricals (Teflon is better) for those that truly need the high FLEXIBILITTY and yet want better sounding cables. The BAV cables us the exact same electromagnetic design. They use a SINGLE wire design so as to be more robust in a studio. They are a self healing air core design that only Belden has.
Galen Gareis