A balun assembly includes a body portion having an opening extending therethrough, the opening sized to receive at least one radio-frequency (RF) cable therethrough, the RF cable transmitting a signal therethrough a signal having a wavelength, and a balun disposed within the body portion, the balun being folded to form a plurality of layers, the combined length of the layers being approximately equal to a quarter wavelength of the signal transmitted through the RF cable. A method of fabricating a balun assembly and an MRI system including a balun are also provided.