A HUGE AUDIOQUEST Interconnect Extravaganza!
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- Опубликовано: 19 апр 2018
- In this review, I riff about 9 different analog(RCA) interconnects from Audioquest to see if I can (1) hear a difference between em', and (2) gauge whether or not they are worth the price.
PRICE LIST
Tower $23.95 / 0.6m pair
Evergreen $32.95 / 0.6m pair
Chicago $74.95 / 0.5m pair
Golden Gate $65.95 / 0.6m pair
Red River $119.95 / 0.5m pair
Big Sur $97.95 / 0.6m pair
Mackenzie $179.95 / 0.5m pair
Sydney $155.95 / 0.6m pair
Yukon $299.95 / 0.5m pair
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THE PRIMARY SYSTEMS USED FOR THE EVALUATION
- SYSTEM A -
iFi Audio iDAC 2
Heed Audio Elixir integrated amplifier
Harbeth P3ESR
- SYSTEM B -
iFi Audio iDAC2
Holographic Audio PRE-25
Holographic Audio AMP-17
Harbeth P3ESR
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OTHER COMPONENTS USED DURING THE EVALUATION
AMR CD-777 , AMR AM-777, Vista Audio Spark, Dayens Ecstasy 3,
iFi Audio PRO iCan, iFi Audio RETRO STEREO 50, Tekton Design Double Impacts, Infinity Kappa 600's, Totem Acoustic Hawks, Mistral Audio LS 3/5a's, Mistral Audio BOW A-2's, Fritz Morel 6's, Totem Acoustic Sky's, Polk Audio LSIm 703's, MIT Cables CVT-2, Monster Cable Reference Interlink 2, Tune HiFi interconnects, Meze 99 Classic, Sennheiser HD800s, Hi-Fi MAN HE400i, Fostex 'Purple Heart', ZMF Atticus
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PRODUCT PAGE
www.audioquest.com/cables/ana...
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A special thanks goes out to Audioquest for sending all of these products to Zero Fidelity for review. An even bigger thanks goes out to the folks who showcased saint-like patience as life events delayed this review well past what is considered professionally acceptable. You guys rock!
So here's what I meant whenever I used the words 'noise floor': In a nutshell, I'm referring to the removal backround 'hiss/noise' which, in turn, allows the product to give each event within the recording it's own sense of space.
What would you recommend Denon x4500h plug into Emotiva XPA-DR3 amp. Without going nuts in price? I have a $50. gift certificate from Audioquest.
@@ross5506 Yes, noise floor. i hear you say that your own ears could not tell the difference, but the measurement equipment did. When i listen to music, i do no tmeasure things.
And looking at the equipment, when the noise floor is low enough, either way, you still will not hear it, even on higher gear. Our ears are not higher gear.
This is absolutely fantastic! Wonderful review. By far the best interconnect review I’ve seen and I would love to see similar videos from your channel, maybe speaker cables or power cables
Dude, this is all woo. There is no difference, at least not one that can be measured. So they fall back to voodoo, and suggest that while it can't be measured, it's there anyway. Ridiculous.
Very informative vid Shawn, great Job! Had my head spinning over cables for the past few days and you helped me clearing the ideas, at least in Audioquest territory :-)
I'm glad you finally finished this review. Keep on the good works!
In the last year I listened to few audioquest cables, and they sounds pretty awesome when you have good system to reveal them.
Thanks for sharing.
I really feel Audioquest has by far the most confusing/least intuitive product line out there. If they didn't have their history, established dealers, and (mostly) positive reputation, I can't imagine they'd be very successful. Thanks for sorting it out at least a little bit.
My little sheep agrees with you. Although I know a few companies that could give em' a run for their money. Wouldn't be kosher of me to mention em' though. :D
Bill Low likes to fool you by using these trademarked names which don't describe what kind of conductor. Is it TPC copper, LCOFC copper, or OCC copper? Bill Low lives in a 5 million dollar condo IN a Newport Beach shopping center. His property taxes are more than most people make in a year. Chalk that up to huge markups on Chinese wire. I'd rather use Oyaide or Mogami.
Because it's all marketing mumbo jumbo...
@@ZeroFidelity is it kosher for you to mention them now?
Another interesting and informative video. Pretty interesting how the audible results of the cables varies. I'm often looking for ways to improve the sound and videos like this are valuable to me. I really appreciate these videos because he communicates his experience and love of audio. He wants as many people as possible to experience great sound for reasonable prices. What's not to like? ) Keep up the great work!
As a former reviewer myself, I must give you high praise for tackling such a difficult and ambitious project as nine different audio interconnects. I especially appreciate how you gave the essential characteristics of each cable in a few short sentences. Otherwise, this review could have gone on for several hours! I think it was smart to stick to one very well-known line of cables and compare two of their lines against each other; also, that you covered a pretty broad price spread from very affordable to moderately expensive, but without getting into their "do I buy new audio cables or a new car" pricing levels. One thing that I did notice that struck me as strange is that the McKenzie cables you used were joined together except near the connectors whereas the McKenzie RCA interconnects I have are two separate cables. I also have their Evergreen cables for my cheaper systems and they are joined just like the ones you reviewed. I am wondering if Audioquest might have changed the McKenzie since this review is several years old and my cables are newer. In any case, I think you did a great job in covering a lot of ground on a very difficult subject!
Excellent review. My experience with Audioquest cables has been very good. It does seem to me that it is economical to purchase their cables after they have been superseded by a newer version. I did this when I got the Columbia RCA interconnects (replacing King Cobra), and the Gibraltar speaker cables (replacing Kimber 8TC). These older cables still sound very good, and I used the savings to purchase other audio equipment. This does assume the older cables will still be available. Thanks again for your work in providing valuable information to us audiophiles.
Great stuff. Informative for folks looking at making some changes (as I am). This may already be pointed out somewhere in the comments, but one point to make about the single versus dual cable setup is that some amps will have a large amount of space between the L/R inputs - more ground than a single cable can cover.
Very good and usefull review! I've been using audioquest cables for years and i hink that the higher you go the best they are. I tested a pair ok sky interconnects and they are the best i've ever heard. Thank you and good luck with your channel!
Thanks!
Thank you very kindly for this review. This information is hard to come by. Based on your assessment I’m using the Sidney interconnects and Type 4 (from another review of yours), as well as well as other Audioquest cables in a modest but high performance system. I am truly delighted with the results especially in the context of experience with much more expensive cabling and components. With reference to your comment about the lower noise floor, I did very much notice this. It’s difficult to describe but it’s unmistakable, and something I have not heard before using much more expensive cables and components. In fact, I attributed it to the speakers (KEF150’s) when I first heard it. Why did I comment on this and why is it important? Because it imparts beauty and grace to the reproduction of acoustic instruments that is breathtaking.
Would absolutely loooooove if you could do this with Audioquest speaker cables as well.
@Redpill Progressive and that would be incorrect. Go listen and see.
I recently did something similar I bought 3 cables from Audioquest at 3 price points thinking I would not hear a difference between my DAC and my Integrated. I was a little surprised the cables did make a difference. I purchased the McKenzie the Tower and the Golden Gate. The tower sounded more coherent and faster than the cables included in the box. The Golden Gate had more bass and fleshy but sounded slower than the tower. The McKenzie has the better bass mixed with the faster speed of the Tower. IMO the best to worst did not exactly follow the price. Best was McKenzie followed by Tower and then Golden Gate. So if you are on a budget pick the tower its pretty damn good and IMO better than the Golden Gate which is more expensive.
Thank you for taking the time to do a very informative video. Always appreciated. I think I would go for cheaper the range tower or evergreen being because its what I can afford.
Thanks for taking the time to do this
Great review as you said its all your listening experience.I moved from the evergreen to the big sur,where you can hear a noticeable difference in balance and depth,through my Kef ls50 wireless ii
Very well done review! I purchased the Mackenzie cable in XLR format for the cables between preamp and power amp based on your sincere review.
They are just the ticket and give the sound more dynamics, clarity and smoothness when compared to the basic "good" studio XLR cables. Thanks !
Also of note the cables in the first tier series do not seem to be available as balanced cables but they are available in the second tier.
Thanks so much for this review. I'm going to audition the red river.
Another great video on cables. Yup, I like and own Audioquest cables, after trying out other makes. They just suit my ears better.
On my mid-fi system (Forte 3's, Rotel 1592 integrated, Yamaha CD-600) I had been dancing around the the upper end over-forwardness typical with Klispch speakers and in a room that is acoustically reflective. Using the Yamaha DAC instead of the Rotel's with its Sabre DAC helped. Upgrading to the Evergreen interconnect improved dynamics over the stock IC but the listening fatigue factor did not improve. Then added the Golden Gate and immediately noticed a drop in upper range fatigue and a quite noticeable improvement in dynamics. Not sure if I want to move on up the IC ladder with a mid-fi system like this, but I must say it is now very tempting given what I heard with the Golden Gates.
I cannot understand the skepticism about "wire." It's true that we may be using variations in wire to color sound and to adjust tone, but it's not the same as just using DSP EQ which I am loathe to do because it corrupts the music in unacceptable ways. Wire coloration and EQ just sounds more "holistic" if you will. (Heads exploding about right now.)
Thanks Mr. Zero - you have been a help as always.
Thank you for this video. I'm upgrading from basic rca cables. I decided to try the Tower rca to rca cable and Tower 3.5 to rca cable.
Really enjoying binge watching your videos today.
Thank you, that review was really nice, it woul be interesting to see same cables on more testing equipment like more common Denon, Marantz, Sony or just what most people have home :-)
Thanks for the vid. In my experience interconnects are crucial when it comes to the fidelity and control of tone in a system. So good on you. Best regards
One of your best reviews! I do wish that Audioquest would make the Y part of their single cable offerings a little longer. Some of my equipment is dual mono, and the L-R connectors will not reach both channels. Fortunately, they make both the single cable and separate cables at all price points.
I had ordered the golden gate interconnects well before I saw this video and had to send them back because of what you stated. They would not connect to my dual mono amp. :(
Can you do a tutorial about the relationship between the sheep and the jet-fighter? How did they met for example? It looks like the sheep has 'hands', does this mean it can do a handstand?
So many questions...
How about making your own interconnects from a good bulk cable material?
Great video, would like to see one for USB cables like this. Another video for bass and mids like the one for the treble would be interesting too. Keep up the good work. Have been watching this channel quite often.
Thanks for the suggestions Hugo! Funnily enough, I have some USB cables hanging around - to include the Audioquest Carbon that I purchased many years ago. It's something I may do later down the line. Cheers!
Thanks to you and this video I’m replacing my two evergreen rca and my older viper for three golden gate rca cables
Great video! Love it.
My personal experience:
Speaker cable - Nordost Blue Heaven, very slight change in sound. Very slightly tighter bass but got it as eye candy lol
Interconnects - using Chord C-Line ... they sound fine. Got a pair of home made simple XLR ... sounded fine.
Mains - got the Isotek Evo3 Premier & Sequel ... no difference. Maybe the components are properly manufactured
Thinking of some good branded power conditioners but just worry there will be hardly any to no improvement if I spend $1.5k 😂
Thoroughly enjoyed this review! Would be great if you could look into Audioquests speaker cables rocket 88 and upwards price wise.
I was going to ask the exact same question!
Thanks for this, and thanks for telling them to be civil.......cables are cool speaker and interconnects......ive had great results for sure.
Great review, very helpful. Thanks a lot, keep it up!
Great comparison video. Thanks for the list of cables and prices in the description.
I only have two AudioQuest, they're both connected to the turntable, for transporting the low level phono signal. An AudioQuest Big Sur and Saturn Groundgoody.
This is mainly because both of shielding and cable capacitance.
All other cables are non-prefab. I have three types of cables on reels: speakercable, unbalanced cable and balanced cable.
The only thing I have to do is to cut them off to length exactly as I want it and always solder/screw top line Neutrik connectors onto them.
If your soldering skills are decent and pay attention while doing so, you always know for 100% sure that your cable construction is good! 👍
Thank's for your knowledge and taking time to share your experience with audio. I watch every one and have learned quite a bit and value your opinions..... 😊.. There's a positive comment .. Lol... Thanks bro✌
hehe Thanks Trey!
Wow great job on the video, a the reviews! My first observation was how well built the Tower (entry level) cable was. I mean for the price point the build quality looks awesome! Where you are into tone, I am a build quality freak. Second observation, in my humble opinion, the 23.95 a pair, to the 119.95 a pair seem to to be a lot of bang for the buck.
Thanks. Yeah man, I'd say there are many products in this video that make for an easy guilt-free solution.
Nice review and comparison, thanks.
Last time you did a video about cables, I was very skeptic about it, but still gave those audioquest speaker cables a try, and it made a huge difference in sound. Since then, I am opened up to a new world. Ill take these into consideration!
Hey man, good on you! I think we are all skeptical about something. Hopefully many things! But being skeptical is easy. Going beyond your comfort zone to giving something a try? That's a lot more difficult, and is something that few people actually do. So congrats man! I'm glad everything worked out for you!
You're review was so right on as I tried both Audioquest Big Sur and Sydney and they were soulless/cold with no warmth or dynamics. Could you recommend RCA cables that are both warm and rich with dynamics? Thank you.
I found this review very helpful. I was somewhat reluctant to place an order due to all the negative comments I had read about upgraded cables, but I believe that better materials, and more effort/attention to detail during production must be worth some sonic value. I went with the Evergreens, and a Forrest coaxial for my DAC. They made a positive difference in all areas, I would never go back to the no name rca cables they replaced.
here is my experience since i bought svs sound path and ultra Interconnect.
In all honesty i could not tell a difference between that cable and various well known rca brands like mogami, choseal, skw, bluejeans and various garden hose cables from moonaudio on aliexpress. I know i sounds like a typical nom beleiver but that my honest experience. It also makes sense since somewere along the cable chain, your signal will have to travel through "generic" wires inside the amplifier and speaker itself. I have am elac debut 2.0 tower system powered by a hypex nc252 power amp incase you ask. There only thing that did matter was the tightness of the rca end on a subwoofer.
great review!! Being 100% honest I was never disappointed by an Audioquest product, many people hate them, I have only good things to say about the interconnects and also the speaker cables.
Thanks! Glad your experiences with their stuff has been positive!
My thoughts exactly!
True ! Don't know why people hate AQ.
And their prices are reasonable also...
Glad you took on a cable review. Especially from a respected company that offers some good value. Been using their cables in my system for years. I've started out with diamondback, king cobra, etc. Use their eagle eye digital connect for transport to a dac. A great cable. My advice is don't listen to the dbs series as you will feel more $$ disappearing from your wallet along with a lower notice floor and more of everything. It's not fun replacing all them special little batteries in them dbs cables either lol. Found that out with a pair of audioquest sky interconnects. I think it's the pure silver they use sorta like in the Sydney just less. I have had these cables hooked up to different components and like in your review. Sometimes no difference and with more resolving components you could immediately hear it. System synergy with cables comes into play as you found out. Though I think audioquest has that rare capability to make most stuff sound better than the free or other budget cables. Thanks for the honest review !
Thanks for the video!
Thanks! Good review!
Just purchased big sur, sydney & rocket 33. What do think about the burn-in period and and how large of a diff it will be. I put them all on and seems rolled off but slowly opening up.
I kept getting an RF static sound through my amp. I thought better shielded cabled would help. After dropping $200 for a pair of patch cables, the noise actually got worse, but the actual signal was much brighter with less amp volume needed for the same loudness from the speakers. How can the RF noise be elliminated?
Hello from Japan:). I use the Golden Gate and love it. Are you planning on doing reviews on the balanced cables? My CDP and Integrated amp is equipped with balanced connections and was wondering if there will be any difference. Thanks always for the great reviews!!
just got the Golden Gate as my 1st AQ product. lower noise floor was the main thing for me =)
Hello , you make test with ceap cables , but i appreciate yours review . I am elec engineer , i test almost all cables firms , no cables sound like others , but people need a have a very good systems for hear this differences , otherwise it's only empty commentlessly .. I like Aq cables and i use expensive cables from Audioquest . All the best
Thanks for this!
Thanks for taking the time to do this review. Cables are largely system dependent, IME.I was surprised you heard almost no difference between the Big Sur and the Mackenzie since the Mackenzie use silver plated plugs. I've settled on the Big Sur for now, but what I really want are the Yukons with the high quality gold plated plugs (used for the Red Rivers). I have the Yukons and they're great, but I find the silver plated plugs just give the high frequencies a little too much edginess that I can't live with. I prefer gold plated copper.
thanks so much my golden gates sound awesome compared to regular cheap r.c.a. and my ears will take the Pepsi challenged I notice the difference big time thanks Sean !
Wow, great and very accurate review! The Audioquest line has a few too many products to comprehend quickly...took me a while...but I settled on the Big Sur. Best value and audio improvement for the money. Those who say ‘cables can’t really make a difference’...either have a system that is not transparent, or there is something unbalanced in their components. Also, they don’t have a great set of ‘ears’. I have an ‘intermediate’ audiophile set up...Bryston B60, B& W DM603 speakers, IsoAcoustic Aperta 200 stands. Silicon fret under all components...Cambridge Audio phono preamp, Vintage Thorens TD150 MKII(1979).....Ortofon blue cartridge...’platter Matter’ silicon/rubber mat...Bi-wired speakers/amp...had an old THX monster RCA cable connection from phono-preamp to Amp....sounded warm and awesome($35...20 yrs old). The cable was the weakest link...got a short Big Sur....and WOW! (EU pressings of Radiohead albums)....dynamics! Separation! Depth! Clarity! Extended bass! Details! ....warmth too. Best $135 CND I ever spent. Bottom line...what is the weakest link in your system? Start replacing from the top down...cables can’t improve a system with poor components. If everything in your system matches well, and you choose cables to match that ...you will hear improved sound...expensive cables will amplify weaknesses in a poor system or negate cable upgrades. My old Thorens isn’t ‘the best of the best’...but it is built like a tank...big bearing...huge steel platter, huge pulleys.(tone-arm could be improved). Bryston amp is neutral but ‘reference’ quality....it’s almost 20 yrs old but still blown away most modern builds. Cables make a MASSIVE difference in the right system.
Nice video on the Audio Quest line up
Great review. Shawn, Do you think the Big Sur cables offer a warmer sound vs. the Sydney cables (at the cost of less detail vs. Sydneys)? Thank you
Hadnt seen this before and thank you. I happened to buy two sets of one metre Tower at £20 each just yesterday .
Happy.
I mainly listen to Rock, pop and some classical through an A class old but nice Arcam and a matching SA CD /Streamer. My late Dad owned the amp and I paid a reasonable price for the second hand CD.Player. Never tried DACs. Never had SA CD nor A class amp before. Into Quad L12s
I bought a set of Audioquest Ruby cables back in the mid 90's with my Arcam 7 amp,Marantz se cd player,Ruark Talisman speakers and Audioquest Midnight speaker cables.I got them used from the local audio specialists outlet.I made friends with the guys there and was able to borrow stuff regularly.One thing I did notice was that when I i tried high end cables or cables containing silver I got a very harsh sound and ended up losing the warmth.I even tried the new version of the Ruby which also sounded harsh and bright.I still have the original Ruby today which just works.If anyone tries to tell you cables create a placebo effect they are doing themselves and the people they are trying to convince,a disservice.Sound is energy and different metals transfer sound in a different way.It is a physical thing...just like components in a piece of kit change the sound...this is not imagination.If you think it is placebo then you are better off with a different pastime.
I had AudioQuest forest USB interconnect between my PC and DAC for years. I know cables make a difference, analog interconnects and speaker cables, from personal experience with some very pricey stuff. Somehow never considered a USB connector to be of much importance. I used the forest because it was a quality cable and fairly inexpensive. Recently I bought the Carbon USB cable after reading some positive reviews. WOW! what a difference. Should have known!
Hi Sean, great review, your videos are great! I would like to know what do you think about interconnect rca cables with DBS 72 v? Did you try something like Columbia or Colorado? How they sounds compare to non DBS cables in this review?
Hi, thanks for the awesome video! Do you also have any experience with dedicated subwoofer interconnects?
I used to have a Tower, I'm holding Golden Gate and Sydney. If you go Hi Fi orientation, start from Golden Gate. Tower is just better than or same as average cable.
I got my AudioQuest golden gate aux cable a few weeks ago and it actually sound better than the other cables I have.
And I was 100% sure it was not a placebo effect because they claim it is conducting higher frequency signals better and that was true.
I connected it to relatively high end headphones in the 350$ price range and it did sound more clear.
But it seems like the bass is slightly lower in volume because when I used it with larger speakers it reduced the bass rumbling alot.
The subwoofer made the wall shake with the regular aux and when I did use the AudioQuest Golden Gate cable the wall did not shake at all and it was tested at the same volume and on the same part of the same song. So it definitely reduces the ammount of bass. The bass is not bad it sound cleaner but it is also lower in volume.
When the wall stopped shaking when I switched cable I was 100% sure it was not a placebo effect.
Yeah I just compared a Sydney to budget RCA set and the bass volume dropped with the Sydney but it also cleaned it up. With a subwoofer you can just turn up the gain a bit to compensate. The bass is quite clean & punchy. I would say bass was the biggest difference. If I were using just a 2.0 system instead of a 2.1 I would stick with the $10 RCA's. The bass is still good its just warmer and a little fatter which can be pleasing sometimes. The Sydney improved imaging & mid-range a bit too but nothing too crazy. I wouldn't pay retail prices for these. I got it used so not a bad incremental improvement. I thought about trying out a Golden Gate but it sounds like a similar experience to the Sydney.
The first rca cable I bought to connect my cd player to my tube integrated amp was the Audioquest Tower, it was affordable After a few months it started developing a hum. I replaced it with the Evergreen, it cost a bit more but had a better sound. After 6 months the signal on one channel disappeared, after twisting it, the sound came back. I grew tired of the sound loss and threw the cable away. My new rca cables are from Amazon and I'm satisfied with it.
Haha....it totally brought a smirk to my face the way you began this video. Good on you for laying down some ground rules for those on either side of the fence relating to this often controversial topic.
Whilst I sit on the fence mostly, by not having strong thoughts either way, I also do buy decent cables for my systems (& have done so over the years). Currently using Chord 'shawline' xlr's mostly.
Do I think they sound better than alternatives? That's neither here nor there to what I would really like to comment on, that was more a background comment.
What I don't understand to those doubters in particular who simply claim 'snake oil' - "show me the measurements?" is this:
Speakers, amps etc have measurements and for that matter so do some cables. But, why do they sound different if the measurements are virtually the same, that is if comparing 2 speakers or 2 amp for example with virtually identical measurements?
Easy enough to answer....different components, drivers, cabinets and so on. Therefore, what did the measurements actually tell about how they sound?
Sound is subjective. What we as individuals hear is not exactly the same as the next person. Further, what sounds desirable to 1 person may not to the next.
Nothing compares to getting that new piece of audio gear and trying it at home in your personal rig. So, I don't see why that should differ with cables?
If you hear a difference great, if not, no big deal. If you choose to spend extra purely because you believe the construction may lead to longevity or better results great. If not that's your choice also.
It really need not be such a controversial topic imo.
Do I want to spend crazy amounts on cables no. What I consider a crazy amount may not be what you'd consider a crazy amount.
Power cables some consider crucial and there are plenty of measurements for those. The problem with that is...that ones power lines etc are not the same as the next and certainly different from country to country. So, once again, I tend to view measurements not overly helpful in terms of aiding me with such a purchase. I'd need to test at home and decide afterwards.
Cheers!!! 🍻
I wonder if measurements focus on just the cold hard cable basics and electrics, or actually replace speakers with computers that turn the "sound" back to digital and display the songs as spectograms? That would be a better measurement imho, way more data for comparison, one could clearly see how the output frequencies change from cable to cable, where everything else is the same in a setup. The spectogram could be a digital unbiased ear. Are there experiments like this?
So funny, just yesterday I spoke with Ron from AQ and asked him the differences between the different levels of interconnects
I don't know who Ron is, but I'd imagine he had his work cut out for him. :D
Zero Fidelity you would be right! we were emailing and he said "just call me.. I'm not about to type out a book" haha
I'm in the camp that goes like this. As long as it's long or short enough. It works when I plug it in and it doesn't introduce a buzz / noise. Also doesn't cost in the hundreds of dollars I'm good with it.
I admit I'm a bit skeptical but I'm willing to try out some borowed cables from a friend to see if there is a difference or not. In the end, I think that even if there is a bit of a placebo effect involved, who cares? If it sounds better to me (even if its my imagination) it was worth it.
Question for you, in order to see the real difference between cables, wouldn’t I need to have the entire system wired with the same cables? I’m using a Bluesound Node 2i (streamer) Rotel RSP-1576mkii processor and Rotel 5ch amp. The split connectors (bridges etc.) don’t reach to different RCA in’s on amp so I would need about three sets either way. Currently only have a pair of evergreens, Thanks!
hold on now, we are discussing feelings here not science ;)
Sean, I realise this is one of your older videos, but I'm really starting to come around to something that I've read in several places - the further we go up the ladder in this crazy hobby, the more important it is to hear a *complete* system in an environment designed to showcase that system at its best. I know I'll cop plenty for that - the spectre of placebo and dealers pushing their most expensive gear on you - but just buying a swathe of 'Highly Recommended' toys and slapping them all together is Russian roulette - been there, done that.
I appreciate the fact that you heard a difference from one system vs the other with certain cables - whether I'd hear the same difference is a tougher question but I think you approached this with the right attitude. I know your speakers tend to be passive and you have several amplifiers to drive them, but I've long thought that an excellent test for cables would be a blind test with two pairs of active speakers, where the only (external) variable between source and speakers is the interconnect. Level-matching should be easier and having someone change interconnects (preferably XLR) between tests seems a lot simpler for mine than messing around at the back of an amplifier. Like everything else, that could quickly get expensive but folk like yourself seem to have access to more gear than the rest of us (my assumption).
Thanks for the video.
For some reason my schiit audio saga s is really sensitive to what cable for pre out, I have one quite expensive rca and the rest is cheaper but the cheaper ones all have a lot of buzz and the expensive one almost none.
Have you tried the QED Profile cable? I'm waiting for a comparison with the Tower
I appreciate the video. You explained it in a way that makes sense, separating the two lines by "you just get more of it;" more of a headphone or on-the-go use and the other being a bit thicker like for home. I've got a Chicago on loan from a friend, that also helps me get an idea of the look and feel.
He also sent me a Coffee USB. That made a significant difference between using a $15 cable from Amazon between my streamer and DAC. A huge difference, actually. Then, he sent me a link to a Dragon USB. He purchased it for $250 - that's a $700 USB cable! I waited to see if what he got was fake or whatever and it was the real deal. I ordered and it came yesterday, but I've not had the chance to compare it with the Coffee. I don't expect a big difference, but I got the Diamond cheaper than a Coffee. It's just an open box.
Dec 2022 upgrading all my interconnects 'now''. Mostly Evergreen and on pair Golden Gate. These are more than double the price shown.
My opinion with these audioquest cables in this video is, when you use their cables with SOLID PERFECT-SURFACE COPPER+ (PSC+) CONDUCTORS. The first cable is the Red River cable that use this. Everything below the red river cable use SOLID LONG-GRAIN COPPER (LGC) CONDUCTORS
Infected topic to say the least. Im happy with my old AQ-interconnects (Sidewinder and Diamondback) and have no plans of upgrading. Would I be able to hear a difference between them and newer/"better" models? Maybe, but I would rather use my money to buy a new stulys or something. Nice Gripen-model by the way. :)
If you're happy, don't change a thang'. Oh, and the Gripen says thanks! :D
I'm thinking of buying some audioquest speaker cable for my totem tribe towers and devialet expert 220 Pro CI. Not sure what to aim for tbh. Nice video. Were these cables run in or straight out of the box? Are you going to be doing AQ speaker cables too?
Awesome to see your review comparing the main AQ interconnect range. What music did you listen to when comparing the cables?
Golden Gates for the win - appreciate the reviews
I stayed away from AQ cables for a long time influenced from "smart" people calling them snake oil until i decided to try my self. I have tried Nrg-2, Nrg-4, Water, Rocket 33, Rocket 44, Rocket 88 and Carbon USB. They all are among the best i have heard in their price range and worth every penny. I do not know if the batteries do anything but batteries or no batteries all the above cables kick ass and i have tried many brands over the last decade
Hehe. I'm glad you like them . You know, it's funny. During the evaluation process, I made it clear that I tried a lot of their products in the past and didn't really care for what I heard. I honestly expected to send all of this stuff back without a review. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to experience what I'd refer to as a nice maturation in sound. The old stuff always struck me as sounding gritty, slightly thin, and unrefined. Heh. In hindsight, it woulda been a whole lot easier if I walked away with the same impressions - but hey, I'm happy for them and I'm happy for people like you who took a chance and ended up loving what ya heard!
Zero Fidelity I feel the same way. Had some aq speaker cables in the 90s and thought they were meh. A little lacking in decay and attack wasn't as clear as some kimbers but since I tried the tower, I was impressed for what it did for 20 bucks.
When it comes to USB Ifi makes better cables that probably actaully cost less money. The Mercury 3.0 with an Ipurifier 3 is the best you'll get.
The AQ Sydney is a pile of audiophile fun.
Hey, been googling the AQ Sydney & Chord Clearway. Recommend the Sydney? Thanks!
Do you know what kinda 5687 tubes you have in your AMR AM77? (off topic, I know).
How would these compare with Cardas Clear ~$2000?
I'm only really just starting to take hifi a bit more serious.
I considered Audioquest, but veered towards Chord Clearway as I already had Clearway speaker cable. Plus I was told the silver on the plugs of the Clearway give a brighter sound than gold-plating.
I think I had bought Audioquest I'd always wonder if the Chord were better.
To get to the resolution of what’s good enough and what is snake oil... we have often followed what the medical industry uses for their equipment... where noise floor and other indices actually matter. That industry has done a great job of getting to what works without going overboard when it comes to signal, power cabling & isolation. One of the biggest gains I have ever heard is actually paying most attention to the power cable going to the music source e.g. disc player or digital lossless player.
After studying medical interconnects there’s a theme; good sealed OFC and attention to detail at the connection from wire to termination at the connector are the focus areas.
Also I learned that skin effect supposedly only affects 100Khz and up and doesn’t occur in the cabling or lengths we use in audio... I saw the measurements as this is something can be captured and I found it interesting to see that as a non-issue and if you have it you’re doing something really wrong lol.
I take the biggest issue when AQ claims that their cables actually have a direction that yields better flow for electrons.... unless you’re slipping diodes or any other one way gate in a wire that conducts has no one way street disparity.
After seeing that being claimed by AQ and directionality I lost any respect I had for them and they’re just soaking the willingness of the high money suckers out there that know no better. It’s quite sad. But hey more power to AQ to milk that market.
I have carver tfm 45 and tfm-35 amplifiers and carver c-1 preamp and a denon dcd 800ne and elac uni-fi uf5 looking at audio quest Golden gates cables
My wife said; there is a very nice picture on the Audioquest packaging.....
I use the Tower cables between my tuner and amp, cassette deck and amp, decent enough cable. Sadly these cables all have poorly designed phono plugs that are very difficult to remove if tightly inserted.
Believe it or not, I use AQ cables in my vehicles. Their “Carbon” series usb to lightning for connection of an iPhone to the head unit. I can say I heard a difference between the Carbon and the stock Apple cable. The main reason I bought them is for durability, but they sound superb. A little pricey though.....$260 for a 10’ usb cable, but their “Diamond” series is around $1500!! I guess you get what you pay for? Maybe?
Great review, I can't believe I missed this when it came out. I do have a question about the snake series. What is your opinion of the King Cobra rca? I like the fact ot uses their PSC+ copper and they are still avail at around $180.
How does the King Cobra compare to the ones in this review?
Thanks again for all your time.
I would be fascinated to see how the SVS soundpath interconnects compared to some of these audioquest cables. I'll probably do some experimenting with the SVS and perhaps Evergreen but I'm afraid I may not know what to listen for.
go with digital coax. there is no good reason to use "rca" when coax is far superior. and cheaper. but please dont take my word for it, like this video requests. do the research. but dont believe claims of what people can "hear". cables are science and are not subjective regardless of what these manufactures want you to believe.
Thought I would comment just before I start this video. Yesterday, I bought audio quest “red river“ RCA interconnects and a Blue Sound node streamer from my local dealer. 200 bucks for the cables. Haven’t plugged them in yet and I’ll see how they seem to be later. Honestly, if they don’t sound much better than these very cheap ones I’m running already, I don’t care. Reason is I want to support my local dealer who has a wonderful audio extravaganza every year with great food and booze all you can eat and drink completely free. I have gone to this event for many years now. So, that’s why I’ll go ahead and spend my money with them and not too worried about something like cables at this price. They did tell me if I don’t like them to bring them back but that’s not going to happen. Please support your local dealers when possible. Best wishes and happy listening to all!
Mark
Results? Conclusions?
I want to go to RMAF and stand up and shout, “Do cables really make a difference?” and watch the room part like THE RED SEA...lol. BTW I use the Audioquest Dragonfly with my CIEMS..
Although your review is purely subjective but I appreciate your effort. I am currently looking to buy a pair of interconnects and this video was really helpful. Your video on speaker cable influenced me to buy audioquest rocket 88. When I hook those up , I heard instant 'positive' change in sonic signature over my old speaker cables (Blue Jean). But the wow effect disappeared fast as my ears got used to the sound quickly.
Waitaminutesilly now try switching back ;) It’s like listening to hi rea and getting used to it untill you hear mp3 again and feel like stabbing your ears
I'm not a cable skeptic and don't doubt your findings at all but after trying several different brands at several price ranges (including Audioquest) I eventually made my own analog interconnects. The recipe which I found on another website is basically cheap Switchcraft 3502AU RCA connectors and Belden 8402 microphone wire soldered with good old Kester solder. I built another pair with twisted Duelund copper & cotton oil wire. Total cost for either is under $25/pr. I know of a company who uses this exact same recipe for their entry level cables which sell for $300/pr. Their TOTL cables sell for $4800. My speaker cables are good old, stiff, utilitarian looking Naim NACA5 that I've owned for years. I do however own a rather pricey Siltech digital coax cable. Digital audio requires more technical skills and I prefer to leave that to the pros.
Mike - I have two of those same exact interconnect cables. Good stuff. :)
A few buddies with really nice setups have adopted them as well, and these guys aren't working with a tight budget like I am. BTW I'm quite sure the company that I previously referred to got their ''secret'' recipe from the same place we did. They just branded and covered theirs with a colorful sleeve and marketed aggressively afterwards. I've met them on several occasions when they were working as sales staff in a local hifi shop. I doubt they have much more technical knowledge the we do. But hey, good for them if people are willing to pay for their products. It's legal.
Mike, you have it backwards for the digital stuff. You don't need more signal preservation, and you can use far less. Digital delivers a perfect signal with crazy low S/N ratios! The cable we use in TV stations to move HD-SDI (the pro equivalent to HDMI) over long distances is the same stuff that your "cable guy" runs to your house. Audio runs through Cat. 5e Ethernet cable. At home I use Tripp-Lite (the UPS company) fiber. I have no idea why they make it, but it works and fits my spec.
I thought digital coax was all the same until I started sending 24-192 signal to my DAC. All cables worked up to 24-96 but not all were able to do 24-192 without stutter/drops. Of those that couldn't cut it with 24-192 were cables that I carefully assembled using DHLabs D-75 Silver Sonic digital cable and DHLabs Silver Sonic plugs and old Monster digital cable. Inexpensive Blue Jeans Cables worked up to 24-192 but, to my ears, lacked transparency compared to some others. Black Cat worked but sounded thin. Siltech were flawless but outrageously expensive.
Mike, a lot of consumers are reporting problems at 192 kHz sample rates. The simple fact is that not a lot of hardware that claims 24/192 can do 24/192 reliably. The solution for home use is to quit maxing out everything with no good reason. Using good quality cable helps, but only to the extent that you need more bandwidth for higher bit rates. After you fix the go/no go situation, claiming that fancy cables make a bit stream sound different is complete and total baloney.
Unless quantifiable and measurable, snake oil. How hard is it to hook these up to an Oscilloscope
The Tobey Maguire of cable reviewers 😎
* after he's spent Christmas eating a lot of cake 🤭
Have you ever try the blue jeans cables?
We would love for you to do double blinded test between Amazon vs Audioquest audio cables.
Speaker cables/Power Cables/Interconnects are like Aliens…you don’t believe in them until you actually see them/experience it first hand. Then you have that “OMG Holy $%!#” moment when you realize that everything you believed before is false. lol