A HUGE AUDIOQUEST Interconnect Extravaganza! 

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

Would absolutely loooooove if you could do this with Audioquest speaker cables as well.

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 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.

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! 👍

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.

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.

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.

I'm glad you finally finished this review. Keep on the good works!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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 :-)

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.

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!

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✌

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 !

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

Thoroughly enjoyed this review! Would be great if you could look into Audioquests speaker cables rocket 88 and upwards price wise.

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.

Thanks for taking the time to do this

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

I just upgraded from Blue Jeans LC-1 to AQ Red River. Wow, the vocals no longer sound odd and there is so much more detail and realism. A perfect match to my system. I can now say I am a huge AQ fan.

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 😂

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...

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!

How about making your own interconnects from a good bulk cable material?

I dunno, man. I’d like to see a blind test where someone is switching cables at random and you have no idea which one is being swapped, and in some cases isn’t switching it at all, and a test like this would be done dozens of times, and then see what kind of consistencies you actually uncover. Would you be able to correctly identify each cable consistently? Would you end up at the same result on which one is “worse” to “best”?

Thanks for this, and thanks for telling them to be civil.......cables are cool speaker and interconnects......ive had great results for sure.

I'm not gonna say that there won't be any audible difference between different cables. But this video is highly exaggerated. Noise floor on a good system with standard cables is usually already dead silent, and if you're doing long runs, going balanced will fix that noise floor. So I just can't believe that you hear a difference between the noise floor of each cable. Even if it's true, it might be a flaw elsewhere in your system. About the tonal differences, I'm skeptical. Even if there are differences, they'll be minimal. Even measurements on different cables from basic to $1000+, show that the differences are so minimal that most people wouldn't be able to tell the differences in a blind A/B test. And those who do, consistently fail to accurately describe those differences, or decide on which one is more preferable. I've been active in the audio industry for quite some time, and have some experience with different high end systems, ranging from 10k+ audiophile hifi systems with expensive cabling, to professional recording/production studio's, to full size club/live performance systems. Frankly, the only factors about a cable that seem to make a real difference, are the cable thickness (For supplying enough power to high-end speakers) and balanced runs for long runs and interference prevention. I haven't met a single audio professional who ever bought into such expensive cables. Yet, those standard-cabled studio systems sound cleaner than the 10k+ audiophile hifi system with expensive cables. By no means do I intend to hate out of spite towards the cable controversy, but the fact that this video was sponsored by AudioQuest themselves makes me hesitatant on the authenticity of this review. Again, I won't deny that there can be an audible difference between different cables, but I just can't believe that the difference will be a definite improvement over standard cables.

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.

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.

just got the Golden Gate as my 1st AQ product. lower noise floor was the main thing for me =)

I liked a lot the review thanks!My experience was a little bit different:1.- I do agree that Golden Gate are a very good audiophile entry point, no doubt.2.- On my system, Makenzies were better than Big Sur (more definition, details and bass) - C2500 Preamp to Odyssey audio Amp3.- On my second system, Makenzie were better that Sydney (Openness, air) - Bluesound to Rotel Amp4.- Finally, Yukon sounds "better" that all of above, it has a detailed bass, fullness and... maybe lack the details on the highs (compared to Sydney). But Yukon is a more complete audiophile cable...Every system is different and, they may "react" in a different way. Try and error is the name of the game here... (it can become an expensive game)Do you want more? Move to the Element series :)I do believe that cables will not improve the sound, they will simply introduce less interference.Thanks again for the review.

Dec 2022 upgrading all my interconnects 'now''. Mostly Evergreen and on pair Golden Gate. These are more than double the price shown.

We would love for you to do double blinded test between Amazon vs Audioquest audio cables.

Thanks to you and this video I’m replacing my two evergreen rca and my older viper for three golden gate rca cables

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 :-)

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!

I'm a blue-collar audiophile but even I can spare $150 on cables! Hell, I spent that much on a record weight and they don't do SHIT!!

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

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

My wife said; there is a very nice picture on the Audioquest packaging.....

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.

The Tobey Maguire of cable reviewers 😎 * after he's spent Christmas eating a lot of cake 🤭

Great comparison video. Thanks for the list of cables and prices in the description.

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

"Rule #1...". Amen brother! Thank you for putting your foot down on the "League of Trolling Douchebags". No place is it worse than social media sites, no worse is it than in the audiophile community, and without question is it the worst on this topic. You have balls if iron my friend. (One of the reasons I subscribe) 😎✌️

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.

a group of us did a blind interconnect test. the cables were from a broad spread of price and quality claims , one had a key as part of the conductor (home made). No one could tell any difference between them , blind testing is the only way

Another great video on cables. Yup, I like and own Audioquest cables, after trying out other makes. They just suit my ears better.

I think that its funny how people dont know why they can't notice a difference. I personally believe in AudioQuest. In fact over the years its become my favorite brand of cables. I can easily recommend.

The AQ Sydney is a pile of audiophile fun.

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.

Really enjoying binge watching your videos today.

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.

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.

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'd like to see a blind A/B test.

It's only a question of diminishing returns in my book. Purchase cables proportionate to your systems within your budget..easy-peasy!

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.

Of cables make a difference. You wouldn’t use doorbell cable for your 3kw heater would you? Yes, audio cables are more complex than just current carrying capacity. Impedance, inductance, capacitance and shielding, all contribute to a cable’s sonic characteristics. But with cables, more than any other audio products, profit is paramount to the manufacturer and retailer! If you’re thinking of spending thousands on cables, don’t. Invest that money more wisely in better electronics or speakers. The benefits are far greater. You can get perfectly good, high performance cables for sensible prices.

Golden Gates for the win - appreciate the reviews

Blind testing would be awesome, wouldn't be any differences to discuss but would be great for potential buyers.

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. :)

Wow, this was a real gutsy thing to post, given how rabid the "objectivists" can get about such a topic. I used to be a cable skeptic but blindly reading the endless rants online from both sides answered absolutely none of the questions I had so I have experimented for myself and have pretty much the same conclusion as you: cables are wildly inconsistent. For instance, I use a Curious Cables and Monoprice USB cable interchangeably on my Chord DAC, and they can sound exactly the same when used with a regular PC via the case ports (I know, not the best ones to use), and remarkably different from each other when used with a laptop. I've used an Audioquest Cinammon USB cable in the past as well and while there was an obvious difference, hey sounded like crap and I've stayed away from AQ since. Cable tests like yours may not be "scientific" enough for the objectivists, but I rapid blind tests have done nothing for me. Extended listening and switching up to reduce personal bias, much like you did, and a fixed set of content and sources is a good way to discern differences between cables and whether your experience holds up over time. Great video, and I hope you make more like these. Lately, I've been experimenting with Blue Jeans Cable LC-1 and Morrow Audio MA1 interconnects. The BJC is a great budget cable, and Morrow Audio claims a lengthy burn in period with audio quality likely to fluctuate during said period, but I can't really claim this to be my experience after nearly 200 hours. That being said, I am experimenting with a home theatre based on the Denon X7200WA, Emotiva XPA-3 Gen3, and B&W CM10 S2 speakers. Perhaps home theatre systems just aren't resolving enough to benefit from such changes as more dedicated audio systems.

Hi Sean, you are brave in broaching this subject. I would not touch it with a 100 foot pole myself. To be honest, I am not into cables because I don't believe personally, that there is much to gain in them. (Unless of course you are using dollar store cables or having some problem with the ones you currently use, then you might want to fix that). Having said that, my philosophy on cables is this: Cables are much like speakers, they are personal in that the differences are in the ear of the beholder. In other words, everyone likes different speakers for one reason or other. It's a personal thing. I believe it is much the same way with cables. Everyone is different, some hear big differences between cables and some don't. Some hear huge improvements in their system using cable A or B or C, etc. and others hear subtle improvements or no improvement. So like choices in music, I see no reason to put anyone down for using whatever cables they use. It is their money and their system and has nothing to do with me and my system, money, etc. To put people down for anything involving audio and especially music is wrong on all levels in my opinion.

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?

After 25 years of buying high end cables, I finally discovered the truth (and no, it isn't that they're snake oil.) The cables are cumulative and they are impacted significantly by your power source. I have bought hundreds of Audioquest cables. What I have noticed is, in order to have a "difference" between a lower end cable to a higher end cables, you have to purposely design the cable to fail. Whether it is poor insulation, or poor materials, or poor geometry. As you move up the chain, you see better materials, better insulation and far better geometry. All those features have one true purpose: Maintain the quality of signal it received without damaging it further. As I stated previously, these cables are cumulative. Adding just the interconnects is good. Adding high end speaker cable is good, having a high power cable, if possible, is good. Put them all together and you have awesome. All these components have a chance at being mind blowing. I say that outside of the stereo equipment, the cables make up 50% of your sound quality. The remaining 50%...is power. Power is everything. The vast majority of people who have stereo equipment, no matter the value, have a tendency to neglect an extremely POOR chain in their link. The power outlet. Construction companies are going to throw in a .75 cent or best a $2.00 wall plug. It has no copper and its connectors aren't that tight. So you aren't pulling proper conductivity from the copper in your house and you aren't making the best conductive contact to your electric plugs. In fact, they cause micro-arcs which adds noise to your electric signal. That is in addition to the noise on the electric line coming from outside your house, into the cheap electric box and all the additional interference bleeding into your home or apartment's main copper lines. So, what you need is to first change your wall plugs to Hospital grade or higher. These plugs have higher copper content to maximize the conductivity from your home's copper wire. They have very tight connectors, which create a cold-weld. This creates better conductivity with fewer to no micro-arcs. Also, it means your device won't accidentally un-plug. Finally, get a line conditioner to clean any remaining noise (there will always be some amount of noise; it's inescapable). Cleaning up your power source allows your equipment to run at its top-most rated spec. It also means the equipment runs smoother, more efficient. The signal it transfers will be cleaner. This all expands your noise floor. Again, this is 50% of your sound quality. So if you skip buying expensive speaker cable and interconnects, you can dramatically improve sound by spending that money on cleaning your power; or you can skip power and spend it all on interconnects and speaker cable (although it is a bit cheaper to do power.) Just my very long two cents. :)

So funny, just yesterday I spoke with Ron from AQ and asked him the differences between the different levels of interconnects

I bought a Tower, modified it to sound better than a Yukon! Saved Money!

I liked your first rule. if i don't like a video I just move on. I don't own any Audioquest interconnects, but I do own a Pearl USB cable for my USB interface. Thanks for the comparison of each cable. I mainly use Blue Jean audio cables for my turntables and preamps.

Everyone says to get the Golden Gate. So I bought both the Golden Gate and the Evergreen and am going to compare them once they get in.

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!

Thanks so much for this review. I'm going to audition the red river.

Great review, very helpful. Thanks a lot, keep it up!

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!!

Old review but still relevant. Just changed from the Towers to the Golden Gate. Notable improvement all round. Worthy bang for buck upgrade.

Nobody else has the b@lls to make this kind of video. You are a dare devil Sean! ;-) Thank you.

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?

What bugs me and makes me doubt the usefulness of any premium cable is the face that the connections WITHIN the components in question (including speakers) are usually brutally simple and wimpy - in some cases just traces on a circuit board! How in the heck can using a 10 gauge super-shielded and insulated cable between to those components improve the sound at all? I will allow for a change in long lengths and where the original connectors are real crap though - that’s a slam dunk. The thing is, if you can’t measure a difference in conductivity, impedance or inductance between two cables over 1 meter, how can you hear one? Before you trash this comment, I’ll remind you of the recent “power strip challenge”. In my 40+ years of hifi experience, I’ve come to believe that, as in all other aspects of life, we hear and see what we want to. Once you begin to question what you once knew to be fact, you will begin to doubt everything. As they say in the Marines, “believe half of what you see and none of what you hear”.

Nice video on the Audio Quest line up