User Manual

CABLE THEORY

Page 22

AudioQuest SR-13/4 uses 4 color coded LGC copper conductors (14 awg, 2 sq.

mm). When used with 2 conductors for positive and 2 for negative, this is an 11 awg

(4 sq. mm) cable.

AudioQuest CV-4 is a small (0.26”) SST Hyperlitz cable using four solid PSC copper

conductors; 2 x 20 awg (0.52 sq. mm) and 2 x 17 awg (1.02 sq. mm). Overall CV-

4 is a 15 awg (1.54 sq. mm) cable. The dynamics and clarity will rearrange all your

cable prejudices. The four conductor geometry provides a superior balance of forces

between the opposing conductors. PSC copper signicantly reduces distortion within

the conducting material. SST technology reduces cable awareness and allows author-

ity and kick not otherwise possible in such a small cable. Use full range, or as the top half of a biwire

combination, or as an ideal single biwire cable in autosound applications.

How To Get The Most Performance Out Of Your Cables

Sometimes the cable marketing types do nothing except talk about connectors and terminations. It is

a serious mistake to think that connectors (and the way they look) are more important than the cable.

It would also be a mistake to ignore the connection interface.

In the section about interconnecting cables we have described AudioQuest’s very high quality propri-

etary RCA and XLR plugs. These plugs make an important contribution to performance-we are proud

of them.

Terminations for speaker cable are more complicated, only because there is so much misunderstand-

ing of the very simple priorities. The best connection is what is called a “gas-tight” or “cold weld”

connection, formed when the wire and the piece it is connected to have been pushed together with

enough force to cause a change in the shape of the materials at the surface where they meet.

When a spade lug is crimped around a group of copper strands, the strands develop at spots where

they touch each other and where they touch the inside of the lug. These at spots are gas-tight con-

nections. Because they are gas tight they will not oxidize or degrade. If this connection is soldered

after crimping, the solder cannot ow into the area where the metal is pressed together. The gas-tight

connection will continue to be the primary electrical pathway. If the connection had been soldered be-

fore crimping, the solder would be an additional material impeding the electrical pathway and contrib-

uting to distortion.

Sometimes speakers and ampliers have connection facilities that let you really screw down on the

incoming wire. If you were to connect a single strand (or two or three strands) directly to such a termi-

nal, you would have an ideal gas tight connection. F-14, Type 2 and Type 4 speaker cables can often

be used this way. However, most of the time the cable has too much metal to really make a proper

permanent connection without being “prepared” before being connected to the amp or speaker.

Historically, the most common form of “preparing” or “terminating” cable ends has been tinning (sol-

dering). This is still an effective solution for connecting to push-to-connect terminals. The solder will

prevent corrosion and the spring action in the push-to-connect will bite into the solder. This method is

superior to using hard gold plated machined pins-the round pins offer almost no contact area. Audio-

Quest direct-gold plated (#10GP, #14GP) or direct-silver plated (#10SP, #14SP) stamped pins are a

suitable alternative to soldering.