Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable Review: 72V DBS Legit Science or Snake Oil?

Audioquest is manufacturer of premium audio and HDMI cables. Their website has a lot of marketing claims about their products such as "no defined characteristic impedance" while also claiming to have solved problems such as "skin-effect", "stand jumping", and "dielectric absorption". In this video, we discuss if these are truly legit problems in audio cables and if Audioquest actually solved them. We also take a look at their 72V DBS (aka. Dielectric Bias System) that the Thunderbird Zero Speaker cables employ. Is this legit science or snake oil?
Learn About Skin Effect: bit.ly/3cTStiZ
Learn About Dielectric Absorption: bit.ly/3sYRWSs
Learn about Speaker Cable Response: bit.ly/3fKzIQJ
Speaker Cable Short vs Long: bit.ly/38XZbBa
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#audiophile #cables #wire

[@bhoge2000]

I'm a mechnical engineer and an audiophile and you are doing the lord's work. Keep it up!

[@analogjames3429]

Go with Christ!

[@tonyrobles9070]

I've always thought these companies charged ridiculous amounts of money for something that is no better than cheaper reliable cables! Always great to see them exposed! More importantly, thanks for taking the time to save so many of us from throwing our money away. Keep up the fantastic work and have a great day Gene! 👍

[@chrispyp2331]

You don't need batteries to improve sonic performance. I soak my cables in chicken fat. Before I discovered this amazing technology, I always felt as though I was sitting outside the room, like there was a wall between my ears, and the music. It's like a veil has been lifted. The fat content really opened up the soundstage, and put me front & centre. The chocolately midrange is now present. For the first time I feel like my ears have opened up. AND, my sound system smells like bbq chicken - Audio Nirvana!

[@harrisfogel6992]

Free Range chicken fat?

[@danielp2937]

Goose fat works better

[@chrispyp2331]

@@harrisfogel6992 If you like a more organic, less anaylitical sound, free range chicken fat is definitely the way to go. You pay a bit more but it's absolutely worth it!...;).

[@chrispyp2331]

@@danielp2937 I tried goose fat. I found that for me at least, goose fat resulted in a sound that was too muddy. The bass roll off was far too gentle, so it tended to bleed into the mids too much. I prefer a rolloff that's still gentle, but a little more controlled. This gives me that chocolatey midrange. Dark chocolate to be more precise..:)

[@harrisfogel6992]

Do Woke chickens favor singer/songwriter tracks? Do really mean and tough chickens produce a cable soak that works only on military march music? Do cables soaked in herb favor the Grateful Dead or Reggae? Asking for a friend too lazy to wake up.

[@andreiaudio]

One of the best snake oil debunking videos ever! From this point on i'm following your channel.

[@you2ber252]

@David Califano the problem is... there is absolutely NO problem with speaker cables, as long as they are reasonably sized and manufactured. And all this costs no more than 1 dollar per ft, even less. So you can take even the Creator in person or spend plenty of dollars, but there's nothing in the World that can be done to "improve" something that is already perfect given that any improvement cannot be heard by human auditory system!

[@Audioholics]

@David Califano it's sad you have very little knowledge of signal propagation and just regurgitate marketing from exotic cable vendors that often topically have very little knowledge as well. This is a prime example of Dunning Kreuger cognitive bias as work.

[@edwinvanderkooij8713]

They are now profided a RF filter actually now with dbs. 🤣

[@edwinvanderkooij8713]

AQ also uses the dbs on digital signal cables. And it surely affects the digital signal according to the measurements I saw in Dutch research. Rather strange maintaining their faith in dbs with so many type of cables.

[@tjp444]

Why do I subscribe to Gene's KZbin channel? It's videos like this. Great job Gene.

[@willbrink]

As the man said "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." No place is that (true) statement more evident than in audio. Another great vid from a legit SME.

[@Spkrdctr]

That is so true it is sad.

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

Yeah, look who they voted for in the last election. Ohh, sorry, it was stolen as TIME magazine admitted.

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

@@Spkrdctr Don't cry Argentina!!

[@keithcoltron3171]

Not just the American public, it's the same in every country, they are no different, there's one born every second in every country, so sad but true.

[@doublet147]

@@carmenandthedevil2804 post political views somewhere else. This is about audio

[@barskuleli8612]

One of the best video about the situation. There are lots of myths and scams and snake oils in this market. Please continue to do whatever you are doing. Respects…

[@the-birdman-of-panama]

Well done, Gene. Yes, I'm one of those audiophiles you asked to reveal if they've ever been duped by pseudo-science. Thank goodness I'm in the industry and didn't pay even a tiny fraction of these prices. But it's still embarrassing to know that it was all BS. At least the brands I own are well-made, with no fragile banana plugs or stiff construction. And no freakin' batteries. So I got that going for me, which is nice.

[@mikeinmontana8875]

'So I got that going for me, which is nice.' LOL!! Thanks for that...

[@harrisfogel1697]

not so much being duped by pseudo-science, but there have have been a few women along the way who duped me.

[@anishnair5544]

Very nice Gene. I wish I worked in one of those ‘designer audio accessories’ companies - no design reviews, no formal verification or validation to worry about. Marketing would do all the work for me 😀

[@harpalchauhan428]

This has to be one of your most anticipated videos 😂😂😂

[@GameSack]

Thanks for this video. I used to be a tech for movie theaters and there was very little of this kind of nonsense. Well usually there's none, I only say "very little" because there are a few examples of it here and there that I've seen like HPS-4000 that fortunately didn't catch on. But consumer audio, OH MY LORDY! Like you say (and I paraphrase) the science is the science. But when someone is spending thousands of dollars on a speaker cable, they will absolutely convince themselves that it sounds better. I'm convinced that most of it is psychological. I'd absolutely love to change the wiring to something Best Buy quality (non-Magnolia) in a self-professed audiophile's setup without them knowing just to see if they can notice a difference the next time they use their system. I bet they wouldn't. For these people it's largely a sense of pride. But hey... it's their money.

[@testthisfordecficiencies]

Q-Sys Theater system that is all digital, except speaker runs is all you need. No one can tell the difference at this level.

[@GameSack]

@@testthisfordecficiencies QSC is the best!

[@electronash]

Game Sack - I wasn't expecting to see you on here, Joe. lol Yes, lots of psychological bias with this kind of stuff. I used to be into the whole "Audiophile" thing (on a budget), with M&K S-150 speakers, MX-350 sub, and messing with Digital Room Correction. I definitely wasn't immune to the whole "purchasing bias" or placebo thing either. It's a powerful thing for marketing. I eventually came to the conclusion that as long as you buy standard copper speaker with with a large enough cross section to handle the current with minimal voltage drop for the cable run, 99.99% of people would never be able to tell the difference in a blind test. We all enjoy tinkering and making other improvements to a system. Line level cables can have a much larger influence over the sound, but honestly the expensive speaker cables are just diminishing returns after a point, IMO. It's more important to just have a decent enough system, and enjoy listening to it.

[@Jordonater]

@@electronash Any cable past $100 a meter is a waste of money unless you care about the way it looks and video shows it doesn't even get you a better made termination which was surprising to me as I thought that was the minimum they could do at $5000.

[@fepethepenguin8287]

@@Jordonater these cables are 100 a meter or less....... For the manufacturer, lol. I'd love to see these margins

[@spacecadet6575]

I’ve been in and around the audio biz since the late 80’s. My experience is that getting to “good enough” performance out of a cable can be had for short money - after which it’s very hard and expensive to make noticeable improvements. I run 12ga Monoprice cable with an in-wall rating. I’m only running 10’ per side. Sounds good to me. I dressed them up with a cool looking nylon sleeve, gold banana plugs and wire pants so they look impressive.

[@harpalchauhan428]

If you sell a product its nice to see a non biased view.

[@danielesbordone1871]

With 5000 bucks you can buy yourself a decent amp and preamp.

[@SgtHenick]

5,000 bucks would buy a fantastic system for me

[@quikspecv4d]

Yeah. I think my entire system is about 5k total

[@trent_nathan3889]

@@SgtHenick in Australia, an SVS PB16-Ultra costs $5,000

[@ikealamp53]

My 1200 euro system (Denon avr + pair of B&W 606's) sounds great.

[@Monsux]

I could get a good system + high-end 85" TV for 5k.

[@redblock5150]

Gene, I wouldn't spend a microsecond worrying about any "heat" you get for debunking audio myths. I look at you like the Neil deGrasse Tyson of audio science. You provide an incredibly important service to audiophiles who might fall prey to some of this BS.

[@Foxrock321]

I would go with his mentor Carl Sagan….Neil is too political. ..but Gene is telling it like it is..

[@mrkrinkle8323]

Neil D Tyson! Hahahaha! I bet you're a Bill Nye the science guy fan too!

[@chrismonterubio9475]

NDT talks so much because he loves the sound of his own voice. No one else can stand it, but he loves it’s.

[@dingdong2103]

OTOH saying that these effects have been known for 'hundreds of years' erm... no. Electronics are known for dozens, not hundreds of years. I'm fairly sure that in the beginning of the 20th century the knowledge of these things was very basic compared to today. Otherwise the WW2 warplanes would have had advanced electronics instead of mechanic or semi-mechanic devices.

[@dadeoo4722]

Tyson is the BOZO of space science! Bill Nye knows more than he does and he isn't even a scientist! There are many great Astrophysicists here on KZbin, JPL, and NASA. Check it out! Your mileage may vary!

[@ghostmanno]

Thank you Gene, really nice to see these data down on paper. I studied electronic in the early 90's and this cable discussion came up. How much dose a cable affect a amplified audio signal, and the short answer is not much. It's the AWG that is by far the biggest factor in differens between cables not any fancy shielding and other exotic ways to design cool looking cable. All these high end speaker cables are pure marketing nonsens. A pair of good ofc copper wires with thick enough AWG for the load and it's good to go for audio signals. The speakers, amplifier and room acoustics is where the magic is done :-)

[@mattsnook1723]

I do many car audio installs. I always use RG6 cable for interconnects and cheap OFC 12ga all speakers except subs. I never have noise or alternator whine issues, which the use of other cables, including AudioQuest interconnects always are noisy. Pure snake oil those are. Thanks Gene!

[@Cubik303]

Former Car Audio installer here. I did the same - RG6 runs in many systems. Sometimes it was tricky to install and could get bulky if you were running 5/6 channels from the head, but the heavy shielding kept out all the alternator and CAN bus noise. The interconnect products back in those days for mobile audio were absolutely terrible - not sure how it is now but vehicles are noisier than ever and the market still seems flooded with poor quality interconnects. I would do show/competition systems and the customer would often specify whatever trendy snake oil cable was available and I would say, "Do you want it to look good or sound good?"

[@mattsnook1723]

@@Cubik303 it's worse now and the market is still flooded with crap and snake oil cables. I tried AudioQuest at the request of one of my customers, to which I said, they are snake oil and definitely not up to snuff with all the noise in a car audio system. Those cables were worse than a basic RCA cable. Ended up with RG6 throughout. They are hard to run in modern cars, sometimes you just end up running them side by side, I use spark plug cable separators to keep them in place that way.

[@SheikhN-bible-syndrome]

I like the stinger 8k's ive never had alt or static in my speakers or subs when i use them

[@mattsnook1723]

@@SheikhN-bible-syndromestinger 8k is good stuff too. RG6 is cheaper though.

[@ajviorella5200]

How can I get these from you? I need something to use as a whip for my Indiana Jones Costume

[@johnmastroleo995]

That was the best one. Use them as a whip with my Indiana Jones costume. He wins the prize

[@charlesnguyen3517]

Thanks for doing a great service to the audio community. I got rid of all my Monster, Audioquest, MIT, Kimber speaker cables and interconnects years ago. I use 18 gauge RCA speaker cables and generic interconnects shielded of course for all my audio system needs. Deception always loose!

[@vdochev]

The funny thing is "audiophiles" won't even watch this video. They will deny it like flatearthers.

[@mainsource8030]

perfect comparison!

[@jefft275]

I'm an "audiophile" and I'm watching it. I love this kind of analysis. I even own AQ interconnects. I always thought the DBS thing was a gimmick. I think some of their interconnects sound great but I demoed their speaker cables and didn't care for them.

[@clausabitzboysen4942]

I watch it. I am an audiophile and Audioquest owner. I do not mind.

[@allansh828]

but expensive cables do some great. I don’t want to spend that kind of money so that stick to AIO systems

[@BlenDeR619]

Agree, that’s what I was thinking haha! But if they did watch it, they would deny science and believe the exotic price of the cable justifies the snake oil in the marketing as truth.

[@multioptipupiloptomy]

I need popcorn before start watching this one :)

[@Chris_Rock]

Gene has taught me some hefty skepticism of marketing claims in every industry. Thanks!

[@dr4jesus87]

I am just glad to find an audio professional that is challenging the norm. A lot of the channels I’ve found don’t break down the science of speaker cables

[@flasha29]

The 38 dislikes must be Audioquest staff.😁

[@iamjackalope]

Or the 38 golden eared suckers that bought these cables that just now realized that maybe they haven't been hearing the big difference that they have been going on and on about to all their friends. It's now up to 88.

[@UnburdenedByWhatHasBeen]

@@iamjackalope my thoughts exactly

[@damonm3]

Ya, more likely to be purchasers 😂.

[@spillmana]

It's the dealers who sell them!

[@matthewtaylor7355]

Or they r the sensible types who purchased Audioquest Redwood etc from from Ali expresss for 200GBP...They r 5000 GBP in the West... Why doesn't Sallas tell us THIS??

[@adrianbarac3063]

Awesome work Gene. Call 'em out.

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

Lol, lots of BS artists around here. You ever heard the Audioquests? Of course your gonna say yes. If not, shut up.

[@chriss881000]

@@carmenandthedevil2804 audioquest is just alot of bullshit

[@BPTVch]

I am so glad I made my own speaker cables using Mogami W3104 and they look and perform amazingly. A good friend of mine has exactly the same cables you are featuring on this video.

[@michaelwright1602]

Doing the same here, Mogami W3104, I found it for around $4 a foot... Some PET sleeve and banana plugs... I'll have a pair of $30,000 speaker cables for under $100.

[@BPTVch]

@@michaelwright1602 I made my cables following a video from Tharbamar. He also left links for the items he was using where I found most of the stuff I used. I did however made my cables somewhat different at the ends and they look much more professional than the ones featured on the video. I am extremely happy with the results and will never pay for exotic cables.

[@gdubyadubya8961]

Yep. I don’t make my own but I buy Mogami / Neutrix and from a pro audio company. Pro audio ppl know the BS Audiophiles believe in and wont spend stupid money on stupid product generally. To put this in some sort of context when I was in home audio wholesale for many years I represented two very high profile well known “ audiophile” cable brands. I remember shaking my head in disbelief when a dealer ordered a $4000 HDMI cable ! Yep, 4K for a cable that simply cannot, ever, in any way best a $50 one. The problem is this. What do you expect someone who’s spent many thousands on amps and speakers to spend on cable? We all know it doesn’t have to be in the thousands but they do anyway because they can and also can’t fathom the disproportionate spend compared to components. Brands like Audioquest and many others know this and exploit it.

[@g.johnson9901]

I use the OFC version of Canare 4s11, called 4s11G, in single wire, which is 11 AWG. It has low resistance, capacitance, inductance. They are excellent for the money and I am happy with them. I am done with expensive cables.

[@loudsubwoofer8492]

keep doing what you're doing. honesty is important.

[@joelmartinez1359]

This is an awesome video! I was always in interested in seeing EE concepts applied to hifi components ESPECIALLY cables to determine what parameters actually matter. Would’ve helped out a lot picking gear early on in my hifi journey lol. Really appreciate all the work you put into making this content! Thanks Gene!

[@DustyD0]

At least the name of the cable is accurate, the "Zero" is for the audible difference their cable makes.

[@econautx]

Where in the video does he listen to it?

[@imacdou6668]

It broke

[@iamjackalope]

@@econautx How do you listen to a cable? Besides this video is about OBjective measurable effects not SUBjective unmeasurable opinions.

[@ivandragicevic6786]

Those cables are actually so good that you don't even need an amp or speakers...a true all in one audio system.

[@ramencurry6672]

You could modify them so they wire into your headphones. It would sound good but you have to deal with the weight of the cables on your chest. If work out in the gym then you can get used to it.

[@lylevalentine5902]

Plug them into a Sony Walkman and you have a killer hifi system!

[@alexanderbelov6892]

Audioquest should add some FM tuner to the cable, so it would be at least some useful radio tuner plus antenna.

[@hsharma3933]

You don’t even need ears.

[@nathankohler7621]

Hi Gene from Australia - Great video...I’ve been watching you guys for some time now and the more I watch the more I’ve realised my own experience with high end cables is not my imagination taking place. Case in point, I owned some high end Nordost speaker cables and thought for years they were worth the 2k I paid for them! Until on night when I lent them to a friend to try out I hooked up some 12awg multi strand cable so I could listen at a somewhat compromised experience. Much to my horror the cheap cable had a better sound especially in the bass department. Not night and day but definitely better sound. So I quickly sold the ribbon cable and after much research I ended up with Kimber Kable and have never looked back. I’m only adding my two cents because I truely wanted the expensive cable to shine and it definitely didn’t. Interestingly the guy I sold it to moved it on within a week of using it. So do believe Gene in what he is saying as he possesses the education to back it up! When it’s all said and done we all like cable candy but it’s probably best to buy cheaper cable and sheath it in something pretty to look at. Anyway hope this helps the sceptics as I was one for 20 years and now content with good cable that makes scientific sense. PS : I also own some audio quest interconnects and toslink which were not expensive and I’m very happy with them both. So I’m not bashing the brand. Hope this helps others save their hard earned money.

[@ameliopompeo5722]

What Kimber Kable series speaker cable did you use as I need to buy some for my system. Thanks for your input .🙏🏼👍🏽

[@dscott6915]

Which Kimber cables did you buy?

[@venusodio2003]

Thank you so very much for this topic and all the videos you make about BS in High End. I am an electrical engineer as well and designing High End Audio Tube Amps. As a musician and an engineer, I try to explain to my customers that the only way to improve their audio system is to invest in amplifiers, source, speakers, room treatment before spending thousand dollars in some snake oil stuffs. About cables, I have made many times ABX Testing without saying anything to my customers. They never heard any difference between a $600 speaker cables and a $20 one. Never ever. As a musician I can't hear that difference. Pro musician could not hear differences. BUT ! they could heard a difference between 2 different amps, speakers or source....

[@christianbolt5761]

The Scientology of cables.

[@johnolson4977]

That’s perfect 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Paxmax]

Yep, all we need now is an Audioquest exec. jumping maniacally on a sofa and the circle is complete.

[@iamjackalope]

If that is the case Gene needs to watch out not to become the subject to a campaign of harassment by members of Audioquest "Sea Org".

[@nicksundby]

Nice video but you misunderstand the purpose of the cables. They are made to impress non-audiophiles with a flashy, expensive looking cable, and also to boost margins for audio resellers. They do this very well. Not sure why you are measuring the cables as the results are completely irrelevant.

[@alexdeleon7135]

Well done! Audio Quest has made laughable claims for some time now. This review was necessary, and is backed by the axioms of experience, and empirical evidence of cable characteristics. As a retired touring instrument tech for many eighties acts. I would use either Mogami, or Gepco for cabling, and buffers for long runs. My home system utilizes Canare 4S11. Enjoy the weekend.

[@nigely0ung]

Perfect. As an electronic telecoms and RF engineer I am delighted that you have measured and proved the facts. Great job in myth busting those snake oil manufacturers. LCR is king.

[@Pohgrey]

I did not hear you once address quantum or magical effects. Everybody knows that quantum magic is a huge factor with speaker cables!

[@mackado]

I've got a feeling it's one of the big 3!

[@matthewgaines10]

Don't give them ideas.

[@patrickheredia1431]

Been waiting for this video. Did not disappoint.

[@andrevanstiphout]

A very well explained topic that even slightly "techy" audio enthusiasts could come to grips with. I have always been of the opinion that reasonably priced copper cables (i.e. less than $10.00 per metre, would do the job for me. In late 2019, I refurbished a pair of JBL C50 Olympus S8R (phew!) speakers. These are a classic JBL high end design and really do sound amazing. The work included refinishing the cabinets, having all drivers checked/repaired to original specification, rebuilding the (twin) crossover networks and completely rewiring the internals. This is the good bit. JBL recommended your run of the mill 18 gauge wire for all internal wiring but more importantly, recommended "standard lamp cable" for amplifier to speaker connections up to 50 feet (just over 15 metres). I have been running the C50's with cables and banana plugs that cost me less than $100.00 and they sound absolutely incredible. I would suggest that Audioquest maybe talk to speaker manufacturers about what they think is an appropriate cable for their speakers instead of trying to push their BS cables onto non-tech inclined enthusiasts. But they won't, will they? To all those contemplating big dollar cables, save your money and buy some vinyl!

[@allanwhittle3041]

Gene I want to congratulate you on your honesty and integrity , in an industry rife with smoke and mirrors and paid for bullshit reviews . Your content and decency shines through ..Thank you 👍

[@royr5527]

SnakeoilQuest cables 😆🤣 5k cable and the banana plug broke Jesus man. I'll say it this company is horrible they have been talking people to the cleaners for years. Nice work Gene 💪love it man.

[@ripleyhrgiger4669]

I can just hear the excuse from the person who bought the cable, "This means they forged the metal to its highest degree. A sign of the finest metals!"

[@aleksander2960]

This video is a cure for all Harry Potter Academy members.

[@TrevorSachko]

200% pure snake oil...

[@srmitch9260]

You and Amir from Audio Science Review really do catch out these snake oil companies. Thank you.

[@invisibles362]

Good information Gene. People pay way to much for speakers cables. You can't buy a lot of batteries for that cable price plus a good power amplifiers lol

[@homeboi808]

What would be awesome is measuring a Nordost cable before and after their Vidar cable break-in device (which they suggest you go to your dealer and pay for every year or even after a few weeks of no use). I think they only charge $50, but still, they found a way to get continual repeat business from selling cables.

[@homeboi808]

@@kahuna1247 Probably per cable.

[@matthewgaines10]

Now that is a great business. The entrance price of magical cables + a residual income stream for cable "break-in". That is an even better business model. Wish I had thought about that. The snake oil is even more slippery.

[@jeremyhemp8241]

I use 12GA monoprice. Longest run is about 50 feet. Sounds good to me and was affordable. All of these "cable claims" from companies are getting absurd. I also work for AT&T (referencing your past telecomm work) and totally get everything you were talking about. Thanks for everything you do to inform us!

[@afrojoe24]

Thank you for taking the time to make these videos! Very informative and keeps my expectations in check! We audiophiles always want to squeeze out as much fidelity as we can from our gear and setups! But not many of us have engineering degrees! We need your science! Cheers!

[@russelsteward3412]

I have switched over to Audioquest cables for speaker cables, interconnects and mains cables, and the difference is palpable to what I had before, truly amazing. I'm not talking the mega expensive ones as seen here, but £100 -£300 area. They have amazed me, especially the mains cables where I was sceptical before buying, but the difference was so noticeable. You can argue with me if you like, but I will probably just ignore you. All I am saying, engineers are a little too wrapped up in their technical manuals to actually listen to the damn things! But here is the NEWS guys, many hi-fi cable retailers offer a MONEY BACK IF NOT HAPPY POLICY!!! Meaning you can try one in your home system (many offer a 3 month trial period) and if you can't detect an improvement you can return it and loose nothing!! Surely any intelligent person can see how fair that is. Like I said though, my positive results have been with the more affordable range, I can't speak for the high end stuff.

[@davetelling]

$5k speaker cables?! You have GOT to be kidding! Former staff engineer at National Semi, Bob Pease, now deceased, had a long standing "speaker wire challenge" where he offered a cash award to anyone who could tell, from a blind listening test, any difference between any high-end speaker cables and random lengths of hookup wire from his lab bench. As far as I know, none of the snake oil, I mean high end speaker cable suppliers, ever took up the challenge. Ol' Bob is probably rolling in his grave at this level of scam!

[@charlesclifton1006]

Gene, thanks for this. You've gone to a lot of work here and I appreciate it. It was only yesterday that I watched Amir @ Audio Science Review (KZbin) and the information he brought forth mirrored your presentation herein. May the audio Gods bless both of you. Good speaker cables (I use Blue Jeans Canare) have always been "good enough" for me but if anyone can ever actually show me a speaker cable that's better AND its cost increase is equal to a sonic improvement that I can actually hear!! - I might buy them.... maybe. I think what is being said here is that The Emperor Has No Clothes but sadly knows it thinking he can fool his subjects? Keep up the good work Gene, you're a blessing to this hobby and passion.

[@slidetek]

I've been doing audio since the early 70's. Hard to believe that this all started with Monster Cable: a simple, fat zip cord terminated with pins. Back then it made sense, and compared to the lamp wire we were getting at the hardware store, there was a noticeable difference if only because of the gauge and shielding. The entire industry changed to accommodate spades and banana plugs. I myself started going down this dark path in the 80's and 90's. Luckily, I had friends with more money and even less sense than myself. Yes, I can hear a difference. But, is it _better?_ Gene and Amir are doing a great service to those who will listen and haven't yet acquired the crab in a pot mentality. Yes, they're not making any friends in some parts of the industry - including resellers who get to drive around Ducati's and Alfas from selling $12k power conditioners to music lovers. If people knew the markup on cable they'd _know_ all the intensive research goes into marketing.

[@richardsoffice9176]

Thank you. Please note, that the PS Audio Rejuvenators, are not filters, or conditioners; they convert the AC wall voltage, current to DC, and thence, to high quality AC. Some are, `affordable.'

[@RA-eo6rv]

Money can buy a lot of psychological pressure when it come to Audio fantasy

[@allansh828]

i thought the same until I audited some expensive stuff. The sad truth is most of the time, more expensive stuff sounds better.

[@Yiannis2112]

The other day, a well known reviewer - influencer, with a channel exclusive to analogue audio, said that even the slightest 0.001mm scratch on a wire (caused for example by a stripping tool) will not only have negative but also audible effect, on sound quality. I confronted him, but as you can imagine (when your head is so far up your back alley), he remained defiant. I finally gave up. Now that I think of it, I realise I wasn't talking to a human. I believe I was talking to a so far unknown species %50 bat, %50 dolphin. Dressed as a human.

[@gbaker6478]

I have only just started watching KZbin, I'm setting up a 7.2.4 system, my first video was ps audio, I started watching their stuff. Then the guy said he used a cable with a battery and before that, house electrical solid wire. I never listen to just one source as I want to hear other opinions. The battery thing sounded way out in outer space. Thanks Gene, love your work, now I know I'm not as stupid as I thought, peace.

[@dwightballard3868]

Compelling argument. I do think that measurements alone does not tell the whole story without a listening test- which I was waiting for. I would be really interested in a side by side comparison between the Kimber and the Audioquest. For instance, I have no idea the way my Chord Company speaker cable and interconnects measure, but I sure do like the sound in terms of musicality and inner detail. LP's can certainly sound fantastic even though it has a way higher noise floor than a CD.

[@RobWhittlestone]

Hi Gene, I really appreciate the effort you put into this video. Very surprising results after the comparative demo I heard of high-end AudioQuest speaker cables. I am about to test some high-end signal cables with DBS so am really curious to see how they compare to what I'm using now. All the best, Rob

[@RowanTasmanian]

Great work Gene. Electronic Engineers use Logic, some Cable Manufacturers use AstroLogic, a derivative of Astrology.

[@andrewaajohnson7584]

I have Rocket 88s speaker cables.I tried them ( I took them home with me) .I live in Wales -thats part of the UK- and a lot of our Hi-fi dealers will let you take a bit of kit home with you to try at our own leisure. We have a saying here in " the proof of the pudding is in the eating", never take any manufacturer,s word for it without listening first.They have a living to make and there's a lot of competition out there.Here in the UK we have sixty days to make our minds up ,so if you've bought something you don't have to keep it ,take it back or send back you get your money back.Here you're not obligated to keep anything . Never mind the blurb if it sounds right it is right.I love my 88s.💛👍

[@walrusgumbootable]

Gene thank you for taking the time to protect and educate the younger audiophiles! I’ve just replaced the copper clad aluminum with 14/2 pure copper 200 feet $60!!!

[@bobe2933]

Never purchasing a Audioquest cable. Thank you for the data. You can't trust this brand.

[@doctorbritain9632]

Their low cost stuff is just typical multistrand cable and much of a muchness as anyone else's. Probably all sourced from the same people as anyone else. It's the high cost stuff that is pure snake oil BS.

[@ja8020]

Hi Gene great content and the videos help a lot. You are providing a public service for audiophiles. I’ll keep listening. 😊

[@NiclasMardfelt]

To Audioquests defence, there are many things missing the point, like DBS takes weeks to get full effect and weeks to loose effect, that DBS is supposed to work when connected to equipment and transfer ”the antenna noice” away to ground, that the cable shall interact with electronics, that different frequencies travel different fast and that is ok for you in some measurments but not in others... well the speaker interacts signal vise backwards to the speaker cable and have got other ohms than the amp. It changes all the time. You know more than me about measurments and cables, but we are speaking about high end audio where a zilloon things matter, like antivibration under cable lifters and wall sockrets that turns vibration into heat. So you might be right, but one should listen with the ears and get system synergy, not perfect measurments. I think this was interesting and I learned a lot. Listening to cable designers at Shunyata, Audioquest and others, listening to products from different brands, material etc gives way more information than only measurement. It would be VERY interesting to get your take on Nordost power cables.

[@umbrollo]

I genuinely love this channel and content. Love to see professionals in action 🎉

[@ericharrelson2045]

This was informative, I like the way you presented this technical review.

[@harpalchauhan428]

You are gonna become the reference point for speaker cables and interconnect and so on. 👏👏

[@marcomartin9854]

Thanks Gene. Like always, good science. I personally have a set of Very high end expensive cables. These are 10 ft 12 gauge. These are Mogami cables and I paid $120 terminated, by the way with Audio quest spades basic model. All cable measurements are posted online @ Mogami site. Per foot impedance, induction, capacitance etc.

[@Audioholics]

Mogami is snake oil free.

[@MarkSH76]

Great information in this video. I've heard from multiple audiophiles, "measurement is irrelevant. What they hear and don't hear is what matters." I say, More power to them. If I hear no sonic difference (or the difference doesn't outweigh the price of the product) the salesman doesn't get my hard-earned dollars. And Gene, I would MUCH rather spend the extra 5 grand on treating my room for acoustics - for this is - by far - the most important factor when it comes to creating sound in a room. Your videos are very educational and I appreciate the knowledge you bring to the table to thus have the ability to explain the jargon that is embellished (IMHO) on some high-end manufacturer's websites. Thanks again, Gene.

[@theGrindcrusher]

Some Hi-Fi people: Measurements don't matter. What I hear is all that matters! Also some Hi-Fi people: I don't do blind tests...

[@barrymiller3385]

@@theGrindcrusher Why does it have to be one thing or the other? If we hear differences between cables then we should use measurements and testing to see if we can identify the cause of those differences. If we hear no difference then what is the point of taking measurements?

[@theGrindcrusher]

@@barrymiller3385 I think we are in agreement basically. My point is that some people make high claims they can hear a difference on a pice of audio equipment, but not keen on putting that claim to the test. There are of course lots of components that have subtle impact on the sound (for better or worse), so subtle they could be hard to pick out in a blind test on their own, but together might make a bigger impact. The claim on such components should be backed up by science and measurable facts, if you ask me.

[@barrymiller3385]

@@theGrindcrusher I guess the point I am trying to make is that listening to music is a human listening experience. We hear what we hear. We either like it or we don't. Many factors may come into play in this whether they are acoustic, electronic, mechanical or psychological. Measurements should be used to better understand why we like what we like. Not to dispute it. So if you like the sound of one cable more than another then use every means at your disposal to find out why. If you don't hear any difference then there is no real benefit in measuring anything. Buy a cable because it is cheap. Or because it is blue! It is up to you.

[@theGrindcrusher]

@@barrymiller3385 I will add that we hear what we expect to hear, and what we want to hear. There is a lot of science on this. So the core question is; do you take the blue pill or the red pill? Do you want to know if you are actually hearing a difference? If you want to know you need to get rid of confirmation bias. I'm a red pill guy, but I like to say things like "if people WANT to get ripped off - what's the harm?" but I guess what I consider quackery and snake oil does push my buttons.

[@TheCanyonhopper]

Thank you for showing some of the problems with "expensive cable company" claims. Detailing the solid core vs stranded one is what I really like (could be a longer deep dive someday perhaps?). Personally, I've been using Nakamichi's cheap red interconnects for all of my systems (both home and car). Might not be pretty but incredible noise rejection. Stranded speaker cables bought in bulk (made by the company I worked at before it went kaput) and never been happier. Although I love the science I also love tube amps sound (distortion?).

[@gavinj7850]

This is why I'm a subscriber. Thanks Gene! Even though I frequently think I'm done upgrading my systems, I still see new technology and wonder what it does and why I am supposed to get it as per the sales pitches. Your videos have saved me from headaches related to the unknowns, and you do make them an enjoyable learning experience.

[@howardskeivys4184]

Excellent video. You barred no punches, without being patronising to the manufacturer. I’m a big fan of Amir from Audio Science Review and after watching this video I’d like to see much more of this type of thing from you. Sometimes us audiophiles are mislead and confused by the sudo-science many manufacturers bamboozle us with, in order to promote their products at vastly inflated prices.we need a touch of realism to ground us. Now to your question. Would I consider spending 5000 on speaker cable? The concise answer is NO. Not even if I had more money than sense! My firm belief is that in the world of high fidelity the signal path between the source and speakers should be as simple and uncrowded as possible. Should leave that signal as pure, unaltered as feasible. Without going into too much unnecessary detail. I have spent years of trial and error. Sweat and tears. Not listening to good advice and adhering to dubious advice. Spending bucket loads of hard earned money. I have ended up with a hifi system that within the constraints of my budget, reproduces music the way I like to hear it. I guess the value of my current system is around that of a decent family car, with the lion’s share of my budget going on my speakers. I have 2 1.5 metre lengths of speaker, which I purchased ready made from direct from the manufacturer. From memory, they cost me in total around $45! The cable was recommended to me by the manufacturer of my speakers. Give me $5000 to upgrade my hifi. I would bite your hand off, but none of that money would go on cables or interconnects. Keep up the good work. You’ve just earned yourself another subscriber.

[@esoterex]

I could not agree more. Snake oil is an understatement. I designed, as far as I'm aware, the very first 'active' interconnects in the mid 90's. Was just an active, very effective, very simple capacitance compensation circuit. The local top HiFi Magazine run a few articles on it as it was a system they have never heard of. Had very good reviews. Developed it a bit further to also be able to compensate any already in use better quality cables as well. Could run 20 meter cables with zero degradation. Testing was done by observing the rising edge of a 100kKz square wave and adjust a trim-pot to have both edges, the one at the input and the output coincide. It was a passive circuit i.e. no electronics in the signal path. Very simple and effective. Incorporated that system into my Digital Preamp which had one of the best reviews in that publication. But I decided to leave that crazy Hi End Audio game as I had never met so many fools in such a confined space. Both as a Physicist and Electronic Engineer, all I can say is shame on all those ridiculous claims, devoid of all science let alone common sense. It has become a full blown religion / cult and we all know what that entails.

[@m4nc1n1]

I will stick with my Micca speaker cables! You even had one of their ads up lol.

[@bluev2srt]

I had a set of audioquest cables with the battery pack that I sort of found out one day the cat chewed through the wire to the battery pack. The thing that got me was I could hear no difference with any music input between one connected and one that was not. Got me thinking and I ended up swapping to 10ga wire that Audioholics recommended. Still have the old audioquest in a drawer somewhere but do not use them. Thankfully I bought the expensive set of wires used for a small fraction of the new price so it was just a lesson learned!

[@tac6044]

Know that you are gullible.

[@simullane7836]

Just out of interest, did you listen to the cables on your system, and if so how did they sound. I agree there is so much snake oil around, but think it key to add the ear to the tests?

[@audionovize7262]

Great analysis & reference points (= demonstrable science)! I have to admit though that I don't understand all aspects, but your calm way of explaining combined with "seeable" measurements makes it not only interesting, but easy to follow (even without understanding all aspects). So, regarding your question if those videos are helpful: Very much so, please continue! :)

[@TheOnlyGHOST1015]

Audioholics keeps keeping it Real!

[@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038]

Thanks Gene, excellent video, technical and clear. By the way, I had never seen a broken Banana.

[@nileshbarai4999]

Gene, liked the video it was very informative. Just wish you had a few people in your audio room do a blind A-B listening test, to see if they liked the Audioquest or Belken 10 guage better? If the measurements you provided are a true guage of a speaker cable's audio performance a blind test should completely back your measurements. My guess is you will have majority of the blind testers choose the audioquest cable. As I have tried a blind A-B listening test with Monoprice 10 guage speaker cable and a lower model Audioquest speaker cable that does not include the battery pack. Would love for your team to show the scientific data you provide and also a blink listening test impressions

[@eddevlincycling6322]

Interesting data on the speaker cable. You did a good job of addressing differences of lack thereof of measured responses of the cable. I don't think caught in your video, how they sounded compared to generic 10 gauge wire. Maybe you were just interested in how they measured, but I am curious about how they sounded, thx,

[@edvdploeg1]

What about a review about the listening experience?

[@rafitorres15]

Listening is not measurable between cables and is not audible (as Gene said multiple times in the video) when comparing cables. The point is that an affordable Home Depot 10 AWG speaker cable measures fairly comparable to this $5k cable!

[@giriprasadkotte9876]

Also known as placebo and nocebo

[@imacdou6668]

It broke

[@staisman5157]

I have both Kimber 12TC cable and AQ K2 similar cable to the one in this video connected to the Luxman 509X amp and Monitor Audio PL300 speakers and I can tell that AQ cable is much better cable in every aspect. Maybe you need to stop focusing on raw numbers and just do a blind comparison of two.

[@chefsteve8381]

I think reading the comments on this cable is gold !

[@NYAudioGuru]

I too use 8TC. I have for more than 20 years. I love it!

[@christaylor5887]

I have 8vs.10.years 😍😍😎😎

[@nielsoe8970]

Interesting video. One question: Did you sit down and listen to the cable?

[@DueM]

listen to it?

[@nielsoe8970]

@@DueM Connected to an amp and a set of speakers. Please let me know if I should elaborate further. By the way, I did actually receive an answer to my question from Audioholics and there were no difference to detect from the other cables. Thank you for your input even if modest.

[@matthewgaines10]

Considering he had one cable only, it wouldn't be balanced if said magical cable even did something.

[@keesvanwoerden2156]

I have an Audioquest Water interconnect with the battery pack. It 's the best sounding interconnect I ever had.

[@Paxmax]

quite the double post... what is your relation to "C.J van Woerden"?

[@keesvanwoerden2156]

@@Paxmax Kees van Woerden en C.J. van Woerden are one and the same person.

[@wingsangcheung38]

Actually, the last 'cable' that transmits audio signals in an audio system is the AIR and SPACE between the loudspeakers and the listener's ears. Because of wave interference effect, the change of listener's ear position even in centi-meter scale affects frequency response and direction (sound wave has direction as well) a lot more than speaker cables does. So, the differences that audiophiles perceive are most probably came from the last 'cable'.

[@shipsahoy1793]

So many valid points in this video regarding speaker cable technology. As a retired RF (and audio) engineer from (the old analog days), with a formal engineering education as well, I am so glad to see the work you're doing, and really hope that people realize that they really don't need to spend $1000 on a pair of speaker cables. I think the Kimber 8TC cables are nice, but you don't spend $1000 on a pair of speaker cables for a couple thousand dollar system that you won't have a chance of hearing the difference between that and say a 12 or 10 gauge pair of standard stranded copper speaker cables, especially when you're old enough to no longer hear 15 to 25KHz frequencies, and are not running a $20k system, which there's a good chance you won't hear the difference anyway, even though they a "technically" better, mostly beyond the range of human hearing, and very subtle difference in the upper range of it.. The average person seems ill equipped to separate the technical from the practical, but hey, if you have money to waste and it makes you feel good, it's your business. 😂

[@EUK007]

Gene this is a great video, you're doing a big service to the audiophile community by telling the truth which is backed by science. Two thumbs up 👍👍 By the way, can you make a video about AC power conditioners. Are they really required to have a better audio quality?

[@gridexplorer]

Thanks as always for bringing data and science to the discussion, and using real world forces installing, I'd have a rough night if I broke a 5k cable b-plug on first install, quality audio and build matters.

[@zamdrang]

Thanks for this. I fell victim to the placebo effect with AQ ICs with DBS many years ago. I can't say they sound bad, I've left them in my system. But over the years I've compared them with cheaper ICs and can't hear any difference. I've also A/B'd unplugging the battery to try and hear a difference. I don't. I've concluded the battery is nothing more than marketing BS. Great to see the science. Thanks.

[@skzeeman007]

Bit late to this video. But I am in the market for a Good cable and this is exactly the video I needed to watch. Your scientific reporting and debunking snake oil products is a huge service for the audiophile community and is much appreciated.

[@Audioholics]

@@skzeeman007 much appreciated!

[@c.j.vanwoerden1676]

I have an Audioquest Water interconnect. The best sounding interconnect I ever had.

[@typ044]

As they say, it's easier to fool someone than to convince them they've been fooled.

[@isettech]

My summary is simple. All wire has losses associated with it when driving low impedance loads. Transmission lines transmit the power most efficiently when terminated into it's nominal impedance. Therefore, keep speaker cables as short as possible. The means for most cases, instead of buying a pre-fabricated cable, buy wire and cut to length. Even better is move the amplifiers to the speakers, or even use active speakers with the amp built in. To feed the amp, use balanced signal instead of single ended to feed signal from your mixer/preamp to the amp. In summary, have dropped home niche audiophile stuff and moved to pro sound. My mixer is Midas, Running 48 KHZ 32 bit ADC and DAC with low latency of 1.2 mS input to output. All inputs and outputs are phase aligned. Have a choice of powered speakers to choose from. I don't do long analog snake cables or long speaker cables anymore. Snake cable is shielded CAT5E running bidirectional 32 bit 40 channel sound over the AES50 interface. I route and process it to my liking. Pro gear has the engineering that home small garage shops can't produce for the money, so I get better engineered equipment, mass production economy of scale, and I can record my own masters on the console for use with a DAW to mixdown myself.

[@MrSplit57]

I’m not surprised that your 3 years old video is still relevant today! I would only add, to some extent, the cables do have an impact on sound - for the worse. When the cable is “overengineered”, for example, speaker cable with shielding mesh, or network boxes, it can have bad impact due to bad synergy (or just bad conception).

[@Audioholics]

Agreed 💯

[@dannyprecysroadtoforever5234]

I'm a professional audio engineer and as odd as it sounds distortion is often added in the mixing and mastering process to enhance the clarity of individual tracks and the 2 track master. Certain types of harmonic distortion can add perceived air to high frequencies or weight to low frequencies. I think your insight in this video is spot on but their are times when something may measure a little less than optimal but actually sound better. A null test is also a very good way to separate fact from hype when it comes to what people claim they are hearing. Great video and keep up the good work.

[@petersaint656]

Hi from the UK. I’m a recent subscriber to your channel and would like to thank you for the invaluable information and knowledge I’ve gained from you during this short period of time.

[@themafia3119]

Amazing educational video. I stopped selling and installing Audioquest cables 4 years ago. Thanks Gene.

[@tarzanfixjane]

i KNEW it!!!! You DID study electrical engineering!!!!