Topic: Review : AudioQuest Sidewinder, Copperhead and Diamondback interconnects

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Scaling sonic heights

By LAM SENG FATT

Models: AudioQuest Sidewinder, Copperhead and Diamondback interconnects

Price: RM330, RM440 and RM700 (as tested, per metre pair)

Distributed by MEE KAI ENTERPRISE (Tel: 03-4296-8988), 76G Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6B, Pandan Indah, 55100 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur / E-mail: mkleon@tm.net.my" mkleon@tm.net.my

WHEN I received these interconnects, the first thing that came to my mind was how they looked like off-the-shelf power cords for the electric iron or kettle that you can pick up from any supermarket or electrical appliance shop.

These new interconnects from AudioQuest replace the well-received series that featured the popular Ruby and highly rated Lapis and Diamond models. The previous range was named after precious stones; the new one is named after snakes.
VENOMOUS SOUND … but a bite from any of these three interconnecting cables, namely the AudioQuest Sidewinder, Copperhead and Diamondback, will not prove fatal, but only increase your musical appreciation.

Thus the reason for the choice of exterior finishes – the new ones are supposed to look like snakeskin. Whether they look more like electric kettle power cords than snakeskin is debatable. The models I received were called the Sidewinder, Copperhead and Diamondback, and are the bottom three in the new range of interconnects.
Snaking in

The interconnects are all directional, with the arrows printed on the plugs, but differentiating the positive from the negative is quite difficult because the difference is not in the colour of the plugs, like most other cables, but in the black and white words printed on them.

All three are quite flexible, well made and fitted with good quality plugs; there’s nothing to complain about in terms of build quality.

Using the resident system comprising a Marantz 63 KI Signature CD player, an Audiolab 8000A integrated amp and a pair of Mission 782 speakers, with Goertz MI2 Veracity speaker cables and Alphacore Micro Purl Silver interconnects as reference, the auditions were conducted with the usual CDs. Later, when I received the Analysis-Plus Oval One interconnect for review, I A/B-tested it against the AudioQuests.

Here’s what I found.

Sidewinder



The Sidewinder has identical conductors for the positive and ground connections, and beneath the foil shield is a bare conductor. The conductors are solid-core and made of Long Grain Copper, a metal with fewer oxides within the conducting material, less impurities and fewer grain boundaries which are touted to result in better performance. The copper strands are clothed in PVC dielectric.
SIDESWIPED … the AudioQuest Sidewinder interconnects’ performance will knock you off your feet.

Gold-plated plugs are connected with AQ solder to the cables which have red and black outer jackets. The plugs have red plastic sheaths and the black and white lettering is quite easy to read.

Being the cheapest, it was to be expected that the sound quality was not comparable to the Alphacore. The sound was lean, a bit nasal and there was emphasis on the upper mids to highs. On one Eva Cassidy track in which she sings a cappella, with some clapping to accompany the vocals, the claps sounded hollow and artificial.

However, the bass was strong and this was the best aspect of the Sidewinder’s performance.

Copperhead



The Copperhead uses solid-core Perfect Surface Copper conductors in a symmetrical configuration and the shielding is said to be very effective. AudioQuest claims that the surface of the conductor matters a lot, since it is the only place with 100% current and magnetic field density, and since PSC has a smooth surface, the current should flow unimpeded.
DON’T TREAD ON ME … that’s always good advice when it comes to rattlesnakes as well as the AudioQuest Copperhead interconnects.

Gold-plated Duracon-insulated plugs are soldered with AQ solder and connected to the green and black cable that also uses PVC as the dielectric. The plugs are covered with thick sheaths of dark green plastic and the white lettering is easy to read while the black letters merge with the dark green. While differentiating the positive from negative is easy, trying to find out the directionality of the wire is something else.

Performance-wise, move a bit up the price range and the sound quality improves – that has always been the case with hi-fi, and the AQ connects proved no different.

The Copperhead still retained the strong bass, but the sound was less lean and more developed than the Sidewinder, and there was greater overall clarity. The highs were not as shrill, and the midrange – and vocals – sounded more natural.

These wires represent a step up in the hi-fi ladder moving towards sonic heaven, though having said that and the fact that it performed better than the Sidewinder, it is still quite a distance from the gates of the gods of sound.

Diamondback



One more step up the hi-fi value chain and the design and materials become even better. The dielectric is air filled FPE (Foam Polyethylene) that performs better than that on the cheaper models above (the best is said to be Teflon) and the conductors are in a double-balanced design using two solid-core PSC conductors.
SNAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL … with the AudioQuest Diamondback interconnects.

According to Audioquest on its website, “this means there are identical insulated conductors for the positive and negative connections, in addition to a separate conductor underneath the 100% coverage foil shield. The great advantage of this design, over even the very effective symmetrical conductor system in AQ Sidewinder and Copperhead, is that the shield is only attached at one end, providing extremely effective shielding without contaminating the quality of the negative conducting path”.

The AQ RCA plugs are welded to the Diamondback using 8,000 amperes, creating a perfect connection alloy where the cable and plug meet. The outer jackets are blue and black, and the white and black lettering on electric blue plugs make for easy readability.

“Diamondback’s gold-plated RCA plugs use a patented design that eliminates the distortion caused by the extra contact inside most plugs. Because the ground shells are stamped instead of machined, the metal can be chosen for low distortion instead of for its machinability,” the website further claims.

Another rung up the ladder and you can hear better, cleaner and clearer sound. Separation is improved, the bass remains strong but well composed and highs are notably clean.

Instruments and voices are better defined, with more space in between them, and more detail can be heard. While not sounding as lean as the others, the Diamondback still presents a performance that is a bit on the thin side.
It costs money

Like everything in hi-fi, it’s all about money. The more expensive the component, the better the sound. This sort-of golden rule holds true (most of the time). Well, at least it does in the case of these three AudioQuest interconnects.

However, it has to be noted that there is a kind of “family” sound in these wires that is best described as strong on the bass, with an emphasis on highs and on the whole sounding on the lean side of things. They are also generally forward sounding.

Replacing them with the Alphacore and especially the Analysis-Plus interconnects revealed the harmonic richness missing from the AudioQuests. This, I think, is due to a slight lack of mid-bass performance.

If you would like to buy an AudioQuest connect or two, my advice would be to save as much money as you can and buy the best you can afford – there’s not much point buying some dirt-cheap wires which you’ll find hard going with and more difficult to sell in the second-hand market when you do decide to upgrade.

Among the three reviewed here, opt for the Diamondback. The next model, Coral, has received some pretty good reviews in foreign mags, so it might be an even better idea to check that out, too.

Pros: Strong bass and clarity; performance improves as models move up the ladder.

Cons: A general tendency to sound lean and forward.

Source : http://202.186.86.35/audio/story.asp?file=/2001/10/25/audiofile/25wbt