Half of my Audioquest RCA interconnects failed

[LightninBoy]

Just a PSA for folks ...

Back when I was building out the HT room I bought some Audioquest RCA G-Snake interconnects as part of a package from an installer. I have no idea what they cost, I only remember thinking they seemed a bit more expensive than the pricey Monster stuff at Best Buy. This was about 15 years ago.

Over the years I stopped using RCA interconnects and use digital or XLR instead. So eventually I removed the RCA interconnects from my HT system and packed them up. At that time, one had gone bad, so I tossed it.

Now a few years later, I'm cleaning out, tossing, selling stuff and come across these interconnects. I figure I should be able to get some money for these, but test them first just to be sure. Damn it ... 3 more are bad or intermittent. Understand, I have a container full of various RCA interconnects - from the cheap noname stuff that comes with components to slightly better brand name interconnects like Monster and Outlaw. Every single one of these other interconnects work flawlessly. Only the Audioquest ones have failed despite being the most expensive interconnects I've ever purchased.

Hope this helps somebody.

 

[digitalfrost]

Making RCA interconnects that fail is actually quite an achievement.

 

[gene_stl]

Initially the Japanese and later the Chinese , raised to an artform , the manufacture of cabling with very very little copper in it. Little tiny strands, spiralled around mostly plastic cores with a tiny little strand at the center. They fatigue at the ends and break. Whether this is the pathophysiology of the failure in the above AudioQuests I don't know.

 

[JRS]

Initially the Japanese and later the Chinese , raised to an artform , the manufacture of cabling with very very little copper in it. Little tiny strands, spiralled around mostly plastic cores with a tiny little strand at the center. They fatigue at the ends and break. Whether this is the pathophysiology of the failure in the above AudioQuests I don't know.

And the bane of existence for IEM and HP listeners everywhere. The number that get tossed because of failure at the jack is seemingly quite high. Of course one can replace the jack for a few bucks and some patience in stripping the microscopic leads which consist of like 6 strands. But in many cases the replacement jack cost more than the device.

But not all are cheap: I had a set of 1More quads who failed that way, and I couldn't fix them try as I might. The company graciously replaced them out of warranty, so PSA: if you have such a failure, by all means try. My greatest irritation was with Etymonic however. Shortly after spending something like 300 bucks, my cat gnawed through them. Which was odd, my wife and I have had dozens of similar sets (lot less $$) and the cat never once took an interest. Then I got on line and there were some half dozen stories of similar woe. I swear to this day they infused the coating with cat nip. No replacement, but a trade-in program was offered, and the phone rep even joked about how common it was. Can't prove it of course....

 

[Chrispy]

Good ol' Fraudioquest. Always a favorite for the bullshit category.

 

[jsrtheta]

Making RCA interconnects that fail is actually quite an achievement.

View attachment 179311

I didn't know that was even possible.

I have 30-year-old interconnects in 1 meter and 2 meter. They sound fine, which is to say, like any other competently designed and manufactured cables.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Many older AQ RCA's were cold welded without solder to the cable on the ends. I've had some crack that weld and become intermittent. AQ was pretty good about fixing them for you.

 

[Sal1950]

Many older AQ RCA's were colde welded without solder to the cable on the ends. I've had some crack that weld and become intermittent. AQ was pretty good about fixing them for you.

Same here. I contacted them and they replaced it with the next more expensive one in the line.
Then without opening the package I sold it on ebay.

 

[DimitryZ]

None of two dozen low to mid priced AQ cables I own ever failed. I like their RCA plugs.

 

[DimitryZ]

Initially the Japanese and later the Chinese , raised to an artform , the manufacture of cabling with very very little copper in it. Little tiny strands, spiralled around mostly plastic cores with a tiny little strand at the center. They fatigue at the ends and break. Whether this is the pathophysiology of the failure in the above AudioQuests I don't know.

AQ is decent gauge solid core.

Blue Jeans Cables, which are great, also use cold welding. Never had their cables fail either. Just bought some speaker cables from them.

 

[JSmith]

Potential Audioquest Rigged HDMI Demo Exposed

Audiophile drama is unfolding as an Audioquest HDMI cable demo, featuring an Audioquest employee showing unrealistic changes in sound, was seemingly debunked as fraudulent by Mark Waldrep, Dr. AIX.

www.audioholics.com

JSmith

 

[mSpot]

Damn it ... 3 more are bad or intermittent. Understand, I have a container full of various RCA interconnects - from the cheap noname stuff that comes with components to slightly better brand name interconnects like Monster and Outlaw. Every single one of these other interconnects work flawlessly. Only the Audioquest ones have failed despite being the most expensive interconnects I've ever purchased.

It would be interesting to see exactly what failed. Does the connector come apart?

 

[LightninBoy]

In every case, it is the sleeve connection which is failing. Here's an obvious one ...

 

[Sal1950]

In every case, it is the sleeve connection which is failing. Here's an obvious one

Exterminate Exterminate

 

[DonH56]

Far too many folk yank on (grab) the wire instead of grabbing the plug and the wire connection inside the connector(s) breaks.

 

[mansr]

Audioquest RCA connectors are some of the worst I've seen.

 

[MalinYamato]

AQ makes me sick. What are you paying for?

 

[tvrgeek]

Worlds Best Cables from Amazon. About the best made. Monoprice or Blue Jean if you wish. Feet per dollar, not dollars per foot.
I bet your installer made his boat payment on that AQ junk. So a function was served.

 

[DimitryZ]

Audioquest RCA connectors are some of the worst I've seen.

I disagree. Current crop fits VERY tight, so once put on they are not going anywhere. For a system with MANY sources and wires against the wall this is a good thing.

 

[DimitryZ]

AQ makes me sick. What are you paying for?

For $30 I get AQ Tower - a thin and flexible single wire IC with connectors that work well for me.