Not sure about the VDH, but the Yukon is a very good interconnect for the money. I've has a couple pairs in my system for about 2 years. It certainly isn't strident, nor is it bloated. Pretty much neutral. |
Well said @boxer12. AQ cables are generally very neutral. As you move up the line the sound gains transparency and openness, bass power and dynamics. Sorry, I have no experience with VDH.
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The Van Den Hul First Ultimate is one of those wild exotic design -- apparently it doesn't use metal and uses some sort of carbon threads to conduct. I can't even begin to predict what it would sound like. You really need somebody who has personal experience with this one.
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Thanks guys. I plan to buy B&W 702s2 soon to pair with some older Rotel gear and know B&W always uses Audioquest to demonstrate their speakers at shows; however, I was told B&W uses Van Den Hul for internal wiring in their speakers (at least for the 800 series) which sparked my interest in the VDH line of cables which I wasn't very familiar with at all.
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@mkash3 ,
You can always call AQ and ask them for their opinion.
Heck, even call VDH and see if they sell B&W their cables.
Bob |
I used the VdH First Ultimate for many years. It seems like almost 20 years ago that I bought my first pair. Maybe not that long..? It’s made completely from carbon fibre except for the terminations. The terminations are not soldered to the carbon fibres, so if the termination becomes faulty, it has to be sent back to the factory for repair. The termination pins are split, so there is potential for the terminations to become damaged. They sound great, perhaps a little soft, and they lose some dB compared to copper or silver cables. That was always the two downsides with the First, Second and Third cables (all of which I have owned). I would place their performance as better than the VdH copper interconnects, but not quite as good as their expensive pure silver models. The top end and midrange are superlative and definitely not strident, but the bass lacks the last word in dynamic punch compared to MC silver models.
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correction - it's made completely from carbon fibre except for the terminations and the Hulliflex insulation. |
No experience with the VDH stuff but the AQ King Cobra I had was a bit more on the lean side of things. The Rocket 44 speaker cable was worse than the ICs --
diminishes a little of the warmth. It sounded a little brighter as well.
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Hey dustsailor, where did you buy those AQ cables from? |
@boxer12 Wondering about counterfeits? Me too. I've found it unusual for anyone to describe AQ cables that way.
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hifiman5, Yes exactly... Lots of them out there. |
Boxer, I bought them from Music Direct. Looking back, I think the Rocket’s silver spades and possibly the silver drain wire used in the interconnects may have been the brightness culprit. I’ve avoided using anything with silver since.
I changed to a different brand of cables and suddenly, my system was much easier on the ears with a more spatial, 3-D presentation. It was a dramatic difference and I have since sold the AQ. As usual, YMMV.
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@dustsailor Don't write off silver cables. Some silver cables may sound bright especially in some systems. I feared the silver "brightness" factor but finally, after much reading and the fact that silver is a better conductor than copper of equal quality, took the leap to all silver interconnects and speaker cables. CAUTION. Get wires with very pure silver, preferably AQ Perfect Surface Silver, or Wireworld's OCC®-7N Solid Silver. These are just high quality examples not an exhaustive list. So what did I get with the change? The revealing of minute details and a more expansive soundscape adds interest to listening. It is cool to hear a musical detail in a familiar piece that you've never heard before.
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Dustsailor, You certainly received the real thing from Music Direct. Thanks for answering. |
No problem, Boxer. I’m glad you like your AQ, the products I tried were a little too forward in the upper ranges for my tastes.
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@whostolethebatmobile
The VDH copper stuff is silver-coated, right?
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The Van Den Huls will have the better midrange.
Cheers, SLAG
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