Audioquest Firebird Zero


I've tried several speaker cables over the past year; Shunyata Alpha and Sigma, Wireworld Silver Eclipse series 7, Audioquest Oak and Redwood, Audience Au24 SX, and I own Clarus Crimson speaker cables. I prefer the Clarus over all of the aforementioned speaker cables. I've had the Audioquest Firebird Zero speaker cables on loan for three days. My initial thoughts were everything is a little clearer through them compared to my Clarus Crimson. Not a night and day difference, but definitely clearer. The Clarus are slightly more 3-dimensional to my ears. My wife on the other hand just keeps saying the AQ sounds sharper, clearer, there are less impurities in the music. I'm not sure what she means by impurities, but she keeps repeating it. Maybe she means a darker background? My plan was to have a home audition of the Thunderbird Zero speaker cables, but they had banana plugs on the amplifier end and I can't use them. I took the Firebirds with the logic that if I can't hear a difference between them and my current cables I didn't need to have a home audition of the Thunderbirds. $14K for an eight foot pair of speaker cables is freaking crazy and sad! It would be easy for me to dismiss it  because there isn't a night and day difference, but once you hear the difference it's very hard to ignore. Financially I just can't justify spending $14K on speaker cables and hope to hear the AQ Thunderbirds sometime next week. Once again I'm reminded that absolutely everything makes a difference. For those that can easily afford $14K, $20K or more speaker cables I understand, because cables can be equivalent to a component change. Does it ever end?
ricred1
The Wel and all other pure silver cables of Audioquest all have a long inburn period. The Wel took about 23 days 24 hours a day before they were able to give the highest level. Silver needs a longer time to burn in compared to copper.

But through research, we found out that even after 800 hours we could measure an improved level of sound and stage. We could hear more details, layers and also improved low frequencies.

With the latest Monitor Audio Gold series, we had again the same experiences. We did measure at 400 hours, 800 hours and after 1000 hours. And again we had a clear improvement in low, mid and high frequencies.

People have no idea how long burn-in periods are of cables and components.
Actually many of us do understand burn in just like you do Bo.  It deals with the grain size and boundaries along with a few other details.  

As for the interconnects, don't expect as big a difference in sound as the cords and speaker cables.  Garth is breaking new ground and has measurements to prove this as most know.  

Power is a different beast entirely.  In the end, it comes down to each person's home as well as their system set up.  There is signal crap as well as crap from the mains.  

Bo says "This is why at this moment I do use and sell these products. They all showed a loss in a 3-dimensional stage. This is unacceptable when you judge at a 'High-end' level. It showed too much emphasis like many cable brands also reveal."

Not sure what you are saying.  You say you use and sell 'these products' (which ones?), but you say they all show a loss in a 3-dimensional stage.  Why would you use and sell anything that hurts the stage?  I'm sure it's a language mistake.  Please clarify.

The CAD device actually increased subtly the sound stage.  Bob and I didn't even make comments during the first few songs, but afterwards it was obvious that we both heard the same thing.  It did nothing negative.  

Anyone can make up marketing hyperbole about how to listen and what to listen for, but everyone hears differently.  That's the reality.  Most folks hear what they are told to hear by a dealer who wants to sell gear.  Many of us listen to a lot of live music and some of us have played instruments in bands and know what live music sounds like on stage.

Any audio system is a compromise.  Nothing can sound like live music.  We agree on many things and that includes what Garth is doing.  I remember sitting with Richard Vandersteen, Johnny Rutan and Garth listening to Richards model 7's with his amp and the top AR pre.  The analog was AMG.  Garth had his prototype 7000 and three of his power cords.  They were all in clear jackets as they were prototype's.  Even without letting the cords warm up, you heard a huge difference.  When he left the top cord (Dragon) in all day, it was spellbinding.  We all know what the Dragon does now, but at the time there was nothing like it on the market (and still isn't to my ears).  

Garth is a genius who may go down as one of the biggest innovators in audio.  There are plenty of different flavored speakers, amps, servers, DAC's.....We all have favorites for whatever reason.  I've yet to hear anyone not chose the new AQ cables and cords when doing A/B comparisons.  That to me says it all. 

Back to grounding devices.  I have heard many, but hated them all.  You can ask Bob how skeptical I was doing into the demo at Johnny's.  Most devices just put the noise back into the system and it's why some designers float the ground.  The Teleos (active) and CAD (passive) convert the crap on the line into heat.  Lowering the noise floor is positive in every way as long as it doesn't change the sound.  It just takes away the noise and nothing else.  
Hi all,

I‘m reading the AQ Hurricane/Firebird AC & loudspeaker cables reviews with great interest and I‘m considering buying some.

My question is: Need AQ AC cables also be bought in 2m lengths (or more) since they are better sounding than the 1m length version? I‘ve heard that argument for AC cables a couple of times and e.g. Isotek or Shunyata offer only lengths starting from 1,75/2m respectively. My dealer said it wouldn’t matter with AQ power cords (maybe due to active shielding by DBS?).

If e.g. 2m are better it came to my mind of a 2m Hurricane would be equal/better to a 1m Firebird.

Since these cables are rather expensive, it‘s good to clarify prior to purchasing.

Any thoughts are much appreciated.

Regards from Germany! :)
@musicguy85,
Interesting post, and nice to hear from German Audiophiles( I have a secret obsession with MBL's).
You make an interesting observation. I just purchased a set of AQ cables and was surprised that they were only offered in 1 meter or more lengths. So, it would seem the DBS requires a certain length in order to be effective. -Though I might be wrong in that assumption.
Re: Hurricane vs. Firebird-
AQ is pretty good at organizing/pricing their cables. If it is higher up on the scale/price level, then it should 'outperform' the cables below them.
If I get a chance, I will call AQ and get the scoop on the length question.
Bob
No issues in length with the AQ cables.  I own both 1 and 2 meter lengths and already tried the 1 and 2 on my Niagara 1000 and there was zero difference in sound.  

AQ will tell you the same thing about length. I guess size doesn't matter to them. lol. 

Bob is right.  As you go up in price, the sound is better.  Lower noise floor due to materials or size of the Teflon tubes.  I own William Tell copper in 8'.  It's the bi wire one and what a difference it makes.  I was told by AQ that the silver version of the Robin Hood would have sounded even better than the regular Tell's.