I know that the OP asked specifically about AQ interconnects but the discussion, as it often does, has veered into different cable types. I was recently interested in the new AQ speaker cables and there is very little posted online regarding their performance.
I just finished demoing several cables and in my system, a pair of Synergistic Research Atmosphere X Level 2 biwire (IFT) clearly outperformed AQ William Tell Zero/Bass at a lower cost. I have a system of Vandersteen 5A, Ayre MXR-Twenty, Ayre KXR-Twenty, Ayre Codex, Sota Cosmo/Graham Phantom II/Soundsmith Aida and listen to mostly rock with some jazz. The SR had much better dynamics, soundstage width and imaging. I found the AQ to lack bass and was not engaging. I actually preferred my much cheaper Anticable level 3 to the AQ. I broke in the AQ for over 400 hours. With Ayre and Vandersteen, the "classic" cable is AQ. In my system, the SR was much better.
I also demoed Anticable level 5, Morrow Elite Grand Reference, Cerious Matrix and Audience AU24SX. They all had their strengths and weaknesses but were not as good as SR in my system.
I just finished demoing several cables and in my system, a pair of Synergistic Research Atmosphere X Level 2 biwire (IFT) clearly outperformed AQ William Tell Zero/Bass at a lower cost. I have a system of Vandersteen 5A, Ayre MXR-Twenty, Ayre KXR-Twenty, Ayre Codex, Sota Cosmo/Graham Phantom II/Soundsmith Aida and listen to mostly rock with some jazz. The SR had much better dynamics, soundstage width and imaging. I found the AQ to lack bass and was not engaging. I actually preferred my much cheaper Anticable level 3 to the AQ. I broke in the AQ for over 400 hours. With Ayre and Vandersteen, the "classic" cable is AQ. In my system, the SR was much better.
I also demoed Anticable level 5, Morrow Elite Grand Reference, Cerious Matrix and Audience AU24SX. They all had their strengths and weaknesses but were not as good as SR in my system.