I still have my Emeralds from many years back, recently tried them in a new analog setup. Compared back to back with Ridge Street Audio Poiema's, no contest, Poiema's win hands down. Cables make a difference! Believe me, I have about 10 different cables lying around that beat my Emerald's and some of them cost very little. Your components deserve something better.
Is Audioquest Emerald still a good cable?
Using a pair of 20 year old Audioquest Emerald interconnects from my Audible Illusions preamp to my Arcam 27 cd player. In its day, Emerald was considered a decent interconnect. Has technology improved to the point that I need to consider replacing it with something affordable like Nordost Blue Heaven?