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Raven Audio Soniquil Cables: Misrepresented Build & Tarnishing Connectors?

I bought a pair of Raven Audio Soniquil speaker cables a few years back. The connectors broke fairly quickly, and I finally got around to repairing them last week. I was disappointed to discover that Raven Audio is misrepresenting how the cables are manufactured. 

The website states that the connectors are soldered to the wire.

 

However, the connectors on my cables are not soldered. They're just set-screw banana plugs. 

 

 

I tried reaching out to Raven Audio for an explanation, but they haven't responded. Now I can't say with confidence that I personally could tell a difference in quality due to this issue, but I didn't like that the product is misrepresented.

 

Additionally, even though these connectors are supposed to be rhodium-plated, they appear to be tarnishing. Here's an image that shows the difference between the part that was exposed to air, and the part that was covered by heat shrink tubing. Does anyone know if this type of discoloration is to be expected with rhodium plated plugs, or is Raven Audio misrepresenting the metals used as well?

 

I'm guessing this might just be a case of "you get what you pay for" but I'd love to hear if anyone has had a different experience with these cables. Has anyone received a pair that actually was soldered? 

noryx
noryx OP
9 posts
 

I wanted to provide a conclusion to this thread. While it took some time, I was finally able to get in touch with Raven Audio. As you have seen on the thread, @watersidedave took time to respond and explain the situation from their perspective. I very much respect their effort to rectify the issue and take ownership of the situation. I appreciate their willingness to stand behind their product and make things right.

I mailed in my old cables last week and James promptly sent me a brand new set. Both Dave and James were professional and helpful throughout our conversations, and I’m happy with the resolution.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the discussion!

kennyc
1,748 posts
 

But, how does the replacement set sound? 😉

willgolf
940 posts
 

I have known Raven Dave, and James for a long time and have experience with their products.  They have always been gentlemen and have strived for customer satisfaction.  

I know that we, as consumers, can get frustrated when something goes wrong with our Audio.  It does not matter whether you are talking about a $300 cable or a $18k cable,  Personally, I always try to solve the problem with the dealer or manufacturer at all costs.  I choose not to air issues on sites like these as people comment or pile on many times, and they either have not experienced the product or do not know the facts.  This can needlessly damage the company's reputation.  

I am glad the Op solved his problem and got a replacement cable for his 4-year-old cable.  In a minor way, Raven was able to tell more people about super affordable, good-quality sounding cables.  All is good that ends well.  

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