I can only offer two comments:
1. the Micropurls use 25-gauge copper conductors for both the incoming signal and the ground plane legs, whereas the TQ2's use silver for the incoming signal leg and copper for the ground plane leg;
2. the TQ2's are, to my ears, more transparent and detailed than the Micropurls, and seem to have better transient response (in my system). I would not call the TQ2's "laid back", but neither are they forward or bright (at least in my system).
I have not heard the Tourmaline or Sapphire models, which use 18 gauge conductors, rather than 21 gauge as in the TQ2's. Hence, their electrical characteristics may be somewhat different, but I can't comment on them. All in all, I think the TQ2's (with RCA's) offer very good value for the price (at least by high-end standards).
For what it's worth, one of the Stereophile reviewers evaluated the TQ2's in comparison to the Micropurls (which he called a good budget interconnect), saying that the TQ2's did pretty much everything better than the Micropurls. He summarized by saying that the TQ2's were among the best IC's he'd heard, regardless of price (although not in the top tier).
1. the Micropurls use 25-gauge copper conductors for both the incoming signal and the ground plane legs, whereas the TQ2's use silver for the incoming signal leg and copper for the ground plane leg;
2. the TQ2's are, to my ears, more transparent and detailed than the Micropurls, and seem to have better transient response (in my system). I would not call the TQ2's "laid back", but neither are they forward or bright (at least in my system).
I have not heard the Tourmaline or Sapphire models, which use 18 gauge conductors, rather than 21 gauge as in the TQ2's. Hence, their electrical characteristics may be somewhat different, but I can't comment on them. All in all, I think the TQ2's (with RCA's) offer very good value for the price (at least by high-end standards).
For what it's worth, one of the Stereophile reviewers evaluated the TQ2's in comparison to the Micropurls (which he called a good budget interconnect), saying that the TQ2's did pretty much everything better than the Micropurls. He summarized by saying that the TQ2's were among the best IC's he'd heard, regardless of price (although not in the top tier).