Audioquest Sidewinders?

[Stereomaniac]

I have a chance to pick up a 1m pair of AQ sidewinders for $36. I have never used AQ interconnects and I have heard good and bad. I have a new Denon 1930ci running into a Kyocera receiver. I am not one to believe that cables make a big difference, but I do believe in quality materials, good joints, and connectors. Right now I am using Phoenix Gold interconnects. Any thoughts?

[PeruvianSkies]

They are certainly not 'the greatest', but they should work just fine for you. Their construction is basic, but probably better than what you could get at BB or CC.

[Stereomaniac]

I know they are not top-of-the-line AQ, but my system probably does not justify that kind of expenditure. The Sidewinders list for $60 so I thought $36 was a good deal and an upgrade from the Phoenix Gold. I was just making sure the Sides were not a bad cable that would do harm to the sound or if there were quality issues with the cable.

[nightflier]

Sidewinders are decent cables, but the cloth sleeves tend to fray and the connectors are not a big improvement over the Pheonix (I own both). The cloth fraying won't affect sound, but they will make the cables less attractive and harder to resell. The sidewinders are not much better than the bottom of the line from Audioquest overall, so you would still be paying $36 mostly for the name.

If you want solid construction and good connectors at a bargain price, you should consider many of the smaller cable shops. Look for cables with Canare, WBT, Cardas or Neutric connectors, these are all excellent connectors. I've been buying cables from a little mom& pop shop called Heartland Cables and they have been excellent, especially considering I'm often moving things around. Never had one come apart and they sound very good.

[Stereomaniac]

That's what I was partly afraid of...that I was moving sideways not forward by moving from the Phoenix to the AQ. Maybe I should just stay with the Phoenix for now until I am ready to seriously replace some cables and do some homework. I just thought I might want to take advantage of a good deal.

[Stereomaniac]

What about moving up to Copperheads or Diamondbacks, also in the Audioquest line? Does anyone know anything about a Canadian cable maker called Ultralink?

[daviethek]

I understand the reservations about using entry level AQ IC over other brands. It is a ligitimate concern. In my view, quality in AQ interconnects starts at Diamondback, which is a very nice quiet and detailed mid-level interconnect. You can't go wrong with that one but it is more money. try to get a pair used. the fabric may be a bit frayed but usd IC's are a good bet and relatively low risk. .

[Stereomaniac]

I can get the Diamondbacks for about $100 for a 1m pair. At that price point a whole world of choices open up and I am not sure AQ is the best bang for the buck.

I am becoming very intrigued by Blue Jean Cables. Have not tried them yet. ANy thoughts?

[daviethek]

I can get the Diamondbacks for about $100 for a 1m pair. At that price point a whole world of choices open up and I am not sure AQ is the best bang for the buck.

I am becoming very intrigued by Blue Jean Cables. Have not tried them yet. ANy thoughts?


until you try em. Exercise the return policy if not impressed. Just about anybody will defiend their cable choices here so generic recommendations abound including using inexpensive IC's. . You alone will decide the price/value point for your taste and system. Patience and a sense of humor are important and it may take a while to get there. Do not rule out making them yourself. you can make a pair of silver wire IC's with good connectors for less than a hunj. Here's another conisderation. Anti-Cables. They are so smooth and uncolored that I think they might be compatible with a number of configurations. I make these recommendations after going the folowing route over the past 4 years:

Monster IC's ( model unknown )
IXOS IC's - acceptable but not outstanding
Home made silver wire with Eichmann Bullet conectors - very good
Audioquest Diamondback - very good
Audiouest Copperhead - good but clearly a step below Diamondback, ( thus my recommendation).
Anti-Cable IC's - best I've found to date.

Stayed with Anti-Cable IC's for main system, Cpopperhead for tuner, Home made in second system. hope the input helps your decision process. dk

[Stereomaniac]

I checked out anti-cables. Very interesting. About $100 for a 1m interconnect. That puts them at the same price point as the diamondbacks. I have done some research and I am hearing lots of bad things about sidewinders and copperheads. It ranges from they are no better than rat shack to they hurt the sound. In the audio review 'review' section there are a number of people who said copperheads developed a buzz or hum. Quality control issue? I did hear lots of good things about the diamondbacks though. Not sure if my system or I am worth $100:)

[blackraven]

Just go buy a pair of IC's from www.bluejeancable.com They are well worth the money.

[basite]

...For newyear I'll probably be upgrading the IC between the cdp and the amp, I'm looking at an Audioquest King Cobra (or columbia, depending on the budget and improvement), a Kimber Hero (or silver streak, also depending on budget), and a Nordost Blue heaven (or red dawn, also depending on budget)

I'll post my impressions as soon as I get to play with them :)

also, if anyone had any experience with the above cables, I would like to know that :)

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[PeruvianSkies]

...For newyear I'll probably be upgrading the IC between the cdp and the amp, I'm looking at an Audioquest King Cobra (or columbia, depending on the budget and improvement), a Kimber Hero (or silver streak, also depending on budget), and a Nordost Blue heaven (or red dawn, also depending on budget)

I'll post my impressions as soon as I get to play with them :)

also, if anyone had any experience with the above cables, I would like to know that :)

Keep them spinning,
Bert.

Will you be doing balanced XLR or RCA?

[basite]

Will you be doing balanced XLR or RCA?

rca, haven't got xlr outputs :(
but rca or not, the difference is there anyway :)

[Feanor]

Just go buy a pair of IC's from www.bluejeancable.com (http://www.bluejeancable.com) They are well worth the money.

Blue Jeans cables are professional grade. I don't know about very high-end systems, but in entry and mid-level systems, I doubt that anyone will here a difference, (apart for placebo effect, of course), from the most expensive interconnects on the market. I cannot hear the difference between my BC's and the QED, Kimber, and Monster Cables I previously bought that are 3-4x the price.

[Stereomaniac]

Thanks for the input. I looked at the Blue Jeans Cable web site and they are very nice cables at reasonable prices. I think they just might be the ticket for my mid-fi system. It would be hard to justify $100 for AQ Diamondbacks.

[JohnMichael]

Check out this AudioQuest IC.


http://hcmaudio.com/comp.asp?compID=498