Niagara 3000 Delivers Power, Protection, Performance
Power management is a hot topic in audio. Niagara 3000 loves the attention.
Speaker Cable w/ ZERO for Treble & BASS for Bass
Often, the choice between terminating your speaker cables with spade lugs or banana plugs will come down to personal preference. However, the EU-compliant isolated binding posts used on some power amplifiers often makes it difficult if not impossible to tighten spade lugs with high torque or pressure. In these applications, the AudioQuest banana connector is the superior choice, and may be the only choice.
AudioQuest has conducted a fairly extensive survey of contemporary amplifier manufacturers to determine whether spades or bananas will be most appropriate for a given brand and model of amplifier. Please contact us, provide the brand and model of the amplifier, and we’ll respond with the optimal connector type.
Here we typically recommend the U-Spade or banana connector. However, even though there is less weight and pressure on this side of the cable (particularly for BiWire sets), it is nevertheless important to note the binding post’s design. If a banana connector cannot seat all the way into the binding post, we recommend one of our spade connectors.
Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
Solid conductors prevent strand-interaction, a major source of dynamic distortion. Extreme-purity PSC+ solid copper minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries, and, when direction-controlled for surface asymmetry, facilitates crucial Radio-Frequency Noise-Dissipation.
Carbon-Based Linearized Noise-Dissipation System (NDS)
AQ’s comprehensive Linearized Noise-Dissipation System combines multiple shields and a carbon-based linearized resistive network that turns most of this noise into heat. By "linearized," we mean that the system is equally effective across extremely wide bandwidth, rather than at selected frequencies only, as is more common. The remaining bad energy is effectively drained away from the sensitive amplifier circuits via directionally controlled signal and shield conductors.
ZERO-Tech
The only complete way to eliminate characteristic-impedance mismatches between a cable and the attached source and load is for the cable not to have any fixed characteristic-impedance value. ZERO-Tech accomplishes this by eliminating interaction between the insulation (dielectric) and the cable’s conductors—enabling uncompressed current transfer. All-important transient current is unrestricted, and RF Noise-Dissipation is linearized (consistent octave to octave).
RF/ND-Tech (BASS CABLE ONLY)
Though a cable’s ground leads are integral to a component’s signal transmission, they also act as an antenna. Thus, they are subject to induced Radio-Frequency (RF) noise. RF noise is a parasitic signal that is typically coupled directly into a system’s most sensitive audio/video circuits. AudioQuest’s RF-on-ground Noise-Dissipation (RF/ND-Tech) greatly reduces resulting distortion and signal masking, yielding unprecedented levels of Noise-Dissipation across the widest bandwidth (range) of radio frequencies possible. Our unique circuit topology uses a common-mode phase-cancelling array, providing linear noise dissipation across the entire length of the cable (US Patent # 8,988,168).
72v Dielectric-Bias System (DBS) with Level-X RF Noise-Trap
Insulation is also a dielectric that acts like a shunt-filter. Properly biasing the dielectric linearizes the filter, significantly improving the cable’s wide-bandwidth ability to dissipate induced noise. The DBS pack’s Level-X Noise-Trap “pulls” RF Noise out of the cable, further reducing attached audio circuit misbehavior.
Directionality
All drawn metal strands or conductors have a non-symmetrical, and therefore directional, grain structure. AudioQuest controls the resulting RF impedance variation so that noise is drained away from where it will cause distortion. The correct direction is determined by listening to every batch of metal conductors used in every AudioQuest audio cable. When applicable, arrows are clearly marked on the connectors to ensure superior sound quality. For most models of AQ cable, the arrows not only indicate the direction that optimizes metal-directionality as part of Noise-Dissipation, but also indicates non-symmetrical attachment of shield and GND in order to optimize full-system performance.
Folk Hero Cold-Welded Terminations
Folk Hero cables are Cold-Welded to AudioQuest’s extremely pure Red Copper Spades or Bananas. The bare copper is submerged (hung) in a vat of pure silver instead of being tumbled in a lower-grade solution. AudioQuest speaker breakouts and plug casings are not metal in order not to induce RF Noise into the conductors.
William Tell Bi-Wiring
When possible, running separate cables to the treble and bass “halves” of a speaker significantly reduces distortion. Bi-Wiring keeps the large magnetic fields associated with bass energy out of the treble cable, allowing the delicate upper frequencies to travel a less magnetically disturbed path, like taking the waves out of the water when you swim.
AudioQuest’s RF/ND-Tech (patented RF-Canceling Ground-Noise Dissipation) attracts RF energy away from the amplifier’s output. When properly implemented, Bi-Wiring has always been a cost-effective way to get better performance for the same or less money. With RF/ND-Tech, the advantage of Bi-Wiring is much more dramatic. Because RF/ND-Tech is so effective, BASS model cables are only for 10KHz and below; do not use a BASS cable full-range or on treble.
William Tell BASS cable is ideal with William Tell ZERO or SILVER ZERO. A Bi-Wire COMBO with BASS and ZERO cables joined together at the amplifier is usually most convenient. When Tri-Wiring, use BASS cables on the Midrange and Bass inputs.
Caution: Do not Bi-Wire with two ZERO cables. ZERO cables in-parallel can create a very high-frequency resonant peak (ringing), and resulting poor sound. Only use a ZERO plus a BASS cable (whether or not joined as a COMBO). Second best is a single ZERO with AQ Bi-Wire jumpers.
Metal |
ZERO: Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Sonic-Signature Conductors / BASS: Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Sonic-Signature Conductors and Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
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Noise Dissipation |
RF/ND-Tech and Multi-Layer Carbon-Based Noise Dissipation
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Geometry |
ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance)
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Gauge |
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Signal Type |
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Cable Length |
8 ft = 2.4 m
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Jacket |
Dark Red on Black Braid
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Sold As |
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William Tell ZERO BiWire COMBO$4,820.00 View details | Robin Hood ZERO BiWire COMBO$2,992.50 View details | FireBird BiWire COMBO$24,750.00 View details | Dragon BiWire COMBO$47,150.00 View details | |
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Metal |
ZERO: Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Sonic-Signature Conductors / BASS: Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Sonic-Signature Conductors and Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
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ZERO: Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) / BASS: Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
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Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) Sonic-Signature Conductors & Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
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Solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) Sonic-Signature Conductors & Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
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Noise Dissipation |
RF/ND-Tech and Multi-Layer Carbon-Based Noise Dissipation
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RF/ND-Tech and Multi-Layer Carbon-Based Noise Dissipation
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RF/ND-Tech and Multi-Layer Carbon-Based Noise Dissipation
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RF/ND-Tech and Multi-Layer Carbon-Based Noise Dissipation
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Geometry |
ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance)
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ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance)
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ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance)
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ZERO-Tech (No Characteristic Impedance)
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Gauge |
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Signal Type |
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