Audioquest

Chicago | Interconnects

  • Double-Balanced Geometry (Shield not used for signal ground)
  • Asymmetrical Conductors (Lower impedance for critical ground)
  • Hard-Cell Foam Insulation
  • Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS)
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SKU: Chicago
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SOLID LONG-GRAIN COPPER (LGC) CONDUCTORS
Long-Grain Copper (LGC) has fewer impurities and fewer internal grain junctions, reducing distortion and digital timing errors.
COLD-WELDED, GOLD-PLATED TERMINATIONS
This plug design allows for a connection devoid of solder, which is a common source of distortion. Instead of solder, the process employs a high-pressure technique. Because the ground shells are stamped instead of machined, the metal used can be chosen for low distortion instead of machinability.
METAL-LAYER NOISE-DISSIPATION SYSTEM
It’s easy to accomplish 100% shield coverage. Preventing captured Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) from modulating the equipment’s ground reference requires AQ’s Noise-Dissipation System (NDS). Traditional shield systems typically absorb and then drain noise/RF energy to component ground, modulating and distorting the critical “reference” ground plane, which in turn causes a distortion of the signal. NDS “shields the shield,” absorbing and reflecting most of this noise/RF energy before it reaches the layer attached to ground.
DOUBLE-BALANCED GEOMETRY
Specifically designed for single-ended applications, Double-Balanced Geometry offers a relatively lower impedance on the ground for a richer and more dynamic experience. While many single-ended cable designs use a single path for both the ground and the shield, Double-Balanced designs separate the two for cleaner, quieter performance.
HARD-CELL FOAM INSULATION
Hard-Cell Foam (HCF) Insulation ensures critical signal-pair geometry. Any solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of an imperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit board materials all absorb energy. Some of this energy is stored and then released as distortion. Hard-Cell Foam Insulation is similar to the Foamed-PE used in our more affordable Bridges & Falls cables, and is nitrogen-injected to create air pockets. Because nitrogen (like air) does not absorb energy and therefore does not release any energy from or into the conductor, distortion is reduced. In addition, the stiffness of the material allows the cable’s conductors to maintain a stable relationship along the cable’s full length, producing a stable impedance character and further minimizing distortion.