About The AudioQuest Chicago RCA Cable
AudioQuest introduces a brand new range of analogue audio interconnects nearly a decade ago and they are still top sellers. They deliver a performance level and price that just a few years ago would have been simply impossible. The AudioQuest Chicago analogue stereo RCA cable is terminated with a gold-plated male stereo RCA connectors on all four ends.
Like all products from AudioQuest, the Chicago range of RCA cables are made to exacting standards and offer many of the design features of the more expensive models in the range. Let's take a look.
Solid Long-Grain Copper (LGC) Conductors: Solid conductors eliminate strand-interaction distortion. Chicago's solid Long-Grain Copper allows a smoother and clearer sound than cables using regular OFHC (Oxygen-Free High-Conductivity) copper. OFHC is a general metal industry specification regarding "loss" without any concern for distortion. LGC has fewer oxides within the conducting material, less impurities, less grain boundaries, and definitively better performance.
Nitrogen-Injected Hard-Cell Foam Insulation: Nitrogen-Injected Hard-Cell Foam insulation is used exclusively in most of AudioQuest's video and digital audio cables. Similar to Foamed-PE, it is nitrogen-injected to create air pockets. "Hard" foam is used because the stiffness of the material allows the conductors in the cable to maintain the same relationship with each other along the full length of the cable, thus ensuring that the characteristic impedance of the cable is consistent.
Metal Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS): 100% shield coverage is easy. Preventing captured RF Interference from modulating the equipment's ground reference requires AQ's Noise-Dissipation System. Noise-Dissipation System prevents a significant amount of RFI from reaching the equipment's ground plane.
Double-Balanced Asymmetrical Geometry: Purpose 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.
Cold-Welded Gold-Plated RCA Plugs: This proprietary, novel plug design allows for a connection devoid of solder, which is a common source of distortion. Because the ground shells are stamped instead of machined, the metal can be chosen for low distortion instead of machine ability. Purple-Copper offers a cleaner, clearer sound than the nickel-plated or OFHC metals commonly found in competing manufacturers' plugs.
Directionality: AudioQuest's understanding of conductor directionality and its effect on audio performance has steadily evolved, growing stronger and more complete. All audio cables are directional. The correct direction is determined by the arrows on the plugs/connectors.
The History Lesson: Personally we like how Bill and his team come up with names for their products, so this is the story behind the "Chicago" series: Every March 17 on St. Patrick's Day, New York City merely paints a green line down the center of its Fifth Avenue parade route—a stunt easily pulled off by any city—but only Chicago dyes an entire river the perfect shade of emerald green to honor Irish culture. Why green? Thanks to Ireland's lush vegetation, the island is often lovingly referred to as the Emerald Isle. To the Irish, a green display of pride is not to be taken lightly. In the United States, even those of non-Irish descent know to wear green clothing on St. Patrick's Day, or else be playfully pinched by an Irish friend or colleague! But it's one thing to don a green shirt or tie, another thing altogether to transform a 156-mile long river. Chicago's Stephen M. Bailey, the man who orchestrated the transformation, boasted that he'd turn the River Chicago into the River Shannon (Ireland's longest) for a day, and, eventually, he did.
There was no specific recipe for successfully dyeing a river. A bit of trial and error was required. Initially, over 100 pounds of dye was used, and the river stayed green for a week! In the second year, 50 pounds of dye kept the river green for three full days. In the third year, it was found that using 25 pounds of dye would turn the river green for a single day. Two years later, environmental concerns led to the formation of a new vegetable-based dye that produces a perfect sea of green and lasts for four or five hours—40 pounds of the stuff does the trick. Following suit across the nation, major canals, minor creeks, city blocks, drinking fountains, and even the Presidential Fountain at the White House are dyed green for St. Patrick's Day.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: Analogue Stereo interconnect cable with dual RCA connectors at each end
- Conductors: Solid Long-Grain Copper (LGS) conductors for excellent performance
- Insulation: Hard-Cell Foam Insulation
- for low distortion
- Shield: Metal-Layer NDS (Noise Dissipation System)
- shields against RF interference
- Geometry: Double-balanced cable geometry separates the ground and shield for quieter performance
- Outer Jacket: Green/black braided jacket
- Connectors: Cold-welded, gold-plated RCA plugs feature a solder-less design for lower distortion
- Directional: Yes
- Available Lengths: 500mm; 1 metre; 1.5 metre; 2 metre and 3 metre
- Manufacturers Warranty: 5 years - Does not cover misuse or abuse
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE