Audio Quest Copperhead IC's Vs Blue Jeans IC's

Face

Ben's speaker cables sound great too.

chamont

I know this is an old dead thread, but I need to add my two cents.

I did almost the exact thing here. I had Blue Jeans XLR interconnects between my processor and amp. I picked up some AQ King Cobra XLR cables. I figured that I'd be able to sell the AQ cables for at least what I bought them for. So, not a huge risk for me...

Bottom line, I'm keeping the AQ cables. Oh man. I fell into the camp that, ok, maybe cables make SOME difference, but maybe they're just different "flavors" of sound. Nope. The King Cobras make cymbals sound like ... well, cymbals. Not crisp high sounds--they sound like a drum stick smacking the top of a cymbal. The bass is deep, refined, and enveloping. It's a night and day difference.

It's so funny how we get spoiled in audio land. I was blissfully ignorant that my BJC cables were mediocre. Now I can't go back and listen to them.

I know, the King Cobras and BJC cables are in totally different price classes. Yeah yeah. But if you read the BJC web site, they strongly suggest that their cables will match up against audiophile cables.

Until now, I've been a big BJC and Signal Cable guy. And don't get me wrong, they're great value cables. But you get what you pay for.

chamont

Just for fun, here's my system in case anyone is interested.
Oppo BDP-83SE
Sunfire TGP-5 processor
Outlaw 7500/2200 amps
Polk LSi15/LSiC with Skiing Ninja Master crossovers
Two APC H15 power conditioners
Two dedicated power lines, 20 amp, 10 gauge
An eclectic mix of BJC, Signal Cable, and Audioquest cables

kcoc321

chamont, I am curious, did you burn in both pairs of cables before your test?

chamont

I had the BJC cables totally burned in. They'd been in my system for about a month--on most of the time.

The AQ cables came yesterday, and they were IMMEDIATELY better. I've been running my system for a little more than 24 hours now, and they haven't changed all that much that I can tell. Maybe the soundstage is still settling down a bit. I think when I have these new AQ cables for a month or so, I'll go back to the Blue Jeans cables for fun.

kcoc321

thanks for the reply. I would be interested in hearing how the AQ King Cobra's compare to a comparably priced IC? Comparing the BJC to them is like apples to oranges.

Ranger0912

Although I've winced every time I paid for a set of AQs I've never regretted the expenditure once they were installed in my system.

Freak When C

steveinaz wrote: »

The Sidewinder/Copperheads are an excellent value interconnect (esp Sidewinder), but because of the solid copper conductors being soldered, you must HANDLE WITH CARE. Usually the center pin conductor is fine, it's the drain wire that gets broken at the solder joint on the connector. I have broken 2 copperhead IC's, and I wasn't man-handling them.

I'm thinking of getting some used copperhead ICs and was reading through this old thread (that was recently revived). Not sure I understand what he means by "drain wire". And is this something y'all think would be noticeable from simple visual inspection, i.e., can see evidence of damage on the exterior of the cable?

Freak When C

Hey guys, referring to what steveinaz said above, would a loose connector indicate a drain wire that's broken at the solder joint?

Freak When C

Well I know this thread was old. But it recently got revived and now I need a little help.

If I take and hold the cable between my thumb and index finger in my right hand (just below the connector) and then take hold of the connector between my thumb and index finger in my left hand, I can wiggle the connectors very easily. The cable doesn't move but I can wiggle the connectors (the whole connector housing, not just the gold part) about 1/4 of an inch. Does this indicate that I have the same problem that steveinaz was describing above? Anybody?

Freak When C

Bump. Nobody knows what I'm talking about in my last three posts above?

shack

Freak When C wrote:

Hey guys, referring to what steveinaz said above, would a loose connector indicate a drain wire that's broken at the solder joint?

No. You should be able unscrew the RCA plug cover to see what is going on underneath and see the if the drain wire has come lose and to see if the center pin of the connector is broken. If those are ok the IC should be ok. Hook them up. If bad you should hear a loud hum or some feedback.

Freak When C

Thanks for the reply. I unscrewed the RCA plug cover to see what is going on underneath. I can still wiggle the connectors very easily with the cover off. The end (gold tip part with the threads for the cover) of the connector moves back and forth 1/4 of an inch, but the long gold part where the cable comes through stays stationary. Also the bare copper wire (drain wire?) appears to be loose and un-soldered on one end. I have yet to plug them in but will once I work out other issues. But from what I've described, does it sound like these cables are bad?

shack

My Copperheads are tight and don't move at all. It does not sound right. I would call or email AudioQuest. In the past, if I've had an AQ cable that does not work properly, I've sent it to them and it was repaired at no charge. All I was out was shipping and time.

Freak When C

Thanks for the help and suggestions, much appreciated. I contacted the seller and he agreed to refund my money. So I'm just going to send them back and move on.

reeltrouble1

good job Shackdaddy.

RT1

steveinaz

Freak When C wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I unscrewed the RCA plug cover to see what is going on underneath. I can still wiggle the connectors very easily with the cover off. The end (gold tip part with the threads for the cover) of the connector moves back and forth 1/4 of an inch, but the long gold part where the cable comes through stays stationary. Also the bare copper wire (drain wire?) appears to be loose and un-soldered on one end. I have yet to plug them in but will once I work out other issues. But from what I've described, does it sound like these cables are bad?

I agree with Shack, there shouldn't be any movement--I'm guessing that you are saying the center pin has movement? What I'm calling the drain wire, is the wire connecting the outer shell on each end.

It's not a big deal if you handke these IC's with care, don't bend them often (or at extreme angles), and always grab by the connector and not the wire.