20Hz-20KHz (everything within the human hearing range)

Zero

This is a review of AQ Diamond vs AQ King Cobra... I have used AQ Diamond in my system for some time and was very happy with the clearity and detail they offerd...bass was not really, really deep but it was there and sounded very good. Over all the Diamond is a very, very good cable and beats anything on the market near its price range. AQ King Cobra takes the clarity of the diamonds, smooths it out and lets even more low end through...in effect the King Cobra is a highly polished perfect Diamond...what ever is IN your music will come through...punchy low bass, mellow seductive mids, shimmering cymbals its all there. Placement is right on, imaging is focused and the soundstage is both wide and deep giving you a holographic tonal image of the music and artists in your room...the cables are FAST and will let the transient attacks come through wonderful and with full emotion. Out the box they sound great and with break in sound even better and more focused, cleaner and clearer. Other lesser cables presence in known in your system as they are mellow or bright or vailed in some way or forward in some area...while the King Cobras vanish, while at the same time giving you a very smooth presentation of your music. Clanks, toes taps, drum sticks noises that I never heard are clearly audible as well as lyrics, you can actually hear clearly every single word people sing with no vails what so ever.

Similar Products Used:

Everything that is sold at audio stores...Cardas, Kimber, XLO, etc.

looks, sound, musical, cost

none

After listening to Kimber Kable for so many years and knowing from the very start what short comings I had settled for I finally ended my search with the Audioquest Diamond. I wanted the constant upgrading to end, I wanted a cable that let the music shine thru without breaking the bank, without settleing for lack luster bass but good mids or thin highs. I got everything I was looking for in AQ, I studied reviews, listened to cables every chance I got but no cable gave me the low end realism and total musicality, the real to life mids and smooth highs as anywhere near this price. My search is over, finally..and I still have money to buy music.

A well made neutral cable that enables resolution of detail at all frequencies. Excellent extension of bass and treble providing excellent imaging when used in a high quality system. Probably AQ's best affordable cable!

None

I have always been skeptical about cables and put off by the industry hype and often outrageous prices for "just wire". Many cables are sold as audiophile products but do not deliver the promise! But there are some cables that have the capacity to move a good system to another level and convince even cynics that well designed interconnects are a vital link in the chain that cannot be ignored. Of all cables I have tested only the AQ Diamond has provided a truly synergistic match to bring through the true capabilities of my ARC SP11 MK2 preamp annd D125 valve amp feeding Appogee Duetta Signatures. I use both CD (Sony XA7ES and Turntable sources (Linn/Koetsu) With this cable my system delivers a remarkable deep 3 dimensional soundstage with extended and delightfully smooth high frequencies. Midrange and bass are superb with fine resolution of micro detail that "ordinary" cables simply cannot resolve. Yes they are expensive - even secondhand but well worth it!

Similar Products Used:

Vanden Hul, Kimber, Audioplan, Goertz

Smooth, natural, real

None I've noticed

I've been using the AQ Diamonds for more than 5 years and I've not come across a pair of cables that better them. AQ simply did them right, with tubes or solid state. Current system set up TT : JSR Andromeda + Graham 1.5tc + vdH Frog Phono : Acoustech PH1 Preamp - VAC Vintage Poweramp - VAC High Powered 100WPC monoblocks Bass amp - Genesis Servo Amp Speakers - Genesis 200 Cables : Arm to Phono to preamp : Audio Note VX Preamp to amps : AQ diamond amps to speakers : Custom made AQ for Genesis and Gotham

Similar Products Used:

XLO, vdH The Second, Straightwire, Monster

Natural, musical, marvellous.

A little lack of resolution and transparency. But it is not the case with Diamond III (a friend of mine have a pair, grrrr!)

Soory for my bad english. I have a pair of Audiotruth Diamond II (it's a best class in comparaison to the "classic" Audioquest Diamond). What can I say? Absolutly natural (voices, acoustic instruments...) but a little lack of resolution and transparency.

Similar Products Used:

Monster cable M 1000, M 1500, M 2000, HMS Duetto, Cardas gold cables...

Clarity, timing, sheer musicality

Well at the price I got them none whatsoever but even at full price possible the same answer. Perhaps slightly warm or perhaps that is just the removal of a degree of brightness from other inferior cables.

I was expecting greater clarity, a better soundstage, more deatil and a cleaner overall sound. I got all this but to my surprise what I got was more music, I don't have a hifi which plays CDs now I have hifi that plays music.

Similar Products Used:

Audiouest Quartz DNM Solidcoe Linn

good smooth midrage with detail, control bass and silky high.

lack of low level detail and high of cardas golden reference

This cable is very smooth, open and good detail but laid back sound. compare to golden reference, cardas is more forward sounding, more detail and little more lively sound. However cardas is about $400 more expensive. At the price the diamond is good value and also exellent sound.

Similar Products Used:

cardas golden reference

Smooth, dynamic, involving.

Expensive

X2/X3: Great cables - a good match for my Audio Magic Sorcerer speaker cables. Couldn't really hear much of a difference between the two though. Wasn't fool enough to try the Diamond Extreme though. I don't care if it sounds better, it won't sound $500 better.

Similar Products Used:

MIT, AQ, Audio Magic, Transparent

Detail, speed, musical articulation,extended bass and treble

Could have too much zip for bright and uncontrolled systems

This cable has bested all comers in my system for over three years, nothing has come close except for Lapis and a homemade silver interconnect I conjured up. It is the most complete cable I have ever heard, it has been bettered in one or two areas by different cables, but I always returned to the musically honest Diamond. I have used this cable in at least 5 systems and it always does the same thing, lets the music through effortlessly with lots of air, detail, speed, dynamics and musicality. Per the review below concerning Diamond's incompatability with tube equipment, I couldn't be in greater disagreement. I have used it with at least 4 tube amps and have always thought this cable was voiced for tube equipment until I heard it on really good Class A solid state stuff. I have to say that the only systems which have sounded poor with Diamond or Lapis are Class B equipment, tube or transisitor. If you have a really well tuned system, buy this cable!!!!!!!!

Curent System:
ML Aerius
Highly Modded Class A Cary SLA-70 (passive pot)
Theta DS Basic
Theta Data 2
Diamond, Sterling and Digital Pro (Gotta love the silver)

Similar Products Used:

Kimber, all other AudioQuest and AudioTruth, XLO, Mit, Wonderwire, Straightwire, Cardas, etc.

The Audioquest Diamond is, I believe, with much different equipment, a truly superior component, much better than the Lapis (or any of the other Audioquest interconnects or cables) or even the Kimber Kable KCTG (close, but without the top and bottom extension and a slight dip just below the upper midrange; also less dynamics, but with slightly better "noise floor") and easily better than the Tara RSC Master Gen 2, the Transparent Audio MusicLink Ultras or Pluses (not good with tubes), the Magnan Vi (too rolled off, top and bottom (Reference cable is much better), and the Cardas Crosses. I hear the top end Siltec is in the same league, but didn't get a chance to audition it and its price is staggering. Note, for tupe gear (tried with a Jolida 502B and Jadis DA-60, [as well as ML 20.6 monoblocks!]) the XLO Type 5 cable and the Audioquest Diamond is seriously something to consider, and what I landed out with, after too much fussing. Very highly recommended, but get the X3 version, not the X2, which is however a very close second.