AudioQuest Boxer Subwoofer Cable
The AudioQuest Boxer Subwoofer cable is a really, really good buy. Priced in between the AudioQuest Irish Red and Husky (at almost twice the price) it delivers the perfect balance or performance at a price that isn't to much of a stretch.
AudioQuest's Boxer cable is definitely not It is not cheap or flimsy like the out-of-the-box cables or over-priced. It helps any powered subwoofer sound more realistic by minimising any loss in the signal as it travels from your receiver or amplifier to the subwoofer. One big feature is the two identical solid conductors, and each conductor is a single, unbroken strand of AudioQuest's high-purity Long-Grain Copper, coated or plated with silver. Solid conductors eliminate electrical and magnetic interference that can make multi-strand conductor cables sound brittle. AudioQuest Boxer is favourite cable of the AT staff and customers alike.
Solid 1.25% Silver Conductors: Solid conductors eliminate strand-interaction distortion and reduce jitter. Solid silver-plated conductors are excellent for very high-frequency applications. These signals, being such a high frequency, travel almost exclusively on the surface of the conductor. As the surface is made of high-purity silver, the performance is very close to that of a solid silver cable, but priced much closer to solid copper cable. This is an incredibly cost effective way of manufacturing very high-quality subwoofer cables. This extra silver content is but one of 4 key differences between the lower priced Black Lab and Irish Red range.
Polyethylene Air-Tube Insulation: 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. AudioQuest, however, uses Polyethylene Air-Tube Insulation on both conductors, for increased geometry stabilization and improved clarity. Because air absorbs next to no energy and Polyethylene is low-loss and has a benign distortion profile, Polyethylene Air-Tube Insulation, with its high air content, causes much less of the out-of-focus effect common to other materials.
Carbon-Based 3-Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS): 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's alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded synthetics "shield the shield," absorbing and reflecting most of this noise/RF energy before it reaches the layer attached to ground.
Double Balanced Geometry: Geometry is the physical relationship of the conductors to one another within a cable and determines a cable's most basic electrical values (capacitance and inductance). Different cable applications have different/specialised geometry requirements, and so these applications do not merely follow a 'one size fits all' approach. Better geometry leads to lower levels of distortion. Electrically separate shield better preserves integrity of the negative conductor.
Cold-Welded Hanging-Silver Directly Over "Pure Red" Copper System: AudioQuest specifies materials and designs each of its own connectors from the ground up, resulting in the long-lasting quality and exceptional performance you deserve. These components are crucial to the overall performance of a cable. To provide the best possible performance for each application, AudioQuest designs each of its connectors from the ground up. These components are crucial to the overall performance of the cable. Painstaking care is taken to evaluate the highest quality materials and design for every application.
AudioQuest pays special attention to the plating it uses over its connectors' carefully crafted base metals. 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. Red-Copper offers a cleaner, clearer sound than the nickel-plated or OFHC metals commonly found in competing manufacturers' plugs.
This plug design enables a perfect heat-free connection between cable and plug. The connection between the plug and conductors is made using AQ's Cold-Welded System, which provides a superior connection that ensures that the structural integrity of the conductor is kept completely intact. The Cold-Welded System refers to a combination of high pressure at the point of contact and the use of copper- or silver-impregnated paste.
Grounding: Sometimes there is a hum problem unless the subwoofer and AV receiver (or surround-sound processor) are attached to each other using a separate wire. If you hear noticeable hum in your system after connecting your subwoofer, please attach the subwoofer cable's ground lead to your audio gear. Some audio equipment has a ground (GND) connection on the back-panel, if not, attach the ground spade lugs to any screw on the equipment chassis of both the source and the subwoofer. Usually, this extra wire will not be needed.
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 or cable parts.
Inspiration: The name is derived from yet another one of man's best friends - the Boxer! No, we're not talking about Simon & Garfunkel's song with the same name, but rather a dog breed named Boxer. The breed originated in Germany in the late 19th century and was brought to the US after World War I. Today, Boxers are a part of the AKC's Working Dog Group. Don't be fooled by that "worried" look on a Boxer's face. Boxers are known for their fun-loving, genial, and at times downright clown-like demeanour, as well as their remarkable rapport with children. However, Boxers are equally known for courage in the face of danger, or threat to family or loved ones. The Boxer's innate intelligence, combined with its natural strength of stature, makes it a breed beloved by many.
Our Take On AudioQuest Boxer Subwoofer Cable
Boxer is obviously a very good and smart looking cable and keeps the AudioQuest tradition for making quality products. Many would consider it expensive but it actually sits in about the middle of the range and to get a perspective, the AudioQuest Wild Dog is $2200 for a 2 metre length! Anyway lets get back to the Boxer for a moment which besides being really really good due to the "smooth" bass courtesy the extra silver content is actually not unreasonably priced and really a must have with any subwoofer over $1500. The Boxer features a superior 3 layer carbon based NDS system, double-balanced geometry and the very sophisticated cold weld connectors with hanging silver. Your final choice has as much to do with the rest of your system as much as it has to do with the cable itself, but Boxer really does cut the mustard.
Main Features & Specifications
- Product Description: AudioQuest Boxer Subwoofer Cable
- Terminations: Single RCA Plug to Single RCA Plug
- Cold-Welded, Hanging-Silver Directly Over Pure Red Copper
- Geometry: Double-Balanced Geometry
- Conductors: Solid 1.25% Silver-Plated Long-Grain Copper (LGC) Conductors
- Dielectric/Insulation: Foamed-Polyethylene (FPE) Insulation
- NDS/Shield: Carbon-Based 3-Layer Noise-Dissipation System
- Jacket Colour: Black/Brown nylon braid
- Available Lengths: 2 Metre; 3 Metre; 5 Metre; 8 Metre; 12 Metre; 16 Metre; 20 Metre
- AudioQuest Product Code: AQ-BOXER/3
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 5 Years - Does not cover misuse or abuse
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE