AudioQuest Dragon eARC HDMI Cable
The AudioQuest Dragon 48 eARC HDMI 2.1 cable is the ultimate expression of how AudioQuest are always thinking of new ways to offer amazing performance and great value for money. The Dragon 48 eARC prioritises top level eARC sound quality for those who solely use a modern smart TV for all their content directly into a home theatre receiver (this cable is much too good for any soundbar we know of).
If you have a premium home theatre system and are running a projector and a number of external sources, such as a Blu-ray player and Foxtel box into your home theatre receiver then it makes perfect sense to have every AV connection on your HDMI cable rated at the same premium level – and this Dragon 48 eARC cable is definitely not the cable for you.
However, what if you run all your content, such as Netflix & other streaming services, from your smart television and just need to connect via eARC into your home theatre receiver. In that case the only thing you need rated at a premium level is eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel). Well, AudioQuest have had their thinking caps on and realised exactly that. So, they have produced their first dedicated eARC HDMI cables which includes the range topping, truly sensational Dragon 48 eARC.
This ultimate ground breaking cable features AV data pairs with Cinnamon level performance (The 0.5% silver plated copper conductors from Forest 48 combined with Carbon/Vodka level 3 noise dissipation technology). However, the eARC connection features full on Dragon levels of sophistication with 100% Perfect-Surface Silver eARC conductors and Ground-Reference conductors with Level-6 Noise Dissipation. As stated above, this approach makes perfect sense if you're running all your content from your smart TV down the eARC connection to your home theatre receiver because this cable prioritises the only thing you need – fantastic high definition sound quality over eARC. The very best part of this approach is that it allows AudioQuest to price the 'Dragon 48 eARC' at much, much less than the cost of the full-monty premium-level-everything 'Dragon 48'. So naturally, if it's high definition eARC sound quality you need then this will be music to your ears and your wallet.
Sound First: While 8K and other compelling video/gaming features make the HDMI headlines, AudioQuest's 48 eARC-Priority Series HDMI cables are AudioQuest's best-sounding HDMI cables yet. The greater precision and tighter manufacturing tolerances required to deliver HDMI cables that transfer up to 48Gbps bandwidth mean all of AudioQuest's tried-and-true ingredients and techniques matter every bit as much as ever before.
100% Perfect-Surface Silver eARC Conductors / 100% Perfect-Surface Silver Ground-Reference: Because sound is the number one priority for this cable, the eARC data-pair conductors and Ground-Reference drain use the same advanced design ingredients as the Dragon 48, enabling superior sonic performance at the friendliest possible prices. Dragon 48 eARC features 100% Perfect-Surface Silver eARC conductors and drains that have been direction-controlled for the most efficient dissipation of radio-frequency noise and AudioQuest's top Level 6 Noise Dissipation along with their patented 72v Dielectric-Bias System.
Previous ARC capabilities maxed out at lossy (compressed) 5.1-channel surround sound. Today's HDMI 2.1 cables support enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), which increases the digital bandwidth dramatically to support uncompressed and lossless high-resolution multichannel audio, including Dolby TrueHD and Atmos, and DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS:X.
Level 6 Noise Dissipation – 72V DBS + Graphene + Global Carbon + Directionality: Traditional "100% shielding" is not enough to guard against the increasingly prevalent effects of Wi-Fi, cellular, and satellite radiation. In AudioQuest HDMI cables, all 19 conductors are Direction-Controlled to minimize the RF Noise that damages performance by "directing" or draining it away from the most vulnerable circuits. In Level 5 Noise-Dissipation, high-loss graphene is added to the carbon layer sandwiched between layers of metal around the 4 FRL + eARC pairs, and a "global" high-loss carbon layer is placed around all conductors. Level 6 Noise Dissipation, AudioQuest's most advanced and comprehensive means of addressing induced radio-frequency noise, incorporates all of the sophisticated techniques found in Level 5 plus it adds AudioQuest's patented 72v Dielectric-Bias System.
48G: AudioQuest '48' HDMI cables can transfer up to professional 10K Ultra-HD video. The 48Gbps bandwidth is made possible by 4 balanced audio/video pairs capable of 12Gbps each. The precision and tighter manufacturing tolerances required to produce HDMI cables that transfer up to 48Gbps bandwidth mean many of AudioQuest's tried-and-true ingredients and techniques are more important than ever before.
8K/10K: AudioQuest 48Gbps HDMI cables have the bandwidth required for video with resolutions up to 10K and resolutions/refresh rates up to 8K/60 and 4K/120. All AudioQuest HDMI cables are completely backwards compatible with existing 4K displays.
Limited Lifetime Warranty: AudioQuest HDMI cables are precisely manufactured to ensure a high level of reliability and are backed by a non-transferable, limited lifetime warranty. Proof of original purchase is required; other restrictions apply.
Our Take
If your only source is a smart TV and you want to connect it to a home theatre receiver (this cable is much too good for any soundbar we know of) then the only thing you should be caring about is the sound of the cable, because sound is the only thing travelling down your HDMI cable, via the eARC connection. So why should you be paying for every AV connection to be premium when it's only the eARC connection you're using?
That is the whole idea behind the top of the range AudioQuest Dragon 48 eARC, which prioritises the eARC connection above everything else with the use of 100% Perfect-Surface Silver eARC conductors. It's also what makes it great value for money if this is the type of cable you need. Believe us when we say the performance of this cable is so good it's worth every penny.
Main Features & Specifications
- High Bandwidth 48G eARC Priority HDMI 2.1 cable with 100% silver eARC conductors and drains
- Bandwidth up to 48Gbps
- Supports HDMI version 2.1
- 4K/120Hz, 8K/60Hz, and 10K resolution
- Dynamic HDR formats like HDR10+, for contrast and colour optimized scene by scene
- HDCP 2.3
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) & Auto Low-Latency Mode (ALLM) for improved gaming experience
- Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) for sending lossless high-resolution multichannel audio from the TV back to an AV receiver
- 100% Perfect-Surface Silver eARC conductors
- 100% Perfect-Surface Silver ground reference conductors
- Silver-plated, long-grain copper (LGC) AV conductors (silver layer is 0.5% of total conductor)
- "Level 6" Noise Dissipation with Graphene + Carbon + Direction Controlled Conductors + AudioQuest's patented 72v Dielectric-Bias System
- Available Lengths: 600mm, 1 metre, 1.5 metre, 2 metre, 3 metre
- Manufacturer's Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.