Thunderbird eARC 48 HDMI Cable
The new AudioQuest ThunderBird 48 eARC HDMI 2.1 cable shows that AudioQuest really have their thinking caps on and are always thinking of new ways to offer fantastic performance and great value for money. The ThunderBird 48 eARC prioritises 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 way 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 ThunderBird 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 stunning ThunderBird 48 eARC.
This 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 ThunderBird levels of sophistication with 10% silver eARC conductors and 10% silver ground reference conductors with level 5 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 'ThunderBird 48 eARC' at much, much less than the cost of the full-monty premium-level-everything 'ThunderBird 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 and 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. ThunderBird 48 eARC features high-purity 10% silver-plated copper conductors on the eARC connection that have been direction-controlled for the most efficient dissipation of radio-frequency noise.
Number One Priority - eARC: Because sound is the number one priority for this cable, the eARC conductors in AudioQuest's ThunderBird 48 eARC HDMI cable receive extra special love and affection, with superior metals, 10% Silver-Plated Copper coupled with 10% silver ground reference conductors with level 5 noise dissipation for the best possible sound at the best possible price.
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 5 Noise Dissipation – 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 minimise 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.
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.
Our Take
If your only source is a smart TV and you want to connect it to a home theatre receiver (this cable is way 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 AudioQuest ThunderBird 48 eARC, which prioritises the eARC connection above everything else. It's also what makes it great value for money if this is the type of cable you need. At the price, the performance of this cable makes it a bargain.
Main Features & Specifications
- Product Description: AudioQuest Thunderbird eARC Priority 48G HDMI Cable
- Specification: High Bandwidth 48G eARC Priority HDMI 2.1 cable
- 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 optimised scene by scene
- HDCP 2.3
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) & Auto Low-Latency Mode (ALLM) for improved gaming experience
- ARC: Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) for sending lossless high-resolution multichannel audio from the TV back to an AV receiver
- eARC Conductors: Silver-plated, long-grain copper (LGC) - silver layer is 10% of total conductor
- Ground Reference Conductors: 10% silver-plating
- AV Conductors: Silver-plated, long-grain copper (LGC) - silver layer is 0.5% of total conductor
- Shielding: "Level 5" Noise Dissipation with Graphene + Carbon + Direction Controlled conductors
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- All 19 conductors are Direction-Controlled - A/V, eARC, Ground-Reference Drains, Control, Power
- Outside Jacket: Black/Blue braid except 3 Metre which is Black/Blue PVC
- Available Lengths: 600mm; 1 Metre; 1.5 Metre; 2 Metre; 3 Metre
- AudioQuest Product Code: AQ-ThunderE0.6
- Manufacturer's Australian Warranty: Limited Lifetime - Covers faulty workmanship and materials and not future HDMI specification upgrades
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.