Cheap Interconnects from Hong Kong


I've noticed that interconnects on eBay seem to be listed quite a bit more cheaply than on other sites. I'm specifically looking at the Audioquest King Cobra.

Anyway, since most interconnects on eBay are shipped from Hong Kong, are there problems with these not always being genuine? I know HK sellers can be very competitive with generic stuff like USB cables, but I can't imagine how they'd be able to acquire AQ cables more cheaply than other sellers.

Anyone have experience buying interconnects on eBay?
rrolack

Showing 1 response by mdenero44

It is frequently easy to spot counterfeit AQ cables. I would say the majority of the ones on E-bay from a multitude of Hong Kong sellers are fake. If you look at a genuine AQ King Cobra you will notice that the cable jacket itself is composed of a mix of black and red interwoven strips, with a bit more black than red. The red strips are grouped together in rows of blocks along the length of the cable that are as wide as the black strips separating the red rows. Most of the ones on E-bay have fatter red sections. The width of the red and black strips is not equal. When you look at a real AQ King Cobra cable you should be able to see three complete rows of red blocks on half the diameter. Also, real AQ cables are really not shiny at all, while E-bay rip offs often have a bright sheen. The cable is the most important and difficult to manufacture part. The connectors are relatively inexpensive in bulk. E-bay counterfeits often have real AQ connectors on fake cables. Some have fake connectors and cables. I personally would not buy cables from Hong Kong on E-bay.