Audioquest Firebird Zero


I've tried several speaker cables over the past year; Shunyata Alpha and Sigma, Wireworld Silver Eclipse series 7, Audioquest Oak and Redwood, Audience Au24 SX, and I own Clarus Crimson speaker cables. I prefer the Clarus over all of the aforementioned speaker cables. I've had the Audioquest Firebird Zero speaker cables on loan for three days. My initial thoughts were everything is a little clearer through them compared to my Clarus Crimson. Not a night and day difference, but definitely clearer. The Clarus are slightly more 3-dimensional to my ears. My wife on the other hand just keeps saying the AQ sounds sharper, clearer, there are less impurities in the music. I'm not sure what she means by impurities, but she keeps repeating it. Maybe she means a darker background? My plan was to have a home audition of the Thunderbird Zero speaker cables, but they had banana plugs on the amplifier end and I can't use them. I took the Firebirds with the logic that if I can't hear a difference between them and my current cables I didn't need to have a home audition of the Thunderbirds. $14K for an eight foot pair of speaker cables is freaking crazy and sad! It would be easy for me to dismiss it  because there isn't a night and day difference, but once you hear the difference it's very hard to ignore. Financially I just can't justify spending $14K on speaker cables and hope to hear the AQ Thunderbirds sometime next week. Once again I'm reminded that absolutely everything makes a difference. For those that can easily afford $14K, $20K or more speaker cables I understand, because cables can be equivalent to a component change. Does it ever end?
ricred1
You need to understand when you can use silver in power cords. I own a Dragon HC on my subwoofer. But I would never use it on my Gryphon power amp. Due to the 100% fact that silver works negatively when you judge audio on all 8 aspects/properties on power amps. The harmonics are essential for emotion in music.

When you use silver power cables for sources, power amps, preamps, and power supplies, you will influence the layering in sound a lot. I use Wel Signature xlr interconnects. But they work a lot differently compared to how power cables work.

I also use the Fire Zero+Bass version. Audioquest does not use 100% silver in their most expensive loudspeakers cables anymore. I understand why (due to thousands of hours in the research of cables in over 21 years of time) they use copper as well.

In 2021 new Audioquest interconnects will come!


WEL and Wild Blue Yonder are discontinued, Fire is now top of line IC.
i have Wild Blue in my Ref system with a Niagara, and Fire in 2nd system. Hopefully AQ will develop replacements...
WEL will not be discontinued is my understanding. In fact it’s going up $250 per pr on Feb 28. WBY is history. I suppose a new breakthrough technology has been found after 40 or so years. I/we are so blind to audio manipulation. I know there’s no possible breakthrough but still want to try something new like a fool. IMO 
ctsooner,

I don't see any info on the CAD grounding unit that you have referred to on the Audioquest website. Can you point me in the right direction as to price and configuration?

ozzy
@ozzy ,
I was with ctsooner at Audioconnection when Johnny demoed the CAD unit. Subtle, but noticable change- blacker background, more detail coming through. I should get one, too.
In any case, just call Johnny directly. He will set you up.
Here is the website:
https://www.computeraudiodesign.com/gc1-ground-control/

Bob