Step into Big Sur’s Ocean of Sound
AudioQuest‘s Big Sur mini cables feature Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors and gold-plated pure “Purple-Copper” RCA plugsfor a marked sonic improvement over standard mini cables. Whiletheoreticians debate whether the true nature of the universe is analogor digital, one constant in our audiophile galaxy is that the music,dialogue, and sound effects which reach our ears is analog. In order topreserve this precious cargo, AudioQuest has designed a range ofanalog interconnects optimized for the single-ended world. Big Sur takesadvantage of years of carefully balancing design and material selectionin order to bring you a series of interconnects which, as much aspossible, “Do No Harm” to the original audio signal.
Solid Core ConductorsBig Sur, like virtually all of AQ’s cables, usessolid-core conductors for the analog pathway. Solid-core conductors aremore efficient at transmitting small signals than stranded cables andare also vastly lower in distortion, a difference that is clearlyaudible from the first instant; the system sounds like someone turned upthe volume! This efficiency also translates to more music comingthrough, plug in a Big Sur and hear things in your music you’ve never heard before.
Perfect Surface Copper + (PSC+)Big Sur receives AQ’s best copper, PSC+.A higher grade of copper than PSC, PSC+ receives the same proprietaryPerfect Surface polishing process which, as the name implies, smoothesthe surface of the conductors. Since treble and midrange frequenciestravel very close to the surface in a solid-core conductor, eliminatingeven microscopic roughness on the surface of the conductor greatlyreduces distortion. Sonically, PSC+ is vastly more resolving than PSC,like lifting a sheet off of the speakers, offering greater resolution,greater presence, far more extension top to bottom and far better gripin the lower octaves. For those who value a high level of resolution intheir system, PSC+ is the ideal conductor.
Foamed-Polyethylene InsulationAny solid material adjacent to a conductor is actually part of animperfect circuit. Wire insulation and circuit board materials allabsorb energy (loss). Some of this energy is stored and then released asdistortion. Big Sur uses air-filled Foamed-Polyethylene Insulation onboth conductors because air absorbs next to no energy and Polyethyleneis low-loss and has a benign distortion profile. Thanks to all the airin Foamed-PE, it causes much less of the out-of-focus effect common toother materials.
Metal-Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS) 100% shield coverage is easy. Preventing captured RF Interference frommodulating the equipment’s ground reference requires AQ’sNoise-Dissipation System. Noise-Dissipation System prevents asignificant amount of RFI from reaching the equipment’s ground plane.
Double-BalancedAsymmetrical Geometry Purpose designed for single-ended applications, Double-BalancedAsymmetrical Geometry offers a relatively lower impedance on the groundfor a richer, and more dynamic experience. While many single-ended cabledesigns use a single path for both the ground and the shield,Double-Balanced designs separate the two for cleaner, quieterperformance.
Gold-Plated Pure “Purple-Copper” RCA plugs This plug design allows for a connection devoid of solder, which is acommon source of distortion. Because the ground shells are stampedinstead of machined, the metal can be chosen for low distortion insteadof machinability. Purple-Copper offers a cleaner, clearer sound than thenickel-plated or OFHC metals commonly found in competing manufacturers’plugs.
