AUDIOQUEST Castle Rock

Original Gibraltar's all important basics - superior geometry, magnetic autonomy of each section of four conductors, Perfect-Surface metal technology, conductor size optimization (AQ's Spread-Spectrum Technology), etc. - are the basics of Castle Rock. Castle Rock employs the best copper conductor metal from AQ (Perfect-Surface Copper+), AudioQuest's DBS (Dielectric-Bias System) and NDS (Noise-Dissipation System).

A very recent advancement in Castle Rock (and all other Tree and Rock series speaker cables) is the addition of the sleek new "Hanging-Silver" 1000 Series Multi-Spades and Bananas. Originally developed for WEL's Signature Series speaker cables, these plugs are manufactured using a "hanging silver over pure red copper" process in which the blades and bananas are dipped ("hanged") in a vat of silver of extreme purity, resulting in a very thick direct silver plate. No performance degrading intermediate materials (such as nickel or alloys) are used.

Also new from Castle Rock is a "breakout" (the coating where the cable separates into red and black legs), which is now made of a non-magnetic synthetic polymer, rather than metal. We are making this update for all models because speaker cables and AC power cables carry large magnetic fields that interact with any "metal collar" around the cable. Removing the metal at the breaks is another significant (and clearly audible) step in our goal to eliminate distortion and make the sound cable "invisible". Also note that AudioQuest now offers the Single-BiAmp option for any Rocket, Rock, or Tree Series speaker cable, including Castle Rock.

Castle Rock represents the culmination of Gibraltar's long-term evolution, coupled with new materials and performance-enhancing systems. These ingredients add up to significant hearing improvements and more pleasurable listening!

PERFECT SOLID SURFACE COPPER+ (PSC+) CONDUCTORS (PSC+): Solid conductors prevent strand interaction, a major source of cable distortion. Extremely high-purity Perfect-Surface Copper+ minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries that exist within any metallic conductor, nearly eliminating harshness and greatly increasing clarity compared to OFHC, OCC, 8N, and other copper platers.

CARBON-BASED NOISE DISSIPATION AND CROSS-DISSIPATION SYSTEMS (INSULATION): Negative conductors at Castle Rock are insulated with partially carbon-conductive polyethylene. This extraordinary material dampens the radio frequency garbage that is returned to the amplifier. The sonic benefit is the exact same reduction in "hash" and better dimensionality that comes when RF garbage is reduced in an audio circuit. Castle Rock uses nitrogen-injected foamed polyethylene insulation on its positive conductors because air absorbs close to no energy, and polyethylene is low-loss and has a benign distortion profile. Thanks to all the air in the foamed PE, it causes much less of the blurring effect common to other materials.

DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM (DBS, US Pat #s 7,126,055 & 7,872,195 B1): All insulation slows down the signal on the inner conductor. When the isolation is not biased, it slows down parts of the signal differently, a big problem for time-sensitive multi-octave audio. AudioQuest's DBS creates a strong and stable electrostatic field that saturates and polarizes (organizes) the molecules of the insulation. This minimizes both the energy storage in the insulation and the multiple non-linear time delays that occur. The sound emerges from a startlingly black background with unexpected detail and dynamic contrast. DBS battery packs will last for years. A test button and LED allow for occasional battery checks.

DOUBLE STAR-QUAD GEOMETRY: The relationship between conductors defines the most basic electrical values ​​of a cable (capacity and inductance). However, even when those variables are kept in reasonable balance, the relationship between the drivers can vary in ways that greatly affect the sound. Castle Rock's Double Star-Quad construction allows for much more dynamic contrast and information intelligibility than if the same drivers were in parallel.

SPREAD-SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGY (SST): Any size or shape of conductor has a specific distortion profile. Although radially symmetrical conductors (solid or tubular) have the fewest discontinuities, any conductor of a particular size has a sonic signature. SST is a method of significantly reducing awareness of these character flaws through the use of a precise combination of different sizes of conductors. The different sizes of conductors determined by SST used in Castle Rock allow for an exceptionally clear, clean and dynamic sound.

BIWIRING: Castle Rock is an exceptional Single-BiWire cable. When the halves are separated at the speaker end, the Double Star-Quad geometry turns the Castle Rock into a true Double-BiWire set thanks to the magnetic autonomy of each quad conductor section. On its own, a group of Star-Quad conductors would be a bit light on its performance, as it is biased towards treble finesse. The other group of Star-Quad bandleaders is biased towards the bass; it is more powerful and lacks final resolution. Together they form a fully optimized full range design. When separated, the Double Star-Quad design allows the Castle Rock to be a maximum performance double BiWire in a single cable.

TERMINATIONS: AudioQuest offers a wide range of high-quality connectors that allow Castle Rock to be firmly connected to any type of equipment. The quality is in the low distortion sound, not necessarily in the eye effect. AQ ends are dull gold or silver in appearance because these metals are plated directly onto the connector. There is no shiny, scratchy nickel layer underneath. AQ PK Spade Pliers are smooth because better metal is soft and makes for a higher quality connection. For parts that require a banana plug or BFA connector, the AQ PK-BFA/Banana offers unprecedented performance compared to conventional brass versions.