Audioquest HDMI Forest 48Gbps 0.6m

At a time when the HDMI 2.1 standard is becoming the norm in home cinema and gaming setups, AudioQuest is offering with the Forest 48 an Ultra High Speed–certified cable that incorporates the brand’s proprietary noise-dissipation technologies. This model sits on the second rung of the American manufacturer’s 48 Gbps range, just above the Pearl 48, and marks the entry point into silver-plated conductor cables.

Solid silver-plated conductors

The Forest 48 uses solid conductors made of LGC (Long-Grain Copper) coated with a layer of silver that represents 0.5% of the total thickness. This plating technique is no mere detail: in a high-frequency digital cable, the signal travels mainly along the surface of the conductor due to a phenomenon known as the skin effect. Placing silver, which is a better conductor than copper, on this surface optimizes transmission without requiring a cable made entirely of solid silver.

The choice of solid conductors rather than stranded ones eliminates the electrical and magnetic interactions between the different strands that would otherwise make up the conductor. AudioQuest applies this same treatment to the conductors dedicated to eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), which is not always the case with other manufacturers who sometimes reserve their best materials for the main A/V pairs only.

Level 1 noise dissipation

AudioQuest structures its noise-dissipation technology in several levels. The Forest 48 benefits from level 1, which is based on directional control of the cable’s 19 conductors. The principle stems from an observation: traditional shields, even when advertised as 100%, struggle to protect against radio-frequency interference generated by Wi‑Fi networks, Bluetooth, and mobile phones.

The granular structure of drawn metal exhibits an asymmetry that creates a preferential direction for draining noise. By controlling this orientation across all the A/V pairs, eARC pairs, control, and power conductors, AudioQuest directs captured interference toward the least sensitive circuits. Arrows on the connectors indicate the installation direction, from source to screen or amplifier.

Bandwidth ready for 8K

Ultra High Speed certification guarantees a bandwidth of 48 Gbps, made possible by four balanced audio/video pairs, each capable of carrying 12 Gbps. This capacity allows the transmission of 4K at 120 frames per second, 8K at 60 frames per second, and even 10K at 30 frames per second over the shortest lengths.

The Forest 48 supports dynamic HDR in its various forms (HDR10+, Dolby Vision) and eARC, which allows uncompressed audio signals such as Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, DTS‑HD Master Audio, or DTS:X to be sent from a TV to an amplifier or soundbar. Older generations of ARC were limited to compressed 5.1‑channel audio; eARC removes this restriction.

A cable suited to recent game consoles

All the gaming features of the HDMI 2.1 standard are present: VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) to synchronize the screen’s refresh rate with that of the source, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) to automatically activate the TV’s game mode, and QFT (Quick Frame Transport) to reduce latency in fast‑paced action scenes. These features fully unlock the potential of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and recent graphics cards.

Construction and installation

The black PVC jacket with green stripes gives the cable greater rigidity than mass‑market cables, which can make routing through tight spaces more difficult but ensures good impedance stability over the entire length. The type A connectors are carefully assembled and feature the directional arrows characteristic of AudioQuest cables.

For an ARC connection between a TV and a soundbar, the cable must point toward the TV on both sides: the ARC conductors are wired internally to operate in the opposite direction to the main A/V pairs. This particularity is documented by AudioQuest but is worth keeping in mind during installation.

Technical Specifications

General Specifications

• Type: 48 Gbps HDMI cable compatible with 8K-10K
• Length: 0.6 m
• Certification: Ultra High Speed by HDMI Licensing

Conductor Technology

• Audio/Video Conductor: 0.5% silver-plated copper
• eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) Conductor: 0.5% silver-plated copper
• Ground Reference: Tinned copper
• Noise Reduction: 19 conductors with controlled orientation

Video Performance

• Supported Resolutions:
  • 8K at 60 Hz
  • 4K at 120 Hz
• Data Rate: 48 Gbps for smooth transmission
• Dynamic HDR compatibility for optimized image quality
• Fully backward compatible with existing 4K devices

Audio Performance

• eARC support for high-definition audio transmission
• Clearer and more natural sound thanks to interference reduction
• Optimized audio signal transmission

Gaming Features

• Support for advanced gaming technologies:
  • VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
  • ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
  • QFT (Quick Frame Transport)
• Compatible with PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series X, and gaming PCs

Interference Reduction

• Directionality of HDMI conductors to minimize RF noise
• Advanced techniques to limit Wi-Fi and mobile interference
• Careful insulation and sophisticated shielding to reduce distortion
• High-purity conductive materials for optimal signal transmission