Audioquest Rocket 88 DBS (2 x 2.5m)

Audioquest Rocket 88 DBS, high-end speaker cable

At the top of Audioquest’s Rocket series, the Rocket 88 DBS brings together the brand’s noise-reduction technologies in a pre-terminated, ready-to-connect speaker cable. High-purity solid copper conductors, Double Star-Quad geometry and active 72-volt dielectric biasing: three elements aimed at the same result—a quiet background and detailed reproduction. Here is what lies beneath its braided jacket.

Solid PSC+ copper against distortion

All Rocket 88 conductors are solid, with no strands. This choice eliminates one of the main causes of distortion in a cable: electrical and magnetic interaction between multiple strands, which can result in confused or hardened sound. The metal used is Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+), the purest copper in the Audioquest range, whose highly uniform surface limits distortion caused by the metal’s grain boundaries.

The skin effect, which pushes the signal toward the edge of the conductor at high frequencies, is kept outside the audio band thanks to conductor sizes calibrated below the audibility threshold. The air-filled expanded polyethylene insulation reduces energy absorption that colors the signal. Each internal conductor is also directionally oriented to reduce the pickup of radio-frequency noise, which explains the connection direction marked on the jacket.

Double Star-Quad geometry in practice

Eight solid conductors arranged in two crossed star-quads: it is this configuration, more than capacitance and inductance values alone, that shapes the cable’s sonic behavior. The crossing reduces signal time smearing while preserving dynamics and the clarity of soundstage layers.

This structure opens up a second possibility. When the two halves of the cable are separated at the speaker end, each star-quad retains its magnetic independence and the Rocket 88 becomes a true bi-wire set in a single cable. For those with speakers featuring dual binding posts, this is a tangible advantage, without having to double the number of cables.

The 72-volt DBS system in everyday use

The Dielectric-Bias System maintains a constant 72-volt charge on the cable insulation. Just as the Earth’s magnetic field aligns compass needles, this electrostatic field orients the insulation molecules in the same direction. The audible result: a quieter background, from which details and dynamic contrasts emerge that are often masked by non-polarized insulation.

The DBS is powered by a battery pack connected to the cable. A test button and LED allow the charge status to be checked from time to time, with the battery lasting several years. As the charge is active from assembly onward, the Rocket 88 requires no break-in period before delivering its full potential.

Carbon-based noise dissipation

Around the conductors, alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded synthetics form shielding that “shields the shielding,” in Audioquest’s words. The idea is to dissipate induced radio-frequency noise before it reaches the grounded layer, across a wide frequency range. This dissipation works in conjunction with DBS and PSC+ copper to lower the system’s noise floor.

Banana plugs or spades, how to terminate

The cable is available with banana plugs or spade lugs, gold- or silver-plated depending on the version. Contact between the plug and conductor is made using the Cold-Weld process, a cold weld under controlled pressure that mechanically bonds conductor and connector without heat, preserving the integrity of the copper.

The choice between banana and spade depends mainly on the amplifier’s binding posts. Insulated binding posts compliant with European standards, common on recent amplifiers, do not tolerate high-torque tightening on a spade lug: banana plugs are therefore preferable, sometimes mandatory. At the speaker end, spades regain the advantage when the binding post does not accept a fully inserted banana plug.

Technical Specifications

Design and technologies

• Conductors: solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) copper
• Geometry: Double Star-Quad
• Directional conductors: signal direction control to limit noise
• Noise reduction: carbon-based noise dissipation system
• Dielectric bias: 72 V DBS system (Dielectric Bias System)
• Insulation: optimized materials to reduce dielectric distortion

Audio performance

• Clearer, more detailed sound
• Improved soundstage and spatial imaging
• Reduced RF noise and interference
• Better dynamics and tonal accuracy
• Faithful reproduction for hi-fi music and cinema

Key strengths

• Very low distortion
• Advanced noise-reduction technologies
• Excellent channel separation
• High sonic transparency

Connectivity

• Available terminations
  • Banana plugs (gold- or silver-plated depending on version)
  • Spade lugs (spades)

Recommended use

• High-end stereo hi-fi systems
• Home theater installations (Dolby Atmos, DTS)
• Compatible amplifiers, passive speakers, soundbars

Construction and durability

• Robust cable designed for long-term use
• High-precision assembly
• Premium materials for mechanical and electrical stability
• Simple installation despite an advanced technical architecture