Audioquest Lone Ranger ZERO-Tech (2 x 2.5m) fork

The Lone Ranger succeeds the Robin Hood model in AudioQuest’s Folk Hero series, positioned between entry-level cables and the Mythical Creatures range. Each polarity has a diameter of 11.6 mm, with a dual-housing construction separating the positive and negative conductors. The cable incorporates roughly one-third more PSC+ copper compared to previous models, in a design aimed at lowering impedance and optimizing frequency response.

ZERO-Tech technology at the core of the design

The comprehensive method for eliminating characteristic-impedance mismatches between a cable and the connected source and load elements is to ensure the cable has no fixed characteristic-impedance value. That is precisely what ZERO-Tech achieves. ZERO-Tech eliminates the electrostatic field between the cable’s high and low signal conductors, enabling linear dissipation of radio-frequency noise and uncompressed transients.

In a conventional cable, characteristic impedance creates a mismatch with the amplifier’s output impedance and the speaker’s load impedance. By eliminating any electrostatic interaction between the cable’s signal conductors, ZERO-Tech enables uncompressed current transfer. Transient current, crucial for musical dynamics, flows without restriction, and RF noise dissipation becomes linear across the entire frequency band.

Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductors

High-purity PSC+ copper conductors prevent strand-to-strand interaction, a major source of transient intermodulation distortion. Unlike multi-strand cables where magnetic and electrical interactions between strands generate distortion, the Lone Ranger’s solid conductors ensure a more coherent signal transfer.

The Perfect-Surface technology applied to copper minimizes surface imperfections and reduces grain boundaries in the metal’s crystalline structure. These grain boundaries act as points of resistance and distortion in any metallic conductor. By drastically reducing them, PSC+ copper delivers increased clarity and a notable reduction in audible hardness in the high frequencies.

72 V DBS system with RF noise trap

The constant DC potential of AudioQuest’s 72 V Dielectric-Bias System polarizes the insulation, significantly reducing dielectric noise. A cable’s insulation acts like a capacitor: it stores energy as the signal passes, then releases it later in time and at other frequencies. This phenomenon creates a kind of temporal blur that masks micro-details.

The DBS system also linearizes RF noise dissipation over a wide bandwidth. Powered by a battery housed in an external module attached to the cable, the system maintains a constant 72-volt charge that stabilizes dielectric properties. Unlike traditional cable burn-in that requires weeks of use, DBS maintains this stabilization continuously.

Level-7 Noise-Dissipation

The Lone Ranger features an especially sophisticated noise-dissipation system. The cable employs a thicker carbon-loaded PVC in its construction, with an added graphene layer, and 4% silver-plated shield drain wires. This multilayer strategy targets the radiofrequency interference saturating our modern environment: cellular networks, WiFi, satellites, Bluetooth.

Direction-controlled conductors are designed to drain RF noise away from sensitive amplification circuits. Each conductor has a specific orientation, determined by listening during manufacturing, that optimizes noise evacuation toward the cable end where it will cause the least harm. The 4% silver drain wires contribute significantly to the efficient dissipation of high-frequency interference.

Physical construction and ergonomics

Slightly more compact than the Brave Heart with its 11.6 mm outer diameter versus 14.1 mm per polarity, the Lone Ranger adopts a construction that places the positive and negative conductors in separate round housings. This approach offers several advantages: easier handling, reduced magnetic interactions between polarities, and simplified installation even in complex setups.

A superior polypropylene insulator linearizes and widens the noise-dissipation bandwidth. Polypropylene features a favorable dielectric constant and dimensional stability that minimizes distributed capacitance. If left unchecked, this distributed capacitance creates smeared distortion in the upper spectrum.

The black-on-black braided nylon outer jacket protects the assembly while providing a discreet aesthetic. There is no metal in the cable dress or plug bodies, which would otherwise re-emit and capacitively couple RF noise back into the cable.

Cold-welded connectors

Cold-welded connections avoid introducing heat and materials that cause distortion, such as solder. In a cold-welding process, bare copper parts are dipped in a bath of pure silver rather than tumbled in a lower-grade solution. This method creates a gas-tight connection that preserves signal integrity.

Connectors are available as bananas or spades, all in silver-plated red copper. The choice between bananas and spades often depends on the type of terminals on the amplifier and speakers. Terminals conforming to European standards sometimes make it difficult to tighten spade lugs with high pressure, in which case bananas are the best option.

Permanent Molecular Optimization (PMO)

By optimally and effectively applying a high-frequency alternating signal far beyond what an audio system could deliver over any duration, transient intermodulation distortion and the cable’s break-in process are significantly reduced. This extreme treatment of dielectric materials, performed at the factory, permanently alters the insulator’s properties.

The result: the cable delivers its best performance from first use, without requiring weeks of break-in. Whereas some cables demand hundreds of hours to reach their full potential, the Lone Ranger provides transparency and musicality immediately.

Comparison with Robin Hood

The Lone Ranger succeeds the Robin Hood, a well-regarded model in the Folk Hero series. The main improvements concern the amount of conductive metal, the optimized polypropylene insulation, and the additional noise-dissipation layers. The Lone Ranger incorporates a thicker carbon-loaded PVC, an added graphene layer, and 4% silver screen drain wires, whereas the Robin Hood used a less elaborate shielding strategy.

These evolutions translate to reduced background noise, better definition in the low end, and more precise articulation in the mids and highs. The Lone Ranger retains Robin Hood’s general approach—solid PSC+ conductors, ZERO-Tech, 72 V DBS—while refining every aspect of the design.

Technical specifications

Main specifications

• Connector configuration: Series 500 silver spade
• Sleeve: black-on-black braided nylon
• Conductors: Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
• Cross-section: 14 AWG (2.08 mm²)
• Geometry: ZERO-Tech (no characteristic impedance)
• RF drains: 4% solid silver conductors
• Bias system: 72 V DBS with RF noise trap
• Noise dissipation: Level 7 (graphene + carbon shielding)
• Connectors: silver-plated red copper, cold-welded
• Color: Black

Technologies and innovations

• ZERO-Tech (zero characteristic impedance technology)
  • Eliminates impedance mismatch effects between source and load
  • Ensures current transmission without compression or distortion
• Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors
  • Reduces strand interaction distortions
  • Exceptional clarity and smoothness
• 72 V dielectric-bias system (DBS) with RF noise trap
  • Polarizes the dielectric for optimal stability
  • Reduces noise and stabilizes RF dissipation over a wide bandwidth
• Level 7 linear noise dissipation
  • Graphene- and carbon-based shielding
  • ZERO-Tech technology and directional conductors
  • Minimizes external RF noise
• 4% silver RF drains
  • Improve high-frequency interference dissipation
  • Efficiently drain noise away from sensitive circuits
• Permanent Molecular Optimization (PMO)
  • Extreme material treatment
  • Enhances transparency and musicality from first use
• Directional design
  • Conductors oriented for optimal RF noise drainage

Acoustic performance

• Signal transmission without compression or distortion
• Tighter, better-controlled bass
• More articulate and detailed mids
• More accurate and extended highs
• Drastic reduction of noise and high-frequency distortion
• Exceptional transparency and musicality

Build and connectivity

• Cold-welded silver-plated red copper connectors
  • Connection without heat or solder
  • Avoids distortions and preserves signal purity
  • Available with spade terminals
• Robust, flexible, and durable construction
• Black-on-black braided nylon sleeve
• Bi-wiring compatible with the future BigFoot BASS cable (planned for 2026)

Compatibility

• Passive speakers: bookshelf, floorstanding, surround
• Stereo or monoblock amplifiers
• Integrated amplifiers and AV amplifiers
• 2-channel hi-fi and home theater systems

Box contents

• 1 AudioQuest Lone Ranger ZERO-Tech speaker cable
• Spade connectors
• AudioQuest documentation and warranty certificate

General information

• Package dimensions (W x D x H): 30.5 × 38.7 × 7.6 cm