Audioquest Angel Jack/RCA DBS 3m

Few mini-jack cables feature pure silver conductors. The Angel is one of them, and sits at the top of the Bridges & Falls series from AudioQuest. This range stands out for its compact format, where both channels share a single jacket, designed for portable sources or setups where cable flexibility matters as much as transmission quality.

A silver conductor with an ultra-smooth surface

The Angel uses solid Perfect-Surface Silver (PSS) conductors, the highest metal grade at AudioQuest. The advantage of a solid conductor rather than a stranded one lies in the absence of electrical and magnetic interactions between adjacent strands, a common source of distortion in conventional cables. Perfect-Surface treatment aims to reduce irregularities on the metal surface and limit the effect of grain boundaries, those microscopic discontinuities present in any metal conductor. The expected result: more linear signal transmission across the entire audible spectrum.

Silver has higher electrical conductivity than copper, but above all, it is its ability to dissipate radio-frequency interference more evenly that justifies its use in this context. AudioQuest also applies directional conductor control to direct HF noise dissipation toward ground.

Insulation that relies on air

Any insulating material in contact with a conductor absorbs part of the signal energy, which it then releases with a slight time delay. This phenomenon introduces phase shifts that vary with frequency, a problem for audio signals that cover several octaves. The Angel partially overcomes this issue thanks to FEP Air-Tube insulation: a fluoropolymer (FEP) tube that surrounds the conductor with minimal contact, with most of the space occupied by air. FEP absorbs less energy than most extrudable insulators, and air absorbs virtually none.

AudioQuest also differentiates the treatment of the positive and negative conductors. The negative conductor receives so-called “lossy” insulation (intentionally dissipative), with no air or FEP, because its role in the circuit is not the same as that of the signal conductor.

The 72V DBS system and its RF trap

The Dielectric-Bias System (DBS) is a technology patented by AudioQuest. A battery pack creates a 72-volt electrostatic field that continuously polarizes the cable insulation. This polarization stabilizes the dielectric molecules and reduces the non-linear phase delays mentioned above. The system operates outside the signal path: the batteries generate a potential difference, not a current, and their lifespan reaches several years. A test button and an LED make it possible to check their status.

The Angel also incorporates an RF Trap derived from AudioQuest’s Niagara power products. This filter prevents radio-frequency interference picked up from the environment from traveling back toward the signal conductors via the DBS elements.

Three-layer noise dissipation

The NDS (Noise-Dissipation System) combines three alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded synthetic materials. This multilayer shielding absorbs and reflects a large part of RF energy before it reaches the layer connected to the device ground. In conventional cables, interference picked up by the shielding is drained directly to the ground plane, which can modulate the circuit’s voltage reference and introduce a form of distortion. The NDS approach aims to filter this noise upstream.

Connectors without solder or nickel

The Angel’s RCA connectors are made from pure red copper, directly silver-plated with no intermediate nickel layer. Nickel is often used as an adhesion barrier in conventional plating, but AudioQuest considers it a source of distortion and eliminates it from its high-end connectors. Assembly is done by cold-weld, a compression process that avoids exposing the metals to heat and traditional solder alloys.

The ground body of the connectors is stamped rather than machined, making it possible to choose the metal for its acoustic properties rather than for ease of machining.

A compact format with a few constraints

The Bridges & Falls series groups both channels into a single jacket, resulting in a thin and very flexible cable. This format is well suited to connections with a smartphone, a portable player, or a portable DAC. On the other hand, the RCA plugs are physically close together. AudioQuest indicates that if the left and right inputs of the receiving device are spaced more than 7.6 cm apart, the Rivers or Elements series, with their separately jacketed cables, will be better suited.

The name “Angel” refers to the falls of the same name in Venezuela, the highest in the world with a 979-meter drop. The chemical symbol for silver (Ag) completes the reference.

Technical specifications

Connectivity and terminations

• Type: analog interconnect cable
• Connectors
  • 1 x 3.5 mm mini-jack
  • 2 x male RCA
• Terminations: pure red copper silver-plated, without an intermediate nickel layer
• Connection process: cold welding, ensuring an optimal connection without signal degradation
• Length: 3 m

Conductors

• Perfect-Surface Solid Silver (PSS) conductors
  • Very low distortion
  • Solid structure eliminating strand interaction
  • Reduction of grain boundary effects
  • More linear and more accurate signal transmission

Insulation and dielectric

• FEP Air-Tube architecture
  • Minimal contact between conductor and dielectric
  • Reduced energy loss
  • Improved reproduction of micro-information and dynamic contrasts
• Differentiated insulation of the negative conductor, optimized for its specific role in the signal

Noise and interference reduction

• Multi-layer carbon-based Noise-Dissipation System (NDS)
  • Absorption and neutralization of radio-frequency interference before it affects the audio signal
• 72 V DBS dielectric-bias system with RF trap
  • Stabilization of the cable’s electric field
  • Reduction of dielectric-related distortion
  • Improved temporal coherence of the signal

Architecture and geometry

• Double balanced asymmetrical geometry
  • Separation of ground and shielding paths
  • Reduced interference
  • Quieter, more stable, and more dynamic reproduction