Audioquest Star 4 (2 x 2.5m) black

AudioQuest Star 4: pre-terminated speaker cable

Between the amplifier and the speakers, the cable carries a substantial current, and its construction determines its susceptibility to interference. This AudioQuest model combines four solid copper conductors arranged in a star configuration with factory-fitted banana plugs at both ends. It is sold as a pair, with a black jacket, and connects directly to a hi-fi or home theater system.

Four conductors in a star configuration

The Star-Quad geometry places four conductors at the corners of a square, around the cable’s axis. The two diagonally opposite conductors are connected to form the positive pole, while the other two form the negative pole. With this arrangement, the electrical center of each pole lies at the center of the cable. The magnetic fields generated by the outgoing and returning current therefore cancel each other out more effectively than with two conductors simply placed side by side. The cable has lower inductance and picks up less external interference. AudioQuest adds a noise-dissipation system that limits the amount of radio-frequency interference traveling through the connection. Despite its four solid conductors, the cable remains flexible and is easy to position behind equipment.

Solid long-grain copper

Each conductor is a solid copper wire, rather than a bundle of fine strands. In a stranded cable, the strands touch and exchange current unevenly along the entire length. A solid conductor eliminates this interaction. The metal is AudioQuest’s LGC (Long-Grain Copper). Its crystalline structure has fewer grain boundaries than ordinary copper, so the signal crosses fewer boundaries between crystals from one end of the cable to the other. The direction of conduction is also controlled during manufacturing to minimize distortion caused by radio-frequency noise. A solid conductor is less tolerant of tight, repeated bends than a stranded conductor. It is therefore best to leave a broad curve behind the amplifier and avoid bending it sharply right next to the plugs.

Factory-fitted SureGrip 300 plugs

The cable comes pre-terminated, with an AudioQuest SureGrip 300 banana plug at the end of each pole: four plugs per cable, eight per pair. The terminations are cold-welded. The conductor is clamped into the plug under high pressure, without solder, so no additional metal is introduced into the signal path. The contacts are directly gold-plated, with no intermediate underlayer. Gold does not oxidize, and the contact stays clean through repeated connections. A banana plug slides into the central opening of the binding posts on both the amplifier and the speaker. It makes disconnection easier and prevents a poorly secured bare wire from touching the adjacent terminal.

A connection for hi-fi and home theater

The cable connects an integrated amplifier, a power amplifier or a home theater receiver to passive speakers. The pair covers both channels of a stereo system. In a home theater setup, each pair of speakers requires its own pair of cables, and the center channel requires one additional cable. The black jacket blends in discreetly behind equipment; a white version is available for routing along a light-colored wall.

Technical specifications

Design and conductors

• Flexible speaker cable with four-conductor star geometry (Star-Quad) and noise dissipation.
• Designed to ensure audio signal transmission and natural music reproduction.
• Solid long-grain copper (LGC) conductors.
  • No interaction between strands.
• Controlled conductor directionality to minimize radio-frequency (RF) noise distortion.
• Available colors: black, white.

Connectivity

• Connectors: AudioQuest SureGrip 300 banana plugs.
  • Fitted at both ends of the cable.
  • Cold-welded terminations.
  • Direct gold-plated contacts.

Compatibility and use

• Use: connection between an amplifier or audio receiver and speakers.
• Suitable for hi-fi installations and home theater systems.