Serious Fun at Big Kids Toys
In the March 2025 installment of Stereophile’s excellent “Re-Tales” column, author Julie Mullins highlights Big Kids Toys — an AudioQuest Mythical Experience dealer — and speaks with its 29-year-old sales...
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Amplifier-End Connector: Multi-Spade, Banana, U-Spade, or V-Spade
Often, the choice between terminating your speaker cables with spade lugs or banana plugs will come down to personal preference. However, the EU-compliant isolated binding posts used on some power amplifiers often makes it difficult if not impossible to tighten spade lugs with high torque or pressure. In these applications, the AudioQuest banana connector is the superior choice, and may be the only choice.
AudioQuest has conducted a fairly extensive survey of contemporary amplifier manufacturers to determine whether spades or bananas will be most appropriate for a given brand and model of amplifier. Please contact us, provide the brand and model of the amplifier, and we’ll respond with the optimal connector type.
Given the girth and weight of our Mythical Creature Series speaker cables, a spade may be better capable of fully supporting the cable. This is particularly a concern with binding posts that do not allow a banana connector to fully seat into the post. The EU-compliant posts will neither accept our V-Spade nor allow our Multi-Spade to be fully seated. For these applications (or when you’re not certain), we highly recommend the U-Spade, as it can accommodate any binding post. The V-Spade is a specialty spade connector that works well with large wingnut binding posts (such as the Mundorf ), as it allows extra clearance.
Speaker-End Connector: Spade or Banana
Here we typically recommend the U-Spade or banana connector. However, even though there is less weight and pressure on this side of the cable (particularly for BiWire sets), it is nevertheless important to note the binding post’s design. If a banana connector cannot seat all the way into the binding post, we recommend one of our spade connectors.
Key Features & Technology Explained
Specifications
Specifications
Description
Description
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Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
- Perfect Surface Copper Conductors: The astonishingly smooth and pure Perfect-Surface processed conductors minimize distortion caused by grain boundaries and surface discontinuities that exist in any metal conductor.
- Zero Tech: While many AC power cables feature low DC resistance in order to accommodate the demand for high current, a cable’s characteristic impedance is also crucial for optimal performance. Unlike most AC cables that constrict or compress an audio-provoked transient, AudioQuest AC cables combine low DC resistance and zero (no) characteristic impedance in order to deliver uncompressed transients on demand.
- Semi Solid Concentric Conductors: In our Semi-Solid Concentric conductor topology, strands are packed more tightly and never change position within the bundle, significantly reducing strand-interaction distortion.
- Silver Plated Drain Wires: Direction-controlled Silver-Plated shield conductors efficiently drain RF noise from the line and neutral shields to ground via the third “ground” pin. The net result is powerful, dynamic, and immersive.
- Enhanced Audio Experience: NRG-Z3 enables high-quality sound for a superior entertainment experience.
- Noise-Dissipation Technology: Minimizes interference for quiet backgrounds.
- High-Quality Materials and Design: High-purity conductor metal and noise-dissipation technology ensure minimal distortion.
- Versatile Connectivity: Outstanding upgrade for DACs, powered desktop speakers, game consoles, streamers, and more.
- Durable and Reliable Design: Built to withstand everyday use, ensuring consistent performance.
The astonishingly smooth and pure Perfect-Surface processed conductors minimize distortion caused by grain boundaries and surface discontinuities that exist in any metal conductor.
Semi-Solid Concentric Conductors
In our Semi-Solid Concentric conductor topology, strands are packed more tightly and never change position within the bundle, significantly reducing strand-interaction distortion.
ZERO-Tech
While many AC power cables feature low DC resistance in order to accommodate the demand for high current, a cable’s characteristic impedance is also crucial for optimal performance. Unlike most AC cables that constrict or compress an audio-provoked transient, AudioQuest AC cables combine low DC resistance and zero (no) characteristic impedance in order to deliver uncompressed transients on demand.
RF/ND-Tech
AC Ground wires may provide protection from an electrical short circuit, but they also act as an antenna. Thus, they are subject to induced radio-frequency (RF) noise. This RF noise bypasses component power supplies and is typically coupled directly into a system’s most sensitive audio/video circuits. AudioQuest’s RF/ND-Tech greatly reduces this distortion, yielding unprecedented levels of Noise-Dissipation across the widest bandwidth (range) of radio frequencies possible. Our unique circuit topology uses a common-mode phase-cancelling array, in concert with proprietary dielectric materials which provide additional differential linear filtering. US Patent # 8,988,168.
Silver-Plated Drain Wires
Direction-controlled Silver-Plated shield conductors efficiently drain RF noise from the line and neutral shields to ground via the third “ground” pin. The net result is powerful, dynamic, and immersive.
Direction-Controlled Conductors
All drawn metal strands or conductors have a non-symmetrical, and therefore directional, grain structure. AudioQuest controls the resulting RF impedance variation so that noise is drained away from where it will cause distortion. The correct direction is determined by listening to every batch of metal conductors used in every AudioQuest audio cable. When applicable, arrows are clearly marked on the connectors to ensure superior sound quality. For most models of AQ cable, the arrows not only indicate the direction that optimizes metal-directionality as part of Noise-Dissipation, but also indicates non-symmetrical attachment of shield and GND in order to optimize full-system performance. A fundamental aspect of AudioQuest's multifaceted Noise-Dissipation technology, Direction-Controlled Conductors ensure induced noise is dissipated and drained properly.
| Materials & Design | |
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Metal |
Semi-Solid Concentric Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
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Gauge |
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Jacket |
Red on Black Nylon Braid
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Terminations |
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| Features & Performance | |
Technology |
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Maximum RMS Current |
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| Manufacturing Details | |
Country of Origin |
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 NRG-Z3From $249.95 View details |  NRG-X3From $79.95 View details |  NRG-Y3From $149.95 View details |  MonsoonFrom $400.00 View details | |
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Metal |
Semi-Solid Concentric Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
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Semi-Solid Concentric Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
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Semi-Solid Concentric Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
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Semi-Solid True-Concentric Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) & Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
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Gauge |
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Jacket |
Red on Black Nylon Braid
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Black with Red Stripes Nylon Braid
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Dark Gray on Black Nylon Braid
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Blue on Black Nylon Braid
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Terminations |
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Technology |
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Maximum RMS Current |
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Country of Origin |
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News & Reviews
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AudioQuest Products Named TAS Editors’ Choice
A wonderful array of AudioQuest products have received The Absolute Sound’s 2025 Editors’ Choice Award.
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AudioQuest Cables Deliver Dramatic Improvement
While reviewing the TEAC PD-505T transport, Part-Time Audiophile’s Graig Neville is reminded that high-performance cables can have a powerful impact on overall performance.
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PowerQuest Delivers Performance, Protection, Reliability
In this video, Shane Lee acknowledges the skepticism that exists around high-performance power conditioners. And then… he listens for himself.
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More than Just Accessories
In this video, Vinyl Latte’s Louie V. acknowledges the skepticism that exists around high-performance cables. And then… he listens for himself.
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AudioQuest is Damn Good
HiFi+’s Alan Sircom thoroughly investigates a complete loom of AudioQuest cables and likes what he hears.
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AudioQuest is Made for You
AudioQuest has an outstanding solution at every possible price, says Mark Blackmore of The Audio Beat.
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Twittering Machines’ Holiday Gift Guide
Ho, ho, ho! One part style, two parts poetry, three parts art, and altogether wonderful: Twittering Machines’ Annual Holiday Gift Guide is here!
AudioQuest
NRG-Z3
$249.95
Unit price
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Unavailable
Noise Dissipation
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A/V Conductor
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eARC Conductor
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Ground Reference
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Geometry
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Gauge
14 AWG
Metal
Semi-Solid Concentric Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+)
Pair or Single
Each
Series
NRG
Speaker-End Connector
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Amplifier-End Connector
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Output
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DAC Chip
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Volume Control
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Desktop Compatibility
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Mobile Compatibility
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Application Options
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Included Adaptor
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Dimensions
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Cable Length
Plug