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PERFECT-SURFACE COPPER+: Volcano uses extremely high
purity Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors. All conductors are solid, which prevents strand
interaction, a major source of distortion. Surface quality is critical because a conductor can be
considered as a rail-guide for both the electric fields within a conductor, and for the magnetic fields
outside the conductor. The astonishingly smooth and pure Perfect-Surface eliminates harshness and greatly
increases clarity compared to OFHC, OCC, 8N and other coppers. The superior purity of PSC+ further
minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries, which exist within any metal conductor.
DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM (patent pending): Unfortunately, because insulation stores and releases energy, it
is also a "dielectric." In a cable application, all released energy is distortion. The misnomer "break-in"
is often used to describe the pronounced improvement in performance as the dielectric adapts to a charged
state as the cable is used. Whenever a cable does not have a charge on it, it is re-adapting to an
uncharged state; it is becoming new again. By maintaining a 72 volt dielectric-bias, far above the voltage
of delicate audio signals, the DBS system provides considerably better transparency and dynamics than is
possible even from a cable in continuous use. It takes a couple of weeks for the DBS system to reach
maximum performance. Since DBS battery packs are attached when Volcano cables are first terminated, Volcano
will be approaching or at peak performance by the time it is installed in your system. Since there is no
"load" on the two standard hardware-store batteries, they will last for years. A test button and LED allow
for occasional verification of battery performance.
COUNTER-SPIRALING "EARTH FEATURE"
GEOMETRY: Volcano and the other AQ "Earth Feature" cables have an inner circular array of positive
conductors spiraling in one direction. Around this inner group, are the negative conductors, spiraling in
the opposite direction. Even while the positive and negative conductors are crossing each other instead of
being parallel, the relationship between the positive and negative groups is fixed and non-changing,
adhering to one of AudioQuest's most basic design tenets: consistency. The result is an astonishing
clarity, like focusing a camera lens you had no idea was so far out of focus. SST (Spread Spectrum
Technology): Any single size or shape of conductor has a specific distortion profile. Even though radially
symmetrical conductors (solid round or tubular) have the fewest discontinuities, any particular size does
have a sonic signature. SST uses a precise combination of different size conductors in order to
significantly reduce the audibility of these character flaws. The four different SST-determined conductor
sizes used in Volcano allow an exceptionally clear, clean and dynamic sound.
CONDUCTIVE INSULATION:
The eight negative conductors in Volcano are insulated with partially conductive carbon-loaded
polyethylene. This remarkable material damps radio-frequency garbage from being fed back into the
amplifier. The sonic benefit is exactly the same reduction in "hash" and better dimensionality that comes
whenever RF garbage is reduced in an audio circuit.
TERMINATIONS: AudioQuest offers a wide range of
high quality connectors that allow Volcano to be securely attached to any type of equipment. AQ ends are
dull looking because the silver (or gold) is plated directly over the connector. There is no harsh sounding
shiny nickel layer underneath. AQ spade lugs are plain looking and soft because pure copper is soft. Also,
compressibility facilitates a higher quality connection. AQ spade lugs are available in several sizes. AQ
PSC Benda-Pins fit all equipment, except components accepting only a banana plug or BFA connector, in which
case the AQ Crimp BFA/Banana provides unprecedented performance at a fraction the cost of those not-so-good
sounding big "eye-candy" versions.
BIWIRING: When possible, running separate conductors or separate
cables to the treble and bass halves of a speaker will considerably reduce distortion. BiWiring works
because cable causes distortion, which can be minimized by keeping the bass energy out of the treble cable.
Volcano is an ideal full-range cable. It can also be used as a double pair for maximum benefit from
BiWiring. Volcano has also been designed to make it possible to Single-BiWire. The eight conductors per
polarity have been chosen and arranged so that they may be divided into two groups, allowing Volcano to be
prepared with four connections on the speaker end.
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Questions?
1.973.239.1799
