Audioquest WEL innerconnects are the older models the same as current model?
Hi all, I’ve tried AQ and like it, tried over cables like many people and thinking going back to AQ. A friend of mine has offered me some of is AQ WEL that are around 9 years old, would they be the same as a current set of WEL signature? If they are I’d be interested in trying them.
Yes, the cable is the same. The connectors have undergone an upgrade, the old ones had a sort of rubbery finish that marked easily. The new ones are metallic and shiny
Also if you ever get offered an AQ Horizon cable that's actually the same wire as WEL but in a different colored sheath -- there was a copyright issue with the name "Horizon" so it became WEL Signature
Anyway if you are ever in any concern ask the seller to ship them back to AQ for a once over and re-termination, AQ will do this at any stage for modest cost ($250 or so) and also certify the cable as authentic. AQ will also cut long lengths into shorter ones -- I had a 15M pair that became a 9M pair and 3 x 2M.
Thanks for letting me know. I kind of thought that would be the case. The WEL looking interesting and I’m keen to try it. Interesting fact on the horizon too.
Besides the better looking connectors, the braid has also changed from all soft black to a nice weave of the soft black and harder black nylon. The old connectors were from Bocchino audio. The sound quality, design, and overall quality should be very similar in an old WEL vs new. However I have noticed that the old connectors are more problematic with frequent disconnect/bend/connect cycles. The new connectors from AQ seem to maintain their strain relief better over time. I think the WEL and Wild (I have an old Wild and new WEL) are both superb sounding interconnects. AQ’s retermination service, as noted by folkfreak, is excellent.
And leave it to a Blue Jeans owner to find a way to interject into a high end cable thread completely out of context, lol. Shill much?
Good point @mulveling I have had the old XLR connectors detach a connection on me especially if you twist them (which of course you never should do). Easy enough to open them up and tighten them down but never had a problem with the new termination
if anyone needs to validate braid colors over the years I believe all of the old AQ price books are available on line so you can check what they should look like each year (I at least have kept them all)
Geoffkait.... fake, expensive, top-of-line models, etc... comes from the same ovens! No such things as made in USA from Audioquest. They will tell u that their cables are made at the Irvine factory; but that is just b.sing with consumers!
folkfreak...you are a fool to think Stereophile has a video about the company’s. I feel sorry for you! but don’t be fool by the advertisements, you should do your homework. Here is a good sight to look into. Make sure you look at the pixs from page two. Enjoy!
@zipost I’ve done plenty of homework and am easily able to distinguish the knock offs from the real thing. But thanks for your concern, glad to know you have my back 😜
zipost, Odin cables are not Audioquest cables. Try to keep up with your own discussion. Audioquest’s own website has a pictorial review of their California manufacturing plant. Is this a global conspiracy? 😬 Audioquest, of all cable companies, would have no desire to “share” their technology with China nor to “cheapen their brand” by doing so. If it doesn’t make sense it’s not true.
Everest (for speakers), WEL XLR (IC), Hurricane (PC) and Diamond (for USB).. I'm a very big fan of AQ and I won't leave their boat soon! The description comparing the WEL revisions is accurate - it's about the braid and the connectors as mulveling and folkfreak already wrote.
So i got the WEL xlr cables and have had them in my system now for a week and was hoping them would meet my expectations but i'm very disapointed with the sound. They just don't suit my system, they sound thin and cynical with no weight not what i was expecting. I put my Audio note ISIS back in and was easily better. Iguess you just have to try them and see how they sound with your system.
I usually like Audioquest in my system, but for some reason WEL was not good at all.....very much surprised. The WEL's were well broken in after coming from the NY Audio show.
To be perfectly honest, yeah, I kinda felt that two pairs of WEL interconnects in my system was a bit too much, contributing to a slight overall analytical feeling.
I ended up combining Wild Blue Yonder RCA (warmer) with WEL XLR in my main system to get a nice neutral/natural tone along with the superb resolution and speed of the WEL. Great combination. I moved the WEL RCA to the headphone setup, where it now does a fantastic job. Which now that I think of it, that headphone system uses a Wild LP phono cable, so it's mixed Wild/WEL too (main rig uses a WEL LP phono cable).
Of Wind/Sky/Fire/Wild/WEL the WEL are the most resolving, but I can see how they’d also require to most care towards system matching. The others can drop in pretty readily to most systems.
That's strange! I guess it must be system dependent... I've had the whole shabang: Panther, Cheetah, Sky, WBY and WEL and I've found WEL to have a lot of mid-bass (body) and bass and way more tonal richness and with these elements this cable should never be clinical, no matter how resolute it is. I have found the WBY to be a tad warmer but also a tad more light, airy and atmospheric while the WEL seems to be earthier, heavier, more punchy.
One thought -- given they've been in storage did you replace the batteries in the DBS packs? The thinness you describe sounds like the sound with the DBS disconnected or the 24-48 hours after you reconnect the DBS and the field has yet to fully establish. Even if the LEDs light the batteries if not fresh may not be performing. Could be worth a try if you have some new batteries lying around (which is unlikely as they're an obscure sort).
These thoughts are helpful, I think maybe try the DBS packs could be a good start. I’ve had SKY before and these sounded as described transparent and nice midbass , will look into that.
I watched the Video of the AQ headquarters and am wondering how the 9 or so tech’s made enough cables to fill to the brim a 32,000 sq foot warehouse. He did mention the cables that were manufactured “overseas”.
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