I'd feel pretty certain that the AQ cable will work fine, but given its very short 0.5 meter length I'd be hesitant to read too much into such a finding. Given also that the Transparent cables and perhaps also Crystal cables that were used initially were probably significantly longer (the degree of most analog cable effects is proportional to length, as I had mentioned), and break-in of one or both components may be ongoing.
Best regards,
-- Al
Best regards,
-- Al