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Counterfeit Audioquest Cables

I just wanted to put out a general query in regards to how people feel Audioquest is handling the issue of counterfeit cables. Personally, I am a huge fan of Audioquest and their products but I feel there could be a little more room for transparency on their behalf... No pun intended...

I don't mean to sound like a total heretic or a paranoid conspiracy theorist but I don't feel like my suspicions would be totally misplaced if I were to speculate that Audioquest is not only benefiting from the existence of bogus copycat look alikes but that they are deliberately allowing it to happen if not entirely responsible for it in the first place.

It is undeniably an effective way to dissuade consumers from private sales and coercing them into paying full retail prices for any of their products. It's also hard to ignore the steady decline in classified ads for Audioquest products on the various audiomarts.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, the AudioQuest Authentication Process also does not require them to explain their findings thus granting them authority to summarily judge a cable's authenticity.

In my humble opinion, a company as innovative as Audioquest could certainly divine a method to apply serial numbers to their products. That way, everything could be traceable and consumers could register their products. Not to mention that Audioquest could rebuild some of the lost confidence in their brand name.

Am I totally out of line here or perhaps missing something obvious? I would love to hear more points of view...
pontifex
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Serial numbers may have little affect, but at least it shows that the company is making an effort. It can make one more hurdle that may make a counterfeiter hassle an easier target, like Audioquest. Audioquest has more problems with counterfeit than other companies, because they are such an easy target.

Also, companies like Tara Labs and XLO that have serial numbers and registration programs do help even more. If you are buying used cables, ask the seller for the serial number. Tara Labs and XLO could tell you if that seller is the registered owner of the cables. If you then buy the cables, you can have the registered title transferred to you.

This may sound ridiculous to some, but when you are talking about buying used cables costing many thousands of dollars, it can be comforting to know that they are authentic. It can be done, wouldn't you like to know that some of your $10K speaker cables paid to help authenticate them? LOL!
runnin
397 posts
 
I'm sorry, but the thread theory just sounds like paranoia, a conspiracy where the manufacturer is secretly making/selling the pirated products themselves? That just doesn't add up.

Higher end audio companies have their prices set at full retail with little discounts because the retailers have to do that, or lose out on the brand. On the other hand, they do allow negotiation on multiple item purchases, so what's the fuss?

Audioquest or any other company is allowed to sell their products for as much as they can get for them. If you don't like it, simply go elsewhere.
esthlos13
90 posts
 
Let me pose a solution - when you purchase a used audio cable direct the seller to send it to Audioquest to validate it before it comes to you and get agreement that if it’s determined to be a fraud he’s liable and you get your money back.   That should clear up any possible fraud sales quite easily.    
celander's avatar
celander
1,503 posts
 
Another solution is to buy from an Audioquest authorized dealer and provide the receipt of the bill of sale to the second buyer at the time of selling one’s Audioquest cables. 
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