Audioquest Design Question

@ghdprentice - I spent some time today chatting with AQ support and they did answer some questions for me related to the expected quality of their two interconnect series.  They did say that they are moving towards the Yukon setup with the single ended cable being double-balanced and the balanced cables being triple-balanced.  They also rated the Golden Gate ($80 for 1m) to be a slight upgrade over the Chicago ($100 for 1m).  It appears that the Sydney should represent a high value point in their lineup as they ranked the Red River (different series) just ahead of the Golden Gate (same series) and the Sydney is the same price as the Red River (different series) but two steps above the Golden Gate (same series) and they say that sound improves as your move up their lines as should be expected.  Since their primary design evaluation method is listening, it would make sense that AQ cables should have a signature sound.

More technobabble from a company wanting your dollars. 

@jasonbourne52 - I don't disagree.  In a lot of cases the technical information provided by companies producing audiophile products is laughable.

In the case of AQ, the consistent message is that the best performance from interconnects (really cables) is minimizing distortion that degrades the original signal to a minimum.  They also state that the further you go up the line the line you go the better it gets.

When I asked how they measured the distortion the answer was that they listen.

Obviously, it isn't possible to definitively state that distortions are less simply because the listeners think that it sounds better.  Not all distortion is the same and some is actually more pleasing to the ear and some isn't.  What they can say is that as your move up the line of AQ cables the sound is better to their ears, so if your listening preferences align with theirs you will likely enjoy their products.

I've always been confused by AQ due to their huge range of cables. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them but they create massive confusion with choice.

I do have one AQ Toslink cable which has served me very well but I'll upgrade soon.

If someone new to audio or someone who wants to move up a level I'll always recommend Cardas. Not a huge range but quite diverse and big differences between models.

There are plenty of better cables but Cardas is a reference, easy to compare other cables against due to it's house sound and easy used resale value.

If your system is up to date, I see you're using Blue Jeans, which are fine, basic cables.  Plus, you have a good baseline from which to judge other products, which will either sound better, worse or the same.  IMO, the only way to find out is to buy something with a trial period and listen for a week or 2.  I have had speakers where BJ speaker cables were absolutely fine and others where the system sounded horrible with them.  No other way, but to try.