AudioQuest has just pulled the curtain back on its latest masterpiece for audiophiles: the Braveheart ZERO-Tech Speaker Cable. Positioned as a significant upgrade over the popular William Tell model and slotting in as a "junior ThunderBird," Braveheart is engineered with a simple philosophy: be bigger, quieter, and deliver unprecedented performance for the price.
Bigger is Better: More Copper, More Control
At first glance, Braveheart is impressively robust, nearly matching the size of AudioQuest's top-tier Mythical Creature cables. However, its clever design separates the positive and negative conductors into two round constructions, making it surprisingly more flexible and manageable than its predecessors.
But the real story is on the inside. Braveheart boasts nearly a third more Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) than the William Tell. This increase in high-quality metal delivers tangible benefits:
More "Torque": The cable better preserves the amplifier's damping factor, providing superior control over speakers, especially those with challenging low-impedance bass frequencies.
Flatter Frequency Response: The added copper ensures that variations in speaker impedance have less effect on the sound, resulting in a more accurate and neutral tonal balance.
Despite Brave Heart’s appropriately large size, connections to the amp side are made significantly simpler thanks to increased physical flexibility.
Quieter by Design: A Multi-Layered Defense Against Noise
Braveheart introduces a formidable suite of technologies to combat noise and distortion. The larger overall size allows for conductors to be spaced farther apart, reducing magnetic interaction that can blur the sonic image.
The defense system includes:
Upgraded polypropylene insulation for reduced dielectric noise.
Multiple, thicker layers of Carbon-Loaded PVC.
The new addition of Graphene to the noise-dissipation materials.
12 times more silver on the drain wires for dramatically improved RF-Noise Dissipation.
Signature AudioQuest Technologies
Braveheart is built on a foundation of AudioQuest's most effective and exclusive technologies, including the revolutionary ZERO-Tech. By eliminating the characteristic-impedance mismatch between the cable, amplifier, and speaker, ZERO-Tech allows power to flow unencumbered, presenting music with a stunning "out of nowhere" quality.
This is complemented by other classic features like the 72v Dielectric-Bias System (DBS), solid-core direction-controlled conductors, and cold-welded connections using pure Red Copper spades or bananas.
Pricing and Availability
AudioQuest has delivered on its promise of creating a cable that is "Bigger, Badder, Better" than anything offered at this price before. Braveheart is available now for preorder and is expected to ship by the end of August.
$4,990 / 8ft pair
$5,790 / 10ft pair
(Custom lengths available with choice of banana or spade connectors)
The synergy of these advanced materials and technologies makes Braveheart a truly compelling option for any serious audiophile looking to make a substantial upgrade to their system's performance.