SOLID PERFECT-SURFACE COPPER+ CONDUCTORS (PSC+): Oak uses extremely high-purity Perfect-Surface Copper+ Conductors. All conductors are solid, which prevents strand interaction, a major source of distortion. Surface quality is critical because a conductor can be considered as a rail-guide for both the electric fields within a conductor, and for the magnetic fields outside the conductor. The astonishingly smooth and pure Perfect-Surface eliminates harshness and greatly increases clarity compared to OFHC, OCC, 8N and other coppers.  The superior purity of PSC+ further minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries, which exist within any metal conductor.

MULTI-LAYER CARBON-BASED NOISE-DISSIPATION and CROSSTALK-DISSIPATION SYSTEM (INSULATION): The negative conductors in Oak are insulated with partially conductive Carbon-Loaded Polyethylene. This remarkable material damps radio-frequency garbage from being fed back into the amplifier. The sonic benefit is exactly the same reduction in “hash” and better dimensionality that comes whenever RF garbage is reduced in an audio circuit. Oak uses Foamed-Polyethylene Insulation on its positive conductors because air absorbs next to no energy, and Polyethylene is low-loss and has a benign distortion profile. Thanks to all the air in Foamed-PE, it causes much less of the out-of-focus effect common to other materials.

DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM (DBS, US Pat #s 7,126,055 & 7,872,195 B1): All insulation slows down the signal on the conductor inside. When insulation is unbiased, it slows down parts of the signal differently, a big problem for very time-sensitive multi-octave audio. AudioQuest’s DBS creates a strong, stable electrostatic field which saturates and polarizes (organizes) the molecules of the insulation. This minimizes both energy storage in the insulation and the multiple nonlinear time-delays that occur. Sound appears from a surprisingly black background with unexpected detail and dynamic contrast. The DBS battery packs will last for years. A test button and LED allow for the occasional battery check.

DOUBLE COUNTER-SPIRAL GEOMETRY: Oak and the other AQ “Tree Feature” cables have an inner circular array of positive conductors spiraling in one direction. Around this inner group are the negative conductors, spiraling in the opposite direction. Even while the positive and negative conductors are crossing each other instead of being parallel, the relationship between the positive and negative groups is fixed and non-changing, adhering to one of AudioQuest’s most basic design tenets: consistency. The result is an astonishing clarity, like focusing a camera lens you had no idea was so far out of focus.

SPREAD-SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGY (SST): Any single size or shape of conductor has a specific distortion profile. Even though radially symmetrical conductors (solid round or tubular) have the fewest discontinuities, any conductor of a particular size does have a sonic signature. SST uses a precise combination of different size conductors in order to significantly reduce the audibility of these character flaws. The different SST-determined conductor sizes used in Oak allow an exceptionally clear, clean and dynamic sound.

BIWIRING: When possible, running separate conductors or separate cables to the treble and bass halves of a speaker will considerably reduce distortion. BiWiring reduces distortion by keeping the large magnetic fields caused by bass energy out of the treble cable, allowing these delicate upper frequencies to travel a less disturbed path. Although Oak is an ideal full-range cable, it can also be used as a double pair for maximum benefit from BiWiring. Oak has also been designed to make it possible to Single BiWire. The five conductors per polarity have been chosen and arranged so that they may be divided into two groups, allowing Oak to be prepared with four connections on the speaker end.

TERMINATIONS: AudioQuest offers a wide range of high-quality connectors that allow Oak to be securely attached to any type of equipment. Quality is in the low-distortion sound, not necessarily in the eye-candy effect. AQ ends are either a dull looking gold or silver because these metals are plated directly over the connector. There is no shiny and harsh sounding nickel layer underneath. AQ PK-spade lugs are soft because better metal is soft, and facilitates a higher quality connection. For pieces requiring a banana plug or BFA connector the AQ PK-BFA/Banana provides unprecedented performance over conventional brass versions.

APPLICATION: The metal breakouts on either end of Oak are marked “Speaker End” or “Amp End.” Please use cables in the direction required.

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