OAK
SPEAKER CABLE: DOUBLE COUNTER-SPIRAL GEOMETRY
Bass Group - Outer Group (Black, Carbon Loaded PE),
Inner Group (Red, Nitrogen-Injected Foam PE)
2 x 21 AWG, 2 x 19 AWG, 2 x 17 AWG, 2 x 16 AWG
Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
Carbon-Loaded PE
Solid PSC+
20
17
19
21
20
20
19
21
20
16
17
16
19
16
19
16
Treble Group - Outer Group (Black, Carbon Loaded PE),
Inner Group (Red, Nitrogen-Injected Foam PE)
2 x 21 AWG, 2 x 20 AWG, 2 x 19 AWG, 2 x 16 AWG
Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
Noise-Dissipation System
BASS
Foamed PE
DBS Field Elements
TREBLE
DBS Anode
DBS Cathode
Coffee Poly/Black Nylon Braid
Counter Spirals
PERFECT-SURFACE COPPER+: Oak uses extremely high purity Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) 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.
DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM (DBS, US Pat #7,126,055): All insulation slows down the signal on the conductor inside. When insulation is
un-biased, 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. Sound appears from a surprisingly black background
with unexpected detail and dynamic contrast. The DBS packs batteries will last for years. A test button and LED allow for the occasional battery
check.
COUNTER-SPIRALING "TREE FEATURE" 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.
SST (Spread Spectrum Technology): 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 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 four different SST-determined
conductor sizes used in Oak allow an exceptionally clear, clean and dynamic sound.
CONDUCTIVE INSULATION: The eight 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.
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.
BIWIRING: When possible, running separate conductors or separate cables to the treble and bass halves of a speaker will considerably reduce
distortion. BiWiring works because cable causes distortion, which can be minimized by keeping the bass energy out of the treble cable. 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 eight 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.