AudioQuest Irish Red Subwoofer Cable - 5.0 Meter

What You Need to Know

What Is a Subwoofer Cable, and Why Use One Designed for the Job?

A subwoofer cable is an RCA interconnect — a single conductor with a shield around it and an RCA plug at each end. What makes a “subwoofer cable” different is what it has to put up with.

The signal it carries is the LFE channel — Low Frequency Effects, the dedicated low-frequency mono signal a home theater receiver, processor, or 2-channel preamp sends to a powered subwoofer. The run is usually long, and the path often passes close to AC power.

A cable engineered for that job uses heavier shielding and rugged connectors. Mechanically, the Irish Red can also be used as a regular RCA interconnect anywhere else in your system.

Where Does This Cable Belong in the AudioQuest Subwoofer Line?

The Irish Red sits at the midpoint of AudioQuest’s dog-named subwoofer cable family — the line goes Black Lab, Greyhound, Irish Red, Boxer, Husky. It marks the transition from Long-Grain Copper to Perfect-Surface Copper and from gold-plated to silver-plated connectors.

What’s Different About This One?

The Irish Red uses solid Perfect-Surface Copper (PSC) conductors. PSC is a higher-purity grade of copper with a smoother, more uniform surface at the conductor level compared to Long-Grain Copper. AudioQuest uses solid-core construction — a single piece of copper rather than many small strands — eliminating strand-to-strand interaction.

The RCA connectors are cold-welded and silver-plated. Cold-welding bonds the conductor to the connector contact under high pressure rather than soldering — removing solder, flux, and eutectic alloy from the signal path. Silver plating provides a lower-resistance contact surface than gold.

The dielectric is foamed polyethylene — the same insulation strategy as the lower models, with air pockets that lower dielectric absorption. The shield is improved relative to the entry tier.

Bill Low founded AudioQuest in 1980, and his “Do No Harm” philosophy still drives the line.

Where Does This Cable Belong in Your System?

The Irish Red is a strong match for mid-to-upper-tier home theater systems and 2.1 setups where you’re investing in quality components and want the subwoofer cable to keep pace.

• Good fit: Mid-to-upper-tier AV receiver or processor sub-out to a quality home theater subwoofer, 2-channel preamp sub-out to a musical subwoofer.
• Not ideal: Reference-class systems where the Boxer or Husky’s Carbon-Based shielding and DBS would be better matched to the investment.
• Different configuration? If your subwoofer has two RCA inputs labeled L and R, you want the Irish Red Y-cable version.

Single Sub or Dual Subs?

Most home theater subwoofers have a single RCA input labeled “LFE.” A standard single-end subwoofer cable like this one connects directly. Some subs have stereo L/R inputs that internally sum to mono — for those, the Y-cable version is the natural choice.

Single-End or Y-Cable — Which One Do I Need?

The answer comes down to what’s on the back of your subwoofer. Most home theater subs have a single RCA input labeled “LFE” — single-end is what you want. Subs with stereo L/R RCA inputs need the Y-cable version.

Warranty: AudioQuest cables purchased from an authorized U.S. dealer carry a non-transferable, original-owner limited lifetime warranty. Audio Advisor is an authorized AudioQuest dealer.

Pairs Well With

• Step up the line: The AudioQuest Boxer — adds Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation System and 72V DBS.
• Step down the line: The AudioQuest Greyhound — same LGC conductor, gold-plated cold-welded RCAs.
• Different configuration: Irish Red Y-cable version.
• Powered subwoofers: See our subwoofer collection.
• AV receivers: Browse AV receivers.
• Other AudioQuest cables: AudioQuest interconnects, speaker cables, and power cables.

Features & Specifications

Solid Perfect-Surface Copper (PSC) conductors — Higher-purity copper with a smoother surface than LGC, solid-core construction.

Cold-welded, silver-plated RCA connectors — High-pressure bonding removes solder from the signal path. Silver provides lower-resistance contact than gold.

Coaxial geometry — Continuous shield around a single central conductor.

Foamed polyethylene dielectric — Air pockets lower dielectric absorption.

Direction-controlled conductors — Arrow on jacket marks preferred orientation (source → subwoofer).

Multiple lengths stocked at Audio Advisor

Limited lifetime warranty — Non-transferable, original-owner, authorized U.S. dealer.

Quick-Reference Specifications