Analysis Plus Crystal Apex Speaker Cable - 6 Foot - Banana to Banana - Pair

Crystal Apex Brings Pure Crystal Copper to the Apex Design

Analysis Plus says its Crystal Apex speaker cable is built much like its Silver Apex. This 12-gauge cable is made with Pure Crystal Copper, using the company's patented hollow oval design.

Crystal Apex is the first Analysis Plus audio cable finished in grip-textured shrink wrap, for a sleek look. The company builds its cables by hand in Flushing, Michigan. It offers Crystal Apex with gold-plated T1 spades or BFA bananas, ready to connect.

Other length & termination options are available. Call us to discuss your needs.

Why the Middle of the Wire Is Empty

At higher frequencies, current crowds toward the outer surface of a wire, Analysis Plus explains. The center carries little of the signal there, so the company leaves it out. A hollow conductor, it says, keeps resistance steadier as frequency rises, so current flows more evenly across the audio range.

What Pure Crystal Copper Brings to the Oval

Analysis Plus weaves its Oval cables so every strand sits, on average, as close to the return current as any other. The company says the oval shape cuts current bunching, also called proximity effect. It adds that a woven build resists the cracks that constant flexing can cause in solid cable.

Analysis Plus machines its T1 spade from a block of copper and gold plates it, sized for 1/4-inch to 5/16-inch binding posts. Its crimp-on BFA banana is gold-plated beryllium copper.

Who Is This Speaker Cable Best For?

• You want the Apex design in copper — Analysis Plus built Crystal Apex much like its Silver Apex, using Pure Crystal Copper in place of silver
• You like a cable that looks the part — grip-textured shrink wrap gives it a sleek finish, a first for an Analysis Plus audio cable
• Your speakers take spades or bananas — gold-plated T1 spades or BFA bananas fit most binding posts
• You want the hollow oval at 12 gauge — Crystal Apex uses the same patented shape as the rest of the range
• Your speakers have two pairs of binding posts — Crystal Apex is a standard two-wire cable, so leave the links in place and use one pair

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Connect one end to your amplifier's speaker outputs and the other to your speaker's binding posts, red to red and black to black. Do the same for the second speaker.

The Measuring Mistake That Leaves You Inches Short

Speaker cable is cut for one room. Measure the path the cable will really take, around furniture and along the baseboard. Then add a little slack. As Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough." Keep the left and right runs the same length, as Cardas recommends, even when one speaker sits closer.

Which Connector Holds Up Best Over the Years?

Spades clamp under a binding post and hold tight. Bananas push straight in, so they connect fastest. Bare wire fits almost anything, but we suggest avoiding it. Bare copper oxidizes quickly, and Cardas notes that copper oxide is not a good conductor. If you use bare wire, re-strip the ends when the copper darkens.

Tighten the connections, power up, and play something you know well.

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

Speaker cable often stays put for years, so it tends to be the last thing upgraded. Look again when something else changes. Moving from bookshelf speakers to floorstanders is the big one. In our experience, about nine in ten people who make that move keep their old speaker cable. A stronger amplifier, a longer run, or darkened ends are the other signs.

Pairs Well With

A speaker cable joins your amplifier to your speakers. These are the categories on either end of it.

• Floorstanding Speakers — the best time to rethink your speaker cable
• Bookshelf Speakers — the speaker end in a smaller room
• Integrated Amplifiers — the amplifier end in most stereo systems
• Stereo Amplifiers — the amplifier end when you run separates

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Crystal Apex come with connectors attached?

Yes. Every Crystal Apex listing we carry comes ready to connect. Its title names what is on each end.

What gauge is Crystal Apex?

It is 12-gauge, made with Pure Crystal Copper in Analysis Plus's hollow oval shape.

Is Crystal Apex available in bi-wire?

Analysis Plus makes it as a standard two-conductor cable only. On speakers with two pairs of posts, leave the links in place.

Which end goes to the amplifier?

If the ends are marked for amplifier and speaker, connect them that way. If they are not marked, either end can go to either component.

Is there a step up?

Analysis Plus Silver APEX is the step up, which Analysis Plus calls its most advanced design: three 9 AWG conductors, nested hollow ovals, and a double shield.

Need a Different Length or Connector?

The most popular configurations are shown on this page. If your system requires a different length or termination, call our audio experts. We’ll help you choose the right configuration and arrange a custom cable for your system.

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Learn More

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