AudioQuest Rocket 44 Speaker Cable - 10 Foot - Spade to Banana - Pair

AudioQuest Rocket 44 Adds Perfect-Surface Copper+

AudioQuest's Rocket 44 brings Perfect-Surface Copper+ into its blend of conductors, alongside Perfect-Surface Copper. AudioQuest says PSC+ has fewer grain boundaries, which reduces harshness in the sound. The solid conductors add up to 13 AWG, in a Double Star-Quad geometry.

Rocket 44 wears a silver on black nylon braid jacket. AudioQuest terminates it with SureGrip 500 banana or multi-spade connectors, in gold or silver plating, as a full-range or bi-wire speaker cable.

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

Why Solid Copper Beats a Bundle of Strands

Rocket 44 uses solid conductors. Each one is a single piece of copper, with no strands inside. AudioQuest says solid conductors prevent the strand-to-strand interaction that is a major source of distortion in stranded cable.

The Layout and Shield That Keep Noise Out

Each half of the cable uses AudioQuest's Double Star-Quad geometry. The company says a star-quad layout beats conductors run side by side. It also beats the same conductors run as two twisted pairs.

The negative conductors are covered in a partly conductive, carbon-loaded plastic. AudioQuest says it cuts the radio-frequency noise fed back into the amplifier. The positive conductors use foamed polyethylene insulation. Every conductor is controlled for direction.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Glenn Young reviewed Rocket 44 for Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity on July 26, 2023. He found them "the clearest I’ve heard in the bass, and equivalent to all others in the midrange and treble."

Who Is This Speaker Cable Best For?

• You want AudioQuest's best copper in the blend — Rocket 44 adds PSC+, which AudioQuest says has fewer grain boundaries
• Your system sits near other electronics — carbon noise control keeps radio noise from feeding back into the amplifier
• Your speakers have two pairs of binding posts — bi-wire versions let one run from the amplifier feed both pairs of posts
• Your amplifier has isolated, EU-style binding posts — AudioQuest says its banana is the better choice there, since spades can be hard to tighten
• Your speakers have one pair of binding posts — order a standard listing, not a bi-wire one. Bi-wire versions need two pairs of posts on each speaker, so the standard cable is your fit

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Connect the end marked for the amplifier to your amplifier's speaker outputs, and the other end 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.

Two Pairs of Binding Posts? Here's What That Means

A bi-wire cable has four connectors at the speaker end instead of two. It is made for speakers with two pairs of binding posts. Your speaker's manual shows which links to remove.

AudioQuest adds one tip. If a banana cannot seat all the way into a binding post, use a spade instead.

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 Rocket 44 come with connectors attached?

Yes. Every Rocket 44 listing we carry comes ready to connect. Its title names what is on each end.

What copper does Rocket 44 use?

Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ and Perfect-Surface Copper, 13 AWG in all. AudioQuest calls PSC+ its best copper.

Which end goes to the amplifier?

The end marked for the amplifier. AudioQuest controls every conductor for direction and labels the ends, so follow the markings when you connect it.

What warranty does AudioQuest give?

AudioQuest backs cable it terminates with a limited lifetime warranty for the original owner, when you buy from an authorized US dealer like us.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest Rocket 88 is the flagship of the Rocket Series, with all Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductors and a patented 72v Dielectric-Bias System.

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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