AudioQuest Rocket 88 Speaker Cable - 6 Foot - Bi-Wire - Spade to Spade - Single

AudioQuest Rocket 88 Is the Flagship of the Rocket Series

Rocket 88 is the flagship of AudioQuest's award-winning Rocket Series. It uses solid Perfect-Surface Copper+, the company's best copper. The conductors sit in a Double Star-Quad layout, 13 AWG in all, and every one is solid.

It adds AudioQuest's patented 72v Dielectric-Bias System, or DBS. It also has carbon noise control and conductors controlled for direction. The jacket is a green on black nylon braid. AudioQuest fits SureGrip 500 bananas or spades, in gold or silver plating.

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

What the DBS Pack on Rocket 88 Does

Every cable has insulation around its conductors. AudioQuest says DBS saturates and polarizes that insulation. The company says this gives clear, dynamic sound against a quiet, black background. DBS is patented, and it is part of every terminated Rocket 88 we carry.

How Rocket 88 Shields the Shield

AudioQuest says its extreme-purity PSC+ cuts the distortion caused by grain boundaries. Solid conductors prevent strand interaction. The Double Star-Quad layout, it says, reduces time-smearing while keeping dynamics and clarity.

For noise, AudioQuest uses alternating layers of metal and carbon-loaded plastic to shield the shield. It says this stops radio-frequency noise before it reaches the layer attached to ground. Every conductor is also controlled for direction.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Graig Neville reviewed Rocket 88 with 72v DBS for Part-Time Audiophile on April 23, 2021. He wrote, "I will emphatically recommend the Rocket 88 cable." He added, "Music had a more emotional connection, the bass was deep and effortless."

Who Is This Speaker Cable Best For?

• You want the top of the Rocket Series — Rocket 88 is AudioQuest's Rocket flagship, with its best copper and its patented DBS
• Your system sits near other electronics — layers of metal and carbon stop radio noise before it reaches ground
• 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. A single cable connects one speaker, so order one for each speaker you are wiring.

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 88 come with connectors attached?

Yes. Every Rocket 88 listing we carry comes ready to connect. Its title names what is on each end.

What does DBS do?

AudioQuest says its patented 72v Dielectric-Bias System saturates and polarizes the insulation, for clear, dynamic sound against a quiet background.

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?

Rocket 88 is the flagship of the Rocket Series. If you want to go further, call us and we will talk through the whole 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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