AudioQuest Root Beer 18 Active Optical HDMI Cable - HAOC - 5.0 Meter

AudioQuest Root Beer 18 Active Optical HDMI Cable - HAOC - 5.0 Meter

What It Does in Your System

Fiber Optics for the Runs Where Copper Starts to Struggle

Root Beer 18 is a Hybrid Active Optical Cable, which means the audio and video travel down glass fiber rather than copper. That changes what distance does to your picture and sound — where a passive copper HDMI cable degrades as it gets longer, fiber simply doesn't.

At 5 meters, this handles the projector on the ceiling, the TV across the room, or an equipment rack in a closet. Root Beer is rated to carry a full 18Gbps out to 100 feet, so a 5-meter run is comfortably within its capability rather than at the edge of it.

Total RF Immunity, and No Power Adaptor to Hide

Optical fiber is non-conductive, so it can't pick up or transmit induced RF noise — the same advantage a Toslink cable has, applied to a full HDMI signal. You also get galvanic isolation between components, which means no electrical path for ground problems to travel along.

The active circuitry draws its power directly from the HDMI port. There's no wall wart, no separate adaptor, and nothing extra to conceal behind a wall-mounted display.

Level 4 Noise Dissipation Where the Metal Still Matters

A hybrid cable isn't fiber all the way through — the eARC and control conductors are still copper, because those functions require it. AudioQuest treats them accordingly: solid Long-Grain Copper on the eARC pair, with every conductor direction-controlled to drain RF noise away from the circuits most vulnerable to it.

Combining non-conductive fiber for the A/V signal with direction-controlled metal for everything else is what AudioQuest calls Level 4 Noise-Dissipation. It's the reason a long HDMI run doesn't have to mean a noisier system.

Is This Right for You?

A few things to confirm before ordering:

• Active optical cables are directional. One end goes to the source, the other to the display, and they are not interchangeable. Check the connector labeling before you route the cable — this is the single most common installation error with any AOC.
• This is an 18Gbps cable, not a 48Gbps one. It covers 4K/60, 8K/30, HDR and Dynamic HDR, and eARC. It does not have the bandwidth for 4K/120 or 8K/60, so if you're feeding a PS5, Xbox Series X, or a high-refresh gaming display, you want a 48-Series cable instead.
• Five meters is where fiber starts earning its price. Under about 3 meters, a good passive copper cable does the job. At 5 meters and beyond — especially through a wall or conduit — the reliability advantage of fiber is real.

Setup & Installation

Identify the source and display ends before you begin — active optical cables only work in one direction. Connect the source end to your player, console, or receiver output, and the display end to your TV or projector. If the picture doesn't appear, reversed orientation is the first thing to check, not a faulty cable.

Root Beer 18 is in-wall rated, so it's suitable for running through walls or ceilings to a mounted display or projector. Optical fiber doesn't tolerate sharp bends the way copper does, so pull it gently through conduit, never by the connector, and route with generous curves. Because there's no metal carrying the A/V signal, you can run it near AC power without concern about interference.

Features & Specifications

Optical Fiber A/V Conductors
Eliminates the multiple forms of signal degradation that affect copper HDMI cables over distance, reliably out to 100 feet.

Total RF Immunity and Galvanic Isolation
Non-conductive fiber can't pick up or transmit induced RF noise, and there's no electrical path between components for ground problems to follow.

HDMI-Powered Active Circuitry
Draws power from the HDMI port itself — no AC adaptor to install, place, or conceal.

Level 4 Noise-Dissipation
Galvanic isolation on the A/V path plus direction-controlled Long-Grain Copper eARC and control conductors keep RF noise away from vulnerable circuits.

Specifications

• Type: HDMI 2.0b Hybrid Active Optical Cable (HAOC), directional
• Bandwidth: 18Gbps, guaranteed
• Length: 5.0 meters
• Maximum rated run length: 100 feet (30.5 meters)
• Video support: Up to 4K/60 and 8K/30 (8-bit, 4:2:0)
• HDR: HDR and Dynamic HDR supported, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision
• Audio: eARC supported
• A/V conductors: Optical fiber
• eARC conductors: Solid Long-Grain Copper (LGC)
• Noise dissipation: Level 4 — galvanic isolation plus direction-controlled conductors
• Power: Powered by the HDMI port; no AC adaptor required
• Rating: In-wall rated
• Included: One HDMI cable

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this cable have a source end and a display end?
Yes. Active optical cables only pass signal in one direction, so the connectors are labeled and must be installed accordingly. If you get no picture after installation, check orientation first — it's the most common cause.

Will this support 4K at 120Hz for gaming?
No. Root Beer 18 delivers 18Gbps, which covers 4K/60, 8K/30, HDR, and eARC. High-frame-rate gaming features like 4K/120 and VRR require a 48Gbps Ultra High Speed cable — call us and we'll point you to the right one.

Does it need a power supply?
No. The active circuitry is powered by the HDMI port itself, so there's nothing to plug in and nothing to hide behind a wall-mounted display.

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