AudioQuest Sydney Interconnect Cable - 2.0 Meter - RCA to RCA - Pair

Sydney Brings Air-Tube Insulation and Silver Plugs to Bridges & Falls

AudioQuest's Sydney is the fifth cable in the Bridges & Falls series. It is one cable with a single conductor body that splits at each end into the left and right RCA plugs; it is not sold as a single-RCA cable. The insulation and the plugs change from the cables below it. Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ runs inside air tubes, and the plugs are silver over copper.

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

Solid Perfect-Surface Copper+ Conductors

The wires are solid Perfect-Surface Copper+, AudioQuest's highest grade of copper, which it calls PSC+. AudioQuest draws the wire with an ultra-smooth surface and says this cuts the distortion caused by grain boundaries. Solid wire also removes strand interaction.

Polyethylene Air-Tube Insulation

Each wire runs inside a Polyethylene Air-Tube. The wire touches almost nothing but air, and air stores almost no signal energy. AudioQuest says this leaves much less of the out-of-focus effect that solid insulation causes, and it fits the tubes to both wires to hold the geometry steady.

For noise dissipation, Sydney uses AudioQuest's Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation, and all its internal conductors are Direction-Controlled to reduce RF noise. The 72v DBS is found only on Yosemite and Angel. The jacket is Dark Gray/Black Braid.

The Direct-Silver Plated Purple Copper Plug, Explained

Sydney ends in a Direct-Silver Plated plug. The body is pure Purple Copper. AudioQuest plates the silver straight onto the copper with no nickel underneath, and says nickel causes distortion. The plug is cold welded to the wire, not soldered.

The layout is AudioQuest's Asymmetrical Double-Balanced Geometry, built for RCA use. The ground and the shield are kept apart. The ground path gets a lower impedance than the signal path, which AudioQuest says makes for a richer, quieter sound.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Christiaan Punter reviewed the RCA version for HiFi-Advice on December 9, 2015 and heard a "very open sound. It has excellent low-level resolution, is very refined."

He was clear about its character too. Sydney was "a little lightweight in character," with bass that was "articulate, nimble and fast" but could use more body and drive.

Who Is This Interconnect Best For?

• You listen for low-level detail — HiFi-Advice heard excellent low-level resolution, so quiet passages open up
• You want silver plugs on a copper cable — Sydney plates silver straight onto copper plugs, so the contact is silver at a copper price
• Space behind the rack is tight — one slim cable carries both channels, so it bends where a pair will not
• You want an air-tube dielectric — Sydney runs solid PSC+ inside Polyethylene Air-Tubes, with Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation and Direction-Controlled Conductors
• You want weight and drive first — HiFi-Advice found Sydney light in character. For bass weight, call us and we will help you choose

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run Sydney from a line-level output, a DAC, streamer, CD player or phono stage, to a line-level input on your amplifier or preamp. Keep left to left and right to right. Push each plug straight on until it seats. Pull it off by the barrel, never by the cable.

Then listen.

Measure the Path, Then Add a Little Slack

Measure the route the cable will really take between your components, around shelves and behind the rack. Then add a little slack. As audio legend George Cardas puts it, "A cable that's just long enough usually turns out to be just not long enough."

A Long Run Between Components?

If your amplifier and speakers sit far from your source, we recommend a long interconnect over a long speaker cable. A really long interconnect affects system performance less than a really long speaker cable.

When Is It Time to Upgrade?

An interconnect often stays in a system for years, so it is easy to overlook. Look again when something else changes: a new DAC, streamer or phono stage, or a better amplifier.

Pairs Well With

An interconnect is one link in the chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Integrated Amplifiers — the usual input end
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — DAC output to amplifier
• Music Streamers — streamer output to amplifier
• Speaker Cables — the last link to the speakers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Direct-Silver plating?

Silver plated straight onto the copper plug body. There is no nickel layer underneath. AudioQuest says nickel causes distortion, so it leaves it out.

Is this one cable or two?

One cable. AudioQuest's Bridges & Falls cables carry both channels in a single conductor body that splits at each end into the left and right RCA plugs. It is not sold as a single-RCA cable, and there is one lead to route behind the rack.

What are Direction-Controlled Conductors?

AudioQuest controls the directional grain structure of its conductors so induced noise drains away from the circuits it would otherwise disturb. Sydney's conductors are Direction-Controlled, and it adds Carbon-Based Noise-Dissipation. It does not have the 72v DBS, which is found only on Yosemite and Angel.

Why air tubes instead of solid insulation?

AudioQuest says any solid material next to a wire stores some signal energy and releases it late as distortion. Air stores almost none, so a tube of air around the wire keeps the signal cleaner.

What warranty does AudioQuest give?

Limited lifetime warranty with proof of purchase from an authorized dealer. AudioQuest will repair or replace a defective cable that has not been abused. Keep your proof of purchase.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest Yosemite is the next rung. It adds FEP Air-Tubes, a 72v DBS and direct-silver plated Pure Red Copper plugs. Angel sits above Yosemite.

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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