Pikes peak
PERFECT-SURFACE COPPER+: Pikes Peak uses a carefully finessed combination of Perfect-Surface Copper (PSC) and extremely high
purity Perfect-Surface Copper+ (PSC+) conductors. All conductors are solid, which prevents strand interaction, a major source of distortion.
Surface quality is critical because a conductor can be considered as a rail-guide for both the electric fields within a conductor, and for the
magnetic fields outside the conductor. The astonishingly smooth and pure Perfect-Surface eliminates harshness and greatly increases clarity
compared to OFHC, OCC, 8N and other coppers. Extremely high-purity PSC+ further minimizes distortion caused by grain boundaries, which
exist within any metal conductor.
DIELECTRIC-BIAS SYSTEM (patent pending): Unfortunately, because insulation stores and releases energy, it is also a “dielectric.” In a cable
application, all released energy is distortion. The misnomer “break-in” is often used to describe the pronounced improvement in performance as
the dielectric adapts to a charged state as the cable is used. Whenever a cable does not have a charge on it, it is re-adapting to an uncharged
state; it is becoming new again.
By maintaining a 36 volt dielectric-bias, far above the voltage of delicate audio signals, the DBS system provides considerably better
transparency and dynamics than is possible even from a cable in continuous use. It takes a couple of weeks for the DBS system to reach
maximum performance. Since DBS battery packs are attached when Pikes Peak cables are first terminated, Pikes Peak will be approaching or
at peak performance by the time it is installed in your system. Since there is no “load” on the two standard hardware-store batteries, they will
last for years. A test button and LED allow for occasional verification of battery performance.
COUNTER SPIRALING “EARTH FEATURE” GEOMETRY: Pikes Peak and the other AQ “Earth Feature” cables have an inner circular array
of positive conductors spiraling in one direction. Around this inner group, are the negative conductors, spiraling in the opposite direction. Even
while the positive and negative conductors are crossing each other instead of being parallel, the relationship between the positive and negative
groups is fixed and non-changing, adhering to one of AudioQuest’s most basic design tenets: consistency. The result is an astonishing clarity,
like focusing a camera lens you had no idea was so far out of focus.
SST (Spread Spectrum Technology): Any single size or shape of conductor has a specific distortion profile. Even though radially symmetrical
conductors (solid round or tubular) have the fewest discontinuities, any particular size does have a sonic signature. SST uses a precise
combination of different size conductors in order to significantly reduce the audibility of these character flaws. The four different SST-determined
conductor sizes used in Pikes Peak allow an exceptionally clear, clean and dynamic sound.
CONDUCTIVE INSULATION: The five negative conductors in Pikes Peak are insulated with partially conductive carbon-loaded polyethylene.
This remarkable material damps radio-frequency garbage from being fed back into the amplifier. The sonic benefit is exactly the same reduction
in “hash” and better dimensionality that comes whenever RF garbage is reduced in an audio circuit.
TERMINATIONS: AudioQuest offers a wide range of high quality connectors that allow Pikes Peak to be securely attached to any type of
equipment. AQ ends are dull looking because the silver (or gold) is plated directly over the connector. There is no harsh sounding shiny nickel
layer underneath. AQ spade lugs are plain looking and soft because pure copper is soft. Also, compressibility facilitates a higher quality
connection. AQ spade lugs are available in several sizes. AQ PSC Benda-Pins fit all equipment, except components accepting only a banana
plug or BFA connector, in which case the AQ Crimp BFA/Banana provides unprecedented performance at a fraction the cost of those
not-so-good sounding big “eye-candy” versions.
BIWIRING: When possible, running separate conductors or separate cables to the treble and bass halves of a speaker will considerably reduce
distortion. BiWiring works because cable causes distortion, which can be minimized by keeping the bass energy out of the treble cable. Pikes
Peak is an ideal full-range cable. It can also be used as a double pair for maximum benefit from BiWiring. Pikes Peak has also been designed to
make it possible to Single-BiWire. The five conductors per polarity have been chosen and arranged so that they may be divided into two groups,
allowing Pikes Peak to be prepared with four connections on the speaker end.
PIKES PEAK
SPEAKER CABLE: EARTH FEATURE SERIES
Solid PSC & PSC+ Coppers
DBS Anode
(+36V)
COUNTER SPIRAL (EARTH FEATURE) DESIGN
Positive Conductor Group
(inner circle = 12 AWG):
1 x 21 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
2 x 20 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
1 x 19 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper (PSC) Conductors
1 x 17 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper (PSC) Conductors
Negative Conductor Group
(outer circle = 12 AWG):
1 x 21 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
2 x 20 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper+ (PSC+) Conductors
1 x 19 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper (PSC) Conductors
1 x 17 AWG Solid Perfect-Sur face Copper (PSC) Conductors
Conductive Carbon Loaded PVC Filler Rods
DBS Anode (+)
DBS Cathode (-)
(Negative Conductor Group + Conductive PVC Rods)
36V DBS Batter y Pack Included
Green/Black Braid over Black PVC Jacket
4 Size SST
HyperLitz
Counter Spirals
DBS
Cathode (-)
Conductive
Dielectric
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