AUDIOQUEST Rocket 33

TR19.11.2011

Speaker cables

I have to say that I did not expect such a good performer in this price level. When I talked to Joe Harley of Audioquest this spring he kept assuring that the philosophy of Audioquest is to do as less harm as possible to a music signal. Though I am not sure about the invisibility of the Rocket 33 in the signal path, I can applaud to the tuning of the cable.

Function and form

96%
Ease of use
39%
Sound
96%
Appearance

The Rocket 33 uses dual triple geometry that divides conductors in two groups: a treble group and bass group. Both groups are combinations of LGC (long grain copper) and PSC (perfect surface copper) of different cross-sections. The variable cross-section areas should eliminate the fact, that specific diameters and materials have typical sound signatures. The effectivity of such a solution is questionable as many different sound signatures will yield their own (though mixed) sound signature but who cares, an ear will be the final arbiter. The bass and treble groups are each housed in a separate PVC jacket so they can be used individually for the purpose of bi-wiring. Quite clever, indeed.

Audioquest providess chemically treated polishing cloth for silver to remove traces of oxidation. They recommend to use it 2-3 times a year to keep the connections perfect. The relevant remark is, however, that unlike copper the silver oxidation remains fully conductive. The good news is that Audioquest does use cold crimping instead of soldering to eliminate imperfections in the contact.

The Audioquest Rocket 33 is a quite attractive piece of cable: looks like a thick carbon grey twin cable that is decorated by a red thread along its length. The flatness of the cable supports its bendability (30mm radius) so it is not an issue to get the cable into a desired position. If you have an impression it is a negligible detail be sure it is not – try to manipulate some highend cables with a metal-bar stiffness and you will find it not only dangerous (for your equipment) but also expensive (extra lengths will be needed to reach the terminals of your amplifier or speakers).

The craftsmanship of the Rocket 33 is top-notch as well as I liked the bananas (not unsimilar to Nordost’s Z-plugs) that were well marked at ends (AMP END and SPEAKER END) as the cable is directional.

Bass management

Weight
47
Slam
44
Articulation
38

This review is a part of The Low and Mid-tier Speaker Cables Megatest that includes 18 different speaker cables. The pilot article is available at SPECIAL EDITION REVIEWS section of Audiodrom.

Clarity & delicacy

Detail
46
Air
40
Transparency
40

The Rocket 33 is a very natural, smooth and effortless cable. Instead of keeping you alert it cherish your senses and brings your attention to music. There is a lot of micordetail for those detail-hunters out there but it is very well integrated within the musical context so it does not disturb. The Rocket 33 rendered complex tonal colors of George Benson’s Spanish guitar, for example. I had no feeling that I was listening to strings, rather the guitar was a complete structure of strings, body and neck. Timbres were also very natural with a trumpet that bordered with reality, however, all sounds were a tad sweeter and more colorful through the Audioquest than through my reference, the Krautwire Fractal, which indicates the Rocket 33’s slight departure from neutrality. It is not necessarily a drawback as my ears were very pleased with the Audioquest’s presentation.

Tonal accuracy

Timbre
32
Dynamics
40
Temporal resolution
30

The sound of the Rocket 33 is build on the excellent midrange which, supported by the smoothness and a liquid feel, lends luscious saturation and color to Barbra Streisand’s voice on In The Wee Small Hours of The Morning. The piano around 3’ resonated with fullness and harmonic richness, as well as the vocal of Johnny Cash in Hurt was emotionally charged and insistent. If you combine all these with natural soundstaging capabilities you may end up with an ideal cable in hands.

Spatial resolution

Holography
65
Soundstage width
65
Soundstage depth
65

Well, there is one little iceberg: the lows. They are tonally correct, they have proper amount of weight, but they are less contoured than they should be. I wish the bass was more punchy and firmer, but it is a minor quibble considering the Rocket 33’s price. It simply is an excellent cable.

Price as reviewed:6 100,- Kč

Recommended resellers

AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232

Associated components

  • Sources: Primare CD32, Luxman D-05 and Accuphase DP-510
  • Amplifiers: Primare I32, Luxman L-590AX a Accuphase E-560
  • Interconnects and speaker cables: Krautwire Fractal, Cardas Clear, Homegrown Audio DNA
  • Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Virgo V, Dynaudio Confidence C1 and Xavian Giulia, Chario Constellation, Xavian Preludio, Revel Ultima Studio2, B&W 805 Diamond and Atohm G 1.0
  • Power conditioning: Nordost Thor (modified), Snakeblock, Nordost Valhalla

Gallery

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AUDIOQUEST Rocket 33

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Recommended resellers

AQ s.r.o., Červenka, tel. +420 585 342 232

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