AudioQuest CV-4, Part 2 (sorta NSFW)
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| Posted on October 4, 2020 at 22:06:51 | ||
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Posts: 7331
Location: Bay Area Joined: December 11, 2000 |
I originally bought some AudioQuest Type 4 speaker wire in May 1990. It went between an Adcom GFA-535 and Paradigm SE5, both of which accepted bare wire. But I had to return to UC Santa Cruz, to finish my freshman year. And when that was done, instead of going home to San Francisco, I went to Honolulu for summer school. Having spent the entire summer in Honolulu, I only had a couple of weeks at home in SF, before going back to UCSC for my sophomore year. This pattern repeated itself, in summer 1991, and the 1991-92 school year.  But summer of 1992 was when everything changed. While my family went to Honolulu, I was home alone in SF. My old friends, then 18-, 19-, and 20-years old, were back in SF from their respective colleges. Since my home (a) was conveniently located in the Fillmore, and (b) had high-end audio, friends preferred to come over. They kicked off their shoes, kicked open the fridge, then kicked back anywhere in the living room. This was really the first time, anyone other than my parents and brother had listened to the AQ Type 4.  By now, my power amp was a Muse Model 100, which had copper Cardas binding posts. These accepted only banana plugs or spade lugs. So my friend Shelly straightened the Type 4's copper leads, and crimped on some banana plugs. But while Shelly was re-terminating the Type 4, the cheaper F-14 was in use. Having heard the sonics take a turn for the worse, my friends kicked and screamed. The sound was more ragged, with a loss of bass and instrumental body. Going down to the F-14 effected greater musical loss, than, for example, removing the footers under various electronics.  Def Leppard's Adrenalize kicked off that summer, and was one of our favorites. Shelly's oldest brother worked in a SOMA industrial warehouse, so she borrowed a heat gun and shrink wrap. After finishing those sleeves on the re-terminated Type 4, Shelly announced, "Okay bitches, let's get this thing back up."  We do not know what sonic difference (if any) the banana plugs made, but replacing the F-14 with the Type 4 restored the music. When Def Leppard's "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)" played, something magical happened. Everyone stopped talking, and it was as though the tension dissipated. Everybody just...fell in love. Not necessarily with each other, or anyone in particular. Because of the music, friends stayed for hours, and even overnight. The music also inspired us to go out, and prep for, team sports. The music put us in the mood to go sightseeing in and around SF. Early evening and overnight, that cool marine air breathed life into the Bay. We sucked it all in, and did our group hugs.  Again, when we were out, everyone was optimistic, and in love. Too bad the video for "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)" did not come out until December 1992. The scene of the couple making out in the middle of a New York street captures what my friends were feeling that summer of '92. But by passing the musical goods from the amp to the speakers, the AQ Type 4 was a major part of letting music reign over that Summer Of Love. And ever since, we've been saving a spot for another AQ speaker come in, and replace, or take over from, the Type 4's spirit.  So let us kick around the review checklist, and take a longer and deeper look at the Type 4's more modern cousin, the CV-4. Type 4 had a matte blue rubber outer jacket. The CV-4 has a woven fabric outer jacket, kind of like the girls' ankle bracelets.  Between the plugs and metal collar, the black-jacketed leads are 3.5" long. These can be bent, so be careful not to kink or break them!  You could order the CV-4 in spades, BFA bananas, of a combination thereof. If we bring in the spades, we'll certainly show them. But for now, check out the silver-plated BFA banana. One lead is red, the other black. Praise should be given to AQ, for labeling this side "AMP."  In addition, AQ had the sense to label the other side "SPEAKER." There was no price difference, between spades and bananas. Whew! -Lummy The Loch Monster
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