What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Product of the Year, Awards 2013. If you're looking for a cable that does finesse and subtlety just as well as dynamic heft and punch, this is it
Pros
- +
Incredibly capable yet easy to listen to
Cons
- -
Nothing of note
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
MORE: See all our 2013 Award winners
Who among us hasn’t cursed a cable for being too sturdy to turn a tight corner in a kit rack? Well AudioQuest’s flexible (FLX) and easy-to-pull-through-walls (SLiP) wire makes that kind of thing a doddle. But how easy is it to listen to?
A quick spin of Tortoise’s solid debut set – called Tortoise, imaginatively enough – and the 14/4 conveys a balanced, well-organised sound that never lets its rhythmic grip waver and renders leading edges with precision and grace.
Audioquest FLX-SLiP 14/4: Superb performance
Test-track favourite Cornpone Brunch is a tough one to get right at the best of times, thanks to its driving rhythm peppered with subtle snare-drum and ride-cymbal dynamics, and rich, deep bass – so the AudioQuest has its work cut out.
Lesser cables would muck this right up – but the AudioQuest, simply put, covers itself in glory. More full-bodied than the QED Ruby Anniversary Evolution, with a better grasp of dynamics than the Atlas Equator 2.0 OFC and with a smoother, cleaner treble than Chord's excellent Carnival SilverScreen, the FLX-SLiP is incredibly easy to listen to.
Combine the Chord’s exuberance with the natural sound of the Atlas, then knock some cash off, and you have the fantastic AudioQuest.
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