AudioQuest Lone Ranger Spade Speaker Cable

The AudioQuest Lone Ranger features proven design elements. It replaces the famous AudioQuest Robin Hood speaker cable. It retains part of its technology, while adding numerous technical and structural innovations.

AudioQuest Lone Ranger: Features

The Lone Ranger is slightly smaller than the Brave Heart (11.6 mm outer diameter vs. 14.1 mm for the Brave Heart, per polarity). But it benefits from the same design separating positive and negative cables physically. This technology results in a quieter cable offering a more precise and dynamic sound reproduction.

The AudioQuest Lone Ranger features ZERO-Tech technology offering zero characteristic impedance. ZERO-Tech technology eliminates impedance mismatches between the cable, source, and connected load, allowing smooth energy transfer and remarkably effortless musical rendering.

Conductor diameter is larger than on previous models, receiving nearly a third more PSC+ copper for lower impedance, a more linear frequency response (regardless of the speaker's impedance curve), and a more powerful sound.

The Lone Ranger features a very high quality polypropylene dielectric that dissipates noise over a wider bandwidth. Additionally, it reduces distortion and limits harsh sounds.

AudioQuest uses a thick carbon-loaded PVC with a graphene layer. The 4% silver drain cables further improve RF noise dissipation.

AudioQuest Lone Ranger: Conductors

The AudioQuest Lone Ranger uses solid single-strand conductors. These solid conductors prevent strand interaction, which is a major source of dynamic distortion. These conductors use solid PSC+ copper of extreme purity. PSC+ copper limits distortion caused by grain boundaries present in all metal conductors. These solid conductors are exclusively made from PSC+, the finest and purest copper used by AudioQuest.

All conductors feature an air-filled foamed-polyethylene jacket. The advantage is that air absorbs almost no energy and polyethylene has a very low distortion profile. These direction-controlled conductors effectively drain RF noise away from sensitive amplifier circuits, directing it where it is least harmful or non-existent.

AudioQuest Lone Ranger: Bias

The AudioQuest Lone Ranger is equipped with the patented Dielectric-Bias System (DBS). This consists of inserting two wires into the cable insulation with a voltage of plus and minus 72 volts! This is provided by a battery pack attached to the cable via velcro. Since there is no current draw and batteries have very low self-discharge, they last for years and are very easy to replace.

A test button with a LED is present on each DBS box.

The insulation is also a dielectric that can act as a filter. Active bias minimizes dielectric noise and linearizes the filter, significantly improving induced RF noise dissipation across the entire bandwidth.

AudioQuest's 72 V Dielectric-Bias System polarizes the dielectric (insulation), greatly reducing dielectric noise (energy stored in the dielectric released untimely and at other frequencies). The DBS system also linearizes radio-frequency noise dissipation (making it more consistent over a wide band).

AudioQuest Lone Ranger: Connectors

These speaker cables are equipped with solderless silver-plated 1000 Series spade connectors. They ensure superb contact with very low electrical resistance.

These spades are made of extremely pure red copper. The bare copper is immersed in a pure silver vat to ensure excellent plating quality. These plugs do not use metal to avoid inducing RF noise into the conductors. The absence of metal in the connectors prevents any re-emission and capacitive coupling of RF noise into the cable. The red copper spade connections are cold-welded.

On the plug bodies, "Amp" and "Speaker" markings indicate the correct connection for each plug.

AudioQuest Lone Ranger: Test and listening

The build quality of the Lone Ranger is absolutely flawless. The cables are flexible and easy to handle, and the spades are very well made and robust.

The Lone Ranger offers a very high level of detail and precision. It renders music down to the smallest detail. Silences are impressive in their true quietness!

Low end is highly controlled and defined. It renders powerful, muscular, and dynamic bass with surprising depth in the sub-bass. But most surprising is the articulation and definition of this register.

Vocals fill the room effortlessly with remarkable presence. Definition in this part of the spectrum is remarkable. Instruments sound larger and more assertive than usual, and above all with more dynamics. Paired with this is a precise and energetic high end, without any harshness. This part of the spectrum is nuanced and precise while remaining soft and silky.

The soundstage is hyper wide, tall, and considerably deep. Layering of sound stages is superb, making it easy to follow musicians and instruments.

Overall, music feels more alive and intense, allowing the listener to immerse deeper into music. Dynamics are truly realistic and playback offers surprising authority in the low end.

The AudioQuest Lone Ranger is a speaker cable offering fantastic resolution, texture, and bass control. It allows the listener to dive into music in an obvious and captivating way. This improvement is characterized by striking resolution and presence.

This new speaker cable offers a magnificent sound improvement over its predecessor. Just like its big brother the Brave Heart, the Lone Ranger allows a system to move from good sound quality to exceptional sound quality.

Highly recommended!