AudioQuest Golden GATE 2 x Phono Plug to 2 X Phono Plug

The world is riddled with marketing, and it's really hard sometimes to figure out what "worth it" means in terms of actual quality and engineering vs. gimmicks.I assure you these cables are none of the latter.I have a fairly decent setup, Audio-Technica ATLP120XBTUSB, AT-VMN95EN stylus, Yamaha RX A2A and some mirage speakers. The mistake I made was buying subpar cables. What actually had happened was all of a sudden I heard this popping when I put on the Vinyl. I tracked it down to the cable.After digging through quite a few articles and bouncing around on a few options, I settled on these.I plugged them in and immediately all the hum was gone. I used to get this just from turning the turntable on, and any vibration was tracking through the stylus.But the best part is the sounds is ridiculously clean - it's not just a little noticeable - it's ridiculously noticeable.Get these, they are a fantastic option if you're not in the super high end category.

These are amazing cables. The sound is like much those more expensive. I own a $1000 pair of cables on my main system and these come too close for comfort in sound fidelity. This is a fantastic buy. I've owned many, many pairs in the last 30 years and these are at the top. It is important to have them running 25 to 30 hours at first to get them into their proper mojo. It's worth the wait. Way to go, Audioquest, and Amazon! High-end Audio components for the working class. Bravo!

If you're interested in reading all the arguments about cables just browse the many other reviews. I'll admit skepticism but have had experiences with lesser cost cables that resulted in significant audio issues and finally decided to give these a try. I'm really glad I did.I'm running a biamplified setup of Polk floorstanding speakers with a vinyl setup and a digital (toslink) connection for Tidal streaming as well. To be concise, I noticed immediate differences in soundstange, particularly depth. With some songs, it was almost like hearing again for the first time. That's not to say that I was blown away with huge differences and that these cables will somehow transform a system but in mine I really heard a change that I could easily say substantiated the cost of the cables. I have a dual sub setup and will be replacing those interconnects next.My amplifier RCA jacks are exactly 3" apart and these were a tight spread to reach, but they did. The Audioquest website recommends their Evergreen series for wider jacks, just be aware your spacing.Would I buy these again? Absolutely. For my system and ears, they have made me a believer in this cable.For reference, I replaced Mediabridge interconnects between my amplifiers and preamp and turntable and preamp.

Good product and great seller.

I have a Project Debut Carbon Esprit SB. I ordered these to replace the stock RCA cables that shipped with the TT. I know their is a lot of debate about these aftermarket pro cables really making a difference. Well, I can honestly say they did for me. I noticed an immediate difference. First of all the cables fit more snug on the jacks on the back of my TT and my preamp. The sound is now more clear and practically no distortion. I was hoping these would eliminate that dreaded hum that the DC turntables are plagued with. It didn’t get rid of it completely but it has diminished quite a bit. I have enough faith in these Audioquest cables that I’m going to pay for their ground cable that they sell. Thank you, Audioquest!

UPDATED 2/18:I got around to installing my 2nd pair of these and this time there's no trouble with buzzing and they sound great! Subtle differences, but enough to warrant the purchase. If you're into audio you probably know most upgrades are just subtle improvements built on subtle improvements to eventually make big improvements. This is a great price to performance cable without getting into the land of ridiculously priced cables.ORIGINAL REVIEW:I was very much looking forward to using these. Once I hooked them up I couldn't stop the buzzing I was getting from my left channel and it didn't go away or get drowned out while music was playing. I couldn't replicate the noise with the interconnects that came with my turntable nor the Monoprice I bought from Amazon. It looked like the problem was where the two channels came together at the plastic piece as I could sometimes get the noise to quiet just a little when playing with that. Hopefully it was just one bad cable. I'm going to try again with another set and will update this review then. At one time I had Audioquest's Evergreen line of cables and they worked fine with the same turntable/receiver setup.

AudioQuest is a great company that seems to care about craftsmanship. I say "seems to care" because I bought a bunch of AudioQuest cables in 1992 and they were some of the best cables I've ever used. This new stuff does the job but it's a far cry from the OG. Audio Quest used to have a respectable (not too many) number of options for mid range (which I believe was really killer wire very generously priced) to the wire used in the Space Shuttle.Two other places to check out;1. Schiit Audio for short 6" - 7" (?) interconnects.2. Monoprice.

I am not usually a fan of Audioquest but these are a huge surprise as too how they perform. I replaced the interconnects on a new turntable not expecting to hear a difference….. I was wrong.