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AUDIOQUEST INTRODUCES DIELECTRIC BIAS SYSTEMIrvine, CA-May 1, 2003 AudioQuest announced today a new line of cable products incorporating an on-board battery powered Dielectric-Bias System or “DBS”.The patent pending DBS is a simple, elegant solution to one of cable’s most vexing performance challenges. A highly misunderstood area of cable performance is the subject of cable run-in, sometimes (inaccurately) referred to as “break-in.” "Break-in" properly applies to one-way mechanical phenomena, such as a motor or a loudspeaker surround. Cables and capacitors do not “break-in”, rather their "dielectric forms," meaning that it takes time for the dielectric material to adapt to a charged state.This process is quite audible and explains the significant improvement heard in electronics, loudspeakers and cables as signal is applied over a period of time. It has long been noted that cables (and all audio components) sound better after having been left turned-on for a number of days. It has also been noted that once turned off, the component or cable slowly returns to its original uncharged state. For many music lovers, this means that they are almost never hearing their cables in their optimum state.AudioQuest’s founder and chief designer, Bill Low, explains the Dielectric-Bias System: “DBS puts all of a cable's dielectric into a comparatively high voltage DC field ... continuously from the time the cable is terminated. The exceptionally simple design uses a wire down the middle of the cable, which is simply an extension of a battery's anode. This wire is attached to positive (+) of a DBS battery pack, and nothing else. It is not in the signal path and has no interaction with the signal. Depending on the model of interconnect (analog or digital) or speaker cable, an existing shield or outer spiral of conductors is used as the DBS cathode by connecting it to negative (-) of the DBS battery pack. The negative side of a battery is nothing; it's just an empty reservoir. Again, there is no interaction with signal flow and no extra connections are introduced into the signal path.”Because there is no “load” on the battery, it will last for years. A test button and LED on the DBS pack allow for easy verification of battery performance.The benefit of maintaining a bias on the dielectric at a substantially higher voltage than is ever achieved through normal use is dramatic. Even a cable, which has the loudest music or pink noise continually traveling through it, never has a fully formed dielectric. “If you have ever experienced the significant performance difference between a product when it was new or not used for a couple of weeks, compared to two weeks later ... simply imagine the same improvement doubled or tripled,” said Low. “There is no new language for this phenomenon. It is simply more of the same improvement experienced to a lesser extent by leaving one’s equipment on continually. I hope when you have the opportunity to experience AudioQuest DBS cables, that your response will be the same as mine when I put the first prototype in my system; "Ahhh, thank you!"Once again AudioQuest has identified a problem, developed an innovative solution and taken the opportunity to bring new products to market that will enhance the enjoyment of home entertainment systems.New Products that incorporate “DBS”The initial AudioQuest interconnects to incorporate on- board DBS are:(Deleted so as not to promote )All of these cables are triple balanced designs including three identical conducting paths, insuring optimum performance in single-ended (RCA) or balanced (XLR) applications.The initial AudioQuest speaker cables to incorporate DBS on-board are:(Again deleted )The “DBS” battery pack is included in the pricing of these models. The final step of preparation and termination will be connection of the battery pack so the enhancements derived from “DBS” can begin before packaging and shipment.Simply put, “DBS” offers out of the box performance exceeding that of cables that have been in constant use for many years.
To me, it looks like AudioQuest has defined a "customer want" and has developed a product to meet that perceived "want".
Anyway since you're a dealer won't they just send you one to try?
You "picked up" the speaker cable in the seven hours between starting this thread and your post above?
Hey John- what are you waiting for? According to the ads I've read and the literature on AQ's website, all you need is "hardware store" batteries for the DBS system work. Take them out of a remote a give it try! Let us know.
Hey Jon,Thanks for the feedback. Are you coming the 23rd? I'll bring the cables and see what might be heard.Again since I don't understand the process, and haven't had much time with them I can't say it is any great improvement, but yesterday my Reference cut CD was at its best Do you know if this is like a "charging" effect? That is, does it sort of "charge" and discharge something? So that plugging and un-plugging would not yeild an immediate sonic result?
Hi John,Any update on the Audioquest cables?
...Today I have probably listened to Diana Krall "Live in Paris" and East of the Moon and West of the Sun...
john, it's east of the sun and west of the moon. i guess listening to the track 40 times wasn't enough since u managed to get the name mixed up, heh?
