We did a little digging and unearthed ourselves a truffle: the AudioQuest VDMA. This cable is made of highly conductive and non-corrosive metals that are ideal for carrying high-definition video or high-sensitivity audio. Gold-plated RCA connectors and silver-plated conductors not only sound impressive, but they are great performance enhancers as well. Unfortunately, this metaphorical mushroom is not available in lengths shorter than 10 feet. If you are working with a small home audio system, you will probably want shorter cables. If not, this digital coaxial cable is a high-performance delicacy worthy of your consideration.
Each cable is encased in an attractive PVC jacket with a unique grey-and-black striped coloration. In addition to its nice aesthetic quality, the PVC jacket is also flexible and durable.
The next layer is the braided guard that defends the cable from potentially malignant electromagnetic radiation. Most braided guards are made of copper, which is cheap and highly conductive. This cable goes a little further with a silver-plated shell that improves conductivity without the high price required for a braided guard of pure silver.
Beneath the braided guard is a dual foil wrap that reflects radio waves that might otherwise corrupt the data flowing through the cable. The foil and braided guard work together to shield the cable from distortion-causing interference as much as possible without compromising too much flexibility.
The innermost layers are a nitrogen-injected dielectric spacer and the silver-infused conductor. The dielectric serves two purposes: insulation and spacing. The dielectric keeps the conductor separate from the braided guard, lest the AV signal be mixed with the interfering signals absorbed by the braid. The conductor itself is made of 1.25 percent silver for increased conductivity.
The gold-plated RCA plugs are corrosion resistant, but lack a split center pin for optimal contact pressure. Like most digital coaxial cables, both ends feature a male plug.
The lack of a short to medium length cable could be very crippling. The cable only needs to stretch from a DVD player to an AV receiver. These two components are usually side by side (or even stacked atop one another, though the potential for overheating makes the configuration somewhat problematic). Fortunately, AudioQuest provides a wide array of short length options, so you shouldn't have to worry about excess cable. Available lengths include the following:
- 3.98 feet
- 4.92 feet
- 6.58 feet
- 9.8 feet
- 14.76 feet
- 29.5 feet
Another drawback is the five-year limited warranty. Most manufacturing defects will probably manifest before the five-year warranty expires, but it still is a bit of a disappointment when you consider that most cable companies offer lifetime coverage for their digital coaxial cables.
If you experience any problems, AudioQuest is very responsive to emails. The company provides a phone number on its webpage, but it is only good for customer service. Don't expect any tech support from this number.
AudioQuest VDMA is a well-built digital coaxial cable made from the finest components available in the price range. Unfortunately, the cables are longer than necessary and the warranty is less than inspiring. If it were not for these two setbacks, this cable would more than live up to the truffle's diamond reputation.
