AudioQuest has a solid track record of making genuinely good cables—some we own, use, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. But then they roll out the Brave Heart speaker cables starting at $5,000 for an 8-foot pair, and that’s where we have to draw the line. Sure, better cables can make a difference, but needing to drop what amounts to a mortgage payment just to hear it? That’s a tough sell. It’s your money to spend, but honestly, we wonder how this kind of pricing helps bring more people into the high-end audio world instead of scaring them off.
AudioQuest’s latest ZERO-Tech speaker cable, the Brave Heart, aims to be bigger, quieter, and just flat-out better than anything they’ve offered at this price point. Think of it as the slightly younger sibling to their Mythical cables—just 0.6mm thinner on the outside but packing about a third more of that fancy Perfect-Surface Copper+ conductor inside. It’s like the William Wallace of speaker cables—ready to take on the big battles but without the bulky armor slowing it down.
Physically, the Brave Heart keeps its positive and negative conductors separated in neat round bundles, making it easier to handle than the Mythical beast. The larger size gives it more “torque” on the music, especially in the low end. That means it holds the amplifier’s leash tighter, which is exactly what you want if you’re running speakers with ported enclosures that need firm control to sound their best. Plus, with more metal to work with, the cable smooths out those nasty impedance swings that mess with your frequency response.
On the noise front, Brave Heart steps up with upgraded polypropylene insulation that broadens and smooths out its noise-dissipation bandwidth. By pushing conductors farther apart, it kills off those harsh, out-of-focus distortion effects caused by capacitance. Toss in thicker layers of Carbon-Loaded PVC, a splash of Graphene, and a 4% silver shield drain wire, and you’ve got an RF-noise assassin that’s ready to keep your sound clean and clear. So, if you’re ready to rally your audio setup like William Wallace at Stirling Bridge, Brave Heart might just be your weapon of choice—just don’t expect it to come cheap.
Classic AudioQuest Design Elements: Key Features Behind Their Signature Sound
All that tech stacks on top of AudioQuest’s tried-and-true design hallmarks: solid conductors that keep strand interaction in check, with direction-controlled wiring that shunts RF noise away from your amp’s delicate guts — right where it can’t mess things up.
Brave Heart also brings in AudioQuest’s 72v Dielectric-Bias System to cut down on timing errors and noise caused by dielectric interference.
No sketchy RF-relaying metals sneak into the cable dressings, breakouts, or plug barrels. Plus, the cold-welded, gas-tight connections are fitted with Red Copper spades or bananas for reliable, lasting contact.
ZERO-Tech
Borrowed from AudioQuest’s Folk Hero and Mythical Creature lines, ZERO-Tech tackles the usual impedance mismatches that plague cables and gear hookups. The result? Power flows freely, and the music emerges seemingly out of thin air — no barriers, no fuss.
Speaker Side Terminations: This magic happens at the speaker end, where a positive drain wire discreetly connects to the negative inside a breakout that looks like any other.
Amp Side Terminations: Though the Brave Heart cable is beefy, hooking it up to your amplifier is easier than you’d expect, thanks to its improved flexibility—no wrestling matches required.
The Bottom Line
AudioQuest’s Brave Heart ZERO-Tech speaker cables are no joke—these aren’t your average run-of-the-mill cables, but they’re also not the absolute peak of cable pricing madness. AudioQuest offers a broad lineup that covers nearly every audio setup, with their entry-level and mid-tier cables consistently delivering solid, proven performance.
Brave Heart is clearly tailored for ultra high-end amps and top-tier speakers, aiming to squeeze every last drop of clarity and control from your system. At nearly $5,000 for an 8-foot pair, it’s your call whether that kind of investment moves the needle. Just remember—putting your money toward the music itself might be the smarter way to feed your obsession.
Price & Availability
AudioQuest Brave Heart ZERO-Tech Speaker Cable Pricing:
- US: $4,990 for 8ft pair; $5,790 for 10ft pair (check Amazon)
- Canada: $6,790 for 8ft pair; $7,890 for 10ft pair
- Europe: €4,999 for 2.5m pair; €5,649 for 3m pair
- United Kingdom: £4,249 for 2.5m pair; £4,799 for 3m pair
Custom lengths available on request, with your choice of banana or spade connectors on either end.
For more information: audioquest.com