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21 May 2026
FutureShop is an authorised dealer for AudioQuest. This article is based on a first-hand visit to AudioQuest's facility in Roosendaal, Netherlands, by members of the FutureShop team. Read Part 1 of the visit here.
Our Verdict
The HDMI cable demonstration confirmed that conductor material makes an audible difference even through a soundbar. The Noise Stopper Caps and Fog Lifters, which we went in expecting to dismiss, were the biggest surprises of the visit: both produced an immediate, reversible, and unmistakable change when removed from the system.
Quick Take
- A blind HDMI cable comparison using a JBL soundbar showed clear, progressive improvement from generic cable through the AudioQuest Pearl (all-copper), Cinnamon (partial silver), and Vodka (silver throughout all conductors).
- The Vodka eARC variant strips silver from the AV conductors, retaining it only in the eARC conductor. For eARC connections, this gives the same performance at half the cost of the standard Vodka.
- Sixteen AudioQuest Noise Stopper Caps were removed from the back of a Primare amplifier during a live listening session. The difference in background clarity was immediate and significant on a £24k-plus system.
- AudioQuest Fog Lifters decoupled speaker cables from the floor. Their removal reduced transient definition and spatial quality noticeably in a controlled A/B comparison.
- The Dragon speaker, power, and XLR cable loom (totalling over £87k) on Magico S2 speakers and Riviera Labs mono amplifiers delivered a cuddly, large-scale presentation distinct from the previous day's more direct B&W and Primare session.
Last month, we posted Part 1 on our Netherlands AudioQuest visit, where we tested a speaker cable range. Part 2 focuses on HDMIs, the murky world of Fog Lifters and Noise Stoppers.
By day 2, we all felt very much at home in Roosendaal. We'd eaten, drunk, sworn and listened to cables the Dutch way – no nonsense. Breakfast was at 7:00 am. Incredibly, we assembled for the buffet before the doors even opened, heavier-eyed than yesterday. Were we still eager to see and hear more from AudioQuest?
Two coffees got our hearts started, then we packed our bags just in time for Richard and Sander to ship us back to AudioQuest. Yesterday's session was a blast, but today's demonstration would settle two of hi-fi's least rational enhancement techniques. Furthermore, we would discover whether expensive HDMI cables really made a difference.
Before the sermon in sound, the Dutchies still had more of their operation to show us. Bob took us to the production departments to see AudioQuest's artisans at work and give Santosh (our very own, near-legendary craftsman) a masterclass in cable making.
Day 2: Exploring the AudioQuest Production Team and Cable Craftsmanship
We had met the sales team – the guys we hound for delivery dates; we had feasted eyes on the warehouse – the Aladdin's cave of products you all crave. Day 2 was about the forging of those products and the team that does it.
We aren't strangers to cable production, but our nerdier team members do have an unhealthy fascination with dissected sections of speaker cable. Looking at the severed end of top-end Dragon speaker cable was – I'll admit it – fascinating. Well, take a look yourself – if you decide to drop £24k on 2 meters of cabling, you ought to know where your money goes:
AudioQuest has all the essentials for comfortable cable making: neatly arranged tooling, measuring equipment, fume extractor, fruit, snacks and even vintage crimp machines (careful what gets caught in those).
They're a heads-down, hard-working bunch, the production team. Their supreme being, Khalid, was our last stop. Already a legend in the field, it was Khalid who exchanged cable chops with our own legend, Grandmaster Santosh. We left them building Rocket 88 speaker cables together like Van Gogh and Rembrandt.
Our flight was at 18:00; there was plenty of time to enjoy, so that's what we did. Jon led us to the demonstration room for part 2.
Do Expensive HDMI Cables Make a Difference? We Tested It
The plan was to reveal how better HDMI cables lead to better sound, but today's session revealed much more (all will be revealed). Lined up on the floor in front of a simple JBL soundbar were four HDMI cables: one unbranded, AudioQuest Pearl, Cinamon, and Vodka.
Using an adaptor with an antique iPhone 4, Jon connected the unbranded cable and played us the beautiful Alison Krauss recording of 'Down to the River to Pray'; a song with layers of voices that proliferate with each verse. It sounded like many soundbars do – kind of flat and thin.
HDMI Showdown: Comparing AudioQuest Pearl, Cinnamon, and Vodka
The AudioQuest Pearl was connected, and we went down to the river again. The all-copper cable did smooth away the unpleasantly brittle finish of the previous cable; we already knew things would get better.
The Cinamon HDMI cable has some silver in the conductor and noise dissipation. Those features made the sound cleaner. The vocal layers began separating, and each voice had sparkle. The music gained the vibrance it deserved.
The Vodka – not a cable for the frugal – has much more silver in all conductors. Alison's voice floated above the choir. We could start distinguishing individual voices within the choir's harmony. It's worth knowing that if your HDMI cable is used for eARC connection, AudioQuest makes an eARC-specific version of Vodka. This strips out the silver content from the AV conductors, as silver is only necessary for the eARC conductor in this scenario. Same performance, half the cost.
Hearing the difference from something as unrefined as a soundbar, we concluded that HDMI cables are almost as important for sound as other audio cables. Perhaps not to the extent of speaker or power cables, but still significant.
We implored Jon to unleash the Magico speaker and Riviera amplifiers laden with a full complement of AudioQuest's mighty Dragon range, totalling over £87k for speaker, power and XLR cables. He gladly conceded.
Enter the Dragon: Ultimate Listening Experience with AudioQuest Dragon Cables
AudioQuest's Dragon is solid, perfect surface silver (PSS) with perfect surface copper +, heavy 5.26mm conductors. There's multi-layer noise dissipation and top-of-the-range Suregrip 1000 terminations.
The emotive music just heard on the soundbar deserved a bigger stage. Alison Krauss's spiritual piece from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack was the first track we chose. We yearned to hear the vocal layers building on a full-range system. From the 60kg Magico S2 and Riviera Labs 100 WPC hybrid valve mono amplifiers, laced together with AudioQuest Dragon cabling, those voices populated the space like the choir was walking into our room.
Although we had nothing to compare with, the Dragon loom revealed the harmonic richness this system is capable of. It was very different from the directness of the B&W / Primare combo from yesterday – a more cuddly experience – it had great scale but wasn't overwhelming.
We had to play more and chose some live music: UB40's I Love It When You Smile and tracks from Snarky Puppy's Family Dinner session. The Dragons flew us to the gig's front row seats.
Do AudioQuest Noise Stopper Caps Actually Work? Here's What We Heard
There was plenty of time before our flight left Schiphol. After another coffee – black, no sugar – we returned to the music room.
Being a nosy group of nerds, we noticed the back of the Primare amps were studded with those curious Noise Stopper Caps. There were sixteen, covering nearly all the unused sockets. The idea of Noise Stoppers is one of the more diffident solutions for sound enhancement; they plug unused sockets on your gear where noise sneaks in and blurs the sound. Really?
Before prising off all sixteen Stoppers from the back of the Primare system, we played another tune: Blackbird, Beyonce's justice-doing reimagining of the Beatles' classic; Paul himself thinks Bey does a magnificent version.
Beyonce's voice coming in over Paul's original guitar and foot-tap tracks is sweet enough, but when the four harmonies flow angelically into the music, that's where you fall for this song all over again. On the B&W 702 Signature, Primare amplifiers using William Tell speaker cable, the recording's intimacy was sublime.
Out came the Noise Stopper Caps.
The difference was astonishing. The music became overcast and fuzzy – the intimacy was lost. For their low cost, it's reassuring to discover that these little things are very effective.
AudioQuest Fog Lifters: Can Lifting Your Cables Really Improve Sound?
Since AudioQuest had their cables neatly suspended on their Fog Lifters, another opportunity to dispel cynicism arose. Jon chose Somewhere Down the Crazy River, Robbie Robertson's noir tale of prophetic romance, to prove their worth.
Again, the improvement was remarkable. The drum kit's syncopations were very well-defined and punchy with pinpoint transient detail. Vocals were textured and delicate.
Without the Fog Lifters, the recording flattened and lost its spacious quality, although there was a richness possibly caused by the micro vibrations 'cushioning' the sound.
What cable lifting devices do is both decouple cables from micro vibrations from the floor and reduce the magnetic fields generated by the cable itself. They aim to keep the cable unaffected, as if it were not there at all. As these devices go, the AudioQuest solution seems reasonable.
Conclusion: HDMI Cables, Noise Stoppers, and the Quest for Better Sound
Finally hearing and confirming the effect of hi-fi's more obscure solutions was the highlight of today's session. We've had many discussions on HDMI cables making improvements, but the Noise Stoppers and Fog Lifters were a revelation.
It's all in the name. AudioQuest are on a quest. They don't stop at cables; if you browse their website, you'll know their mantra: 'Do No Harm'; it didn't do us any harm listening. Hope you enjoyed visiting our Dutch cousins with us. Dank u wel, AudioQuest.
Hup Holland Hup!
If you are new to AudioQuest and want a structured guide to where to start with their cables, our guide to building a system with AudioQuest covers the full upgrade path from power cables through to digital and HDMI.
Browse the full AudioQuest range at FutureShop, including HDMI cables, Noise Stopper Caps, Fog Lifters, and speaker cables, all available with our 60-day money-back guarantee on cables. Get in touch with our team if you have questions about any AudioQuest product.
