AudioQuest Forest Ethernet Cable (5m Single)

The AudioQuest Forest RJ/E sits at the second tier of AudioQuest's five-level Ethernet cable hierarchy, above the entry-level Pearl and below the Cinnamon, Vodka, and Diamond. Where the Pearl uses unplated Long-Grain Copper (LGC) conductors, the Forest adds a 0.5% silver plating to each solid conductor, improving surface quality at the critical skin-depth layer where high-frequency signals travel. This is AudioQuest's most affordable silver-plated Ethernet cable, bridging the gap between the copper-only Pearl and the 1.25% silver Cinnamon above it.

Conductor Technology

Forest RJ/E uses solid 0.5% Silver-Plated Long-Grain Copper (LGC) conductors rather than the stranded conductors found in generic Ethernet cables. Solid conductors eliminate strand-interaction distortion — the interference caused when individual strands within a conductor make and break contact under signal load — reducing jitter in the data stream. The silver plating provides a higher-conductivity surface layer, which is significant because high-frequency signals naturally concentrate at the outer surface of a conductor (the skin effect).

Noise Dissipation

AudioQuest's Level 1 Noise-Dissipation system addresses radio-frequency interference that can degrade streaming audio and video data. RF noise picked up by cable conductors acts as a secondary signal superimposed on the data, and while Ethernet's error-correction protocols can handle packet-level errors, the additional noise energy still reaches connected equipment. The Noise-Dissipation system works to drain this RF energy before it reaches the receiving device.

Construction & Connectors

Solid High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) insulation maintains critical signal-pair geometry, minimising phase distortion between the twisted pairs. The cable is terminated with gold-plated RJ45 connectors featuring extra-strong tabs for secure, reliable connections. Gold plating resists corrosion and ensures consistent contact resistance over the life of the cable.

Applications

Designed for audio and home-cinema network applications where signal integrity matters, the Forest RJ/E is suitable for connecting network streamers, NAS drives, routers, and switches. It supports bandwidth up to 10Gbps, meeting the requirements of high-resolution audio streaming and 4K video distribution over IP.