The AudioQuest Pearl 48 is the entry point to AudioQuest’s 48Gbps HDMI cable range, sitting below the Forest 48, Cinnamon 48, Carbon 48, Vodka 48, ThunderBird, and FireBird in the lineup. Certified Ultra High Speed by HDMI Licensing, the Pearl 48 delivers the full 48Gbps bandwidth required by the HDMI 2.1 specification, supporting 4K at 120Hz, 8K at 60Hz, and professional 10K video formats.
Construction
The Pearl 48 uses solid Long-Grain Copper (LGC) conductors throughout. Solid conductors eliminate the strand-to-strand interaction that occurs in stranded designs, where individual strands make and break contact with each other, creating a source of both electrical and magnetic distortion. Long-Grain Copper reduces the number of grain boundaries within the conductor, lowering the energy storage and release that causes smearing of transient detail.
Noise Dissipation
The Pearl 48 applies AudioQuest’s Level 1 noise dissipation system across all 19 conductors. The directionality of each conductor is controlled during manufacture, ensuring that the cable is installed in the direction of lowest noise. This is a straightforward measure that has a meaningful effect on the noise floor of the signal path.
Compatibility
The Pearl 48 is compatible with all HDMI 2.1 source and display equipment. It supports 4K at 120Hz and 8K at 60Hz for gaming and broadcast use, Dynamic HDR including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, eARC for lossless audio return, and gaming features including VRR, ALLM, and QFT. The 1.5m length suits most typical rack-to-display and component-to-display runs.
