Are Honk Kong Cables Legit? Look

[dekuda]

Okay, I went ahead and purchased a pair of Audio Quest King Cobra interconnects on Ebay.(1M, $78) I had my doubts but I went ahead and took a chance because seller had great feedback Now I have them. They look legit. Have aq and king cobra on the connectors,arrows ect......nanners are silver.Can anyone help me and see if these are the real deal? Has anyone purchased cables from Hong Kong sellers? I know that very good copies can be made and have seen others here have the same question.. Have some pictures but not the best quality

[fbm211]

They look ok but then again so did the pair of NEW sky ICs I saw go for 350.00.Which just happen to sell for around 900.00 on audiogon used.
How do they sound?

[leroyjr1]

Bought some type 4's from that seller and they sounded like the type 4's I purchased local from an authorized dealer.

[schwarcw]

There are tons of fake Audioquest cables coming from China. But, original Audioquest cables are already made in China. They could have been made in the same shop. Audioquest has a bulletin on several products. I've attached a link to one ofr your reading. The counterfeit cables may be as good! Audioquest is charging a premium for their brand name, product development, advertising, etc. The Counterfeiters don't have these expenses and may be getting their product from the same suppliers or copied to be nearly the same. You may or may not hear the difference.


Look Here (http://www.avalon.co.nz/assets/sm/1330/80/CounterfeitingIssue0308_v1r23.pdf)

[leroyjr1]

There are tons of fake Audioquest cables coming from China. But, original Audioquest cables are already made in China. They could have been made in the same shop. Audioquest has a bulletin on several products. I've attached a link to one ofr your reading. The counterfeit cables may be as good! Audioquest is charging a premium for their brand name, product development, advertising, etc. The Counterfeiters don't have these expenses and may be getting their product from the same suppliers or copied to be nearly the same. You may or may not hear the difference.


Look Here (http://www.avalon.co.nz/assets/sm/1330/80/CounterfeitingIssue0308_v1r23.pdf)

Interesting. I might try taking mine apart to see what's inside.

[Jetmaker737]

Interesting. I might try taking mine apart to see what's inside.

It'd be interesting to see the results. I've stayed away from the ebay Chinese AQ cables assuming they're knockoffs.

[dekuda]

There are tons of fake Audioquest cables coming from China. But, original Audioquest cables are already made in China. They could have been made in the same shop. Audioquest has a bulletin on several products. I've attached a link to one ofr your reading. The counterfeit cables may be as good! Audioquest is charging a premium for their brand name, product development, advertising, etc. The Counterfeiters don't have these expenses and may be getting their product from the same suppliers or copied to be nearly the same. You may or may not hear the difference.


Look Here (http://www.avalon.co.nz/assets/sm/1330/80/CounterfeitingIssue0308_v1r23.pdf)

That is what I figured since they are made over there I would give it a shot. I just received them yesterday and I will install them and let you guys know.They will be replacing Monster M1000i cables.May take them apart and check before I do. The think is that this seller had a ton of feedback and they were all great.If they are not legit,well then I will chalk it up to a $78.00 mistake:o

[sang4201]

Just because they are not real, doesn't always mean they aren't good!

[Erik Tracy]

I collect swords, when this hobby doesn't drain my expendable income, and like cables, there are ALOT of fake antique Japanese swords that are being made in China...ALOT.

Unless you know what to look for, the uninformed can be taken for alot of money.

The scary part is, the fakers read these forums, read the sharing of information on how to spot fakes and then they take this info and improve their fakes, making it that much harder the next time around to identify fakes.

Arm yourself w/ info and don't buy something that is being passed of as the original.

[DarqueKnight]

In October of 2009 I bought eleven 2 meter Statement SC cords from an eBay seller (Rich Ton Audio) in Hong Kong. See figure 5 in this thread (http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89849). My purchase was made after the Statement SC's had been discontinued. US dealers were offering substantial discounts to move out old stock, but nowhere near the level of discounts on eBay. Retail price was $659 for a 2 meter cable. US dealers were offering 25-40% off retail. The Hong Kong cables were offered at 56% off retail with free shipping, plus the seller was taking offers. I offered $125 per cable (81% off retail) and my offer was accepted.

I knew the Statement SC's were made in China, so I assumed these eBay Statements were leftover factory stock...or fakes. The seller had a positive feedback history going back to 2005 and they offered a money back return policy, so if I got them and they weren't as advertised, all I would be out was time and return shipping. I also had a Statement SC cable which was purchased directly from PS Audio that I could compare to the Hong Kong cables. The seller's eBay ad mentioned that the cables came without the manufacturer's box and packaging. When I emailed the seller and asked why the manufacturer's packaging was not included, he said the cables came that way from the distributor. Plus, he said it was much cheaper to ship the cables without the added volume of the manufacturer's packaging. This seller shipped at no extra charge.

Prior to buying off eBay, I sent an email to PS Audio's customer service and sales departments asking about all the Statement SC's that were popping up on eBay. My email included a link to the eBay ad I was considering. PS Audio did not reply.

When I physically compared the Hong Kong Statements to a 2 meter Statement that I had purchased directly from PS Audio, the Hong Kong cables looked, felt, smelled, and weighed the same. Also, the noise signature of the Hong Kong Statements (as measured by an oscilloscope) was the same as my domestically purchased cables. The Hong Kong Statements also had the pre-break in and post-break in sonic signature of the domestically purchased Statements that I described here:

PS Audio Statement SC Review (http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70869)

If I had not already owned a Statement SC, and if I had not already had listening and quantitative performance data for it, I would not have taken a chance on the Hong Kong cables.

Ryan Conway, PS Audio's Vice President of Custom Integration posted this comment on the PS Audio forum on 3-13-10:

"While it is difficult to make a definitive statement on the authenticity of all cables being sold from one location or another, we have found every cable that we have purchased from Ebay sellers located in Asian countries to be significantly inferior to authentic PS manufactured cables. The cables look and feel identical to PS cables, but the interior lacks all of our technology and high quality materials.

Since these cables are not authentic PS cables we cannot ensure the quality or more importantly the safety of the cables. Poor workmanship in the cables may cause inferior performance, shorts, or even fire.

PS Audio does not authorize any dealers to sell through Ebay. Period! Cables purchased through Ebay (or other auction sites) should be approached with great caution.

The only way to ensure you are buying authentic PS Audio products is to work directly with an authorized dealer. If you have any question as to the legitimacy of any dealer please call us at 866-406-8946."

[dekuda]

I collect swords, when this hobby doesn't drain my expendable income, and like cables, there are ALOT of fake antique Japanese swords that are being made in China...ALOT.

Unless you know what to look for, the uninformed can be taken for alot of money.

The scary part is, the fakers read these forums, read the sharing of information on how to spot fakes and then they take this info and improve their fakes, making it that much harder the next time around to identify fakes.

Arm yourself w/ info and don't buy something that is being passed of as the original.

Are you saying that we should not look into this or post because the fakers will improve their fakes when reading this forum? There have been many here including myself that have questioned the authenticity of these cables from China. How are we suppose to arm ourself with info if we do not share our knowledge and experiences?:confused: You are assuming these are not original?

[Erik Tracy]

Are you saying that we should not look into this or post because the fakers will improve their fakes when reading this forum? There have been many here including myself that have questioned the authenticity of these cables from China. How are we suppose to arm ourself with info if we do not share our knowledge and experiences?:confused: You are assuming these are not original?

No...what I said and am saying is that as the consumer becomes more aware of how to identify fakes, the fakers learn how to fake better.

I'm not saying we as consumers don't share information - just that like 'war', it is about escalation - the fakers become more and more sophisticated - so you as the consumer need to be one step ahead.

[dekuda]

No...what I said and am saying is that as the consumer becomes more aware of how to identify fakes, the fakers learn how to fake better.

I'm not saying we as consumers don't share information - just that like 'war', it is about escalation - the fakers become more and more sophisticated - so you as the consumer need to be one step ahead.

So do you think it was wrong for AQ management to post how to report fakes in their HDMI cables knowing that the fakers could use that info?
BTW,the seller never stated that they were "original" just that they were brand new AudioQuest King Cobra"s. Link below
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140386170569&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

[Erik Tracy]

So do you think it was wrong for AQ management to post how to report fakes in their HDMI cables knowing that the fakers could use that info?
BTW,the seller never stated that they were "original" just that they were brand new AudioQuest King Cobra"s. Link below
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140386170569&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Again...no. Do you think it was wrong?

Umm...and what exactly are you trying to say when your seller said that their weren't "original" but still AQ King Cobras?

Are you saying it is ok to sell something under someone else's Brand Name (AudioQuest) and as long as you don't say they are 'original' that a fake is ok?

[kevhed72]

I always assumed a lot of these AQ cables from HK could easy have "fallen off the back of a truck" and the sellers were just trying to move them ASAP.

[dekuda]

Again...no. Do you think it was wrong?

Umm...and what exactly are you trying to say when your seller said that their weren't "original" but still AQ King Cobras?

Are you saying it is ok to sell something under someone else's Brand Name (AudioQuest) and as long as you don't say they are 'original' that a fake is ok?

No, not at all. Just trying to get other's experiences. I was just reponding to your quote "Arm yourself w/ info and don't buy something that is being passed of as the original"
I believe sellers who are selling fakes are very careful in their descriptions.The word original may be a word they don't use. I don't know.
Hopefully that is what this forum is about.....gathering information and that is all I am trying to do here and see what other's experiences have been. And hopefully by bringing this to light we may be able to get more info. Then again maybe not.

[acmf74]

I didn't realize how many of these cables are on eBay..WOW

[tbui2007]

Very interesting post. i've been very curious about these. i would take a chance since the price only cost 1/4 of the reatailers in us.

[headrott]

I just don't buy (basically) anything made in China.

Greg

[acmf74]

if someone has a vendor they can recommend on eBay and are happy with the cables I'm very interested. Thanks!

[fbm211]

Go to audiogon and buy used.Resell for same price if unhappy and try something else.

[tbui2007]

I just don't buy (basically) anything made in China.

Greg

lol I'll buy anything from China !

[Keiko]

Reported mouse_ccv

[acmf74]

.......edit post

[Willow]

I just don't buy (basically) anything made in China.

Greg

You must not be buying much then! Everything I look at not just audio is practically made in China. I sometimes wonder if I was made there too? ;)

[Willow]

Okay, I went ahead and purchased a pair of Audio Quest King Cobra interconnects on Ebay.(1M, $78) I had my doubts but I went ahead and took a chance because seller had great feedback Now I have them. They look legit. Have aq and king cobra on the connectors,arrows ect......nanners are silver.Can anyone help me and see if these are the real deal? Has anyone purchased cables from Hong Kong sellers? I know that very good copies can be made and have seen others here have the same question.. Have some pictures but not the best quality

Did you get a box with them? if you did pull up the AQ website and check it compared to what is writen on the box. I was going to buy a AQ cable from China and then I inspected the picture of the box, it was missing a word in the description. The real AQ would not do this.

[dekuda]

For those of you who have pm me regarding how these cables sounded I wanted to reply. First let me say that I had a few years ago AR interconnects and Monster MK300 and this AQ cable definately sounds better than those. Earlier this year I installed a set of Monster M1000i and I noticed much more output from my RTi12's. They definately matched my CSI5 center better and all around sound from high's,and mids came out louder and clearer.( I have my bass crossing over to my subs at 60HZ so not as much notice there) Wow, I thought what could a better set of ic's would do? So, I purchased these King Cobras and the sound from my RTi12's comes out nice and clear being powered my Carver TFM35x amp. Are they better than the M1000i ? Not sure yet. Still testing.The M1000i is one of Monster's top ic but with all the bad talk about Monster products I wanted to try a reputable manufacturer like AQ. So yes, these are good cables but since I do not have a original set of these from a dealer I do not have a comparison. Did I expect for these to blow the M1000i out of the water? Maybe. But I am happy with this purchase and the testing will continue.:D


-----------------------
Yamaha RX-V2600 AVR
Carver TFM35X
Sony NC685V DVD/CD/SACD
Pioneer BD320 BD Player
Samsung 52” LCD
Mains Polk RTi12’s
Center Polk CSi5
Rears Infinity Alpha 25ES
Subs Mirage Omni S 10’s (2)

[tbui2007]

Did you get a box with them? if you did pull up the AQ website and check it compared to what is writen on the box. I was going to buy a AQ cable from China and then I inspected the picture of the box, it was missing a word in the description. The real AQ would not do this.

There is no box when you buy them from HK.

[dekuda]

There is no box when you buy them from HK.

You are correct,there is no box so buyer beware! Let me say that I purchase my monster M1000i ic's from China and I had a original pair purchased from Amazon in the box and both the ones from China and the ones from Amazon were identical and sounded identical and made a vast improvement in my system.Like I said I have no comparison for these King Cobra's.

[dekuda]

Go to audiogon and buy used.Resell for same price if unhappy and try something else.

I wonder if some of the cables on audiogon were purchased from China and now are being resold.
As far as them coming in a box. Yes, I would have prefered that they would come in the manufacturers retail box. But as mentioned in another post,the seller is picking up the shipping cost and they are probably trying to cut down on the size of the package to ship.