Audioquest Cinnamon 48 HDMI Cable

Cinnamon 48 Doubles the Silver and Adds a Shield

AudioQuest's Cinnamon 48 is the third rung of its 48Gbps HDMI cables. Its solid Long-Grain Copper conductors carry a 1.25% silver plating, more than double the layer below it. A metal layer wraps the four data pairs and the eARC pair. It is certified Ultra High Speed by HDMI Licensing.

Solid 1.25% Silver-Plated Long-Grain Copper

AudioQuest says a digital signal rides on the surface of the conductor, so it plates its Long-Grain Copper with increasing thicknesses of silver as the range climbs. Cinnamon's 1.25% layer puts more silver where the signal travels, at what AudioQuest calls a superbly cost-effective price.

Level-2 Noise-Dissipation: A Metal Layer Around the Data Pairs

AudioQuest says 100% shielding can't guard against noise from today's Wi-Fi and cell devices. Cinnamon adds a metal layer around the four data pairs and the eARC pair to enhance noise dissipation. All 19 conductors, including the drains and control lines, are controlled for direction so radio noise drains away from sensitive circuits.

The HDMI Plugs, Explained

Cinnamon 48 ends in a full-size HDMI plug at each end. HDMI is the flat 19-pin plug on every TV, projector, receiver and console. One cable carries picture, sound and the control signals that let the devices talk. Arrows on the plugs show which way to run it.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Part-Time Audiophile's Panagiotis Karavitis tested Cinnamon 48 against its dearer siblings as an I2S audio link in September 2025. He was candid: it showed “a well defined drop down in performance compared to the ThunderBird” and said so plainly.

He still praised the range as a whole. AudioQuest offers more than a dozen HDMI cables, he wrote, “all certified and finished to perfection.” Cinnamon is the honest middle of that ladder.

Watch: AudioQuest Cinnamon 48 in Review

AV Nirvana's bench test of the AudioQuest Cinnamon 48:

AV Nirvana's overview of its AudioQuest HDMI cable review series:

Who Is This HDMI Cable Best For?

• You want a real shield, not just direction control — the metal layer around the data pairs is the first shielding step in AudioQuest's 48 range
• You run a PS5, Xbox Series X or 4K/120 display — the cable is certified for the full 48Gbps those features need
• You listen to multichannel sound through eARC — the eARC pair sits inside the same metal layer as the picture pairs, so the return channel is shielded too
• Your rack is crowded with power supplies and Wi-Fi — the metal layer catches radio noise before it reaches the ground reference, so the receiver sees a cleaner signal
• Your run is longer than 3 meters — AudioQuest builds this passive cable only to 3 meters, and a passive HDMI cable cannot be spliced or extended without loss. Call us about AudioQuest's active optical cables and we will size the run

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug one end into the HDMI output of your player, streamer or console and the other into an HDMI input on your TV, receiver or processor. AudioQuest controls the direction of all 19 conductors, so point the arrows on the plugs toward the TV, or from the source toward the AV receiver. Then choose that input on the display or the receiver.

Then press play. Other and longer lengths available. Call for prices.

Pairs Well With

An HDMI cable is one link in a home theater chain. It usually joins these categories.

• Home Theater Receivers — the hub most HDMI cables plug into
• Digital-to-Analog Converters — for HDMI audio links and I2S over HDMI
• Speaker Cables — the last link after the receiver
• Power Cables — clean power for the display and the receiver

Frequently Asked Questions

Why plate copper with silver?

AudioQuest says increasingly thick layers of silver are applied to its Long-Grain Copper to improve Noise-Dissipation. Placing the superior metal on the outside of the conductor produces the greatest benefit, which it calls a superbly cost-effective way to maximize a digital cable.

Why solid conductors?

AudioQuest uses solid conductors rather than stranded bundles because they defeat both electrical and magnetic strand-to-strand interaction, which it calls major sources of distortion in cables.

Does it support PS5 and Xbox Series X features?

Yes. AudioQuest says its 48Gbps cables support the enhanced gaming features, 4K120, VRR, ALLM and QFT, for optimal performance from Sony PlayStation 5, Microsoft Xbox Series X and gaming PCs. The cable is certified Ultra High Speed by HDMI Licensing.

Will it work with my 4K gear?

Yes. AudioQuest says all its HDMI cables are completely backwards compatible with existing 4K devices, and that the improved materials and design of its 48 cables significantly benefit the overall performance of a 4K system too.

What warranty does AudioQuest give?

A limited lifetime warranty to the original owner, for cables bought from an authorized US dealer such as Audio Advisor. AudioQuest will repair or replace a defective cable that has not been abused. Keep your proof of purchase.

Is there a step up?

AudioQuest Carbon 48 is the next rung. It moves to 5% silver plating and slips a high-loss carbon layer between metal layers around the data pairs, AudioQuest's Level-3 Noise-Dissipation.

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