AudioQuest Pearl 18 HDMI Cable

Pearl 18 Carries 18Gbps Across the Whole Room

AudioQuest's Pearl 18 is an active HDMI cable built for long runs. AudioQuest says it provides outstanding audio and video performance at distances up to 50 feet, or 15 meters. Solid Long-Grain Copper conductors carry the signal. Active Frequency Equalization keeps the full 18Gbps alive over the distance.

Active Frequency Equalization to 15 Meters

A passive HDMI cable loses its highest frequencies as it gets longer, and the picture drops out. AudioQuest builds equalization into the cable. It says Active Frequency Equalization enables 18Gbps performance for lengths up to 50 feet with no power adapter, so the far wall or the ceiling projector is reachable.

Solid Long-Grain Copper and Foamed Polyethylene

Solid Long-Grain Copper conductors carry the signal. AudioQuest says solid conductors defeat the strand-to-strand interaction that distorts a signal in stranded cable. Air-filled foamed-polyethylene insulation surrounds them, which AudioQuest uses for maximum signal strength over the run.

AudioQuest says 100% shielding can't guard against noise from today's Wi-Fi and cell devices. All 19 conductors, the picture pairs, the eARC pair, the drains and the control lines, are controlled for direction so radio noise drains away from sensitive circuits, its Level-1 Noise-Dissipation.

The HDMI Plugs, Explained

Pearl 18 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. Because the cable is active, follow the arrows from source to display. Arrows on the plugs show which way to run it.

Watch: AudioQuest Pearl 18 in Review

AV Nirvana's bench test of the AudioQuest Pearl 18:

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

Who Is This HDMI Cable Best For?

• You need a long run at AudioQuest's lowest active price — Pearl 18 is the first rung of the active copper line, so the far wall costs less than you feared
• You have a ceiling projector or a TV on the far wall — the equalizer holds 18Gbps out to 15 meters, so the picture stays locked across the room
• You watch movies and TV in 4K HDR — AudioQuest guarantees the 18Gbps those formats need at 24 and 30 frames
• You want to route sound back from the display — the HDMI Ethernet channel and the return channel ride along, so one cable does the whole job
• You want 4K at 120 frames or 8K at 60 — an 18Gbps cable stops at 8K/30 and 4K/60, so a current console or flagship display will not reach its top modes. Choose AudioQuest Cherry Cola 48 instead

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Plug one end into the HDMI output of your receiver or player and the other into the TV or projector at the far end of the room. Follow the arrows on the plugs, from the source toward the display. No power adapter is needed. Then choose that input.

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 is this cable active?

Past about five meters a passive HDMI cable starts to lose the highest frequencies. AudioQuest builds in Active Frequency Equalization, which it says enables 18Gbps performance for lengths up to 50 feet, or 15 meters, with no power adapter.

Is 18Gbps enough?

For movies and TV, yes. AudioQuest says 18Gbps carries video up to 8K/30, HDR and eARC, and that 24 and 30 frames per second are the frame rates for almost all movies and many TV shows. Only 4K/120 and 8K/60 gaming need 48Gbps.

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.

Which way does the cable go?

AudioQuest controls the direction of all 19 conductors. It says to use the cable with the arrows on the plugs pointing toward the TV, or from the source toward the AV receiver. The cable works either way, but the noise control works best as marked.

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 Forest 18 is the next rung. It adds a 0.5% silver plating to the solid Long-Grain Copper conductors and to the eARC pair, and keeps the same equalizer.

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