AudioQuest Carbon 48 HDMI Cable

The AudioQuest Carbon 48 is a passive 48 Gbit/s HDMI cable with 5% silver plating and Noise-Dissipation Level 3, where a lossy carbon layer sits between two metal layers. It marks the entry into the upper half of the 48 series.

Why the Carbon 48?

The name doesn't come from motorsport, but from physics. Around the four FRL pairs and the eARC channel sits a carbon layer, embedded between two metal layers. The metal reflects interference, the carbon layer converts it into minimal heat instead of letting it bounce back and forth inside the cable. On top of that comes the increased 5% silver plating of the Long-Grain Copper conductors. This is the stage at which AudioQuest moves from shielding against interference to destroying it.

What you get

A terminated HDMI cable from 0.6 to 3 metres. Full 48 Gbit/s, picture up to 10K, 8K/60 and 4K/120, HDR including Dolby Vision – and an eARC return channel that works with the same conductors and the same Level 3 treatment as the picture transmission.

Who is the Carbon 48 suitable for – and who isn't it for?

For home cinemas where a projector or top-tier TV, an AV preamp, and multiple sources come together – exactly where there's the most electromagnetic activity. To be blunt: on a TV with a streaming app and soundbar, Level 3 dissipation is effort without an audience. There, the Cinnamon 48 does the job, and nobody will look at you sideways for it.

Our verdict

The Carbon 48 is the stage at which interference dissipation becomes more important than the next tenth of a percent of silver – a sensible turning point within the range. Whether your setup needs it, we'll tell you straight: HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, 044 680 22 00, WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls), or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Technical data

• Type: passive HDMI cable per HDMI 2.1, Type A connector (19-pin)
• Bandwidth: 48 Gbit/s over 4 FRL pairs at 12 Gbit/s each
• Conductors: Long-Grain Copper with 5% silver plating
• Noise dissipation: Noise-Dissipation Level 3, carbon layer between two metal layers around the FRL and eARC pairs
• Directionality: all 19 conductors direction-controlled
• Resolution: up to 10K, 8K/60 and 4K/120, HDR and Dolby Vision
• Audio return channel: eARC in Level 3 execution
• Lengths: 0.6 / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3 m

Frequently asked questions

What's the carbon layer in the Carbon 48 good for?

It converts picked-up high-frequency interference into a tiny amount of heat instead of reflecting it. Embedded between two metal layers, it acts as a trap for exactly the interference energy that would otherwise show up as jitter or as a handshake problem when switching sources.

Why does the Carbon 48 stop at 3 metres?

AudioQuest only offers the upper stages of the 48 series up to 3 metres. If you need greater distance at a high level, you either switch to the Cinnamon 48 at 5 metres or straight to an active or active-optical cable. We'll tell you where the limit lies in your case.

Does the Carbon 48 bring more sound with eARC?

Not more sound, but a more stable one. The eARC channel on the Carbon 48 is just as silver-plated and shielded as the picture pairs. That reduces dropouts and switching problems, which occur more often on eARC connections than on pure picture runs.

Is the step up from the Cinnamon 48 worthwhile?

Hardly in electrically quiet environments, but certainly in full racks and over long runs. The difference lies less in picture quality than in error headroom: less sparkle, fewer handshake glitches, more calm in operation.

Why buy the Carbon 48 at HD Zürisee?

Because we also tell you when a stage below is enough – that happens more often than the price list would like. Our experienced specialist team in Wädenswil plans the cabling with you from the device to the connector, by phone or on site.

Goes well with

To go with it: the remaining stages under HDMI cables, the electronics in the Home cinema section, and angled adapters for tight installations at the Connectors.