AudioQuest Vodka Ethernet Cable (RJ/E)

The AudioQuest Vodka is a Cat 7 network cable for audio with solid conductors, 10% silver plating, carbon-based noise dissipation, and Telegärtner connectors.

With the Vodka, the RJ/E series changes register. Up to the Cinnamon it's about clean craftsmanship; from here on it's about components you'd otherwise find in industrial and measurement technology – above all the connectors from Telegärtner.

Why the Vodka?

Three things set it apart from the mid-range. The silver plating is 10% of the conductor diameter instead of 1.25% – that factor of eight sits exactly in the zone where Ethernet signals travel. Add to that a noise-dissipation system made of several layers of synthetic carbon, which absorbs high-frequency interference before it reaches ground. And the Telegärtner connectors, with 100% shielding coverage and strain relief, ensure the shielding doesn't stop right where the cable enters the device. The Vodka does not have a DBS like the Diamond.

What you get

A ready-made RJ45 cable to Cat 7 specification with a blue-black braided jacket, in six lengths from 0.75 to 12 metres, direction of travel marked. The connectors come with protective caps, a nice thoughtful touch for cables in this class.

Who is the Vodka for – and who isn't it for?

Let's stay factual, especially at this price: a network cable doesn't change the transmitted data. Ethernet secures every packet with a checksum, faulty packets are resent – the file at the streamer is the same as on the NAS. What can be influenced is the electrical environment: high-frequency noise from switching power supplies, switches, and routers travelling towards the device via shield, ground, and connector contact. That's exactly what the shielding coverage, carbon dissipation, and Telegärtner contacts are built for. Promising measured values would be disingenuous – the result depends on your streamer, your network, and your power circuit. On an entry-level streamer, the Vodka is money thrown away. On a high-quality digital chain where everything else is already right, it's the logical tier just below the reference.

Our verdict

The Vodka is high-end Ethernet with grown-up connectors and no esoterica on the datasheet. Whether your chain is ready for it, we'll tell you straight – even if the answer is "not yet". HD Zürisee in Wädenswil, 044 680 22 00, WhatsApp 076 534 22 00 (text only, no calls) or shop@hdzuerisee.ch.

Technical data

• Type: Network cable for audio (RJ/E), Cat 7
• Conductor: solid, silver-plated copper
• Silver plating: 10% of the conductor diameter
• Insulation: solid, high-density polyethylene
• Noise dissipation: Carbon-based Noise-Dissipation System (multi-layer)
• Connector: Telegärtner RJ45, 100% shielding coverage, strain relief
• DBS: not present (only from the Diamond up)
• Transmission: up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet
• Directionality: directional, arrow points towards the receiver
• Jacket: braided, blue-black
• Lengths: 0.75 / 1.5 / 3 / 5 / 8 / 12 m
• Included: one ready-made network cable with connector protective caps

Frequently asked questions

What's special about Telegärtner connectors?

Telegärtner is a German manufacturer of professional connectors. The RJ45 connectors used here offer 100% shielding coverage, a defined contact geometry, and genuine strain relief. That means the shielding doesn't end at the connector housing, which is the typical weak point with simple connectors. If you plug and unplug frequently, you'll notice the difference immediately.

What is the carbon noise dissipation good for?

It absorbs high-frequency interference energy instead of simply passing it on to ground. Several layers of synthetic carbon act like a filter wrapped around the wire pairs. The goal is that less high-frequency energy reaches the streamer's ground plane at all and mixes there with the audio signal.

Does the Vodka have a DBS like the Diamond?

No. The 72-volt Dielectric-Bias System is reserved for the Diamond; the Vodka manages without it. So you don't have to keep an eye on a battery here – but you also miss out on the permanent bias of the dielectric. Anyone who wants that inevitably ends up a tier higher.

Why buy the Vodka from HD Zürisee?

Because with cables in this class, we first ask what's on the other end. Our specialist team in Wädenswil will assess whether your streamer and your network can even carry it, and otherwise suggest the more suitable tier. Advice, delivery, and installation come from a single source.

Goes well with

What belongs in this class: high-quality network players among the streamers, further LAN runs under network cables, switches and accessories in the network section. You'll find the rest of the series in the AudioQuest collection.