⌈ AUTHENTIC AUDIO IMAGE (AAI) is a company specializing in the production of connection and power audio cables. Based in Slovakia (Považská Bystrica), AAI states that it was “founded with the aim of applying unique material modification techniques to audio equipment, particularly cables, in order to minimize time delays and improve sound quality.” The company has developed interference suppression technology (IST) to alter the properties of materials, especially electromagnetic and resonant properties, to achieve audible improvements in sound quality. ⌋

ALTHOUGH IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE, just a dozen or so years ago, cables were a “touchy subject”. That is, many audiophiles were not convinced, a significant number of manufacturers saw no need to change their established solutions, and almost everyone involved in the professional industry, i.e., sound engineers, rejected the possibility that cables could affect sound. It's hard to admit, but I was part of this problem myself. Until I started listening and comparing various cables myself.

The problem, it seems, was that there were many unknowns for which no measurement techniques had yet been developed, nor had a coherent theory been established. And yet, a quiet revolution in this field had been going on for years. As Dick Olsher writes in his article A Short History of High-End Cables, it all started with a challenge posed to the industry by J. Gordon Holt (1930-2009), founder and long-time editor-in-chief of Stereophile magazine. He introduced the category of “listening” to sound studies, i.e. research through observation.

Harry Olson (1901-1982), for many years dean of American acoustic engineering, summed it up this way: “The ear is the final arbiter in all musical matters”; more → HERE). But it's not just about the ear – it’s the technology that is the absolute foundation. So it's not about depreciating it. What Holt and other luminaries of the audio world have changed is a new approach to testing and a change in understanding what is and what is not possible. Technology would therefore be the foundation, but the arbiter would be listening, which would verify it and steer it in new directions.

▌ Estremo

IT SEEMS THAT THIS WAS THE starting point for Authentic Audio Image. As we read in the company's materials, “behind the AAI brand are enthusiasts of music, art, and modern audio technologies, whose goal is to bring true live sound directly to your home.” And further:

Musical art is an essential part of our lives, we live music not only as listeners, but also as active musicians, players of acoustic musical instruments. Based on years of research and experimentation, we have developed a unique technology that brings to a close a period of exploration of new possibilities in the quest to improve not only the reproduction but also the recording of sound.

⸜ Muzikálnosť (Musicality), → AAI.sk, accessed: 8.07.2025.

The company also emphasizes that technology is “a tool, not an end in itself” and that “the true benchmark for sound quality is live music — without amplifiers or microphones” (emphasis ed.). It declares that it works with musicians and sound engineers “to create equipment that delights both audiophiles and professionals.” Its product range includes signal cables, digital and analog cables, as well as AC power cables. They also offer anti-vibration feet for devices and speakers.

The products of this company, including the tested Estremo AC power cable, the most expensive cable of this type in its lineup, look very professional and solid. At the same time, they are not particularly distinctive. It is clear that these products are the result of a machine-based process rather than manual work. The outer jacket is made of a uniform material known from cables by Furutech, Oyaide, and many other manufacturers. The manufacturer claims that “every AAI product is carefully handcrafted with the highest precision and selection of materials,” but this refers more to the packaging than to the production of the cable itself.

However, the plugs they use are noteworthy. At first glance, they resemble designs by Furutech and Taiwanese manufacturers, i.e., with a metal body and carbon fiber braiding, a main body made of some kind of plastic, and rhodium-plated contacts. However, the large nuts securing the body to the cable and its slightly different shape suggest that this is a custom-made product. This may also be indicated by the company logo on the plug, although this is not necessarily the case.

I couldn't find any specific information about the dielectrics or the conductor used, not to mention the topology. The only available data is: high-purity copper conductors, silver-plated, and shielding resistant to external interference. On the outside, there is also a metal sleeve with the company logo, which can be moved along the entire length of the cable.

But, as I said, the company has developed its own proprietary technical solutions, led by IST — Interference Suppression Technology. According to the manufacturer, it “precisely controls electromagnetic resonance and interference in materials, conductors, shielding, and connectors.” As a result, “we eliminate unwanted resonances, minimize electromagnetic interference, and achieve clear, detailed, and natural sound.” All cable components, including connectors, undergo this treatment.

Below you will find a description of how this technology works, prepared by the manufacturer. It is interesting, but it resembles the approach taken by Siltech, and among Polish manufacturers – Verictum and Thunder Melody. A cool example of its application in the form of anti-vibration pads used under a piano can be found in an article in Audiodrom magazine → HERE.

APART FROM CITED INFORMATION ON THE IST, we don't get too many details about the tested cable. However, it is important to note that the cable – I repeat – looks professional, as do the plugs. It is not particularly flexible, but did not cause me any problems during testing. It has a diameter of ø 17 mm and is light blue in color. The standard lengths available are: 1.5 ⸜ 2 ⸜ 2.5 and 3 m. It comes in a small, soft case manufactured locally in Slovakia.

▌ SOUND

HOW WE LISTENED • During the listening session, the Authentic Audio Image Estremo power cable was connected to the Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition (№ 1/50) player and compared to my reference AC power cable, Siltech Triple Crown. The test consisted of an AAA/BBB/AA comparison, with known A and B, using short, two-minute samples from a given album. The intervals were approximately 40 seconds long.

Both cables were plugged into the Acoustic Revive RPT-4EU Absolute AC power strip, which in turn was powered by a 2.5-meter Acrolink Mexcel 7N-PC9500 AC cable. The Acrolink was connected to a Furutech NCF wall socket, which is fed by a separate power line with its own HPA fuse. This line is made of a 6-meter section of Oyaide Tunami Nigo cable.

» PŁYTY UŻYTE W TEŚCIE ⸜ wybór

⸜ SETH MacFARLANE, Lush Life. The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, Verve Records | Republic Records 602478075445, CD ⸜ 2025 .
⸜ MILES DAVI, 'Round About Midnight, Columbia Records/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDSACD 2083, „Original Master Recording”, „Ultradisc UHR”, SACD/CD ⸜ 1957/2012.
⸜ The TBM Sounds!, Lasting Impression Music LIM UHD 048LE, „Limited Edition”, Compact Disc ⸜ 2010.
⸜ ENYA, 6 Tracks, WEA Records/Warner-Pioneer Corporation 20P2-2725, CD ⸜ 1989.
⸜ Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Sound Track), RSO/Capitol Records | Universal Music Japan UICY-78822, „40th Anniversary Edition”, SHM-CD + Blu-ray ⸜ 1977/2018.
⸜ DEPECHE MODE, World In My Eyes / Happiest Girl / Sea Of Sin , Mute CD Bong 20, SP, CD ⸜ 1990.
⸜ TANGERINE DREAM, Phaedra, Virgin/EMI Music Japan VJCP-68867, CD ⸜ 1974/2004.
⸜ TALK TALK, Asides Besides, EMI/Parlophone 7243 8 54807 2 0, 2 x CD ⸜ 1998/?.

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THE SOUND OF THE POWER CABLE from Slovakia is based strongly in the lower midrange. It is not “warm” in the literal sense of the word, that is not the point. Emphasizing the energy of this range does not cause the treble to fade, but rather promotes the foreground. This is a cable that produces a close sound, an intimate sound, one might even say. That is why SAM MacFARLANE's voice on the album Lush Life. The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, was closer to me, more tangible and “touchable” than with cables in this price range, and even than with the reference cable.

Also the deeper layers of the soundstage seemed closer to me, because the orchestra accompanying the band leader, in ˻ 2 ˺ I Never Felt This Way Before, strongly pushed forward by the sound engineer, was slightly boosted, making it even clearer to us. It was great, it was very cool.

Because it was done without aggression and without drawing unnecessary contours where there are only rounded, strong shapes. Although there is no question of warming, it is nevertheless a relaxing sound.

The treble is not withdrawn, because the rhythmic playing of the drummer on the hi-hat, slightly in the left channel, in the opening track ˻ 1 ˺ Give Me The Simple Life, was clear, distinct, without any blurring of the attack. The same was true of MILES DAVIS' trumpet opening the album 'Round About Midnight. Although it is a ballad, the intensity of the trumpeter's playing is almost palpable. After all, it comes in unexpectedly, arrhythmic, in the middle of the first bar, as if he couldn't wait for his turn. This is probably due to the editing of the material, cutting this part out of a larger whole, but it was a deliberate choice by the musician, not an accident.

The Estremo cable is also highly resolving. Focusing the sound on the midrange, mainly through the stronger energy of this range rather than by manipulating the tone, does not lock the sound into a “golden cage.” The cymbals on Davis' album were slightly withdrawn, but that's just the nature of the recording. Coltrane's saxophone was also not aggressive, but rather filled the space with soft playing and patches of sound rather than piercing it with sharp entries. At the same time, it was clear in terms of both tone and stereophony. The way the trumpet played was also very easy to recognize, filling the sound rather than dulling it.

AUTHENTIC AUDIO IMAGE ESTREMO is a very interesting cable, really worth attention. It offers an engaging sound, where everything is organized and has its place. There is no room for improvisation here, if I may say so. The cable tries to disappear behind the music, even though it shapes it, as I mentioned earlier. The combination of deep sound and high resolution allows the tracks to develop at their own pace.

The dynamics is high, but it doesn't draw attention to itself – it's more about microdynamics than creating a fast and agile presentation. The sound stays well-organized, and I would add that it's very clear. Even with such boosted recordings as ˻ 6 ˺ Misty performed by AYAKO HOKASAWA, with warm double bass, smooth piano and guitar drowned in reverb, the whole was presented in a clear manner. Yes, it was dense and low. But it was also precise, powerful, and sometimes, for example when the piano strikes a few high notes in the 4:48, even aggressive. However, this “aggression” came from the natural sound, not from artifacts.

While listening to the The TBM Sounds! album, I noticed that the Slovak cable perfectly fills in the bass, but does not boost it. It does not go as low as with Siltech, nor is it as full. But I noticed this not because I felt something was missing, but because – and this is important – I had to focus on it in order to notice it at all. It's as if the sound as a whole is so internally tuned, so harmonious with itself at every level, that it feels absolutely complete, even compared to a much more expensive reference.

When the ENYA’S ˻ 2 ˺ Evening Falls track starts, and I play it from a promotional CD intended for the Japanese market, a low, not entirely structured bass enters, more of a blur than a distinct sound. The tested cable showed the scale and fullness of this song, perfectly capturing the warmth and delicacy of the former Clannad lead singer's voice, but it didn't go as low as the Siltech – and no cable I've ever tested extended that low. And yet, the song as a whole had exactly the same vibe, the same charm.

That is why the beat given at the beginning of the ˻ 3 ˺ Happiest Girl «kiss-a-mix» track, included on the single World In My Eyes by DEPECHE MODE, had a nice pulse, was full and dense. With this album, it was also clear that the power cable being tested did not seek to give the songs “momentum.” It doesn't push with the attack, it doesn't pull forward. Rather, it savors – or rather, allows us to savor – the “here and now”. It slightly stretches the sounds, making everything perfectly filled and coherent.

A side effect of such approach is that we can listen to music really loudly without reaching the point where our ears start to bleed. But on the other hand, we don't always get the same punch, the same bite and drive that other cables offer, be it Gigawatt, The Chord Company or Siltech. It's simply a relaxing sound with high volume and excellent tonal richness. And with very nice stereo imaging. I didn't mention this, but even though the foreground is close to us, the sound doesn't collapse into a blur in front of us, but extends widely and quite deeply into the back of the stage.

▌ Summary

ALL OF THIS RESULTS IN A SOUND that draws you in. The tones, the layers, the structure – everything about Estremo is beautiful, balanced, well thought out. The range is well-extended, and only the very best power cables can offer anything more. The dynamics on a macro scale is slightly subdued, but on a micro scale it is excellent. So we listen more closely to the details, such as the percussion elements in the right channel in the second minute of Talk Talk (Extended Version) or the piano entering at 2:44, rather than paying attention to the smoothness of the attack.

And the latter is smooth, which gives an extremely pleasant, well-balanced sound that works well with any repertoire. And finally, we return to jazz recordings and chamber classical music with Tangerine Dream-style electronics. This is where the advantages of the Authentic Audio Image cable come to the fore, and the modifications it introduces to the sound will not interfere. We would even say: “Finally!” With fast rock music, there may be too much of this “pleasure,” but in every other case, the Slovakian cable will bring long hours of incredibly enjoyable listening. ●

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THIS TEST HAS BEEN DESIGNED ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES adopted by the Association of International Audiophile Publications, an international audio press association concerned with ethical and professional standards in our industry, of which HIGH FIDELITY is a founding member. More about the association and its constituent titles → HERE.

→ www.AIAP-online.org