Interconnect - Which is best?
05-11-2006, 01:08 AM
#1
0 Watt CAFz'r
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 30
Interconnect - Which is best?
OK, so I am looking for a high quality rca interconnect. Monster Cable has there 400 series and they claim "Interconnects with 3-Way Time Correct® Windings and patented Xtra Low Noise (XLN®) Xtreme construction that reduces unwanted noise as much 80dB" - which does seem damn impressive. Does anyone know what else would compete with these or perhaps is there something better for car audio?
05-11-2006, 03:17 AM
#2
Originally Posted by ZForce
Xtra Low Noise (XLN®) Xtreme construction that reduces unwanted noise as much 80dB" - which does seem damn impressive.
This has been discussed too many times to count. it all depends on who you talk to, you will get everything from go buy the most expensive, go buy the cheapest, make your own, and it doesn't matter.
Mark
05-11-2006, 10:10 AM
#3
I bought cheap Jensen RCA cables because i was only going to cut one end off to to connect to the twisted pair, line out of my factory deck.
When i cut it open and found out how really really cheap they were i threw them in the garbage.
I then cut the end off some of my old Monster 400's. (Don't need them on my home stereo anymore, its all fiber.)
The monster cables are really well made. + & - both are double balanced, which is the way to go for noise cancelling, then it has a sheild which is only connected at one end, which should be your input.
When i cut it open and found out how really really cheap they were i threw them in the garbage.
I then cut the end off some of my old Monster 400's. (Don't need them on my home stereo anymore, its all fiber.)
The monster cables are really well made. + & - both are double balanced, which is the way to go for noise cancelling, then it has a sheild which is only connected at one end, which should be your input.
05-11-2006, 11:32 AM
#4
Monster Cable is the Bose of the interconnect world. One word describes both of them: hype.
I've made my own cables in the past using nothing but tightly twisted 18-20 ga. alarm wire in your favorite colors soldered to the metal end of your choice and have never had a problem with noise floor, RFI, blah blah blah in my systems. Yeah, the tweeks don't like to believe it but its true. But then they'd probably poo-poo on my non-audiophile grade ears too I guess since changing a cable will do wonders to your system that not even a PXA-H900 can even begin to touch.
You DON'T have to spend $50/foot on your cables. Really, you don't.
I bought some Streetwires ZN 2.0 cables to use in my truck. Not because they were uber-fancy or uber-priced. In fact I bought them on clearance sales to get them as cheap as I could! What I liked about them was their nice metal ends had yellow lettering on them that matched my truck
I had to extend some of them and their jacket was certainly thick and would protect the wiring inside really well, but the construction inside was no big whoop: 30 ga. ultra-thin wire loosely twisted together. Don't tell the tweek police though that I used lowly twisted alarm wire to extend them!
I've made my own cables in the past using nothing but tightly twisted 18-20 ga. alarm wire in your favorite colors soldered to the metal end of your choice and have never had a problem with noise floor, RFI, blah blah blah in my systems. Yeah, the tweeks don't like to believe it but its true. But then they'd probably poo-poo on my non-audiophile grade ears too I guess since changing a cable will do wonders to your system that not even a PXA-H900 can even begin to touch.
You DON'T have to spend $50/foot on your cables. Really, you don't. I bought some Streetwires ZN 2.0 cables to use in my truck. Not because they were uber-fancy or uber-priced. In fact I bought them on clearance sales to get them as cheap as I could! What I liked about them was their nice metal ends had yellow lettering on them that matched my truck
I had to extend some of them and their jacket was certainly thick and would protect the wiring inside really well, but the construction inside was no big whoop: 30 ga. ultra-thin wire loosely twisted together. Don't tell the tweek police though that I used lowly twisted alarm wire to extend them!
05-11-2006, 03:28 PM
#6
18 AWG I would say is probably pretty rare to find in an RCA. More like 24 AWG or smaller, like the 30 I have in my ZN 2.0s. I couldn't believe how small the wire is. Sure the voltage isn't terribly high and the current is pretty low but its a PITA trying to work with wire that small!
05-11-2006, 03:43 PM
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 16,855
^ Some tweekers will tell you that 18ga is WAY to big for RCA cable and anything larger than 22-24ga results in bad sound.
yeahoksurethanks..
If I have the time, I make my own. If I am pressed for time, something like Stinger Bullets with the metal ends are perfectly servicable.
If one wants a good chuckle - go read all the descriptions of all the different cables that Monster offers. They are ALL the bestest at everything which makes me wonder why they don't just offer one...
yeahoksurethanks..
If I have the time, I make my own. If I am pressed for time, something like Stinger Bullets with the metal ends are perfectly servicable.
If one wants a good chuckle - go read all the descriptions of all the different cables that Monster offers. They are ALL the bestest at everything which makes me wonder why they don't just offer one...
05-12-2006, 09:15 AM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
if a particular rca or speaker cable adds its own signature to the sound wouldn't that be considered a bad thing, shouldn't the best rca and speaker cable have no unique signature at all, just the purest signal transfer. there are only 2 cables in the world i swear by, monster m10s and kimber cable 4tc and 8tc, both are speaker cables, rca cable I'm not as specific. these are personal preference cables and i have nothing but my ears to support my preference which makes it pretty tough for anyone to argue with
