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Mono XLR cable

I once had a chance to attend a "blind" test of cables. “Blindly”, since the samples were numbered and the experts who listened to their work could not see what kind of model was connected in this case. And what is interesting: out of a dozen and a half expensive and branded products, the third place is unexpectedly occupied by a cable for audio equipment purchased for a penny from NoName (without a name) manufacturer ... And how should we treat this now?

All right

First of all - the minimum classification. There are three types of cables in a home stereo: network cables (those that connect to the power supply, computer networks have nothing to do with it), interconnect cables (they are also signal cables), and speaker cables. It is advisable not to confuse them with each other, although, oddly enough, they are even sometimes able to replace each other, but the result will be disgusting. A similar principle applies to almost all of these products when choosing them: the shorter and thicker the cable (that is, the lower the resistance), the better. However, there are some nuances here ... The length of the cable should provide normal access to the component (speaker, electronic unit, say, when it is periodically necessary to extend it, expand it, inspect it) - but nothing more!

Network cables - an element of proper nutrition

All equipment is powered by the mains: 220 volts, 50 hertz. From school physics, you can even remember that these are sinusoidal current oscillations. And any component "likes" to receive a smooth, perfect sine wave as food, which, by the way, we never have at home. A lot of so-called non-linear power consumers, connected all the way the current enters our electronic unit, spoils this sinusoid as soon as it can! A high-quality power cable can slightly compensate for the problem, a low-quality one can aggravate it.

Most often, the regular cable is quite good. But if you want to get the maximum possible - you should think about replacing it, or even about purchasing a surge protector - there are audiophile models that, according to the developers, give amazing results. And one more tip: the sound can sometimes be improved by simply rearranging the connection plug 180 degrees, thus swapping “zero” and “phase”. This moment is also fundamental, some equipment even has a special indicator of the correct connection to the network!

Interconnect cables - "nothing to lose!"

Interconnect cables carry a line signal from, say, a preamplifier to a power amplifier, or from a CD player to an amplifier. The signal can be digital or analogue, each requires its own cable.

An RCA stereo interconnect cable is, in fact, two separate cables

The analogue signal is transmitted by RCA cables (with cinch plugs) and XLR cables (professional standard with balanced connection). There are other standards, but for now let's talk about only two - that's enough. The XLR standard, according to experts, does not provide advantages over RCA on cables less than five metres long, although, anyway, if there is such an opportunity, use XLR connectors. When it comes to RCA, each cable manufacturer has its own technology and know-how, which it positions as the most important. On average, these are the following parameters:

• Contact quality - gold-plated contacts are preferred.
• Quality structure and construction - the cable must create complete signal immunity.
• Reliability - the cable should not “dry out”, “fall off”, “microphone” over time.

The latter is exactly the reason why you should not buy the cheapest NoName cable. It can work quite adequately, but over time, poor-quality insulation will dry out, poorly crimped contacts will disperse and oxidize, and oxidation of the pads will make the cable completely unusable.

Almost all of this applies to digital S / PDIF cables, both coaxial and fibre optic. It is worth noting that all cables, except for the last one, can be assembled with your own hands - if you have the appropriate skill. There is a certain meaning in this. Purchasing a cable + connector kit instead of a ready-made cable often provides serious savings.

Acoustic cable - the road to sound!

Let's start with resistance. With a speaker system impedance of 4 ohms at some frequencies, its real impedance can drop to one and a half. At the same time, the cable with which it is connected can have much greater resistance. Result: a poor amplifier gives the lion's share of its power to heat the cable - a fact that is understandable even to those who were ill at school studying Ohm's Law ... Moral: the thicker the speaker cable, that is, the lower its resistance, the better. Moreover, when evaluating this thickness, it is better to “look at the root” - at the cable cut. The fact is that most often the acoustic cable is produced in transparent insulation. As a result of an optical illusion, upon external examination, it seems that the copper core has the maximum possible thickness. But actually it is not.

Speaker cable in black decorative braid with plug terminals

The second point, oddly enough, is the flexibility of this cable. A rigid cable causes a lot of problems when connecting - it resists and springs, but in the end it looks just awful, no matter how you level it. And the appearance of the speaker cable is a serious matter. The flexibility of the cable gives a thinner weave - in particular, numerous thinner copper threads are used. Naturally, this increases the cost of the product.

Banana connectors are used to connect the speaker cable - they are especially useful when you have to frequently re-switch the system. The plug-in terminals are more reliable, although their connection takes a little more time. For the option when the acoustics are connected to the amplifier "once and for all" - we can advise you to abandon the terminals altogether: in this way, at least two extra pairs of contact transitions are excluded, with or without soldering! The speaker cable should be carefully stripped, twisted tightly and securely fixed in the screw terminal.

Perfection is unattainable...

After listening to a quality system with different cables for a long time, a true audiophile clearly understands which cable is better and why. It is not for nothing that various manufacturers use technologies of ultra-thin terminals, unique conductor coatings, light-high-purity copper, use incredible multi-layer braids and insulation from combinations of the most unexpected materials. But in order to appreciate all this and make a choice of the best of the best cables, we repeat, you need to become an audiophile. And for this, at least you don’t need to approach the choice of cables for a stereo system with your sleeves down!

Read also:

Choosing a signal source for a stereo system

The highest demands are placed on the signal source in any audio complex.

Choosing stationary acoustics

If a pair of speakers is really chosen correctly, listeners are guaranteed to enjoy the sound.

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It is generally accepted that the more expensive the cable, the higher the image quality it provides. Actually it is not.