Difference in audio quality for cables?
So I’m buying some new RCAs, and I noticed price differences between different brands of cables of the same length. Is this just like the difference between Safeway brand Crispy Rice and Kellogg’s Rice Crispies (i.e. none), or is there an actual difference in sound quality between different brands of cables? Am I safe buying the generic Radio Shack cables or should I go for the more expensive brand-name cables?
i disagree, and in answer to the question; i’d assume so, better quality connection and cables would make sense if the price is higher. but i would guess it’s a trained ear thing
“Would make sense” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily so. You’d think the higher price cables would have better quality, but often it’s just higher price because it’s a brand name as opposed to generic.
I wouldnt buy the super cheap cables, but i wouldnt buy monster cables either - if you can check out the cables that you are buying and try to gauge for yourself if they are good quality or not. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get decent RCA cables. The most import part is the quality of the connectors as they tend to be the part that gives out easily when wiggled back and forth through lots of use.
I’ve been using a mix of higher end audio cables and radio shack cables.
I have never noticed a difference. Ever. I think the main difference in price really comes down to reliability of those cables, not necessarily the sound quality.
Logic would dictate more money equals better sound, but unfortunately, like with so many other things, it just isn’t really the case, in my opinion. The radio shack cables might die sooner, but when the price difference is so vast I’m not sure it’s worth buying the more expensive cables.
That being said, I would never buy the cheapest cables out there. But I wouldn’t pay much more than that.
i paid 2 quid for a 5m rca cable about 6 years ago, and it still works fine
Basically the same problem as with speaker cables depending on the lenght I wouldn’t buy the thinnest ones (ie square mms of copper)
you can make them yourself too without too much hassle really too. If you don’t trust the connectors you might be more confident getting a supercheap spare one just in case and never worry again.
Otherwise you can of course buy gold connecters and then tell your neighbor.
Get thee to a music shop.
The cables there are often optimized for heavy usage with thicker rubber, better quality connectors and sold in handy lengths you won’t see in Radio Shack. I’d willingly pay a little more for that kind of build quality. As for sound quality, unless you’re buying cables for multi-kilowatt PA amps and driver arrays, there’s really no difference.
Alright, thanks for the help guys. I can’t go into the store because of where I’m living right now, but I’ve gone ahead and ordered the generic RadioShack ones online.
it’s all about build quality. think about where you will be using them. if it’s gigging, traveling, all-the-time use, it pays to have a strong build quality. the worst thing is showing up to a gig, setting up, and finding out you have to run to the nearest guitar center to get new cables before you can sound check.
In NZ monster cable is over $100 per meter, so pass…