Good XLR cables for my studio monitors..
Could someone please recommend me some good, but not pricey XLR cables for my KRK rokit 8 studios monitors…
I already have a pair of xlr cables that I brought for about £10, and one of them is kinda broke, every now and again makes my monitor some cracking and the sound goes and I just get a hissing fuzzy noise.
I’m using my monitors for DJing in my studio and for producing, so I use RCA in my mac for producing and xlr for playing beats.
I have a Pioneer DJM 509 mixer, have that xlr to my monitors xlr.
So, getting to the point, good cables for my monitors? Just some that are good but not expensive.
Thank you
The ends are mechanical connections. Anything much less than $2 per end is suspect for quality…anything more than about $5 per end is suspect for including snake oil.
The jacket on the cable matters to a degree…but I pay way more attention when the cable will be used on a mobile setup and wrapper and unwrapped multiple times a week for months on end. “Permanent” installations can get away with much less in terms of the rubber jacket on the cable.
Any local music store (we have Guitar Center in the US…don’t know about places that take Pounds) will have reasonable cables…at a slight premium in prices.
That really baffled me… Sorry dude I’m not tooo good with the tech talk 
I’m just going to be keeping my cables literally per mantle plugge do to my monitors and my mixer.
But yes, a pair of XLR cables over £5 are perfectly fine and good sound quality then?
May I ask, what is this “snake oil” talk? I’ve heard someone mention it in a conversation about cables before… Thanks man.
monoprice xlr’s seem to be good, havent had any issues with them, easy on the wallet
OK…the actual mechanical parts that plug in and out of the connectors need to be high enough quality to withstand being used. This is why really cheap connectors are typically not desired.
“Snake Oil” Snake oil - Wikipedia is used to describe any fraudulent or suspect claims made about products sold at high(er) prices.
Unless there is a fault with the cable, a 5 Pound (I don’t know how to get the symbol with my keyboard) cable should be more than good enough for a “permanent” installation.
Ah, that’s cool then. I understand snake oil now.. Thanks for replying mate.
I will check monoprice now too, thanks!
Also…
Would you recommended that an XLR connection is the best to use for my monitors? Xlr into my mixer to xlr into my monitors? Is RCA better? TRS? I’m just using them to DJ, and also using the monitors to produce with my mac, but in running that with an RCA lead and a mini jack adapter to my mac headphone Input 
bad I know..
But yeah, XLR the best way for my monitors (DJ wise)?
Thanks
The Rane tech note on connectors is the gold standard on this subject. http://www.rane.com/note110.html
There are two issues…the mechanical/electrical connection, and the signal connection.
For mechanical connectors, I prefer xlr over all others. 1/4" and RCA are both clearly second place, but “must” be used with a LOT of consumer/DJ equipment. 1/8" or 3.5mm are my least favorite connection and I actively avoid them whenever possible. This is about the ability of the mechanical connection to stand up to repeated connection / dis-connections…and the strain of just being used. There is also the total area of the electrical connection to be considered. 1/8" have a really TINY amount of contact surface area compared to any other connection. 1/4" have better mechanical robustness, RCA has more electrical surface area - they are about equal in terms of overall tradeoffs.
In terms of the signal, there is “balanced” (signal, neutral, ground), and “unbalanced” (signal, neutral).
Balanced connections offer superior signal propagation with less noise from outside interference. I have run a balanced connection more than 800 ft with no noticeable drop in signal strength or rise in noise. Balanced requires three conductors, and is the common wiring pattern in xlr. Any TRS connector can also be a balanced connection, but may also be a “stereo” connection with two “unbalanced” signals (e.g. left and right).
Unbalanced connections are OK for short (<10ft…but shorter is better) signal runs. The largest issue is the introduction of noise into the cable from outside interference. Unbalanced connections are common on the components that plug into a mixer. RCA is an unbalanced connection.
Neutrik connectors all the way when it comes to XLRs, anything else is substandard
@soundinmotiondj - woah, lol. Thanks, a lot to take in, but yeah, definitely something I want and need to learn about! Balanced XLR cables seem to be the best connection to use for my monitors. Thanks!
@Chris, cheers, just checking Neutrik how, I can’t seem to find any cables, just connections?
False…or maybe “incomplete.”
Neutrik connectors are good. So are Switchcraft. Knowing nothing else…I would have no hesitation buying either for general use. Certainly if you are every going to be providing live sound support go with quality connectors and never look back. Treated with even a little care, you will have these connectors when you retire.
For budget minded, I have also found some “generic” connectors that hold up well for permanent to semi-permanent installations (e.g. home studio) from GLS Audio. I have purchased about 250 cables (500 ends) in various lengths from them over the years. Upon receipt and inspection I did find half a dozen bad connections that needed to be repaired…but the overall quality of the connectors is up to par. I would not put these into “mobile” rigs (e.g. 40 to 80 unwrap/wrap & connect/disconnects a year for years on end)…but for even semi-permanent installations (e.g. home studio, house of worship, dance studio, fitness studio, etc) these are fine. I use these in my home studio, and I have installed three dance studios with these same cables & connectors - all with over 5 years of daily use…not even a hint of a problem.