Help needed with cables for studio monitors!
Just got my first pair of studio monitors and want to get the cable situation right the first time. I just got a pair of HS80M monitors and have a Xone 22 mixer.
Any suggestions on the type of cables I should get. This is my first set of studio monitors and I want to do it right. Mogami? TRS vs. XLR? Which ones do I need?
Thanks everyone.
Anything for over a quid on eBay will do fine. XLR vs TRS is pretty much a matter of personal preference and what inputs/outputs your gear has. I personally like to go plastic with XLRs and metal with jacks/RCAs.
Either or will work. I’d go with XLR because it’s more common on larger and high quality gear, has locks, and doesn’t “pop” if you plug them in or unplug them while things are turned on. Other than that they’re the exact same cable with different ends. Just go buy whichever ones are cheapest at your store. Unless you’re setting up and tearing down on a very regular basis and coiling your cables improperly, they’ll last you fine.
If I’m running a Traktor Audio 10 and trying to connect with Yamaha HS80s, would Mogami be good? The guitar center by me has a lifetime guarantee on the cables. Is it worth paying the expensive one time fee up front and then having the best quality there is?
What about Mogami XLR to RCA?
I’d avoid XLR-RCA if you can because you’re losing the whole benefit of having balanced cables. If you must go to RCA, TRS-RCA is a better choice just because they’re generally cheaper and definitely lighter weight and smaller.
Get whatever brand fits your budget. They’re not being used commercially so I’m guessing you’ll take care of them. I’ve only ever seen XLR and TRS cables break in theatre settings where they’re dragged around, pulled over catwalks and run over by wheels and feet on a daily basis. XLR cables are also very easy to fix if the connectors break. You can even make your own if you were really so inclined.
Spending £30 on a cable is just plain mental. That’s 30 songs you’re not buying, or 30 bottles of coke, etc.
All cables are copper wire in insulation, unless you’re an audiophile the quality of said copper is pretty much irrelevant, and even in audiophile territory unless you’re running 100-foot lengths of signal wire, the difference between thin copper and expensive thick pure OFC stuff is minimal.
Connectors are the main thing. When I played guitar, I bought good cable because of hte lifetime warranty it came with.
Mogami has some pretty good connectors. Pretty cheap too.
Anyone who claims they can hear audio difference between cables is crazy… It just needs to be heavy enough gauge to carry the current it’s given - something 99.99% of cables will do just fine.
The real benefit of a more expensive cable is how durable it is, and how easy it is to repair.
Make your own. Cheap, high quality and exactly how long you need them to be.