My sub cables are aluminum

I got some Mediabridge sub cables and splitters from Amazon turns out the center conductor is copper clad aluminum and the braided shield is aluminum with Mylar aluminum foil. Is this really cheezy material for a sub cable?

Comments

  • Speedskater
    Speedskater Posts: 495
    edited April 2015
    It's a very poor choice for a long RCA interconnect, like most sub cables are.
    For long RCA interconnects (let's say over 10 feet), you want a coax with a heavy braided copper shield. One of the best examples is the Blue Jeans Cable LC-1.

    We are seeing more and more CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum) speaker and interconnect cables.
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    edited April 2015
    Monoprice cables look like they are made of better materials than these. I have some BJC interconnects for my amps however, I read that the subwoofer cable is not as critical as it only carries low frequency signals. I dont really want to spring for BJC's because I dont know what lengths I will end up needing once I move. Do you think I should bother with the Monoprice cables or will I be replacing junk with junk?
  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    afterburnt wrote: »
    Do you think I should bother with the Monoprice cables or will I be replacing junk with junk?

    Uh......why don't you plug it in and "listen"? :/

  • Speedskater
    Speedskater Posts: 495
    Sub woofer cables are extra critical because the noise in poor interconnects is mostly power line harmonics.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    afterburnt wrote: »
    Monoprice cables look like they are made of better materials than these. I have some BJC interconnects for my amps however, I read that the subwoofer cable is not as critical as it only carries low frequency signals. I dont really want to spring for BJC's because I dont know what lengths I will end up needing once I move. Do you think I should bother with the Monoprice cables or will I be replacing junk with junk?

    BJC are not expensive, but I believe are a step up from Monoprice cables. Why replace junk with junk as you say ?

    Sub cables do make a difference too, so buy the best you can afford at the moment. You can also buy a better cable used and get better quality.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    I have hundreds of dollars worth of misfit and not so good cables hanging on the wall already I did not want to add to the collection dollar wise. I could get Monoprice and spend $16 or Blue Jeans for $96. I guess there is a chance to sell the Blue Jeans down the road and recoup some of the money if I can no longer use them. All this nickle and dime stuff is putting a dent in my "new speakers, second sub, new amp fund" lol
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Granted, the nickel and dime stuff does add up, but it's the nature of the beast. What....you gonna buy a new amp, new speakers, and another sub and connect it all up with monoprice garbage ?

    Buy quality but buy used, that way you can resell and not lose hardly anything.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    If I buy a new amp, new speakers, and another sub I will have to connect it all up with monoprice garbage unless I take my kid out of college lol! I better buy the BJC's or else you wont stop yelling at me.
  • rpf65
    rpf65 Posts: 2,127
    Budget? I'd probably go AQ black lab
  • Speedskater
    Speedskater Posts: 495
    If you don't hear any hum, buzz or noise with the present aluminum cables, then good cables will have nothing to improve.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    If you don't hear any hum, buzz or noise with the present aluminum cables, then good cables will have nothing to improve.

    Can't agree with that pal. Different sub cables offer different degree's of bass performance much like speaker and IC cables do.

    Afterburnt,

    Not yelling at ya pal, just trying to inject some common sense. Better cables doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg or force your kid into community college. We just had a bunch of MIT cables sold in the FM for cheaper than a night out with the wife.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    If you're handy, and know how to use a soldering iron, make your own. I use Belden # 1505F Cable. Pick up a pair of quality RCA Plugs, solder it up and your done. If you don't know how to solder, they also make RCA Plugs that can be Crimped or have some type of Compression Fitting. Either way, it's less expensive than retail cable, and you can re-use the cable if your needs change.
    http://www.amazon.com/BARGAIN-LOCKING-SOLDERLESS-CONNECTOR-Instruments/dp/B00JFC2SV8/ref=sr_1_4/181-8297034-1377136?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1429701241&sr=1-4&keywords=solderless+rca+plug
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,050
    edited April 2015
    Went with bluejeans cable for my 30 foot run. Works just fine. Don't settle for garbage cables. I think anyone who has been in this hobby awhile has a box of unloved cables sitting around that aren't worth selling. Maybe wait until you move and then order what you need.
    ____________________________________________________________ polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS SVS PB13 Ultra x 2Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400, ADCOM 7807, Panasonic UB420, Sony SCD-C333ES, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    dp I have like four boxes lol. I did order some BJC's and I ordered them a little longer than what I actually need right now.
  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,050
    Very nice. You should be happy with them.
    ____________________________________________________________ polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS SVS PB13 Ultra x 2Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400, ADCOM 7807, Panasonic UB420, Sony SCD-C333ES, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    edited April 2015
    afterburnt, did you listen to the sub with the Mediabridge cable in use? If so, how did it sound?

    I just looked at the Mediabridge Ultra cables on Amazon (ten bucks for a fifteen footer) and with 2619 reviews, it received 4.8 out of 5 stars and is their "#1 Best Seller" in subwoofer cables. Where's the disconnect?

    Ha! See what I did right there?

    http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-ULTRA-Subwoofer-Cable-Feet/dp/B003FVYXY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429802279&sr=8-1&keywords=mediabridge+subwoofer+cable
  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
    tee I have been using that cable for a while now with no apparent issues. I have since added one of their splitters to bump up the gain (a left over from the PB 1000 that I had). I installed the BJC last night with no splitter so it seems that the gain is lower now. I have to run the YAPO again and see where it sets the sub with only one connection and then see if I can hear any difference.

    No, what did you do right there?
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    I have the Monoprice ultra sub cable and BJC-LC1. For a movie there is no difference but put on some music with some nice bass rips and kick drums you will hear a little more detail. The BJC has more detail than the Monoprice.

    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music