RCA Cables

rromeo923
rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
edited June 2011 in Vintage Speakers
Had a problem with my Speakers when using my turntable.

Turned out to be a bad RCA cable.

Started me thinking.

I never really concerned myself with the quality of the rca cables and most times i used the ones that came with the equipment.

I would like to hear about how much difference in sound there is between a cheap cable and and an ultra expensive one.

I need to buy a RCA cable.

Any suggestions?
I got static in my head
The reflected sound of everything
Post edited by rromeo923 on
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Comments

  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited May 2011
    oh dear sweet baby jesus...

    </me gets some popcorn>
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
    Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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  • HTguru1982
    HTguru1982 Posts: 1,066
    edited May 2011
    My honest suggestion would be to buy from Blue Jeans Cable and be done with it. Some will tell you Monoprice is just fine while others will tell you to drop hundreds of ultra high end cables. Blue Jeans is somewhere in the middle with well built yet very reasonably priced cables.
    Display: Sony 42" LCD
    Sources: Harman Kardon DVD-27,
    Panasonic DMP-BDT110 blu ray player
    AVR: Sony STR-DA2400ES
    Amps: Sonance Sonamp 260(fronts),
    Kenwood KM-894(surrounds)
    Fronts: NHT 2.5
    Center: NHT VS-1.2A
    Surrounds: NHT Super One
    Subwoofer: SVS PB10-ISD
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  • On3s&amp;Z3r0s
    On3s&amp;Z3r0s Posts: 1,013
    edited May 2011
    I agree with the Blue Jeans recommendation... they're clunky and utilitarian, but they are good quality and get the job done. I've got some Audioquest cables that I feel are not worth what they cost. My favorite RCA ICs were made by ben62670 from these forums. He's been under the weather lately, and I'm not sure if he's still making them, but if he is they are my favorites for the money.
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  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    edited May 2011
    oh dear sweet baby jesus...


    Ditto ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited May 2011
    I'm not a Blue Jeans fan and would suggest Signal Cable. www.signalcable.com

    Both brands have a money back gaurantee so your best bet is to try one of them out and see if you hear a difference. There are believers and supporters of both aspects of cables and whether or not there's a difference.

    Find out for yourself since it can be done cheaply. Good luck.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,287
    edited May 2011
    While your at it grab a pair of cheapies if you dont already have ones that come with gear and listen and compare...
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited May 2011
    dorokusai wrote: »
    i'm not a blue jeans fan and would suggest signal cable. www.signalcable.com

    both brands have a money back gaurantee so your best bet is to try one of them out and see if you hear a difference. There are believers and supporters of both aspects of cables and whether or not there's a difference.

    Find out for yourself since it can be done cheaply. Good luck.

    +1...
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited May 2011
    Actually. The problem was with the cartridge somehow got loose on the turntable. Tightened it up and problem solved.

    Now for these $100 plus cables I am gonna say no to them for now. A slippery slope if I ever saw one. Aint got the cash for all that.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
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  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,102
    edited June 2011
    rromeo923 wrote: »
    Now for these $100 plus cables I am gonna say no to them for now. A slippery slope if I ever saw one. Aint got the cash for all that.
    $100 apiece is NOTHING for cables in the boutique market.

    Be careful, because even some of the expensive stuff is sourced from Communist China and then re-packaged in a custom box with an amazingly large price tag attached.
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited June 2011
    Schurkey wrote: »
    $100 apiece is NOTHING for cables in the boutique market.

    Be careful, because even some of the expensive stuff is sourced from Communist China and then re-packaged in a custom box with an amazingly large price tag attached.

    Damn Commies!!!!
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  • byfthalone
    byfthalone Posts: 345
    edited June 2011
    what? not rocketfish??? LOL
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  • byfthalone
    byfthalone Posts: 345
    edited June 2011
    by the way...under the disclaimer area...I do work part time at Best Buy and I am in no way endorsing Rocketfish or any other BB item...but I do have a question....I have read the threads on how an HDMI cable is an HDMI cable whether $20 or $200...so why would and RCA be different? really wondering...
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited June 2011
    Read up on it. The basic difference is because RCAs are usually used to pass an analog signal, which is more likely to be affected by RF interference. HDMI passes a digital signal, which is less prone to such interference.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited June 2011
    byfthalone wrote: »
    by the way...under the disclaimer area...I do work part time at Best Buy and I am in no way endorsing Rocketfish or any other BB item...but I do have a question....I have read the threads on how an HDMI cable is an HDMI cable whether $20 or $200...so why would and RCA be different? really wondering...

    The difference is HDMI sends a digital signal (0 & 1's) v. RCA's sending an analog signal which is a very big difference :smile:
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited June 2011
    From the aforementioned Blue Jeans Cable website: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/digitalanalog.htm
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited June 2011
    On3s&Z3r0s wrote: »
    I agree with the Blue Jeans recommendation... they're clunky and utilitarian, but they are good quality and get the job done. I've got some Audioquest cables that I feel are not worth what they cost. My favorite RCA ICs were made by ben62670 from these forums. He's been under the weather lately, and I'm not sure if he's still making them, but if he is they are my favorites for the money....

    +1

    I have Blue Jeans analog interconnects, coaxial cable, and Canare 4S11. Rock solid stuff although I haven't noticed a difference in sound from other cable I've had.
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  • byfthalone
    byfthalone Posts: 345
    edited June 2011
    mdaudioguy wrote: »
    From the aforementioned Blue Jeans Cable website: http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/digitalanalog.htm

    mdaudioguy....thanks for the link as it is much appreciated.
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  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    edited June 2011
    If you can solder, and like to make stuff you can assemble an absolutely killer set of RCA IC's for around $125.

    I made VH Audio's Finesilver IC's and in my system they made a h-u-g-e improvement from the AR IC's I had been using.

    Disclaimer: I have no association with VH Audio other than as a satisfied customer.
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
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  • byfthalone
    byfthalone Posts: 345
    edited June 2011
    please forgive the product from Best Buy, but it is the only access I have plus killer employee pricing helps....but I had purchased rocketfish cables to date...I did buy a pair of Monster cables and will try them out tonight to see if there is a difference. Perhaps it isn't much of an upgrade, but I plan on listening to my fav SACD tonight both ways.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited June 2011
    byfthalone wrote: »
    please forgive the product from Best Buy, but it is the only access I have plus killer employee pricing helps....but I had purchased rocketfish cables to date...I did buy a pair of Monster cables and will try them out tonight to see if there is a difference. Perhaps it isn't much of an upgrade, but I plan on listening to my fav SACD tonight both ways.

    Honestly the best bang for your buck RCA cables are either from BlueJeansCable or my personal fav SignalCable. They are a great point to start from.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • xoaphexox
    xoaphexox Posts: 246
    edited June 2011
    I use Dayton Audio cables from PartsExpress and haven't had any issues. Also use Monoprice cables.

    Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198
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  • Rivrrat
    Rivrrat Posts: 2,101
    edited June 2011
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Honestly the best bang for your buck RCA cables are either from BlueJeansCable or my personal fav SignalCable. They are a great point to start from.

    I used to be a cable agnostic (gauge counted, but I wasn't sold on brand) until I said what the heck, and popped for some Signal Cable analog 1's in the FM. Even my wife could instantly tell the difference from the "high end" Monoprice IC's I was using between my Oppo 981 and my AVR.

    Now I'm a believer.
    My equipment sig felt inadequate and deleted itself.
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