Making sure all the right cables get ordered.

jeep123

Setting up a system, I have some experience with audio but haven't set up a whole set of speakers and never with anything beyond a home theater receiver.

Lsi15/C front/center, Mirage Nanosat surrounds
PSW125 sub
Yamaha carousel cd player CDC 697
Yamaha RX v667 receiver
Emotiva XPS 3 Amp

I will just list what I think I need cables wise, please let me know if I'm missing anything here:
1. 3 RCA cables (one plug on each end - male to male) for amp to receiver
2. 5 sets red white audio cables - looking at 12G from monoprice, will just use bare ends.
(a) 3 for amp to front/center speakers
(b) 2 for surround
3. Optical toslink for CD player to receiver
4. What do I need to hook up the sub? Just another RCA cable
5. Various HDMI cables


Anything else I'm missing here?

Glowrdr

Looks good. You are correct, you should only need another RCA (or set, depending on the sub hookups). Now for #2, do you mean red/white RCA's? Thats kind of how I interpreted that. Or does MP sell red/white speaker cable? Just make sure you are getting actual 12ga wire, not some 12ga RCA's or something (they do measure cables like that as well)

Drenis

jeep123 wrote: »

4. What do I need to hook up the sub? Just another RCA cable

Anything else I'm missing here?

A 75-Ohm RCA cable is the cable to use for hooking up from source to subwoofer.

Also you stated "1. 3 RCA cables (one plug on each end - male to male)" If you read it slowly, it says 3 separate single cables with one plug on each end. However I'm sure you meant cables that have both a red/left and white/right dual (two) ended male to male RCA cables. :razz:

Everything else look's fine.

jeep123

Glowrdr wrote: »

Looks good. You are correct, you should only need another RCA (or set, depending on the sub hookups). Now for #2, do you mean red/white RCA's? Thats kind of how I interpreted that. Or does MP sell red/white speaker cable? Just make sure you are getting actual 12ga wire, not some 12ga RCA's or something (they do measure cables like that as well)

Drenis wrote: »

A 75-Ohm RCA cable is the cable to use for hooking up from source to subwoofer.

Also you stated "1. 3 RCA cables (one plug on each end - male to male)" If you read it slowly, it says 3 separate single cables with one plug on each end. However I'm sure you meant cables that have both a red/left and white/right dual (two) ended male to male RCA cables. :razz:

Everything else look's fine.

Ok great so a regular rca for the sub.

For 1, I did indicate just three single male to male RCAs from the receiver pre out to the amp. That should be correct right? The pre out doesn't have a left and right channel like if you were hooking the speakers directly to it.

2. definite brain ****, I just meant regular speaker cable. One more question here, as long as the polarity is matched the two ended cables can be used either or with left and right channels right? (ie. the blue marked wire of the two can be used for either red or white as long as its matched at either end)

Thanks again

Glowrdr

You were correct originally with the 3 single RCA's (3-channel amp). Don't worry - Drenis is from Canada. They do things a little different up there. lol

And yeah, wire is wire. They don't care if they are right or left, as long as you keep it the same throughout the setup.

mdaudioguy

jeep123 wrote: »

Ok great so a regular rca for the sub.

I've been very happy with this sub cable (BJC LC-1):
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/subwoofer/index.htm

tonyb

jeep123 wrote: »

Ok great so a regular rca for the sub.

For 1, I did indicate just three single male to male RCAs from the receiver pre out to the amp. That should be correct right? The pre out doesn't have a left and right channel like if you were hooking the speakers directly to it.

2. definite brain ****, I just meant regular speaker cable. One more question here, as long as the polarity is matched the two ended cables can be used either or with left and right channels right? (ie. the blue marked wire of the two can be used for either red or white as long as its matched at either end)

Thanks again

Maybe I'm not reading this right...but....the preouts DO have a left and right. They should be clearly marked on back. Also the coax cables may or may not be directional, if they are, the maker usually puts an arrow on them to tell you what way the signal should flow. Speaker cables are marked too, positive and negative. Usually the side with writeing on it is the positive, so make sure it is connected to the positive terminal, same with the negative.
The coax cables can be used for either left or right channel, doesn't matter.

djperez81

IMO monoprice is good for speaker wire and other things but for interconnects spend the extra few bucks and check out signal cable or blue jeans cable. I started with monoprice for interconnects and sub cable and had no problems but definitely could tell the difference when I bought some quality cables.

tonyb

djperez81 wrote: »

IMO monoprice is good for speaker wire and other things but for interconnects spend the extra few bucks and check out signal cable or blue jeans cable. I started with monoprice for interconnects and sub cable and had no problems but definitely could tell the difference when I bought some quality cables.

If interconnects sounded better when you moved up, wouldn't the same go for speaker cables ?

If your looking for cheap, this will do type of cable, Monoprice is your huckleberry. If sound quality is of more importance, look elsewhere. Just my.02

djperez81

I agree tony just giving my first hand experience on monoprice IC's. Of course some nice speaker cables would also help but I just meant that monoprice is good for certain things.

Drenis

Glowrdr wrote: »

You were correct originally with the 3 single RCA's (3-channel amp). Don't worry - Drenis is from Canada. They do things a little different up there. lol

And yeah, wire is wire. They don't care if they are right or left, as long as you keep it the same throughout the setup.

See Tony's post.

Lay off the booze so early in the evening bud. :razz:

Glowrdr

Must really be a rough morning. I'm missing something here.

If he has a 3-channel amp, he would just need 3 single RCA's right? (L/R/C)

I so hope I'm right on this one. Going to be an epic fail if I'm not. lol Speaker wire is a different story - although the left/right shouldn't make much difference as long as you keep it the same throughout. I can never remember which side the writing (or grooves, squared edge etc) is on, so I just pick one and stick with it. It probably changes everytime I move my system too. :redface:

Drenis

Glowrdr wrote: »

Must really be a rough morning. I'm missing something here.

If he has a 3-channel amp, he would just need 3 single RCA's right? (L/R/C)

I so hope I'm right on this one. Going to be an epic fail if I'm not. lol Speaker wire is a different story - although the left/right shouldn't make much difference as long as you keep it the same throughout. I can never remember which side the writing (or grooves, squared edge etc) is on, so I just pick one and stick with it. It probably changes everytime I move my system too. :redface:

No, you're right.

I was razzing you about the other part of your post.

Glowrdr

phew. I thought I had lost it. (Not that I had too much to begin with)

Just in time too. Beer-thirty. Gotta love Fridays.

Drenis

Glowrdr wrote: »

Beer-thirty. Gotta love Fridays.

I hate you. Share!

Glowrdr

Eh - you don't want any of the swill I drink. Nothing fancy, just some MGD's (tall-boy of course)

Drenis

You're right. That stuff's gross. :razz: I'd take Sierra Nevada if I was down south.

Anyways enough off topic. We're terrible.

jeep123

tonyb wrote: »

Maybe I'm not reading this right...but....the preouts DO have a left and right. They should be clearly marked on back. Also the coax cables may or may not be directional, if they are, the maker usually puts an arrow on them to tell you what way the signal should flow. Speaker cables are marked too, positive and negative. Usually the side with writeing on it is the positive, so make sure it is connected to the positive terminal, same with the negative.
The coax cables can be used for either left or right channel, doesn't matter.

For the preouts, here is a picture of the back of the receiver. I have circled the only pre outs I will be using. One RCA to left front on the amp, one to center on teh amp, and one to right on the amp. Then the amp will be connected by regular speaker wire to the 3 speakers. The final circled is one rca (of better quality perhaps) directly to a powered sub.



When you are talking coax cables here you mean the regular cable with RCA plugs? Thanks again

jeep123

So monoprice is good to go for speaker wire.

Interconnects? What exactly are they? Do you mean cable with connectors on the end such as the RCA cables? I see the blue jean place is good for sub cable, what are other reasonably priced cable companies?

tonyb

I would look at Signal cable over monoprice. Tell Frank over there your a member here and he will most likely throw you a discount.

Rca cable, coax cable, interconnect, different terminology.......same thing basically. What kind of amp are you looking at ?

Glowrdr

tonyb wrote: »

What kind of amp are you looking at ?

He's got an Emotiva XPA-3

jeep123

Another pair of silly questions.

1. Should I use RCA-RCA single cables for connecting the receiver to the amp, or go with an RCA-XLR cable?


2. And the 75 ohm sub cable is only needed for the sub, I don't need a fancy digital cable like that for the regular amp-receiver connections.

WilliamM2

1. Just get RCA connectors on both ends. There's no point in RCA to XLR, as it would no longer be balanced anyways.

2. 75 ohm isn't required for the sub, but will work just fine. Either type will also work for the amp-receiver connection.

CoolJazz

WilliamM2 wrote: »

1. Just get RCA connectors on both ends. There's no point in RCA to XLR, as it would no longer be balanced anyways.

Actually, going from an unbalanced output to a balanced in, you can gain noise rejection AND lose a potential ground loop. So there can be some positive there!

CJ

WilliamM2

CoolJazz wrote: »

Actually, going from an unbalanced output to a balanced in, you can gain noise rejection AND lose a potential ground loop. So there can be some positive there!

CJ

Interesting, first time I've ever heard that. How do you gain noise rejection with an unbalanced signal, or eliminate ground loops? The grounds are still connected together.

CoolJazz

To be clear, going the other way, balance out to unbalanced in is a whole 'nuther ball game.

But you should wire the unbalanced out to the non-inverted and inverting inputs. That way the balanced input is still looking for common mode noise and rejecting it. The fact that the one line has no driven signal coming from the output and is in fact at that devices ground potential isn't of any effect on common mode noise rejection. This connection has most of the advantages of a balanced interface, but not the advantage of the greater signal that the inherent 6db greater brings...or of the typical greater level used at balanced levels (-10 versus +4). So you don't get the potential of greater signal to noise. It would also be undesirable to pass the ground between them and offer a chance for circulating currents to be shared.

The other way to wire unbalanced out to balanced in is to wire the hot output to either of the balanced inputs and jumper the other input to the ground pin and also run the outputs ground to this point. This offers no rejection and shares grounds. The same as using unbalanced connections.

Whether you make the cables, or buy a premade cable...or buy an adapter and use a regular RCA cable, you're wise to know which of these situations is actually being used and maximize the interface.

CJ

jhracer3

That was the most impressive set of instructions for how to hook up interconnects I have ever seen.

CoolJazz wrote: »

To be clear, going the other way, balance out to unbalanced in is a whole 'nuther ball game.

But you should wire the unbalanced out to the non-inverted and inverting inputs. That way the balanced input is still looking for common mode noise and rejecting it. The fact that the one line has no driven signal coming from the output and is in fact at that devices ground potential isn't of any effect on common mode noise rejection. This connection has most of the advantages of a balanced interface, but not the advantage of the greater signal that the inherent 6db greater brings...or of the typical greater level used at balanced levels (-10 versus +4). So you don't get the potential of greater signal to noise. It would also be undesirable to pass the ground between them and offer a chance for circulating currents to be shared.

The other way to wire unbalanced out to balanced in is to wire the hot output to either of the balanced inputs and jumper the other input to the ground pin and also run the outputs ground to this point. This offers no rejection and shares grounds. The same as using unbalanced connections.

Whether you make the cables, or buy a premade cable...or buy an adapter and use a regular RCA cable, you're wise to know which of these situations is actually being used and maximize the interface.

CJ