Battle of RCA Cables: Mogami, Amazon, Monoprice

[pma]

The only relevant test of RCA single ended cables is to send an interference current through the shield and measure the added voltage to the useful signal. Measurement of distortion is absolutely pointless, cables have no distortion.

One of the possible test circuits is this one. Peaks are proportional to shield/ground return inductance, settled level to shield resistance. That's all we need.

and some results

 

[Jim Shaw]

There you go again, Amir: goring sacred cable bulls. My only fault, not with these, but with the cheapest possible cables many mfrs. throw in the box with electronics, is that those seem to fail (mechanically) very early in their career due to conductor failure or connector corrosion.

Like your testing shows, my experience shows that RCA cables either work or they don't work at all (broken/shorted connections, broken shields). In a minor tantrum, after the failure of a junk cable from a turntable, I changed out everything RCA to Amazon Basics (as short as required) -- and never had to look back.

I do have hopes that balanced cables/connectors will continue to succeed single-ended ones. Working in the pro world, one learns greater trust in balanced signal lines and lower source impedances, especially in longer runs. Powered speakers indicate an early mandate for balance in home audio.

Fortunately, 'audiophile' snobs don't see them in my home, so they don't identify them as unworthy of precious, foofoo sound. Let them consume snake oil Mojitos.

 

[nick-v]

I use Mogami gold XLR's.

I still have a bunch of pure silver and silver plated copper RCA's (and other various audiophile cables) and power cables from the beginning of my "audiophool" days when I was chasing the dragon.

Some of them are still in use because they look cool and I doubt they're doing any harm.

 

[ex audiophile]

Audioquest will hate these tests.

If you can't hear the improvement provided by Audioquest cables it is obviously caused by a deficiency in your hearing. Not to worry, for only $599 they will sell you these meta-acoustic neutronium wave guide audiocondensers that allow you to pick up the more nuanced changes. Price is per ear.

 

[BDWoody]

If you can't hear the improvement provided by Audioquest cables it is obviously caused by a deficiency in your hearing. Not to worry, for only $599 they will sell you these meta-acoustic neutronium wave guide audiocondensers that allow you to pick up the more nuanced changes. Price is per ear.

View attachment 163614

 

[tomtoo]

Battle? Klickbait!!!

 

[phoenixdogfan]

Some of us like "cheap and nasty", Amir.

 

[phoenixsong]

I bought a handful of Mogami RCA cables 40 years or so ago. I think they were ten or twelve dollars back then. Higher priced than Radio Shack generics, but nothing like the boutique runs. Flexible enough to go around bends, and plugs are soldered tightly, making a firm connection. Plug breaks (where the wire meets the plug) are often a problem in el-cheapo cables, and that's really what counts. Even cheap ones are OK as long as you don't twist and bend them repeatedly.

A year ago or so, I bought a twelve inch set of Amazon RCAs for a short run for a Topping DAC/Headphone amp stack. They were not expensive, and looked to be good value, but in use were too thick to bend, and the RCA plugs were too loose. What good is that?

Benchmark Nuetrik XLRs appear to be decent value. Benchmark speaker cable is good quality with nice terminations, but pretty thick, and not easy to hide under rugs, like typical 'monster' type cable. For a studio set up it's not an issue. For domestic integration it might be a different story.

Benchmark XLRs are using Canare L-4E6S if I'm not mistaken though. Far more affordable to get the Canare as is with Neutrik connectors

 

[phoenixsong]

Worlds Best Cables on Amazon have good offerings without being too dear.

Yeah! I used to consume their inhouse cable brand (Audioblast), but now that they are running low on the HQ-4 cable with no further stock due to COVID and factory relocation I've been getting some of their other products instead

 

[phoenixsong]

Both the Mogami 2964 and 2549 cable models are very commonly used to make RCA interconnects. Is there any difference between them for such use cases given that the number of conducting cores bewteen them is different?

 

[Lambda]

Not to say cables make a difference but this Test was again not relay conclusive for this.
For the cable to be able make a difference at all source impedance must be High.
There should be current/voltage going over/trough the shield to see how good the cable rejects conducted EMI. (like from an inevitable ground loop)

 

[Rottmannash]

Mogami cables are nice stuff.
Not to be redundant (me? redundant?*), but my DIY thingies wires cables interconnects are made with Mogami cabling.

DSC_4262 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

DSC_0722 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(please excuse the dust! I was in fact doin' some cleanin' and rearrangin', and I took a photo of the back panels of stuff to help me remember what was hooked to what and how... just in case! ).

The suppleness of the Mogami cables (which is emblematic, I believe, of their "pro sound reinforcement" heritage/intent) is much appreciated.
______________
* Redundant? Me?

Oooooh, that tube (HP amp?) is pretty! Love that wood. Did you make that?

 

[Rottmannash]

I have that very Monoprice cable and purchased it on sale to go between my TT and AVR. One of the cables shorted within a month and I had to throw it away-on top of that the plugs were so tight I thought I was going to pull the housing out of the AVR when I removed them. And that is one stiff cable. World's Best Cables replaced that and it's working fine.

 

[jkasch]

Any informed thoughts on coax vs twisted pair/foil shield RCA’s?

 

[Blumlein 88]

Yeah! I used to consume their inhouse cable brand (Audioblast), but now that they are running low on the HQ-4 cable with no further stock due to COVID and factory relocation I've been getting some of their other products instead

Yes I recently used their version of Canare with Amphenol connectors because it was available.

 

[RdJesus]

Just in time for Capitol Audio Fest.

 

[enricoclaudio]

I have been using Mogami cables for the last 25 years. It's my favorite cable for HiFi Audio and Pro Audio applications. All my equipments at home are wired with Mogami cables, even some custom made by me with Mogami wires and Neutrik/Amphenol connectors. You can't go wrong with Mogami.

 

[GWolfman]

I don't switch out my cables or equipment (i.e., feel doesn't carry much weight for me), so I'm sticking with my Monoprice cables. I do have a few Amazon ones as well when I needed them quicker.

Thanks @amirm

 

[solderdude]

@amirm tested with 50 ohm source resistance and 100kohm load resistance ?

Did you happen to measure basic data like L C R by any chance ?

 

[_thelaughingman]

I'm guilty of buying Belden' Blue cables for my speakers and two sets of mogami cables for my headphone DAC/AMP setup on desktop. But that was money spent on short length cables which weren't readily available from Amazon Basic.