Battle of RCA Cables: Mogami, Amazon, Monoprice

[MalinYamato]

great with a neutral scientific review about a business that is full of snake oilers. I don't know what it takes to produce good analog cables but as an engineer in data communication I know that you should not buy a 2000 dollar USB or HDMI cable, you can get a 10 dollar cable that performs exactly as well.
This USB cable sells for SEK 21 000 = USD 2390 in Sweden

 

[Grumpish]

I make my own cables and standardised on Mogami cables a while back, as much for consistency as anything else, so it is good to see that they perform well (or don't, since a cable shouldn't "do" anything at all to the signal). Making your own lets you make the cables up to whatever length you need instead of tying you to the nearest available, as well - very useful for very short interconnects.

 

[Triliza]

I have the Monoprice 1.5ft cable and indeed they are as stiff as it can get and don't feel as good as they look in the pictures. They have free shipping in all their cables though (Europe online store), on Amazon and elsewhere shipping can cost more than the cable itself. And their hdmi cables (got a 30ft one) work great and are very cheap during sales.

 

[Holmz]

…

Got to say for home made cables, I've tried some of the forum favourites of old, but do rather like the Mogami 2549 (incredible how our senses of touch and sight can dictate what and how we hear).

I use the Mogami, and then length is then easy to make it what one wants.
With the Neutrik Profi ends, or others, can make for a relatively attractive cable.

… don't know what it takes to produce good analog cables…

A soldering iron and some strippers.

 

[MalinYamato]

I make my own cables and standardised on Mogami cables a while back, as much for consistency as anything else, so it is good to see that they perform well (or don't, since a cable shouldn't "do" anything at all to the signal). Making your own lets you make the cables up to whatever length you need instead of tying you to the nearest available, as well - very useful for very short interconnects.

I also want to make my own analog audio cables. Is it difficult and is it hard to make them sound as well as ready-made ones? Any ideas?

 

[Grumpish]

I also want to make my own analog audio cables. Is it difficult and is it hard to make them sound as well as ready-made ones? Any ideas?

Some basic soldering skills are all that is needed - for tools all you need is a soldering iron, wire strippers, and something to hold the bits while you are soldering them, which can be anything from a ready made jig to a bit of wood with some holes drilled in it. Lead based solders may not be environmentally friendly, but they are much easier to work with.

 

[audio_tony]

"Same as no cable"

It can't be, as no cable would mean no sound surely?

 

[Thomas_A]

Mostly connector quality and flexibility are the main issues. Should be snug but not too tight and not giving too much strain on the equipment. Most problems are with HDMi connectors where I have changed to lighter more flexible cables.

 

[jools]

Mogami construction-wise is by far one of the best cable makers, for sure they don't sell snake oil, and one of the most professional (they even specify measurements of their cables such as high frequency characteristics diagrams of phase, attenuation and impedance). If you buy it by the meter you can save a lot of money: one of their most used cable like the W2534 ships for 3$/meter, pair it with a pair of Neutrik Profi RCA and you're good to go, you have the best cable money can buy.

Absolutely - Mogami are a great company. I have gone through literally kilometres of their console hookup cable (2944 I think) which is amazing quality. One time it was only supposed to be voltage sense to a 2kW amplifier but due to a fault it ended up taking the current. It did catch fire but it was still working when we pulled the plug because of the smoke. Plus it's tiny, flexible and comes in loads of colours - I think it's the same as the cores in their pro snakes.

Then again - the Amazon's will be just as good for an interconnect and there's no soldering to do.

 

[anmpr1]

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.

 

[KEFCarver]

Perfect timing for your review- I was just getting ready to order some monoprice cables, though they would have been the S/PDIF, Digital Coax, Subwoofer & Composite Video single cables.

 

[KxDx]

Thanks for this!

Unfortunately the people who need to be convinced, will never be convinced.

 

[Trouble Maker]

shorter cables for stacking amps/DACs

Anyone have recommendations?

I love Blue Jeans cables but what I got from them was much too long and stiff for this job. Cables take up as much room as the stack on my desk.

 

[Zim]

Curious about a comparison like this for much thinner cables to see how thinness would affect it, if anything. i.e. the ones used for IEMs and some headphones.

 

[BDWoody]

Anyone have recommendations?

I love Blue Jeans cables but what I got from them was much too long and stiff for this job. Cables take up as much room as the stack on my desk.

Call them and get some custom cables made. They are easy to work with.

 

[mhardy6647]

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?

 

[Helicopter]

Thanks Amir. This is a critical topic. I am surprised to see so little variation, though I didn't expect big differences.

For those asking how to DIY, @Wayne A. Pflughaupt published a great detailed guide.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Anyone have recommendations?

I love Blue Jeans cables but what I got from them was much too long and stiff for this job. Cables take up as much room as the stack on my desk.

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

 

[CREMA]

In the Sighted test...

The 0.1 dB difference created by the cable can change all of the soundstage, depth, sound image, clarity, and bass quality.

People who believe in their clumsy senses waste money on simple illusion.

 

[Zensō]

This had to be done. Now it's done.

Yet magic cable believers will just keep on believin’…