Do RCA cables matter ? if so, recommend one.

[benanders]

I too think RCA interconnects matter.

I bought a small pile of custom cables from a local amp designer who retired a couple years back (his family was emigrating from the country and not keeping the hardware from the shop).

These were cables he’d made to use in his work. As in used daily, pushed in and pulled out regularly, some of it for the better part of four decades.

I have to disconnect/reconnect regularly because of my systems’ design, so cable durability is paramount to me.
If you plan to connect once and forget, they probably matter a lot less.

 

[DonR]

oh for the days when they used to throw in cables perfectly fit for purpose in with the equipment.

 

[benanders]

Sure, but it doesn't mean they have to be expensive. There are cables that can be bought for peanuts that will measurably do as well as even a modest run of the mill cable.

Plugging / unplugging, as you mentioned, and handling are the best reasons to buy better interconnects and connectors.

Even an Amazon Basic Cable looks like snake oil overkill at times and wouldn't measure any better than the low quality one's often included with components, the one's people laugh at and throw away even though they are perfectly up to the task.

Just to be clear ( ) I wasn’t suggesting anything about prices, relative or otherwise.

I do not recall seeing unbalanced cables with specs listed for minimum jack spacing, or digits for inner connector diameter, tension resistance, etc. Could be useful if a buyer doesn’t have all day to carefully wiggle connectors back-and-forth until all’s in or out.

In my use case, it was a scenario of knowing which performance “metrics” I needed strong (that could be demonstrated as such), and deciding how best to find that (admittedly a bit of lucky timing involved).
I didn’t pay peanuts, I also didn’t pay high prices, and the result does exactly what I need it to.

RCA heads are only as loose or tight as the specific backplate / front plate (er, side plate, ol’ McIntosh? ) connections they’re paired with. So sadly, there’s probably little if any accuracy in recommending a particular brand / model based on how it fit in a few scenarios. Standard size isn’t always very well standardized, eh? Maybe that’s an area ripe for boutique companies to pounce on!

 

[Shazb0t]

If you're shopping on Monoprice for this adapter I would recommend that you go with this model:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=9768

As noted by some other members, the thicker version is very stiff and the RCA connectors don't have great adhesion, especially on any gear that may move.

 

[egellings]

I want to buy a 3.5mm to RCA cable, Do RCA cables matter ?

I am looking at these two cables:

https://a.co/d/a1t1FqQ

https://a.co/d/izJ1CYX

Which one should I go with ? Are there other cables in the same price range that I can purchase ? (I need a 3.5mm to RCA cable that is shorter than 0.5 meter)

With RCA cables that carry analog audio signals, it's just the quality of construction that matters. Also, it helps if the capacitance of the cable is not stupidly high, which it almost always is not. An RCA cable carrying digital or RF signals is another story. There, cable characteristic impedance of the cable matters, which is determined by some of the cable's physical dimensions and the material used as the insulator between the center wire & outer shield.

 

[dmilller]

The Monoprice one has tight RCA grips ? it could damage the RCA jacks ?

The monoprice RCA cables I just received were the loosest connection I have experienced and were unusable. The cable fell out twice while repositioning the receiver. These connectors were also so wide that they were difficult to plug in side by side. The device I was connecting to was a Denon AVR 3600.

Specifically the problem cable is Monoprice Premium Two-Channel Audio Cable purchased from amazon a couple of weeks ago. In the garbage now.

 

[GGroch]

The monoprice RCA cables I just received were the loosest connection I have experienced and were unusable. The cable fell out twice while repositioning the receiver. These connectors were also so wide that they were difficult to plug in side by side. The device I was connecting to was a Denon AVR 3600.

Specifically the problem cable is Monoprice Premium Two-Channel Audio Cable purchased from amazon a couple of weeks ago. In the garbage now.

So three in agreement on this crappy monoprice series. See posts 17 and 19.

The thing is, for me RCA cables almost never matter. Nearly all of them work.

Monoprice, started out as a cable company, they know better. The fact that they make such a uniquely crappy product series and keep them in production indicates they no longer give a s--t.

 

[mhardy6647]

Can one not still crimp down the "petals" of the outer connector a wee bit with a pair of (gentle but effective) pliers? That's what "we" old-school hifi buffs have been doing for millennia.
... or is the issue strictly with the center pin?

Not to be too redundant, and strictly FWIW, I like making cables with inexpensive (but decent) REAN connectors and Mogami cable. The cable is nice and supple.

 

[DanielT]

Buy these. Based on its funny name alone.

Pair of Krait RCA Cables (6 in - 10 ft)

For help, please chat with us below. Our mid-range Krait RCA cables use REAN RCA connectors and 0.22 mm² (24 AWG) SOMMER cable for a durable feel and transparent sound. Sold as a Left and Right pair. Length is measured from tip-to-tip of the actual conductor itself, excluding the connectors. The...

snakeoilsound.com

The manufacturers seem to be solid. This is how they write themselves:

About Us​

We're just a couple of dudes looking to tidy up your stack.

Edit:
Please note, I have no practical experience with Krait RCA cables. I do not know if they sit well, reasonably tight, in the inputs, that is.

 

[GGroch]

Can one not still crimp down the "petals" of the outer connector a wee bit with a pair of (gentle but effective) pliers? That's what "we" old-school hifi buffs have been doing for millennia.
... or is the issue strictly with the center pin?

No, if you read the previous linked posts, the petals are made out of very cheap cast material that does not bend, they break off.

The Monoprice designer knew that this slit petal design looks almost identical to excellent slit petals found on cables like Amazon Basics. See photos, the Amazon are great (they also have flexible cable jackets and a thinner plug) the Monoprice are stiff crap. So, not just a poor design, but devious. If their was an award for worst and most evil RCA cable, this would win.

 

[dmilller]

Can one not still crimp down the "petals" of the outer connector a wee bit with a pair of (gentle but effective) pliers?

no. I tried, with pliers of course.. The "petals" are not flexible with the amount of force I was willing to apply. Monoprice has changed to some sort of crap stamped design with poor quality control, apparently producing both too large and too small diameters. I've probably purchased 100 pairs of RCA cables in my life and never had an issue that I recall.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Criteria are wire gauge, strain relief, and the remaining parts of build quality. I've had very good luck with Monoprice, but there are other inexpensive cables that work fine and last. I've had good luck with crimping. Apparently it's not possible with all cables.

 

[Tangband]

I have an Amazon Basics RCA (encase it in mesh, fit foo plugs and it could sell for hundreds out there in audiophile land) and also a set of 3.5 to twin RCA. It's not as chunky as the RCA to RCA cable, but it's flexible, should be ok if not abused and as I didn't set out to 'listen' to it, I found the recordings came through unscathed regardless Both fine for me although many of my cables are Van Damme based. All in the mind methinks

Amazon basics are ok. A bargain is Focal elite rca . Only 16 dollars , good connectors , tripple shielding and sounds really good .

 

[Musicofchance]

Amazon basics are ok. A bargain is Focal elite rca . Only 16 dollars , good connectors , tripple shielding and sounds really good .

Are Amazon basics OFC? The connectors are very snug fitting.

 

[DonR]

Are Amazon basics OFC? The connectors are very snug fitting.

It doesn't matter if they are or not.

 

[PSKTNML]

Have been using these, very tight fit and if you believe in quality differences, they're made of pretty good ingredients: https://en.uraltone.com/hi-fi/rca-c...uper-high-fidelity-rca-stereo-cable-50cm.html

 

[Speedskater]

The central conductor in a coax RCA analog interconnect cable may have the easiest task of any cable. With a 10,000 Ohm load, there is almost no current, so it could be smaller than 30AWG (but that might break) or it could be CCA or CCS (Copper Clad Copper ~ Copper Clad Steel). It won't matter.

Now in a coax RCA Video or Digital Audio cable more things matter.

 

[Rhamnetin]

Might as well chime in: I just go with Mogami or Canare for all my audio cables. If I was in Europe, I'd probably go with Gotham for the same reasons. Connector can matter, and my RCA connector of choice has been Neutrik Profi.

 

[Fahzz]

I've been using a well known brand of Coax digital Interconnect, and a recent change in equipment has made it impractical due to stiffness, weight, and the length of the connector. Anyone know of an alternative that is light and flexible and won't pull my DAC off the shelf?

 

[DonR]

Repurposed component video cables make excellent spdif cables for short runs. They are 75 ohm and can be had for pennies at the local thrift store.