What cables do you use in your systems?

[Multicore]

What cables do you use in your systems?

Interconnects:

Shielded stranded copper with RCA, XLR and 1/4" TRS according to equipment.

Speaker cable:

Stranded copper pair without connectors

Coax cable:

Coax cable with RCA for the digital electrical.

USB cable:

Ready made USB cable.

Power cable:

Ready made power cables.

What I really have a problem with is none of these but Roland 22-pin GR-300 and 13-pin GK cables. The 13-pin cables may look like MIDI digital connectors but they are not, they are analog multi-channel.

 

[Brian Hall]

Amazon Basics cables or something similar. I've never had any issues with them. No sense in wasting money on fancy cables that wouldn't improve anything.

 

[Mikig]

Amazon Basics cables or something similar. I've never had any issues with them. No sense in wasting money on fancy cables that wouldn't improve anything.

I bought all the USB digitals from Amazon, there is a brand that has an absolutely fair price and constructions that seem well made. To the touch they seem to be built with good materials and the connectors seem precise.

 

[Angsty]

This brief article from Blue Jeans Cables discusses, in accessible language, how and why RCA cable geometry matters in hum rejection.

Hum Rejection in Unbalanced Audio Cables -- Blue Jeans Cable

 

[VientoB]

Recently I've been enjoying watching the Audioholics and ASR YouTube videos on audio cables. It's great to see knowledgeable people telling us like it is on the snake oil stuff. Companies like Audioquest and Nordost must hate them!

But what cables do you guys actually use? Do you just use freebie cables or do you make sure you have 10 gauge speaker cables and shielded interconnects, with decent connectors?

The Audioholics guy has a preference for Kimber 8TC speaker cable with WTB banana plugs because he says they have measurably lower skin effect and he likes that even though it has no effect on sound. "Audio jewellery he refers to it. Are you similar or do you like to keep costs low? I don't like that Kimber also set expensive power cords etc.

 

[Purité Audio]

Just use fit for purpose cables, pro audio manufacturers, Mogami, Van Damme etc.
Keith

 

[staticV3]

Delock for USB cables.

 

[MattHooper]

I use Belden 10awg speaker cable for my L/CR Home Theatre speakers and also for my two channel speakers. they are about a 35 foot run.

Aside from that, the various components in my rack are hooked up with a rag tag of whatever cables I’ve had around. There’s some Kimber PBJ in there when I bought those in the 90s. I think there might even be some audioquest - if so, I can’t remember where I got it. Through the years when I’ve needed cables, I’ve been able to borrow or grab some from audiophile friends, and some of it has been some pricey cables. I’ve had Nordost in there for instance, and recently I had on loan some “ highly reviewed in TAS” balanced interconnects that cost $5000 a pair! Not because I cared about such high falutin cables, but those were just ones somebody had to lend.

When it came time to replace them, I replaced them with $30 audioblast cables from Amazon. No sound difference. I’ll probably replace some of my old Kimber cable with the audio blast as well when I get around to it.

 

[mns3dhm]

Nothing fancy - Blue Jeans Cable and SVS. If I was on a tight budget I’d use Monoprice or Amazon. Many people here who know more about audio than I do say cables just need to be functional.

 

[DVDdoug]

Lately I've been buying from Monoprice (cheap). Their heavy duty RCA cables (not the cheapest they sell but still low-priced) are about twice the diameter of regular RCA cables. (There was something Amir didn't like about them... Maybe too stiff... I don't remember.)

I've never been suckered into buying expensive cables. My stuff is hooked-up with whatever cables I've bought over the years. I might be using some old cables from Radio Shack.

My speakers are connected with "average" 16AWG speaker cable (probably less than 10-feet long).

 

[Wolf]

Most all of mine I made myself. I like having low loss in terms of series resistance, so I use anything from 14 to 10AWG. Kimber have higher capacitance, and that is a problem.
I don't like WBT because they eventually Crack and die due to the split pin method on the locking types. I don't like locking bananas because they are a pain. Locking posts are easier and stronger, but much more expensive.

My picks so far are 9-tine, Deltron, or BFA-Z bananas. BFA break off due to no center pin. 4-tine, BFA(Z), 9-tine can loosen over time. Deltron, Aeco, and some others are just cylinders with varying spring types, and really can't loosen up. However, some posts are 4mm, and some are 4.1mm, so this can matter quite a bit....

 

[VientoB]

Most all of mine I made myself. I like having low loss in terms of series resistance, so I use anything from 14 to 10AWG. Kimber have higher capacitance, and that is a problem.
I don't like WBT because they eventually Crack and die due to the split pin method on the locking types. I don't like locking bananas because they are a pain. Locking posts are easier and stronger, but much more expensive.

My picks so far are 9-tine, Deltron, or BFA-Z bananas. BFA break off due to no center pin. 4-tine, BFA(Z), 9-tine can loosen over time. Deltron, Aeco, and some others are just cylinders with varying spring types, and really can't loosen up. However, some posts are 4mm, and some are 4.1mm, so this can matter quite a bit....

Not according to the Audioholics guy who is an electrical engineer. High capacitance can cause problems but the capacitance of the Kimber isnt really that high and the lower resistance and inductance are important, he says.

 

[VMAT4]

I use Amazon Basics for interconnects, maybe Monoprice. For speaker wire I use SVS products, because they look pretty.

 

[MoreWatts]

I had a note here about a similar thread that got merged to this one. Can't delete this post completely. Carry on...

 

[Angsty]

Not according to the Audioholics guy who is an electrical engineer. High capacitance can cause problems but the capacitance of the Kimber isnt really that high and the lower resistance and inductance are important, he says.

Capacitance really should not be a problem with speaker cables unless it is intentionally, excessively high. Capacitance can be a problem with RCA interconnects, especially if used to connect a MM cartridge to a phono preamp.

 

[Angsty]

There is a long-running and active thread on this topic:

"What cables do you use in your systems?"

Umm, that link is to this thread.

 

[GandalfTheAudiofool]

Recently I've been enjoying watching the Audioholics and ASR YouTube videos on audio cables. It's great to see knowledgeable people telling us like it is on the snake oil stuff. Companies like Audioquest and Nordost must hate them!

But what cables do you guys actually use?

Amp to $$$$$ speakers: probably already posted it but I made some very cheap cables using Inakustik silver cable on which I added banana plugs (I think from Inakustik too). I like the look of silver inside transparent cables. There happens to be a store walking distance from home that sells Inakustik cables "by the meter".

Now... DAC to amp: an... Audioquest cable. It looks good. It feels sturdy. It's nice to the touch. I bought it ten years ago at the place where I bought my DAC but I know it wasn't that pricey for I never spend much on cables. It's green at the connectors: probably that "green" means "low end" at Audioquest (apparently it's their "evergreen" line: probably that they were cheaper 10 years ago than they are now).