What's Your Favorite Cable?

[watchnerd]

My Power cords are monsters, very inflexible but
short so I can deal with it.
View attachment 100254

I'd never use that power cord.

Inflexible and short sounds like a PITA.

I like my hospital-grade IEC power cords.

They're flexible, sturdy, and have ultra firm connections because of the medical plugs.

 

[SIY]

I laid some cable this morning, right after my first cup of coffee.

I named it Max.

 

[Vini darko]

Cheap ones

 

[witchdoctor]

I'd never use that power cord.

Inflexible and short sounds like a PITA.

I like my hospital-grade IEC power cords.

They're flexible, sturdy, and havee ultra firm connections because of the medical plugs.

They are a PIA, they kind of coil like a snake but the plus side is they are 20 years old and will likely last another 20 NP.

 

[andreasmaaan]

What are the categories?

I've had excellent results with this USB cable from Lightspeed ($1999).

The lifters shown in the image come at an additional cost from the company, but I've found they make a subtle but noticeable difference.

This is of course for connecting my dot matrix printer to my PC:

You might ask why I'm using a dot matrix in the first place. Well, I find that it generates smoother, more analogue-like print-outs than the various (very expensive in fact) inkjets and laser that I've had through the system.

With the Lightspeed cable feeding the printer via a USB to printer port adapter, I feel that my print-outs have all the resolution and detail of a high-dpi modern laser, but with the warmth and richness that only dot-matrix printing can provide. And ofc, the print-outs are completely free of "laser glare".

The only remaining bottleneck in this setup is the USB-printer port converter cable, which is necessary given my PC doesn't have a printer out. I've experimented with a number of adapters purchased off AliExpress, and the differences in print quality are actually quite significant. The best I've found so far is this one, although it won't ship directly to Europe. If you want details of the freight forwarding service I used from Japan, send me a PM.

 

[witchdoctor]

Cheap ones

Monoprice and Bluejeans seem to be a popular "value" brand.
Signal Cable and Mogami are a little more $ but still more budget oriented.

 

[watchnerd]

They are a PIA, they kind of coil like a snake but the plus side is they are 20 years old and will likely last another 20 NP.

Personally I just wouldn't bother if they're a PiA.

Power cords are cheap -- $20 to get a good one that is more suitable.

Small price to pay if it's less troublesome.

 

[watchnerd]

Monoprice and Bluejeans seem to be a popular "value" brand.
Signal Cable and Mogami are a little more $ but still more budget oriented.

I'm disappointed in my Monoprice XLRs.

The connectors aren't as good as real Neutriks, the cable is also overly stiff, which means the connector is stressed.

Even cheapo Seismic Audio snake cables were better.

I tossed my Monoprice XLR cables in the spare parts box.

 

[watchnerd]

What are the categories?

I've had excellent results with this USB cable from Lightspeed ($1999).

View attachment 100255

The lifters shown in the image come at an additional cost from the company, but I've found they make a subtle but noticeable difference.

This is of course for connecting my dot matrix printer to my PC:

View attachment 100256

You might ask why I'm using a dot matrix in the first place. Well, I find that it generates smoother, more analogue-like print-outs than the various (very expensive in fact) inkjets and laser that I've had through the system.

With the Lightspeed cable feeding the printer via a USB to printer port adapter, I feel that my print-outs have all the resolution and detail of a high-dpi modern laser, but with the warmth and richness that only dot-matrix printing can provide. And ofc, the print-outs are completely free of "laser glare".

The only remaining bottleneck in this setup is the USB-printer port converter cable, which is necessary given my PC doesn't have a printer out. I've experimented with a number of adapters purchased off AliExpress, and the differences in print quality are actually quite significant. The best I've found so far is this one, although it won't ship directly to Europe. If you want details of the freight forwarding service I used from Japan, send me a PM.

View attachment 100257

Have you tried recharging your printer cables to see if it improves the DPI?

Or sticking them in a tree?

 

[Tsuchi]

I love my Mogamis. I had a 20 ft long Mogami XLR that was cut in half by accident, I took it to Guitar Center and they gave me a replacement on the spot, no questions asked because of the Mogami lifetime guarantee. I didn't even need to bring in a receipt.

That and Mogami quality, durability, RFI/EMI rejection are very good. I understand others arguments about Amazon Basics or the like being the best bang for the buck. It's true. But at the end of the day I don't want to replace XLR cables every few years. I have to run them through some tight turns at the termination points which tend to be a weak area. The Amazon Basics shielding also sucks.

 

[witchdoctor]

Personally I just wouldn't bother if they're a PiA.

Power cords are cheap -- $20 to get a good one that is more suitable.

Small price to pay if it's less troublesome.

You would love Mogami's, thin, flexible, and rugged. It's why most studios use them.
http://www.mogamicable.com/mogami_users/

 

[andreasmaaan]

Have you tried recharging your printer cables to see if it improves the DPI?

Or sticking them in a tree?

They are recovering from their recharge on a bed of reclaimed oak as we speak.

 

[pma]

This is the setup to test link SE cables shield inductance and resistance

and this is the real cable measurement. Differences are huge.

Anyone with funny comments?

 

[BDWoody]

You might ask why I'm using a dot matrix in the first place. Well, I find that it generates smoother, more analogue-like print-outs than the various (very expensive in fact) inkjets and laser that I've had through the system.

Of course. I've read that so often it must be true.

I hope you have appropriate vibration isolation for your printer and...well...for everything, otherwise you're missing that last few percent. At least until the next cable breakthrough, then you are SOL and start over.

Keep at it, you're almost there Sisyphus.

 

[Martin]

I am a recovering audiophile who once believed in the magical properties of high end cables. ASR opened my eyes.

Analog Interconnects: Liberty Cable Z500 RCA and XLR (purchased on close-out several years ago for literally pennies on the dollar)
Power Cables: Tripp-Lite 14 AWG
Digital IC: Zap Cables USB
Speaker Cables: Neotech 16 AWG solid core hookup wire
HDMI: Belkin UltraHD

Martin

 

[Zensō]

I’ve had good luck with the ”World’s Best Cables” on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Foot-RCA-Cab...s&sprefix=World’s+best+cables,aps,242&sr=1-15

 

[Robin L]

I love the smell of burning solder in the morning.

My guess is that the alchemists of old were getting high off the fumes.

If you're gonna roll your own, Canare is great stuff.

Got these from Amazon for $22.00, works for me:

 

[SIY]

This is the setup to test link SE cables shield inductance and resistance

View attachment 100258

and this is the real cable measurement. Differences are huge.
View attachment 100259

Anyone with funny comments?

You're in the wrong business!

 

[watchnerd]

You would love Mogami's, thin, flexible, and rugged. It's why most studios use them.
http://www.mogamicable.com/mogami_users/

Mogami makes IEC cables?

 

[scorePO]

Important for me is to have the right connectors on both ends. Solid build, if possible pretty.