Will a high quality xlr cable improve the sound?

[Nothgiel]

I currently have some ordinary cheap xlr cables tied to my Cyrus phono pre amplifier and McIntosh 7200 Amplifier, will a high quality xlr cable improve the sound?

 

[Mort]

No but I buy them anyway.

 

[delta76]

No. Unless your old is broken. XLR is a way to avoid noise so a new one will not help.
but if it's nicer in look and feel and reasonably priced, buy it if that makes you happy

 

[staticV3]

Cordial/Blue Jeans Cable/World's Best Cables are the pinnacle of sound and build quality.

Anything more expensive should be considered jewelry, except for fringe cases like cables built for weather exposure etc.

 

[delta76]

Cordial/Blue Jeans Cable/World's Best Cables are the pinnacle of sound and build quality.

Anything more expensive should be considered jewelry, except for fringe cases like cables built for weather exposure etc.

was there a test somewhere on build quality and durability? (not sound quality of course, as long as it's not broken)
there are many other options where I live so don't want to stick with US-focused ones

 

[staticV3]

was there a test somewhere on build quality and durability? (not sound quality of course, as long as it's not broken)
there are many other options where I live so don't want to stick with US-focused ones

Testing durability objectively will be a challenge. I'm not aware of any person or organization that has attempted it.

My claim above was based on the fact that all three brands use reputable cables and connectors from the likes of Neutrik, Mogami, Sommer etc, and all three have proven more than competent at soldering them together.

For a consumer or prosumer in a domestic environment, all that awaits you beyond that is esoteric pseudoscience without merit.

 

[Sokel]

Testing durability objectively will be a challenge. I'm not aware of any person or organization that has attempted it.

My claim above was based on the fact that all three brands use reputable cables and connectors from the likes of Neutrik, Mogami, Sommer etc, and all three have proven more than competent at soldering them together.

For a consumer or prosumer in a domestic environment, all that awaits you beyond that is esoteric pseudoscience without merit.

Don't know about the rest, but Cordial does not make sense to me.

(that was an RCA>XLR, every sane principle there is ditched)

Edit: also, the RCA plug is not very nice, and it can't be the Neutrik quality we know, center pin started to spin around after some plug I/O .

 

[sigbergaudio]

If you're Europe based, here is a solid cable with Neutrik connectors that is very reasonably priced:

Cordial CAM 6 BK

Professional Microphone Cable Length: 6 m, Original Neutrik NC 3 FXX-BAG + NC 3 MXX-BAG XLR plug, Cable type: CME 220 Black, Includes hook-and-loop fastener, Colour: Black

www.thomannmusic.no

 

[delta76]

If you're Europe based, here is a solid cable with Neutrik connectors that is very reasonably priced:

Cordial CAM 6 BK

Professional Microphone Cable Length: 6 m, Original Neutrik NC 3 FXX-BAG + NC 3 MXX-BAG XLR plug, Cable type: CME 220 Black, Includes hook-and-loop fastener, Colour: Black

www.thomannmusic.no

looks like a great option. been available for 20y+ with a lot of glowing reviews!

 

[respice finem]

I got only Cordial XLR cables, never had a problem. BTW, the leads are soldered.
Maybe for PA even sturdier ones make sense, because people will walk on them etc.
But for home use, "plug and forget" IMHO.

 

[Curvature]

was there a test somewhere on build quality and durability? (not sound quality of course, as long as it's not broken)
there are many other options where I live so don't want to stick with US-focused ones

Testing durability objectively will be a challenge. I'm not aware of any person or organization that has attempted it.

Canare, Belden and Mogami provide durability specs according to their internal testing. Only pro companies do this.

Examples:

Star Quad Microphone Cables <span>(Single)</span>

Effectively reduce noise levels to 1/10 that of general-purpose, 2-conductor shielded cables.

www.canare.co.jp

Analog Audio Cable - 8405

www.belden.com

MOGAMI® - Neglex Quad Cables

Mogami Neglex Quad Cables are perfect for home studios suffering from wiring and grounding problems.

mogamicable.com

 

[Devnull]

Testing durability objectively will be a challenge. I'm not aware of any person or organization that has attempted it.

My claim above was based on the fact that all three brands use reputable cables and connectors from the likes of Neutrik, Mogami, Sommer etc, and all three have proven more than competent at soldering them together.

For a consumer or prosumer in a domestic environment, all that awaits you beyond that is esoteric pseudoscience without merit.

There are standards for cable durability, but in the consumer audio world they don't apply. Do a Google search for mil spec cable durability for examples of standards

 

[staticV3]

There are standards for cable durability

bulk cable durability yes, durability of the finished XLR cable I'm not aware of any.

 

[Devnull]

bulk cable durability yes, durability of the finished XLR cable I'm not aware of any.

MIL-STD-810 would cover finished cable assemblies if it was spec'd in the RFP or any of the supplemental paperwork or requirements. 810 would also cover the finished cable assembly if the cable assembly was part of another product that needed to comply with 810

 

[Curvature]

bulk cable durability yes, durability of the finished XLR cable I'm not aware of any.

The specs I linked above assume termination, FYI.

 

[Nothgiel]

I found these ones on Amazon, they seem like a bargain at £190.

 

[delta76]

I found these ones on Amazon, they seem like a bargain at £190.
View attachment 506615

Bargain? At £190 for 1m?

Unless if you were sarcastic, no, absolutely not. That is basically throwing money away. Get a good one at less than £10/m. You have plenty of names from this thread

 

[tineared]

I found these ones on Amazon, they seem like a bargain at £190.
View attachment 506615

These cables are at least as good and probably better.
You can send me half the difference as a tip

 

[Svend P]

I found these ones on Amazon, they seem like a bargain at £190.

From an audio science point of view, even your McIntosh 7200 amplifier is a complete waste of money. Something as modest as a Denon AVC-X3800H with Dirac ART installed, would win over it in a blind test (providing it's 130 W per channel is sufficient for your needs) because of the superiority of room correction.

 

[delta76]

From an audio science point of view, even your McIntosh 7200 amplifier is a complete waste of money. Something as modest as a Denon AVC-X3800H with Dirac ART installed, would win over it in a blind test (providing it's 130 W per channel is sufficient for your needs) because of the superiority of room correction.

That is true, but it is nice also .

Just a bit word of warning for OT. Joining ASR means a lot of your preconceptions will be challenged, sometimes harshly. You can feel offended, or delighted, and once you understand your spending can be cut back significantly because expensive equipment is not necessary let alone essential to have good sound quality. In many cases a lot of cheaper ones will perform even better.

We only here to help with the advance of proven facts. We have no interest in your financial whatsoever, so if you buy something expensive is entirely up to you. We only want people to be able to listen to good music and spend money reasonably