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XLR Interconnects

concorde1

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I need 4 XLR interconnects (Male to Female, about 1 ft). They are for DAC -> Preamp . . . and Preamp -> Power Amp.

I found Kopul Studio Elite 4000 Series XLR Microphone Cable. It has Neutrik connectors. It offers 98% shielding, whereas the Performance 3000 Series offers "just" 95% shielding.

Would this be a good option?
 

Vict0r

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I use Cordial XLR cables. They use Neutrik (or REAN, in their budget line) connectors and are very well made. They mention their shielding at >95%. Cheap, too!

cordial-cpm10fm-microfoonkabel-10m-peak.jpg
 
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Veri

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I always buy 'worlds best cable' on amazon, really swear by them. There's lots of variations so gotta check what's in stock. For XLRs I purchased these. I'm in EU but amazon US should have this brand too, have bought same stuff on there with global shipping before too.
Edit: I see the URL I bought from before no longer works for me due to Brexit. Joy.
 

Speedskater

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The XLR balanced analog interconnect system is very robust. For short lengths, almost any Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cable will work great. Now for long cables, say 300 feet/100 meters, or in harsh noise/interference situations (like on a stage) more thought is needed.
Go with good connectors from Switchcraft or Neutrik .
 

goldenpiggy

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For analog audio at that short of a length, with only 4 cables (even if bundled), and in a home environment, I would not worry at all about % shield or whether it's braided copper shield or mylar/foil with drain wire, etc. There are more important parameters. 50% shield would be fine and sound the same. Hell, no shield like Vovox cables would work just fine. Remember that the tigher/higher coverage the shield, the more the capacitance. So it's a balance between shielding or capacitance.

I would not spend extra money on star-quads or Ameri-quads either, which has significantly more capacitance (both conductor-to-conductor and conductor-to-shield) than your good old twisted pair. I only use star-quads for rental/staging/live sound where cables are repeatedly coiled, uncoiled, and abused.

What I look for in good, cheap cable XLR/mic cable:
1) 20-24AWG pure stranded copper inner conductors. The bigger the conductors (lower gauge), the more capacitance, but also easier to solder if making own cable.

2) High quality connectors by Neutrik, REAN, AMP, Switchcraft. I want robust, solid connectors that does not wiggle in their shell, with pin 1 positioned properly (makes contact before pins 2/3.) I like the gold-plated Neutriks. Avoid connectors that have a screw to hold it together (with exception of Switchcraft.)

3) Avoid the really shiny PVC jacket material which do not lie flat, has higher capacitance, and over many years can increase oxidation of the outermost copper strands. When I make my own cables that does not have to withstand the rigors of live stage use (repeated coiling and connection), I'll just use the common install-type 20/2 or 22/2 mylar foil/OAS shielded plenum cables. Cheap, easy to work with, and the teflon insulation/jacket has less capacitance than PVC.

4) Soldered by someone who knows how to solder. Open up the connectors on both ends and inspect the soldering job. Should be clean. I've seen atrocious soldering job on Parts Express Talon XLRs.

I've had absolutely no problem with these, and I probably go through a thousand each year doing installation. Made in USA.
https://www.fullcompass.com/prod/218537-cable-up-mic-xx-3-3-ft-xlr-microphone-cable
 

deprogrammed

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I always buy 'worlds best cable' on amazon, really swear by them. There's lots of variations so gotta check what's in stock. For XLRs I purchased these. I'm in EU but amazon US should have this brand too, have bought same stuff on there with global shipping before too.
Edit: I see the URL I bought from before no longer works for me due to Brexit. Joy.

Same. I was looking at getting a Y adapter and I didn't see they made them. Sent a message and they said they would make one, just needed to know the size. Didn't end up needing one for now so I don't know prices but nice to know that is an option.
 
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concorde1

concorde1

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I always buy 'worlds best cable' on amazon, really swear by them.
I don't trust them as they say their cables have "directions". (EDIT: now I see why they sometimes have directions for shielding, I do trust them)
I usually buy cables from ghentaudio.
3) Avoid the really shiny PVC jacket material which do not lie flat, has higher capacitance, and over many years can increase oxidation of the outermost copper strands.

Interestingly the Ghent cables are PVC jacket.

I do want to pay extra to have OFC, so I'd get the Mogami 2549 one. But they're 35-40 USD each for sizes I want - not cheap as cables go.
 
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DHT 845

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Not cheap? So what would you say about Nordost Odin or Siltech Triple Crown :)
But seriously Klotz MC5000 is not bad, pretty neutral sounding and cheap.
 

rcstevensonaz

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I don't trust them as they say their cables have "directions".
I suspect you might be misinterpreting what they are saying. This is not about some magical property of electrons flowing better in a certain direction.

Rather, WBC uses standard cable types (and they list exactly which cable they use, which is fantastic). The term "direction" means that on those cables, the shielding is connected at one end, but not at the other. There are some use cases where this is a desired implementation; and it is a well understood, well defined, and widely debated use case. But there is no "audio voodoo" on the part of WBC.

What is also great about WBC is that they are very clear on which cables are constructed that way. In my case, I wanted cables that have shield connected at both ends. I simply searched through their catalog, and was able to find such cables. Point is: the consumer has a choice in construction type. (Also, as a side note, WBC will make custom cables if you contact them directly)
 
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concorde1

concorde1

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Racheski

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I do want to pay extra to have OFC, so I'd get the Mogami 2549 one. But they're 35-40 USD each for sizes I want - not cheap as cables go.
1 ft Mogami 2534 for $17/each when you buy 4. I bought these last year and they are solid.
Mogami 2534

1 ft Mogami 2549 for $14.50 each
Mogami 2549

Looks like both of these will ship to NZ
 

rcstevensonaz

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Canare L-4E6S is a classic.
Most of the literature I read suggests that quad star cables (E.g., Canare L-4E6S or Mogami 2534) are a good choice for long run balanced (XLR/TRS) cables or unbalanced (RCA/TS) cables. However, it comes with a higher capacitance.

Because of that, Mogami (and much of the literature I read) suggests using standard 3-conductor cable for shorter run XLR interconnects: E.g., Mogami 2549. And for RCA interconnect, using standard 2-conductor cable for shorter runs: E.g., Mogami 2964 / 2965 (which they use for their pre-made RCA interconnects) or the Mogami 2549.

Note: I listed Mogami since that is the cable type I've standardized on for my wiring; but similar suggestion for the 2- or 3-conductor cables from Carne, Beldin, etc. And no real reason to prefer one brand over the other :). But if interested in Mogami, their catalog with details on each of their cables is here: http://www.mogami.com/mit/catalog.pdf

On the other hand, you won't go wrong using star-quad on shorter runs, or standard coax cables on longer runs for audio systems in the vast majority of our at-home listening environments. So there is no intention of starting that debate here. I simply wanted to add the alternative thinking with regard to star quad cables based on my reading (when I did a deep dive a few months ago while avoiding doing real work :cool:).
 
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rcstevensonaz

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Thanks for the info
No worry... and thanks for sharing your initial impression. If it doesn't get verbalized, then others miss the chance to jump in to either affirm or counter the thinking. I've seen nothing but great reviews for WBC, so it would be shame to avoid them only from a misunderstanding.

Btw, if you see reference to speaker cables (which do not have shielding design to avoid ground loops like an interconnect cable) having "direction", then run the other direction... o_O
 

cursive

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Another vote for WBC. I have their Mogami, and Canare in 1ft lengths, but https://www.amazon.com/Units-Balanced-Microphone-Amphenol-Connectors/dp/B07MQDCFDB/ is my favorite as they seem to be their cheapest 1 ft pair of xlr. The amphenol connectors on these are even nicer than the Neutrik ones in my opinion. But really, can't go wrong with any of the WBC xlr offerings.

Also 10 year replacement warranty, though I've never had any issue so been unable to truly test this warranty out.
 

Racheski

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About to get 4x
6 Foot - Balanced Microphone Cable CUSTOM MADE By WORLDS BEST CABLES - using Mogami 2549 (Black) wire and Neutrik NC3MXX-B & NC3FXX-B Gold XLR Plugs
for 25 USD each + shipping

Shorter lengths weren't available as far as I could see.
Just make sure you burn that shit in real good per their instructions :eek:
1617831217659.png
 
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