Picking The Right Cables
By Matt Whitlock | + Share
Why better cables?
In 1979, a man named Noel Lee made a discovery. He determined that different materials in the wire connecting a speaker to an amplifier made an impact on how it would sound. Using this discovery he set out to craft a special speaker wire that would make music sound better. This new cable, upon completion, was given the name "Monster Cable"... and a new industry was born.
Noel's cable had a profound effect on the audio world. At the time, speakers were connected with the same wire used in household electrical appliances known as lamp cord. Today, Monster Cable has become a generic term for high quality cable, similar to the Kleenex brand of tissue. Since the inception of quality cable, hundreds of manufacturers have evolved to research and design quality interconnects for audio and video equipment. Without Lee and his efforts in the research and design of quality cables, the performance of your electronics would never be fully realized.
The Cable Basics
Devices you buy for your home A/V system don't work if you just plug them into the wall. They need to be connected to the rest of your components in order to carry the output signals to where they need to go.
Take a DVR for example: DVRs have an audio and video signal that goes out when you play a show. These signals leave the DVRs through cables called interconnects, which are used to connect various devices together. DVRs can also accept signals coming in from other devices, which you can then record for later playback. These incoming signals need to get to the DVR somehow, and you can thank interconnects for getting those signals there.
Without all of these cables connecting our equipment together, nothing in your system would have a picture or sound. That's why it's best to consider cables as a component of your system rather than an accessory. An interconnect's primary purpose is to carry signals from one device to another, and they have an impact on the performance of the audio or video signal being sent. Using quality interconnects in your system helps ensure you're getting all the performance your equipment can provide.
Get the Connection Type Right
To get the most from your components, it's essential to select the right kinds of cable. Manufacturers usually package a low quality interconnect, known as a "patch cord", in the box with a new device. These cables can get you by in a pinch, but the device's true performance will not be realized until a better quality cable is obtained.
The signal quality of a device is largely impacted by the type of interconnect that's used. The different types of available connections will vary across audio gear and video gear, as well as from device to device. It's important to use the best connection your device allows. Below we'll take a look at the quality level of different kinds of connections.
Video Connections (going from worst to best)
- 300-ohm twin lead - obsolete connection.
- 75-Ohm Coaxial RF connection - worst connection; familiar screw on type wire used in many homes for cable TV service. (Keep in mind that using quality connections are important post-tuner, meaning that picking the best connection comes after your antenna, cable, or satellite signal gets to your box or television)
- Composite - better than RF; single yellow RCA cable.
- S-Video - Better than RF & composite; usually black cable with pins on both ends.
- Component connection - better than RF, composite, & S-video; cable with red, blue, green connectors on both ends.
- RGB - Not often found on home theater gear; use for computers or HD boxes.
- DVI - Typically better than component. Use on HD and DVD sources if possible.
- HDMI - Same quality as DVI, smaller physical connector. Capable of carrying audio as well.
- IEEE-1394 (Firewire) - Simplified connection, but largely unused.
- Analog left/right - Standard audio hookup; red/white RCA connectors.
- Optical Digital - better than analog, same quality as coaxial; red light shines through ends when in use.
- Coaxial - better than analog, similar quality as optical; typically orange RCA connector on each end.
- 5.1 channel input - superior when connecting DVD-Audio or SACD; 5 RCA-terminated cables.
Cable Materials
Nearly all signals output by a home theater device are in the form of electrical signals. An exception is optical output, which use light pulses rather than electricity. When picking the right cables, paying attention to the materials in the cable will give you an indication to the cables performance. Cable materials react different with different types of signals, so the best cable for video may not be the best for audio. Cable materials for digital audio signals are the same as video cables.- Copper - Copper is the most common electrical conductor. It is also the most economical cable material. It offers good sonic characteristics, and admirable performance for video applications. Copper can oxidize over a period of time.
Quality Copper - Copper can come in varying grades. The better cable manufacturers will use only quality oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper. Better copper materials will provide better sound from audio devices and better results from video players. OFHC copper is less prone to oxidation.
Silver - Silver has a theoretically higher conductivity than copper. Silver tends to be faster for delivering higher frequencies, but doesn't usually carry bass frequencies as well. Since video signals are usually higher in frequency, some of the best cables you can use for video are silver. Silver materials can push high frequencies too much, so it wouldn't be recommended to use a solid silver cable for analog music. However, silver-plated and coated cables will provide the best of both worlds when constructed properly. Unfortunately, silver is more expensive than copper.
Shielding - Quality cables utilize shielding to keep out unwanted forms of interference that can impact the quality of audio and video signals. The effectiveness of the shield will vary from cable to cable.
Termination - Interconnects have a termination at each end of the cable. A termination is some form of plug that interfaces with the corresponding device. Some common terminations include RCA jacks, S-video plugs, and F-connectors. Quality cables use gold plated connectors to resist corrosion. Also, better quality terminations will hold the jack tight, and not fall off over time.
Picking the Right Cable
When choosing a cable, there is no "perfect" choice. The best cables are expensive, and unless you have an endless supply of money, you'll need to find the biggest bang for the buck that you can get. Remember, cables are essential. Upgrade any patch cords you are using, even if they are not the best ones. The first step to a better system is to not use them at all.
Since quality interconnects can be pricey, do your best to focus on your most important components. For example, if you own both a CD and DVD player but find that you rarely use your CD player, focus on getting better cables for your DVD player. Ensure that you follow the signal paths to the destination source, which means that if you switch your DVD signal through an A/V receiver, get the same quality interconnect going into AND out of the receiver. Otherwise, your quality will be limited to the worst cable in the chain.
Use digital connections whenever possible. If you have the ability to use an advanced connection like DVI or HDMI over component, go for it. Just keep in mind that a DVI connection with the lowest quality cable may look worse than a component connection with a good cable.
It takes time to plan the connections for a great system, and if you cannot do all of your cables at once, focus on the essentials and do the rest at a later time. For some, it takes years to get the right stuff to make your system work at its best. Go one step at a time, and you will one day achieve the best performance out of the gear you own.