Cables - good things to know!

[iGirl]

First, be very careful looking at cables - they are not all created equally.

"Designer" high end cables are usually a monstrous rip off targeted at those people who think more money always buys "better"...BUT...

DO take a close look at the gauge of cable you are buying - thicker cable has less resistance and therefore can carry a signal farther/better.

The LOWER the gauge/AWG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge) number, the thicker the cable. I discovered in shopping for a long HDMI cable to run to my ceiling projector, most online vendors were selling 24, 26 and 28 gauge cable. The thicker 22 gauge was only found at a few places....so a word to the wise - read the fine print!

Second - More to know about digital video connectors, here -
http://lyberty.com/encyc/articles/svideo.html
A very good paper, easy to understand and apply!

As far as speaker cables go - you can save lots of money by using simply household LAMP CORD bought from your local hardware store! This type copper twisted pair wire is exactly what you get when you buy prepackaged "speaker wire". If you need something other than bare wire connections, soldering the appropriate ends on is simple.

Oh, and one more trick out there to watch out for....

A 3/RCA cable sold as Component Video (red/blue/green) will almost ALWAYS be sold for more than a 3/RCA Composite Video cable (red/white/yellow) of the same gauge and length. It's because Component is "better" video - meaning you should have to pay more - NOT.

NEWS FLASH - it's the EXACT SAME cable! Only the colored ends are different!!!

Happy cabling!

 

[avaserfi]

You should check out the audioholics main page section on cables and you will learn quiet a bit more than those simple rules. After all audioholics got it start busting cable myths.

http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables

 

[Adam]

A 3/RCA cable sold as Component Video (red/blue/green) will almost ALWAYS be sold for more than a 3/RCA Composite Video cable (red/white/yellow) of the same gauge and length. It's because Component is "better" video - meaning you should have to pay more - NOT.

NEWS FLASH - it's the EXACT SAME cable! Only the colored ends are different!!!

Are you sure about them being the exact same? I thought that video interconnects typically have more shielding than audio interconnects. A component video cable (red/blue/green) consists of three video interconnects, while a composite video/stereo audio cable (red/white/yellow) consists of one video interconnect and two audio interconnects.

 

[avaserfi]

Are you sure about them being the exact same? I thought that video interconnects typically have more shielding than audio interconnects. A component video cable (red/blue/green) consists of three video interconnects, while a composite video/stereo audio cable (red/white/yellow) consists of one video interconnect and two audio interconnects.

The internals are exactly the same they are all coax the difference is the shielding. They are also the same as a subwoofer cable and a cable for television. The only real difference between all of them is the shielding used.

 

[Adam]

The internals are exactly the same they are all coax the difference is the shielding. They are also the same as a subwoofer cable and a cable for television. The only real difference between all of them is the shielding used.

Agreed, and thanks for the info. I was just trying to verify if they were the same, and I think that we both agree that they are not because of the shielding.

Now, here's the follow-up question: Does the shielding have some reason for being there other than to unnecessarily increase the cost? I thought so, but I've certainly been wrong before.

 

[avaserfi]

Depends on your situation. I have used a yellow "video" cable as a subwoofer cable and heard no interference cause by the situation for sometime. It really depends on the typical application I actually say they are all exactly the same the only time you will need more shielding is if there is more interference, otherwise who cares? I would probably still have the old rca hooked up to my sub if I didn't start getting interference when my new neighbors moved in below me.

 

[MDS]

While there can be a difference between audio cables and those labeled for video, digital audio, or subwoofer in general there is not. The 75 Ohm cables required for video, digital audio, and sub applications work perfectly for analog audio and it is far easier and cheaper for the manufacturer to make all the same cables and just change the color coded RCA connector on the end.

It is true though that there is often a price difference for those labeled for a specific purpose. For example, buying a 6.1 analog audio set with each connector color coded properly is more expensive than buying 3 pair of stereo analog audio cables.

 

[Audioholics]

Most of the time the end results will be the same for well-made cables of either type (over short runs), but typically component YPbPr cables are three shielded coax runs, while AV cables are a single shielded coax (yellow) with two stranded cables for the red/white... but you really never know until you handle them since everyone makes them differently.