cables for my ht setup

[LOUMFSG]

I have tried looking through the various cabling tips and guides, but I am having a hard time weeding through some of the extremely technical data to get to some good recommendations that I can use. Here are the components that I need to connect:

Panasonic TH-50PHD7UY plasma display
Yamaha RX-V2500 AVR
Onkyo DV-CP802 SACD/DVD-A/DVD-V player
Comcast HD Digital STB.
BIC Venturi speakers

I need three sets of component video cables (set-top-box to receiver, dvd to receiver, and receiver to display). Does anyone have a recommendation for good quality / reasonably priced cables that I should look for?

Also, I'll need two digital audio connections (set-top-box to receiver, dvd to receiver). Should I get optical or coax cables?

I'll also need one set of 5.1 analog audio cables. Should I get standard RCA cables?

If for any of these, if there are various quality levels (premium, "gold", etc.), where does it make sense to spend a little extra, and where are the standard cables just fine.

Finally, where is a good place to buy cables. Is Radio Shack the right place to shop, or are there better places?

Thanks in advance?

 

[j_garcia]

Best component cables I've used for the price are Blue Jeans (see sig). No frills, just good stuff. $40 for a 3 footer, and as you'll see, you can get just about any length you need. I HIGHLY recommend these guys.

If you are looking for something less expensive, Parts Express has the standard AR component cables for just $9/ea for a 6'. Amazing price for a decent cable (not in the same class as Blue Jeans though). PN# 189-060.

I prefer coaxial cables simply because they are more sturdy and decent ones don't cost too much compared to optical; just a personal pref. Either can be found for a good price at www.ac4l.com - AR Pro2 6' of either are $17/ea. I ordered quite a few of these and they are very decent quality for the price. Search for: Optical = PR181 Coaxial = PR171

Radio Shack stuff is decent, but IMO, for these types of cables, I'd opt for ones like those I mentioned. Shouldn't break the bank and will give you great performance.

For multichannel DVD-A, you will need a 6 ch analog cable to go from the DVD player to the receiver. Blue Jeans has these bundled already, or you can pick up 3 pairs of some close out cables from AC4L or PE.

 

[adamrc]

I would have to recommend Blue Jeans Cable. I am very impressed by the quality of the cables that they build. For the money, you can't go wrong with them. I have a component, digital coax, and subwoofer cable from Blue Jeans and I am very happy in the way they perform. As far as the speakers go, you can't go wrong with Sound King speaker cable from Parts Express. I bought some 12 guage Sound King speaker cable last week and it sounds great.

 

[jaxvon]

Blue Jeans is great, but their cables can still get pricey if you're on a budget like me. You might want to check out Knu Konceptz. Their component cables are (I believe) still on sale for $18, and this is for up to 4m in length. That's a DAMN good price. It's not broadcast quality like Blue Jeans, but it's damn good.

Here's a link to the 1m, the 2m, and the 4m.

Their interconnect prices are also great. I'm not sure about shipping though, they might be expensive.

 

[maxse]

is there any difference in the actual cable between these two brands? Im thinking of making my own from RG-6 like someone suggested. Would this be comparable to the bluejeans?

 

[Nick250]

I use Radio Shack Gold Series for most all my connections and their 14 guage speaker wire (they sell Monster now, no need to go there). The other suggestions you have gotten are just fine too. There will be no difference in audio and video between any of the cables and speaker wire mentioned. I choose Radio Shack because because it's solid stuff and there is a store 5 minutes from where I live. Home Depot has speaker wire that is fine too. There are lots of good inexpensive choices.