can I use a digital cable for subwoofer?

Calin75

Calin75

Enthusiast
I just bought this cable: Cordial CPDS CC
Is a profesional cable for studios and DJ's. It is safe to use it for connecting my AVR to Subwoofer (LFE)?
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
It should be just fine, and hopefully you didn't pay more than a few bucks for that cable you just bought.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Yup. BMX for the win.

These are great cables: I've many in service for most of my RCA needs, including some long runs for my Subs, right past power cables, power strips... no interference. :D
$7.99 for 15'
 
Teetertotter?

Teetertotter?

Senior Audioholic
I would think any RCA shielded digital cable would be just fine.
 
T

trochetier

Audioholic
I have used component video cable in a pinch as inter connects with no discernible effects. Made three inter connects out of two component video cables.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Well there is, Blue Jeans Cable labels their LC-1 a 'subwoofer cable'.
But for long sub cable (and other cable) runs, a RCA coax with a very heavy braided shield meets the description.
None of their cables were developed for subwoofer use, they already existed. Cables with minimal braid work just fine, unless they lay near or are bundled with power cords/electrical wiring. In a pinch, I have used some of the crappiest audio cables to connect subwoofers and they were no worse than anything. In 40+ years, I have yet to hear interference come through a sub that wasn't caused by a ground loop which would be unaffected by heavier shielding.
 
Speedskater

Speedskater

Audioholic General
Only the BJC 'LC-1' was developed for sub-woofers! Interference has nothing to do with it!
Bill Whitlock (retired Jensen Transformers) has bee writing for decades about long RCA interconnects need to have a heavy braided shield.
Cables with minimal braid can have up to about 24dB more background noise.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
Only the BJC 'LC-1' was developed for sub-woofers! Interference has nothing to do with it!
Bill Whitlock (retired Jensen Transformers) has bee writing for decades about long RCA interconnects need to have a heavy braided shield.
Cables with minimal braid can have up to about 24dB more background noise.
Is the BJC cable's shield and center conductor heavier than most? That would likely reduce any minimal voltage drop, but how is heavy shield not about interference ad well as conductance?

WRT Whitlock's comments about long cables- yes, mainly because with added length comes more opportunity for interference to enter and the heavier shield is a better conductor over distance than light shielding.

I don't know if his presentations have been recorded, but if they were, they need to be made available- I have been to two (once at CES, once at CEDIA) and it was definitely worthwhile.

A couple of important points about the LC-1- from the link, "For the dielectric, we wanted a material as foamy and soft as possible" means that tight cable bends should be avoided, as always. The minimum bend radius rule of thumb is 4x the cable's diameter, but with a softer dielectric, it would be better to go with 6x or more if possible because the center conductor wants to bend in a tighter angle and that usually compresses the dielectric, which lowers the dielectric coefficient. The result is worse noise rejection.

Another thing- it's rated CM, which makes it OK for in-wall/ceiling use, but not in a cold air return or plenum space.
 
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Teetertotter?

Teetertotter?

Senior Audioholic
None of their cables were developed for subwoofer use, they already existed. Cables with minimal braid work just fine, unless they lay near or are bundled with power cords/electrical wiring. In a pinch, I have used some of the crappiest audio cables to connect subwoofers and they were no worse than anything. In 40+ years, I have yet to hear interference come through a sub that wasn't caused by a ground loop which would be unaffected by heavier shielding.
Spot on.............Knock yourselves out folks!
rca sheilded cable - Bing
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
That Monoprice cable I linked above is RG6 with an 18AWG solid core copper conductor and double shielding. :)
For a low voltage signal, it is overkill, but for the cost: it really can’t be beat. For longer runs, though, I would recommend the beefier conductor over the 25AWG LC1.
I understand it may not matter that much unless you are hitting 40-50 ft, but again, for the price, why spend more?
 
Long Audio Beard

Long Audio Beard

Enthusiast
That Monoprice cable I linked above is RG6 with an 18AWG solid core copper conductor and double shielding. :)
For a low voltage signal, it is overkill, but for the cost: it really can’t be beat. For longer runs, though, I would recommend the beefier conductor over the 25AWG LC1.
I understand it may not matter that much unless you are hitting 40-50 ft, but again, for the price, why spend more?
I agree and I think any cable like this (coax 75 ohm usually for video transmission) is more than adequate for a subwoofer or even a full frequency RCA audio interconnect. Just my 2 cents. I have used long runs of traditional cable TV coax (with ordinary BNC connectors on the end) with RCA adapters and have had great results for subwoofers located pretty far away, like 50-150 feet from sub preamp outputs. They work great.
RCA to BNC adapters like this: RCA Male to BNC Female Adapter

For a long time, I was afraid to stray from traditional RCA cables but I found these types of connections to be really great and trouble-free, especially for long subwoofer cables, but more recently for even very short equipment RCA interconnects these work amazingly great too. Someone else had posted that if these can support all kinds of video and high speed internet etc they are more than capable for line level audio and I couldn't agree more but had to change my mindset
 
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