Subwoofer cables - Big difference or rip-off?

C

capoditutticapi

Audiophyte
Do special 'subwoofer cables' make a big difference or does an RCA cable do almost as good at alot cheaper? Im currently using rca cables and it sounds good and was wondering if it would be worth the expensive prices of buying a a subwoofer cable?
 
H

hammong

Audioholic Intern
Some people may want to shoot me for saying this.... but I honestly can hear a difference between the generic RCA cable I was using on my subwoofer and the Monster Mk 300 Subwoofer cable I replaced it with.

Cables are always a hot topic in the audio world. Some say you can hook your RCA connections with unshielded twisted pair cable with good connectors and get as clean a signal as you can with the most expensive aftermarket audio "specialty" cables.

I tend to go with the lower-end Monster Cable line, for no other reason than I like the look of the connectors/insulation, and I know if I have a problem with the connectors coming loose I can just get them replaced no questions asked.

Greg
 
M

MDS

Audioholic Spartan
Any reasonably well made cable will work just as well as an expensive cable. Unless the cheap RCA cable you are using has very poor shielding and you wrap it around your power cords, it isn't going to sound any different than an expensive cable.
 
S

sjdgpt

Senior Audioholic
Instead of spending the money on the subwoofer cable, how about sending me half the amount for my advice. You will be financially much farther ahead, AND you will have the same sonic improvement. :D


In otherwords....

unless you have a specific reason, such as a very long cable run that is running next to all of ther power cables etc, the is little reason to use anything beyond a decent quality plain jane RCA cable to your sub.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
capoditutticapi said:
Do special 'subwoofer cables' make a big difference or does an RCA cable do almost as good at alot cheaper? Im currently using rca cables and it sounds good and was wondering if it would be worth the expensive prices of buying a a subwoofer cable?
Continue using what you have. Sub cables are yet another one of those audio worlds dark side, overblown hypes, voodoo songs, bs. :D
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
hammong said:
Some people may want to shoot me for saying this...
hammong said:
Naw, that is too final and illegal :D

. but I honestly can hear a difference between the generic RCA cable I was using on my subwoofer and the Monster Mk 300 Subwoofer cable I replaced it with.

Or, just an issue of perceptions that can be unreliable. ;)

Cables are always a hot topic in the audio world.

Like astrology or creation in another world :D
 
RLA

RLA

Audioholic Chief
If you have some DIY in you
Get some good (not cheap) RG-6 QS terminate with RCA's and you will have one of the finest sub cables available RG-6 QS is a true multi-purpose cable
 
Rock&Roll Ninja

Rock&Roll Ninja

Audioholic Field Marshall
Do special 'subwoofer cables' make a big difference or does an RCA cable do almost as good at alot cheaper?
A "subwoofer cable" is nothing but a single RCA cable to begin with. Just buy a cable thats long enough and of good manufacture.
 
M

mustang_steve

Senior Audioholic
Shielding and proper impedance are the things to look for, aside from that, as long as it's copper, don't worry `bout it.
 
M

Mega2000

Audioholic
RLA said:
If you have some DIY in you
Get some good (not cheap) RG-6 QS terminate with RCA's and you will have one of the finest sub cables available RG-6 QS is a true multi-purpose cable
this is what i did for a temp solution while waitng for a cable i bought online and i can tell no difference between the RG-6 cable. onl thing is that the RG-6 cable wasn't as bendy and harder to get where it needed to go.
 
H

hrtbeat2

Audioholic
I've noticed with my Monster sub cable if I disconnect it from the back of my receiver it hums real bad or if I disconnect it and then touch the back of my receiver the same thing?
 
M

MBauer

Audioholic
It's electricity

Properly terminated wire will do fine. Sub woofers (speakers too) operate at what are considered to be very low frequencies. So almost any wire will work fine with your sub. Shielding of some sort is good or running the wire perpendicular to power lines (if some are near by). Just use as much wire as you need, which is always good advice for cabling. A subwoofer output is low voltage and low frequency.

I think good connectors are important, but only to insure a tight fit and no corrosion both which could impact conductivity.

It’s electricity, not magic
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
That's normal.

hrtbeat2 said:
I've noticed with my Monster sub cable if I disconnect it from the back of my receiver it hums real bad or if I disconnect it and then touch the back of my receiver the same thing?
You'll get the same results if you do this with any cable.
 

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