Help: Can i use Component video cable for Audio? (1 Viewer)

[Rick RTM]

I have some component video cables and i need 6 channel analog cables for my reciever. Can i use these 2x3 component cables for audio? the guy at best buy said no so i want to ask the experts
Thanks
Rick

 

[Brian Glaeske]

Yes!

 

[Chriss M]

yup a video cable can be used for analog audio, video, or digital audio. However an audio cable can only be used for analog audio.

 

[Mark Rich]

Will they work? yes

Will the sound good/great? Probably not.Most video type cable are not the best choice for analog audio. As to how good/bad they will sound will depend on the material/recipe of the cable.

Which component cables do you have?

 

[Leo]

I've been of the understanding that if the cable is 75 ohm, then you would be okay to use the cable as a digital audio cable.

 

[JerryW]

Yes, it should work and sound ok. There may be products that sound better, but the component cable will work.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Ok guys, here are the "rules" as I understand them:
All Video cables must be made with 75 ohm coax. This is the convention so that the high frequency video signals can transfer efficiently with little chance of reflections in the cable. (I think this means that the video input jacks on our equipment are also all designed to present a 75 ohm impedence.)
Audio coax can be made with 50/75/100 or even 300 ohm coax Because the audio frequencies are much, much lower than video signals, they dont have the reflection issues that video devices do.
(There is some high-end audio gear that is designed for one particular 300 ohm cable or some such. But when you are spending $5,000+ for the component, the extra $300 per interconnect price should not suprise you. )
Coaxial Digital cables should be made with 75 ohm coax: The people who wrote the SPDIF spec wanted you to go out and buy a common video cable for this.
It has been found at one time that those bundles of L/R/Video cables from Radio Shack all appeard to be made with 75 ohm coax. This makes sense from a manufacturing standpoint: Just bond 3 runs of 75 ohm coax together and slip different colored bands on the RCA plugs on the ends.
And my guess is that a LOT of audio cables are made with 75 ohm coax as well. But unless the manufacture puts in writing what impedence coax he uses for audio cables, it's kind of a crap-shoot.
Hope this helps.