Audio/Video cable quality questions (1 Viewer)

[Brian.S]

I am in the process of totally upgrading my HTD(slow process due to low funds) and I know there are ALOT of brands of cables(Acoustic Research, Monster, BetterCable.com etc) I was wondering if there is REALLY that much difference between for example an Acoustic Research 12' Optical Cable for $30 and a Monster THX Certified optical cable for $100? I would love to have all my cables THX Certified but is it REALLY worth 3-4x the price? Thanks again for the advice

-Brian

 

[Tim K]

In my opinion, NO. I think most people here would agree that there are diminishing returns on your investment. You could pay $300 for a cable, but would you see the difference between a $50 cable and the $300 cable...probably not. I wouldn't. I say save your money and buy cables from a reputable cable manufacturer. Monster's cables are decent, but you are paying for the name too. Check out places like bettercables, and bluejeans cables. To me, there is no reason to get THX certified anything...but that's up to you whether or not you value that stamp on a package. You can get cables that are as good, if not better than those for the same price. Just because they aren't THX certified, doesn't mean they don't meet THX standards....it just means that company didn't want to pay for THX certs. So I say, buy good cables, but don't pay for a name or a THX stamp.

Think about it, there are $2000 amps and pre/pro's out there that are not THX certified. There are $600 receivers that are....which do you think is better? You get what you pay for, and sometimes you are paying for a name. Just because THX doesn't certify it, doesn't mean its not a fantastic product.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

You could pay $300 for a cable, but would you see the difference between a $50 cable and the $300 cable...probably not.

Or if you did, was the difference (or improvement) worth the difference in price?

This is something that doesn’t get much attention, but I think it’s realistic to say that you probably have to have megabuck sound system – in the five-figure range – before cables start to make a noticeable difference.

For most people, all you need to get is some decent-quality cabling – certainly better than the stuff that comes in the boxes with the gear. Not so much for an improvement in sound, but an improvement in build-quality and reliability. At the very least, go with Radio Shack’s gold series cables.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Chu Gai]

I think you can spend a bit less than your lowest price and still get a quality cable. The only cable that's intrigued me are the armour jacketed ones from lifatec.com and that's simply because they're relatively abuse free. So long as you're not Oprah after a 6 month food binge, you can walk on them.

 

[Iver]

A THX certified optical cable. That's funny.

Get one of the cables they sell for use with game consoles. These often cost less than $10. Functionally identical even to THX certified optical cables.

 

[Neil Joseph]

Moved to Connections.

 

[Vincent_S]

Over the past six months or so I have switched from an AR optical cable(cheapest one I could find), to a Heartland Cables digital coax, and back to a Tara Labs optical and I really can't tell any difference between the 3. I say if you don't really care what brand you're using then just go with the cheapest one you can find since they all sound the same. That's just my .02

P.S.- Check Ebay, you can usually find some really good deals over there.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Remember we are talking about a "Digital" connection here. The signals can usually tollerate a LOT of degridation and still result in perfect transmission.

There IS a difference in fiber-optic cables. Simply using 2 different ones from the output of a DVD player and shining the output onto a piece of white paper can show you a visible brightness difference. (A fellow member did this with a Radio Shack and Monster cable and noticed the difference.)

But .. does this really count? As long as the receiving end can tell the difference between On/Off - brightness does not matter.

I suspect a more-expensive cable may last longer than a budget brand as the fibers do yellow over time. But in the 5-6 years I have been watching - nobody has had an optical cable wear-out.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

(A fellow member did this with a Radio Shack and Monster cable and noticed the difference.)

Don’t leave us hanging, Bob – which one was better?

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Vincent_S]

The reason I recommended Ebay was because I have never had a bad experience with anything I have purchased. The Tara Labs cable I mentioned was an Ebay purchase, it was new in the packaging and works perfectly. Just check the sellers rating and you should be fine. Some even offer a return policy.

 

[ChadLB]

For Video I just made my runs of 35ft RG6 and Connector ends for really cheap and I compared them to my IXOS $50 3 ft cable and they look the same.......doesn't look like I changed cables.....