Suggestions for Cables/wires HELP!! (1 Viewer)

[JohnXm]

Hey everyone, I am new to this forum. I just purchased a Sony 53 inch Television. I do not know much about cables and wires. I was wondering if anyone could help me out on deciding the best quality wires/cables to purchase for my new tv that will give it the best quality. I pretty much need a wire/cables set going from my cable box to the TV and also another set going from my DVD player to the TV. I also have a pioneer amp. Again, I know very little. I heard Monster Inc. cables were good. Can someone please HELP ME! THANKS
:frowning:

 

[Bob McElfresh]

There is a lot of hype over cables.

First, is your TV a HDTV set or standard TV?

For low-grade sources like a VCR/CATV box (not HD), both Radio Shack and the AR Pro 2 brand are great quality for the money.

For a progressive scan DVD player or a STB/HD decoder, the frequencies are higher. The smart money goes to the custom cable sites like www.bettercables.com . These places will make you cables using industry grade coax & connectors. The prices - less than Monster 2 retail prices. Yet, you get cables that rival the high-end CX Monster cables that sell for $220.

Note: Monster Inc is a movie, Monster Cable is a retail brand of cables. Dont order the wrong thing or you might get a DVD instead of a set of cables.

Oh, Welcome to HTF!

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

John,

Looks like you're new to the game- so it might be wise to get an idea of the various connection types that are available for DVD and cable box. I would strongly suggest you look over the FAQ AND PRIMER (link in my signature below)-- at the very least there is a section on cable types and connectors ("Different Video and Audio connection cables and types by Chella")... but the entire document might help you.

-Vince

 

[JohnXm]

Ok guys, Thanks for the replys. I think I'm gonna go with the Component Setup for running my DVD to the TV. However, I am still a little unsure how to go about deciding which wire/cables to buy running from my cable box to the tv. Would I just need to get RCA cables for this (the red/white/yellow ones)? If so, do you recommend any high end RCA cables?

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

John,

In some cases, the Red/White/Yellow cables would be acceptable-- you would, at the very least, get a picture. the problem is, the specification for audio cable is slightly different (and less critical) than that for video. While often, many companies will just use the same grade cable and connectors for all 3 parts of that A/V cable- sometimes the audio portion is cheaper with different impedance specifications- which could reduce picture quality.

Your best bet is to find some component cables designed for that job. You can find some cheaper models at stores like Walmart, Best buy and the like (Radio Shack usually stocks a couple different kinds as well). Monster is a pretty generic "good" brand- sometimes a little overpriced, but you will always get decent cables.

Another option is to look around here and see some of the online companies (like forum sponsor BETTERCABLES)-- some of these places might seems a little pricey- but offer broadcast quality cabling.

There is also the final option, and my personal choice- which is employing a custom builder. There are several of us here on the forum (like myself: http://cables.musicianassist.com) and a few who have created commercial services (http://www.bluejeanscable.com or http://www.wickedcables.com for example)-- and you can get top quality "boutique" cables for a fraction of the price of some other places.

-Vince

 

[Lee Scoggins]

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/sh...threadid=13962

Steve Hoffman, one of the best mastering engineers suggests the above cables sound great.

There are some very good Acoustic research cables for $20 based on opinion of Sam Tellig, a popular Stereophile writer (I think they are the AR HT-130s).