What to look for in a decent composite cable? (1 Viewer)

[Peter Hunt]

This may be a vauge question but its time to buy some decent composite cables and I'm wondering what I should look for or if you have any recomendations. Other then the facter silver and gold conduct better then copper and thicker is better, what should I look for?

Plus if anyone has any personal recommendations that would be great. Other then Monster Cables and AR cables I'm not brand familiar. I'm looking for an 8-10' cable in the $100 ballpark.

Thanks!

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Your best bet is to hit some of the internet sites and have them build you a cable using Canare RCA plugs (some of the best) and either Canare or Belden coax. This is the stuff the production studios use. Should cost you lots less than $100.
Some sites:
www.bluejeanscable.com
www.wickedcables.com
Cable Solutions (go to eBay and search for "Canare")
www.bettercables.com (their coax has a silver-coated center conductor)
Hope this helps.

 

[Peter Hunt]

You know what bob.. You just said "the stuff production studios use" and well... I work in a production studio. For any of our VTRs we use BNCs for composites but some of the techs here might be able to help me out. And ontop of that you gave me names and links. It's always hard to price or look up something when you don't even have a name to look up. Thank again
Peter

 

[Peter Hunt]

Bob,

thanks again! I can't believe the pricing on the cables and you're saying Canare and Belden are very good. You weren't kidding at all when you said under $100. So if these are very decent cables, what justifies $150+ cables by other manufactures?

 

[Chu Gai]

Maybe the folks at the productions studio can turn you on to some sources they use and save you even more.

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Yes, the professional equipment use BNC connectors which are better than RCA plugs. The Canare RCA plugs get close, but not perfect.
Some places like BetterCables use instrument-grade coax with a silver-coated center conductor. So they are a bit more expensive (but the feedback by customers is universal: great cables).
The $150 price tag for 'botique' cables is a bit of a marketing gimick. But not really out of line. (I've seen $800 for a 1 meter coaxial cable - that out of line )
For example: the Canare RCA plugs are $2.50 ea = $15 for 6
And the Canare coax is $1.50 /ft. So a 10 ft cable has a material cost of: $30.
But you have to buy a spool of 300 feet of coax and pay for shipping of heavy copper cable. That adds to the price.
You have to buy about $300 worth of crimpers, dies, strippers, heat-shrink gun to put the RCA plugs on the coax. This adds to the price.
Cables are very labor-intensive. The cost to pay a tech to assemble a cable is usually more than the materials. (At my wife's company, they dont even bother to invoice the cost of the wires for their machines cables - it's all labor).
When you add in the packaging, shipping to the store, sales/marketing/etc., all this adds to the price of a store-bought cable.
So thats why a $30/cost cable tends to cost $60+ even at internet prices. It's higher for the blister-packed units at the stores.

 

[Mark Rich]

Peter.
You're in Canada right? Then RhinoCables.com will be able to supply you with Belden 1694a cables for a reasonable price. Ideal cable for composite/component use. I use some of their cables and no complaints.

 

[Peter Hunt]

Mark,
Thanks mark I'll check it out. I'm ready to place my order on www.bluejeanscable.com but a canadian site might avoid custom issues.
Thanks!