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Best cable for the money?

#41
bhass said:
Please, can anyone explain to me why expensive cables are so good? To me a cable is a cable...
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Zillions of posts on this topic. As you can see from the above, most of us talk about the physical properties of cables... do they kink up all the time, are they reliable, are the plugs high quality, are they available in the length you want, do they have the option for L and/or straight plugs, etc.

That being said, cables have different capacitance, so they can sound a bit different with passive instruments (mainly in the treble response, especially with longer versions of the cable... e.g. 25 feet, etc.). However, there is very little correlation between capacitance and cost of a cable, so cost is not really a good guide.

I greatly prefer some cables (Klotz, George L, etc.) to others, but it's based on the above physical criteria, not a big difference in tone, etc.
 
#48
I have been using Horizon Cables for years w/o problem.
They look like the old cloth covered cord off your antique iron. I also have a Bayou Cable which I really like.

I have had bad luck with George L cables and IMHO think Monster Cables are hyped..and are way too pricey...
 
#49
BurningSkies said:
I've recently taken to buying quality cable and connectors in bulk then making my own. Hit redco.com and order up the stuff and make your own. You can pick your own length, gauge and the end pieces you think will work the best. I then double heat shrink the connections (inside and out) and I know that they'll be around for a very long time.
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If you know how to solder, I vote for this. I've saved tons of cash by buying bulk cable and Neutrik connectors through RedCo.

I've been using their house brand of instrument cable, which only runs $0.50/ft, and is quite well made. Add in about $3 per cable end for a jack and shrink tubing, and you got a great cable for dirt cheap.
 
#53
Ill take my canare cable(IN Red) Neutrik ends, to gold or not to gold on the contact points. I like the switch 90' ends which only come in gold contacts.

Cable .58 per ft
Neutrik 90' switchimg 1/4 plug $8
Neutrik straight 1/4 plug $3

A little fine soldering by mwa

Lifetime Labor Warranty = Priceless

Seriously if you can solder make your own with parts from Redco Audio or Markertek
 
#54
Haha, like Tim was saying once you get up into the $50 range just for a single cable, you might as well just save up for a good wireless set.

But if you must use a cable, Planet Waves is the ticket IMO and IME. The cutoff switch is too cool to me =)
 
#55
ashtray9 said:
I use Monster Jazz cables exclusively. Those lydian dominant runs just don't sound the same through anything else.
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But what about when you need to play an Altered Dominant Run??

I don't know anything about monster Jazz. The only cable I know of theirs that actually changes your tone is the Monster Bass Cable. You basically loose treble with it due to its higher than average capacitance.

Things one would want in a cable.

Good Shielding
Low Capacitance
Durability
Flexability
Sonic Nutrality

Not in any particular order.

I hear a lot of talk about these Neutrik 1/4" plus. The ones I had given to me were bulky and flaky. I have yet to inspect the wires but it was intermittent new.

Canare makes decent connectors too

And what about Good ole' Authentic Switchcrafts, those things are built like tanks.

As far as cables, Belden makes some nice real rubber jacketed cable, Canare and Magomi are very nice from what I hear but expensive usually used for studio wiring.

I wouldn't pay money for anything that Monster sells out of principal, but I wouldn't turn it down if someone gave it to me.

The are charging you for fancy jackets and spiffy Gold paint coated connectors. But they are in no way superior to any other quality audio components that cost a fraction of their price.

Always be suspect if they tell you that the audio cable is directional. :rollno: Audio signals by nature are Bi-Directional.

I say make your own. Thats the best value.
 
#57
It surprises me nobody has said anything about the BASS being ACTIVE or PASSIVE. With passive basses the added capacity or impedance of the cable is 'seen' directly by the pickups. This WILL affect your sound according to what cable you use.
Active basses have a buffered output. So the pickups see the pre-amp (always the same) and pre-amp sends it's signal, usually amplified, to your amp. In this case, a different cable has much less influance on the sound.

*EDIT*
+1 on the comment about NOT running your signal through your tuner. If you even consider bying an expensive cable for 'tone-reasons', a clean and short-as-possible signal path from your bass to your amp is the first thing you need to take care of.
 
#58
HitByABlimp said:
It surprises me nobody has said anything about the BASS being ACTIVE or PASSIVE. With passive basses the added capacity or impedance of the cable is 'seen' directly by the pickups. This WILL affect your sound according to what cable you use.
Active basses have a buffered output. So the pickups see the pre-amp (always the same) and pre-amp sends it's signal, usually amplified, to your amp. In this case, a different cable has much less influance on the sound.
Click to expand...
That's why serious and self-respecting companies, like Canare for example, publish actual specifications for their cables and NOT false hyperbolic marketing crap like Monster™ does.

And yes cabling will affect the sound, but I surmise that if the right gauge and proper shielding is used, you'd have to have a very very long run, way longer than what is typically used, before it gets noticeable to an human ear.
 

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