Not sexy but necessary: 1/4" cables

[Franz Schiller]

Hey guys, anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on stereo 1/4" cables?

 

It seems there's the cheap, crappy, and ubiquitous Hosa cables on one end of the spectrum; those seem to crap out every two years. And then on the other end, there are Monsters. I've only bought a few of those, and they also crapped out after two years.

 

Anybody have a favorite cable brand? If that even possible!?

[Delaware Dave]

Hey guys, anyone have any thoughts or suggestions on stereo 1/4" cables?

 

It seems there's the cheap, crappy, and ubiquitous Hosa cables on one end of the spectrum; those seem to crap out every two years. And then on the other end, there are Monsters. I've only bought a few of those, and they also crapped out after two years.

 

Anybody have a favorite cable brand? If that even possible!?

 

I make my own using microphone cable. You can purchase the 1/4" TRS cable ends and do your own soldering.

[AnotherScott]

I can assure you that any cable I make with my own soldering will be far less reliable than the cheapest crap cables I can buy. ;-)

[Dr Mike Metlay]

Audiophiles argue this backwards, forwards, and upside down. I have yet to see any hard proof of anyone being able to hear the difference between cables that aren't damaged. I buy on reliability and quality of components (Switchcraft, Neutrik, or Amphenol connectors, etc).

 

I am a fan of Mogami, and I've found the higher-end Live Wire cables sold at GC to be quite good. Canare is another name popular among pros. Kimber is pricier but liked as well.

 

However: I because don't play out very much, and am (stupidly) obsessed with taking good care of my cables, my Hosas have been in service for many years and I think I've had to throw away maybe two of them. If folks think the cables don't sound as good, fine, but I have never had problems with mine.

 

A few rules of thumb: while thinner cables are not automatically bad, they're less likely to be well-shielded and sturdy, so buy with caution. Some cables have braided shields and others use foil; the latter shield better but are much more prone to breakage, so should be used in permanent installs when possible. People argue over the benefits of star-quad cables; I don't feel strongly one way or the other, but my uses are almost never quality-critical.

[stoken6]

Audiophiles argue this backwards, forwards, and upside down. I have yet to see any hard proof of anyone being able to hear the difference between cables that aren't damaged. I buy on reliability and quality of components (Switchcraft, Neutrik, or Amphenol connectors, etc).

This. Neutrik connectors seal the deal for me.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Franz Schiller]

I can assure you that any cable I make with my own soldering will be far less reliable than the cheapest crap cables I can buy. ;-)

 

LOL, same here!

[MathOfInsects]

All these years and I have never had anyone come up to me and say, "Those cables sound great, what kind are you using?"

[stoken6]

I meant to add: keeping a cheap/crappy cable around is a nice idea in case someone in the band forgets theirs. Maximum 6ft, ideally less. "Sorry it's all I've got. It doesn't crackle as much if you hold it this way round".

 

You come out as the good guy/girl who saves the day, and they tend to bring spares after that.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[ProfD]

Cables are exhibit A in giving me a great chuckle when it comes to gear snobbery and and the ingenuity of branding.

 

I'm the type of person who would make my own cables but it would be another thing on my proverbial plate.

 

So, I'm slightly jealous that *I* didn't come up with Monster or Mogami.

 

I've got such an assortment of cables that I don't know what I'm plugging and playing as long as it works.

 

I can fix a broken cable but nowadays I'd just as soon cut it up and toss it and buy a new one...brand be damned.

[johnchop]

The Hosa plastic molded plugs have always been problematic for me, to the extent that they wouldn't even properly insert into some keyboards I've owned.

 

On the budget end, ProCo cable has been serviceable.

[Josh Paxton]

All these years and I have never had anyone come up to me and say, "Those cables sound great, what kind are you using?"

 

"Man, your clonewheel sounds JUST like a real Hammond and Leslie! What's your secret?"

 

"Cables."

 

* * * * * * * *

 

"Your piano sound cuts clearly through the dense mix without sounding harsh or brittle! How'd you do it?"

 

"Cables."

 

* * * * * * * *

 

"Dude, I have NEVER heard another Nord Lead sound so much like the original one Steve Winwood played in the '80s. How did you capture all that warmth and smoothness?"

 

"Cables, man. Cables."

[Reezekeys]

Wasn't Franz's question about the reliability â i.e., build qualityâ of cables, and not whether one or another "sounded better"? That's how I read it.

 

I'll admit it - I buy mostly Hosa or no-name brands (yes I have a few from Monoprice!), carry some spares, treat them as nice as I can, and for the most part they last. If one goes, well, I have my spare and then I order another one from Amazon. I honestly don't remember the last time that happened; maybe I'm just lucky. When I make it big, I'll splurge on the real stuff like Mogami. If the # of gigs I've been doing lately is any indication of my future prospects, I expect my Hosas to last 50 years! :-)

[Tusker]

Mogami"s here. Most of them between five and fifteen years old. Lost one or two along the way but the great majority have held up. I use minimal cabling to reduce troubleshooting of all kinds.

 

Yes I carry spare cables for horn players and vocalists. Maybe I should take Stoken"s tip on that, lol.

[mate stubb]

Any cord with quality parts should be reliable. I use Switchcraft plugs and Belden or Canare wire. You can buy cables already made up that use these.

[Delaware Dave]

Wasn't Franz's question about the reliability â i.e., build qualityâ of cables, and not whether one or another "sounded better"? That's how I read it.

This is why I make my own. I found that with purchased cables there isn't enough relief strain at the cable connection to the plug and they tend to break there when they are flexed at the endpoint.

[Docbop]

I avoid the Monster cables at all cost. As a guitar player I tried them and then had to get the jacks on guitar or amp had to be replaced a couple times. The Monster cables use a slightly oversized plug for a tight fit that wore out the jacks. Back in my roadie days I made all my own cords instrument and speaker and they never let me down and most I would just redo the solder joints between tours. I'd get Belden cable and Switchcraft jacks.

 

Most this audiophile stuff is bunk and people who swear by it ask them to do a blindfold test to prove it. Maybe one in a thousand people can hear a difference and that is if they are young and hearing hasn't started to diminish. I don't make cables any more so I just buy the Guitar Center house brand that they have a lifetime warranty on. If they go bad just take it to GC and they see it's their's and just give you another cable no questions asked. The aren't that cheap crap with copper plated thread and jacks that start loosing up on first use, but good middle of the road cords.

[CEB]

I use Canare wire. The jackets are Polyvinyl chloride not rubber so in sub zero weather they don"t get stiff. If your stuff doesn"t live in trailers or trucks then it doesn"t matter.

 

I also have a couple of Redco keyboard snakes. I use the Hosa stereo cords if I need it.... it"s all fine.

[cp-the-nerd]

I bought a pair of GLS instrument cables on amazon 6 months ago based on reviews. They're supposed to be the best cables for the price, they have a quality feel to them.

[Stokely]

I've settled mostly on custom cables from Redco. I needed some 5' cables with right angles on one end, good luck finding that. Their prices are reasonable and you can pick and choose cable and connector brand and types.

 

I go with their "house brand" cable--though you can choose canare etc-- and switchcraft connectors. I've gotten mic cables, TRS and unbalanced 1/4 cables and never a bad experience.

 

I used to go as cheap as possible, which meant Monoprice. Ironically I'm still using a couple of their mic cables after eight years, while I had a few of their 1/4" cables crap out. I mainly avoid them because they are thick and heavy compared to the Redco house cable (and Switchcraft connectors don't hurt)

[jeffincltnc]

I use Mogami in the studio at home and on the critical connections to things like audio interfaces and studio monitors to record and mix.

 

For gigs I go with more economic route and have tons of the D'Addario Planet Waves cables. Sure, they're not as engineered as Mogami, but I have always been happy with the connections and if one craps out on me from the wear and tear of gigging, I always have spares. They fit the good enough to very good category for me at a good price, and every now and then they might be the "Stupid Deal of the Day" and I'll order some more.

[Bobadohshe]

I get the ones from Sweetwater. They seem decent. I am not an expert.

[analogika]

I feel prompted to leave this here:

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/legal/mcp/index.htm

 

Lengthy reading, but so worth it.

[DJkeys]

ProCo excellines have served my through the years, never had one fail. Also, I have had custom made multi cables at Redco, reasonably priced and very well made. I also have a number of cables I made myself 30 years ago that still work perfectly.

 

-dj

[stillearning]

These days, I set up and tear down my own gear, and also fall into the camp of believing there"s no noticeable difference in sound. I"ve been using Monoprice for years. Bang for the buck, never had one fail since I"m careful with them, and I always carry spares of everything anyways.

[MathOfInsects]

"Dude, I have NEVER heard another Nord Lead sound so much like the original one Steve Winwood played in the '80s. How did you capture all that warmth and smoothness?"

 

"Cables, man. Cables."

 

Separate topic, but I was just telling someone how crazy it was that even the people on this forum didn't realize how far back the Nord Lead went, and didn't know about the relationship between Winwood and those early prototypes.

[Coker]

+1 for Monoprice

[GRollins]

It takes a decent high end stereo system to hear differences between audio cables. Studio situations...highly variable...some systems might be good enough to hear a difference, others (read: most) not. Live sound rigs...forget it...go for reliability. Those who say "there's no difference" when using a live rig as their basis for comparison are correct--for their application--but that doesn't mean there aren't differences. It's just not going to be audible in a room with three hundred people dancing, hard, reflective walls, a stressed PA system (equivalent to a mid-fi stereo system, at best), etc. Yeah, go with durable & reliable for live.

 

I solder my own. Much, much cheaper than buying the same thing that someone else put together. Soldering isn't rocket science and you can save a butt-load of money.

 

Grey

[jerrythek]

I feel prompted to leave this here:

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/legal/mcp/index.htm

 

Lengthy reading, but so worth it.

 

Thank you for this - I have a new hero today.

 

Jerry

[Delaware Dave]

Next off-topic discussion: What's more important, Setting up in stereo with crappy cables or setting up in Mono with top-of-the-line cables?

[Stokely]

I considered getting material from Redco to solder my own, but I don't use many cables and don't need new ones often at all...I think soldering your own makes more sense if you have a bunch to do. Then again I suck at it and don't enjoy it