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Does crappy rca interconnects introduce distortion?

post #1 of 18
1/21/09 at 5:05am
Thread Starter 
I'm ashamed to admit that I'm using .2 cent RCA interconnects. They sound decent in my system but they do get fatiguing after a while. Why is that? is it introducing distortion? one thing is sure, they sound some smeared, but at the same time have a very warm sound sig. What gives?
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post #2 of 18
1/21/09 at 10:11am
That is how free ICs sound in my system too. My budget favourite: Kimber PBJ; very cheap, especially if you make it yourself, in my system, the difference between the PBJ and the free IC's is very large.
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post #3 of 18
1/21/09 at 11:59am
A low end unit from Audioquest will do the job. They are shielded solid copper conductor COAX. It will sound more dynamic and eliminate distortion from EMI and RF. The Kimbers are supposed to be nice too. Kimbers are not shielded but use a braiding technology that is supposed to reject EMI and RF. Although it was not a Kimber I had a set of braided IC's and they picked up a lot of noise from neighboring electronics. Many people swear by BlueJeansCables and their prices are very reasonable. Construction wise the BJC are COAX like the Audioquest minus the fancy braided cable cover.
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post #4 of 18
1/21/09 at 12:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by goorackerelite View Post
I'm ashamed to admit that I'm using .2 cent RCA interconnects. They sound decent in my system but they do get fatiguing after a while. Why is that? is it introducing distortion? one thing is sure, they sound some smeared, but at the same time have a very warm sound sig. What gives?
How do you know it are the interconnects that are fatiguing when you have no reference? :X
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post #5 of 18
1/21/09 at 12:46pm
How do you get reference without trying?
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post #6 of 18
1/21/09 at 12:51pm
Quote:
Does crappy rca interconnects introduce distortion?
No.

Try a blind test - you will not be able to pick it out. No one can hear a difference without seeing the cable.

Also try putting your "bad" cable on an oscilloscope. You'll find that it passes signals just like any other cable.

Do not fall into that logical fallacy. Just because one product is marked up a few thousand percent does not mean that the market priced product is crap. If I had a can of Coke and a can of Pepsi, and charged you $1,000 for the Coke and $1 for the Pepsi, does that mean that the Pepsi is crap? No, they're both the same. Just like how a $1 cable isn't crap because someone marked up a $1 cable a few hundred percent and sprinkled it with magic fairy dust. And lots and lots and lots of marketing.
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post #7 of 18
1/21/09 at 12:55pm
Erik, you are right about measurements on a bench. I can hear the difference b/w silver, copper and gold though. I don't care what the measurements say. Just my opinion and experience. Everyone is different. I don't believe that super expensive cables are worth it unless you have an amazing high end setup w/ extreme sensitivity.

Usage in a real setup results in distortion generally induced by outside interference. The longer, thinner and plastic wrapped cables pick up all kinds of crap.

I always hook my friends up with something decent when I spy they are using 24 ohm speaker cable on a 100 foot run or a 12' rca for a 1 foot connection lol.

Just yesterday I hooked up my friends new tv. He had the old Pioneer 515K receiver that I traded him and some old decent bose 901s and an old pioneer dvd and digital cable box. Just using the proper cables like a $1 shielded, metal optical and coax digital cables for the cable and dvd, 14 ohm speaker wire instead of the 24 ohm he was using, a real hdmi cable, plugging the receiver directly into the wall changed the sound from what are they saying? to WHOA! for him anyway. The room is a nightmare but at least now you can hear most of the audio. His family is happy as hell and enjoying the best system they have ever had. Cost? $30? maybe. Free to him. I just used my scrap cables.

He has twin 5 yr old boys. It was so worth it to see them light up at Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon cranked up. They were bouncing lol.
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post #8 of 18
1/21/09 at 1:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by spacemanspliff View Post
He has twin 5 yr old boys. It was so worth it to see them light up at Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon cranked up. They were bouncing lol.
Bouncing on Star Wars. As much as I like Star Wars even I have to say nerd sometimes.

My sound improved as well with the Mogami I use now. Placebo or not, it sounds cleaner and less fatiguing.
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post #9 of 18
1/21/09 at 2:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post
No.

Try a blind test - you will not be able to pick it out. No one can hear a difference without seeing the cable.

Also try putting your "bad" cable on an oscilloscope. You'll find that it passes signals just like any other cable.

Do not fall into that logical fallacy. Just because one product is marked up a few thousand percent does not mean that the market priced product is crap. If I had a can of Coke and a can of Pepsi, and charged you $1,000 for the Coke and $1 for the Pepsi, does that mean that the Pepsi is crap? No, they're both the same. Just like how a $1 cable isn't crap because someone marked up a $1 cable a few hundred percent and sprinkled it with magic fairy dust. And lots and lots and lots of marketing.
i gotta disagree with that to an extent.

i used to have a Copper core IC and now i have a Silver core.

i noticed a sudden vanish in the harshness which i had in the Vocals..also the highs sound clearer now.

not a big difference..but Vocals definitely sound smoother now and lack that much of sibilance.
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post #10 of 18
1/21/09 at 5:49pm
So Erik, you are saying this sounds/performs the same as,,.


This?
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post #11 of 18
1/22/09 at 3:24am
I don't believe in expensive "high end" cables, but I have no problem buying decent ones that are slightly better than stock 2 cent ones, like a $20 RCA cable from radioshack or the such. If nothing else, I think that they look better.
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post #12 of 18
1/22/09 at 8:23pm
I just now installed my blue jeans lc-1 cables and they sound better to me than the random generic ones I had before. I don't know if material matters but it has 2 layers of shielding which may be making a difference because of the cables close proximity to a highly overclocked gaming pc, a large crt monitor, a plasma tv, and craploads of power cords.
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post #13 of 18
1/22/09 at 8:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brando View Post
I just now installed my blue jeans lc-1 cables and they sound better to me than the random generic ones I had before. I don't know if material matters but it has 2 layers of shielding which may be making a difference because of the cables close proximity to a highly overclocked gaming pc, a large crt monitor, a plasma tv, and craploads of power cords.
So shielding alone would make the answer to the question "YES" right?
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post #14 of 18
1/23/09 at 3:14am
I guess it could be my imagination but how would I know? But yeah I think it's worth spending a few bucks for a rock solid connection. It doesn't need to be made of magical materials but good construction is nice.
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post #15 of 18
1/23/09 at 11:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brando View Post
I guess it could be my imagination but how would I know? But yeah I think it's worth spending a few bucks for a rock solid connection. It doesn't need to be made of magical materials but good construction is nice.
I definitely agree, which is why I just bought a BJC MSA-1 from Brando!
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