kerelybonto
doo-di-doo-di-dum doo-di-dum doo-di-doo-di-dum
- Joined
- May 6, 2002
- Posts
- 1,518
- Likes
- 10
I'm in need of a wide variety of custom cables for various applications. Basically, I don't have need of or room for standard one-meter cables, and even half-meter cables are too long for some things (e.g., connecting an ART DI/O to a digital optical Toslink to S/PDIF digital coax converter sitting side-by-side). Plus, shorter cables are just better anyway.
I'm thinking of ordering from Markertek or Calrad. I think both will do basically anything I tell them. Markertek cables are meant primarily as microphone cables; Calrad makes everything audio-related know to man apparently, but it looks like their cables are meant for line-level studio use.
So what's in the cables? Markertek is kind of vague about what they use in their cables, but they list these features:
In their cables, Calrad uses:
The only reservations I have here, besided not having ever heard anything about their cables, is that they're silver-plated. I've heard that silver-plated cables are generally the brightest around, and my system already tends toward bright (though I also prefer a bit of brightness). Calrad also gets the nod over Marketek on aesthetics. Calrad's cables:
Can anyone identify the connectors on those?
Comparatively, Markertek's look rather dismal (not that it's important):
Besides the standard RCA-RCA analog interconnects, I need an RCA-terminated digital S/PDIF coax cable. Is there anything specific I should look for here that differs from an analog cable? Markertek sells one manufactured by TecNec (meaning no custom length, but they sell a 1-1/2 ft length, so that'll probably work) that they make a big deal of being 75ohms. It uses Canare cable and connectors.
As far as I can tell, Calrad doesn't sell one they label as specifically for digital S/PDIF coax. They do, however, sell very nice 5mm OD digital toslink cables with gold-plated contacts. Ultra-bandwidth overkill, I know, but overkill is rarely bad. I need one of these going from my Sony SCD-CE775 to the toslink to S/PDIF converter, which Calrad also makes. There are other models out there, all of which cost more -- are any of them really different?
So that's basically what it comes down to. To summarize, I need:
I'm fine with using other builders as well. But most other custom builders, such as Bolder and Straightwire are aimed at the audiophile market (as opposed to the pro market), and I have a feeling I'd probably be paying about three times as much for nearly the same thing. I'm not looking for the Holy Grail here -- just something that won't get in the way of the rest of my components.
And, no, I don't want to build my own. So help me out here. Who's heard any of the cables from these people? What are your thoughts?
kerely
I'm thinking of ordering from Markertek or Calrad. I think both will do basically anything I tell them. Markertek cables are meant primarily as microphone cables; Calrad makes everything audio-related know to man apparently, but it looks like their cables are meant for line-level studio use.
So what's in the cables? Markertek is kind of vague about what they use in their cables, but they list these features:
- four conductor configuration (reduces noise)
- high-density braided shield
- polyethylene insulation
- cotton filler
- construced using large numbers of thin wire strands
- PVC jacket
In their cables, Calrad uses:
- silver-plated 99.99% pure (which, acutally, I guess isn't that pure) OFC cable
- polystyrene foam insulation
- double-braided shield
- heavy-duty zinc alloy-plated or 24 karat gold-plated RCA connectors
The only reservations I have here, besided not having ever heard anything about their cables, is that they're silver-plated. I've heard that silver-plated cables are generally the brightest around, and my system already tends toward bright (though I also prefer a bit of brightness). Calrad also gets the nod over Marketek on aesthetics. Calrad's cables:
Can anyone identify the connectors on those?
Comparatively, Markertek's look rather dismal (not that it's important):
Besides the standard RCA-RCA analog interconnects, I need an RCA-terminated digital S/PDIF coax cable. Is there anything specific I should look for here that differs from an analog cable? Markertek sells one manufactured by TecNec (meaning no custom length, but they sell a 1-1/2 ft length, so that'll probably work) that they make a big deal of being 75ohms. It uses Canare cable and connectors.
As far as I can tell, Calrad doesn't sell one they label as specifically for digital S/PDIF coax. They do, however, sell very nice 5mm OD digital toslink cables with gold-plated contacts. Ultra-bandwidth overkill, I know, but overkill is rarely bad. I need one of these going from my Sony SCD-CE775 to the toslink to S/PDIF converter, which Calrad also makes. There are other models out there, all of which cost more -- are any of them really different?
So that's basically what it comes down to. To summarize, I need:
- Short RCA to RCA analog interconnects
- One short digital optical toslink cable
- One very short RCA-terminated digital S/PDIF coax cable
- One digital optical toslink to digital S/PDIF coax converter
- Might as well pick up a dual terminated 1/8-in balanced cord while I'm at it, and maybe some spare 1/4-in phono to RCA cords to A/B with my Bolders (for the ART DI/O)
I'm fine with using other builders as well. But most other custom builders, such as Bolder and Straightwire are aimed at the audiophile market (as opposed to the pro market), and I have a feeling I'd probably be paying about three times as much for nearly the same thing. I'm not looking for the Holy Grail here -- just something that won't get in the way of the rest of my components.
And, no, I don't want to build my own. So help me out here. Who's heard any of the cables from these people? What are your thoughts?
kerely
