[Xcalibur255]

Until recently I've been satisfied using Dayton cables from Parts Express. They're cheap and offer good shielding. Though I try to retain an open mind about these things I just never saw the need for pricey cables.... until now. I happened to pick up a Cardas mini to mini interconnect connect my Zune and Headsix amp and just the other day I retired a similar Dayton mini to mini I was using with the PC for a similar purpose. I ended up A/B'ing them a bit and came away pretty shocked at how easy it was to spot differences. The Dayton cable dulls the highs and makes bass muddy with less attack. However, the overall tonal balance with my K701s is an improvement. It "mellows them out" and produces a smooth easy to listen to midrange. I find separation to suffer a bit too, but it really shifts the balance away from the treble towards the mids which I really prefer.

Switching back to the Cardas cable everything becomes edgy sound and a bit more grainy. Separation and transients are improved, and bass is sharp and well defined. The treble regains it's dominance and I find the sound fatiguing after a while. Listening to piano really spells out the differences. The Dayton cable sounds dull and soft, the Cardas sharp.... almost unnaturally so in the way sharpness on your tv can make an image look clearer but also less natural. If it weren't for the bass I would absolutely prefer the Dayton cable, but losing that great snap the K701 is capable of in the bass region really bothers me. With classical music it just doesn't seem worth listening to unless you can really hear the edge of the hammer strike the string on a piano.

Since I use my PC as a source I would really like to find a 1/8" mini to RCA cable that retains the tonal presentation of the Dayton cable but offers better control over the bass region. Am I looking for the impossible here? Preferably under $50 considering my current cables were 10 bucks, but I would be willing to spend $100 to achieve the sound I want.

Any brand suggestions would be very greatly appreciated. I've been looking around the net but the selection of 3.5mm to RCA is pretty slim for mid-range cables. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[sejarzo]

What about buying a 3.5mm-to-RCA pair adapter and using RCA-to-RCA cables?

Getting the two channels physically and electrically isolated might be the best solution if your source allows something like this to connect to the output:

RadioShack.com - Cables, Parts & Connectors: Connectors & connectivity: A/V connectors & adapters: RadioShack Gold Series Audio Y-Adapter

 

[Xcalibur255]

My knowledge of interconnects isn't too strong yet, but somehow I don't trust putting an adapter into the signal chain. Isn't the general wisdom to minimize the number of connections to prevent changes in electrical impedance?

I see Moon Audio has a Black Dragon cable that'd suit my needs, but I really don't want to pay $200 for a 6 foot run.

 

[sejarzo]

Conventional wisdom is usually correct, but you have to look at the tradeoffs.

If you have a long run in which the l/r signals are not adequately isolated due to less-than-optimal construction of a "Y" cable, things could get muddied up.

If you have some RCA cables that are of the proper length, the adapter is only $7.

I see you use a Zune--what sort of files do you listen to on it in terms of bit rate?

 

[Bigjppop]

I've got a really nice mini-RCA that I just received from Signal Cable and I really like it. The build quality is great and its right at the bottom end of your stated 50-100 price range. Go to their website and check out the Silver Resolution mini-RCA. They seem to be pretty busy right now and it might take a few days to get your cable, but its a great value and worth the few days wait.

Jeremy

 

[furball]

As long as it is a good interconnect, it doesn't make a bit of difference if costs $1 or $100.

Have you wondered about what kind of fancy interconnects speaker manufacturers use in making their own speakers? Or what kind of fancy interconnects amp/preamp manufacturers use in making their amps/preamps? Those interconnects probably just cost a couple of dimes. If they are good enough for your speakers and your amps/preamps, then they should be good enough for you.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sejarzo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Conventional wisdom is usually correct, but you have to look at the tradeoffs. If you have a long run in which the l/r signals are not adequately isolated due to less-than-optimal construction of a "Y" cable, things could get muddied up. If you have some RCA cables that are of the proper length, the adapter is only $7. I see you use a Zune--what sort of files do you listen to on it in terms of bit rate?

All digital files on the Zune are WMA Lossless.

I also amp the headphones with a Corda Headsix. This arrangement isn't the one I'm worried about since I know the Zune is a bottleneck regardless. I will be primarily listening with the PC as a source once my new desktop amp arrives (it went in the sig a bit early).

So, if the adapter isn't significant I might go with an Impact Acoustics Sonic Wave adapter and 6ft RCA cable. They seem a decent step up from the Dayton and the technical data sounds right.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigjppop /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've got a really nice mini-RCA that I just received from Signal Cable and I really like it. The build quality is great and its right at the bottom end of your stated 50-100 price range. Go to their website and check out the Silver Resolution mini-RCA. They seem to be pretty busy right now and it might take a few days to get your cable, but its a great value and worth the few days wait. Jeremy

Hmmm. I could get the Analog Mini for about $55 shipped. Or I could get the SonicWave pieces for about $35. Signal Cable doesn't say anything about the cable design other than that it is low capacitance and low resistance with no numbers.

 

[Xcalibur255]

Does anybody else know of a quality copper cable I could use to compare against the Signal mini within the same price range? If not I suppose I'll just go with what I know now.

 

[infinitesymphony]

Blue Jeans Cable will custom make one if you send them an e-mail. They'll also freely reveal the exact parts they use, so you can look up the specifications if you're interested. When I asked in May 2006, they were using a Canare F-12 for the 1/8" connector, Calrad RCAs, and Belden 1509C wire. The price will probably be around $35-40 shipped, depending on length.

Picture courtesy of fellow Head-Fier mrarroyo:

 

[Bigjppop]

I've got some Blue Jeans Cable in addition to my Signal Cable and to be honest, both feel/sound like quality products to me. The only thing I prefer in the Signal Cable is that it is quite a bit more flexible than the Blue Jeans. This is totally application dependent and you might not care about how flexible your cable is, but just something to keep in mind. Both make good stuff at a good price.

 

[SuperNothing]

You can get someone on the forum to DIY one for you if you ask nicely. There are plenty of people who will do it for a good price.

 

[Brando]

I was just wondering the same thing. How's this look?
Cables To Go - 12ft VELOCITY™ 3.5mm STEREO MALE to DUAL RCA MALE Y-CABLE

 

[LordofDoom]

Actually I just got one of these in planning for getting my amp:

Newegg.com - BELKIN PURE AV AV20604-07 5 - 10 ft. Y Audio Cable M-M - Retail

It's fine right?

 

[gotchaforce]

Zu Cable PIVOT 0.5m mini-RCA cable NEW! iPod Nano - eBay (item 140212908704 end time Mar-07-08 18:45:00 PST)