A Guide to Optical, Digital Coaxial (Interconnect & Sub), and Speaker Cables

[Big Daddy]

It may be helpful to read the following thread:

Coaxial & Speaker Cable Signal Loss

OPTICAL VERSUS COAXIAL DIGITAL CABLES

Optical and Coaxial S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface or Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format) is a standard audio file transfer format developed jointly by Sony and Phillips to allow the transfer of digital audio signals from one device to another without having to be converted first to an analog format.

1. A digital coaxial cable has an inner conductor, surrounded by an insulating layer (dielectric) and then surrounded by another conductive shielding layer and finally covered by a plastic casing. They come in different varieties such as RG59, RG6, or RG11 with F or RCA connectors. The conductive outer layer can be braided copper wire for more cable flexibility or solid metal (such as aluminum foil) for better shielding.

The differences between RG59 and RG6 cables are explained in these links:
http://www.abccables.com/info-rg59-vs-rg6.html
http://cableorganizer.com/articles/c...able-faqs.html
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/video/videocoax.html

2. Coaxial cables look and feel virtually identical to standard RCA cables. The main differences are that they are better shielded from interference; have a higher impedance (usually 75 ohm), allowing them to handle more energy; and can handle a wider range of frequencies.

3. Coaxial digital cables transmit digital signals in pulses of electricity. The signal is transmitted along the cable as an electromagnetic wave which travels along the inner and outer conductors through the insulating material.

4. Some people argue that the word “digital” is a marketing trick. Digital coaxial cables aren’t digital in and of themselves, but they are designed to do a better job of carrying a digital signal.

5. Optical or Toslink (Toshiba Link) cable transfers a digital audio signal via a red light beam over a fiber-optic cable. A fiber optic cable is made of small strands of plastic to transfer light.

6. A Coax cable is more sturdy and durable than an optical cable. However, a Coax cable will transfer grounding problems (hum) from one component to another if they already exist. It is also more susceptible to EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) noise. Remember that these problems are rare and coax cable does not create new problems. RG6 cable has aluminum foil and aluminum braid shielding. RG59 has copper braid shielding. Aluminum is better for blocking ultra high frequency RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) noise. Copper braid shielding is better for blocking lower frequency interference. RG6 is more appropriate for digital TV appclications. It also has a thicker center conductor than RG59 and is preferred for longer lengths. An RG59 or RG6 with two layers of copper braid shieldings may be more appropriate for subwoofer applications.

7. An optical cable is more fragile than a coaxial cable. If stepped on or bent, it can be destroyed. However, an optical connection does not have grounding or hum problem and is not susceptible to EMI noise because it does not contain any metal.

8. A Coax cable uses standard male RCA plugs, which are very easy to plug in.

9. An optical cable uses a pentagonal-shaped connector, which must be aligned properly to be inserted. It will only go in one way and can be damaged much easier than an RCA plug. The following table shows the different types of Fiber Optics Transmitting and Receiving Modules:

10. Optical cables can lose their signal strength if they are bent. Care should be taken to make sure that optical cables are as straight as possible.

11. An optical cable requires extra processing steps in converting current to light and then light to current. These two steps can add error into the audio signal.

12. For short distances, there is no difference in quality between coax and Toslink.

13. For very long distances (e.g., 50 to 100 ft), optical is preferred. However, as was mentioned before, care must be taken to make sure the optical cable is not bent. If it is not possible to keep the cable straight, then a coaxial cable should be used.


Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) & Cable Shielding

Read Coaxial & Speaker Cable Signal Loss.


FAQ:

Q. Can we use a digital coaxial cable (RG59 or RG6) for all A/V analog and digital connections?
A. Absolutely. Coax cables are the best interconnects.

Q. Does the Digital Coaxial cable carry a digital signal when we connect it to a subwoofer?
A. No, we use a coaxial cable because of its better shielding.

Q. Why can't we bend Optical (Toslink) cables?
A. Optical cables work by sending light signals through a plastic or glass tube rather than electrical pulses down a wire. Digital signals are converted to light and then back to digital. As light travels through different mediums, it can bend. In optical material (plastic or glass), there is an angle of refraction, which when increased to a certain amount, the light instead of going through the material, gets reflected back. Some light still escapes, but most gets reflected internally. By bending an optical cable, two things may occur:

1. The internal plastic (or glass) may snap and break.
2. Even if the cable does not snap, it has a limit of how much you can bend it. The limit is when the angle of refraction is no longer sufficient for the light to go through.

SPEAKER WIRES

Resistance is by far the most important specification of a speaker wire. Low-resistance speaker wire allows more of the amplifier's power to go to the speaker. Resistance is affected by three factors: conductivity, length, and thickness.

CONDUCTIVITY
Electrical conductance is a measure of how easily electricity flows along an element. Its units are Siemens, which is the inverse of Ohms. Electrical conductance is related to the materials' conductivity according to the following formula:

G = σ . (A/L)

where:

G = the electrical conductance (Siemens)
σ = the materials conductivity (Siemens/Meter), it is the inverse of the material's resistivity
A = the object's cross-sectional area (Meter ^2)
L = the length of the object (Meter)

Resistivity in Ohm per Meter
Silver: 1.6 x 10^-8
Copper: 1.7 x 10^-8
Gold: 2.4 x 10^-8
Aluminum or Aluminium: 2.7 x 10^-8

Electrical Conductivity (σ, Siemens/Meter) at 20 degrees (C)
Silver: 6.2 × 10^7, Highest electrical conductivity of any known metal
Copper: 6.0 × 10^7
Gold: 4.5 × 10^7, Gold is commonly used in electrical contacts
Aluminum: 3.8 × 10^7

LENGTH
If you double the length of a wire, you will double its resistance. This means that you will have to get a wire with better resistance or you will have to increase the power in order to get the same level of sound as the shorter wire.

THICKNESS (CROSS-SECTIONAL-AREA)
The resistance of a wire decreases as you increase its thickness (AWG, gauge number). The gauge number drops as the wire gets thicker. As a general rule, you should use thicker (lower gauge number) wires for longer distances. High-power car audio systems using 2-ohm speaker circuits require relatively thick cables. The following table can be used as a guide. Also read Impedance & Sensitivity of a Loudspeaker.

Golden Rule: When you increase the gauge number of a wire by a factor of 3, its resistance will be doubled. For example, the resistance of an 18 gauge speaker wire is 4 times higher per foot in comparison to a 12 gauge wire (18 is 6 points away from 12).

This Conversion Calculator can be used to convert a speaker's gauge number to metric units. Here are Conversion Tables for all units of measurement. Here is a calculator for Units Conversion.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF A CABLE

With DC power sources, you only have to worry about the resistance . Resistance is caused by collision of electrons and ions in a conductor and convert part of the electrical energy to heat. In other words, resistance is the opposition to electric current. Different materials have different resistances. DC resistance does not change with frequency.

AC current, however, oscillates as a sine wave so the sign is always changing. This means that other factors such as inductance and capacitance must be considered. Inductance is the magnetic field that is created when current flows through an object. Capacitance is the ability of an object to hold an electrical charge.

With AC current, a cable is affected by three electrical properties: Resistance, Inductance, and Capacitance. Most cables are made out of copper. A few are made out of silver. Silver and copper have the lowest resistance and the highest conductivity out of all the metals. In addition, thickness of the wires (lower gauge number) reduces resistance.

Skin Effect:
As the frequency of a signal increases, the electrons in a wire in a wire concentrate toward the outside, or skin, of the conductor. This means that if we measure resistance at different frequencies, we will find that the resistance of the wire increases with frequency.

Inductance:
Inductance is the property of the signal in one conductor inducing current in another nearby conductor, and inhibiting current flow in the opposite direction. In transformers, this property is useful. Cables normally have two leads, each carrying current in opposite direction. High inductance causes flow of current in one lead to interfere with the flow in the other lead.

What is an Inductor?
An inductor is a passive electrical component that can store energy in a magnetic field created by the electric current passing through it. The following diagram demonstrates some basic inductors.

Factors Affecting Inductance:

To see some cool Java applets on how inductance works, click HERE.

If you have excess cables or speaker wires, do not coil them in a circle. When a wire is coiled up, it will act as an inductor. You may lose some high frequencies. Lay them randomly on the floor or make a figure eight with them.

http://www.lovetriacoustics.com/inde...peakerWire.htm

Don’t coil up excess cable as this could create inductance causing high frequencies to be lost. If you do have extra cable on one side, which is inevitable to happen, it would be better to lay it randomly on the floor.

http://www.1388.com/columnists/jon_faq_cable.htm#2

Not recommended because coiling the cable greatly increases the inductance, and other interaction effects that may cause more than just an extra amount of high frequency roll-off. A snaking "S" pattern will avoid the worst of any interaction problems.

Capacitance:
A capacitor consists of two metal plates with insulation in between that can hold electrical charge. Speaker cables can act like capacitors because they are two pieces of metal wires with an insulator (dielectric) in between them. Capacaitance increases with frequency and is more serious at higher frequencies and longer lengths of cables.

Capacitance occurs by the insulator around the conductor. In cables, some of the electrons passing through the cable is transferred to the insulator and stored as energy. When they are released back into the conductor, it may cause a deterioration of the sound quality.

The type of insulator has a direct effect on capacitance. Most insulator are PVC, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Teflon. Teflon is the best, but it is a difficult material to work with. That is one reason why cables that use Teflon are normally more expensive.

By far, the most important factor in speaker wires is resistance. Inductance and capacitance are too insignificant for short lengths to have any negative effect. Low gauge (thicker) wires have much lower resistance and that is a crucial factor for speaker performance, particularly for long lengths.

For long lengths, if the resistance of the wire is too high (thin wire), power will be lost and the speaker will not play as loud. In addition the frequency response of the speaker may follow the the impedance curve (impedance varies with frequency) of the speaker. As long as a wire's resistance is less than 5% of the speaker's impedance, the wire will be appropriate for home theater use.

Capacitance, however, is not as important as resistance. High cable capacitance is not a problem for well-designed and quality amplifiers. In fact, some high end speaker cables have higher capacitance than ordinary 12 gauge wire and can introduce significant amount of capacitance for long runs. For example, a cable that has a capacitance of 300 PicoFarads (PF) per foot will add 15,000 PF in a 50 ft cable. That is equivalent to .015 MicroFarads and can be significant.

In many cases, ordinary wires such as 12 gauge wires have a capacitance of only 18 PF per foot for a total capacitance of 900 PF for a 50 ft length.

I believe a test of 10kHz square wave and different capcitors were made on the McIntosh amplifier. By both listening and observing on an oscilloscope, no changes were heard or seen.

Some amplifiers are more sensitive to the load impedance of the speaker wires. The reason is because the higher the output impedance of the amplifier. This will make it more likely for capacitance and inductance of the cable to affect the sound quality. Tube amplifiers are more sensitive to cables than solid state amplifiers because they have higher output impedances.

Resistance/impedance of a cable is more important for speakers as they have very low impedances such as 4 Ohm or 8 Ohm. However, cable interconnects generally operate in very high-impedance circuits such as receivers/ampifiers. The input impedance of these devices is in the thousands and a few additional Ohms of resistance introduced by the cable are not as significant. Therefore, cable thickness (gauge number) is not as important in inter-connect applications, particularly for much smaller lengths than speaker cables.

In high impedance circuits, capacitance becomes more important. Capacitance is the tendency of the cable to store some of the signal in itself and release it slowly. Capacitance in a cable with a center conductor and an outer shield is determined by the following factors:

• The outer diameter of the center conductor. By reducing the tickness of the conductor, you can reduce capacitance.
• The inner diameter of the shield.
• The type of material (dielectric) that separates them. For example Teflon has the best dielectric constant and can reduce the capacitance of the cable.

Concluding Remarks About Inductance/Capacitance:
Audio signal creates an electromagnetic field around the conductor. Dielectric material absorbs energy and releases it back into the conductor out of phase with the audio signal. The electromagnetic field created by the conductor temporarily displaces the molecular structure of the material. Dielectric materials theoretically can sound different because of the different rates that the materials store and release energy at different frequencies. If the dielectric material has good elasticity and can return quickly to its normal state, then the material is said to have low dielectric hysteresis or loss and will have little audible effect on the signal.

To add to the problem, there is also such a thing called self-inductance. Current flow in a conductor produces a magnetic field around the conductor. When the current is increasing, decreasing, or changing direction, the magnetic field changes. A changing magnetic field induces voltage in any conductor which is close by, and it induces a voltage in the original conductor. The voltage induced into the original conductor is called self-inductance, and tends to oppose the current which produced it. Self-inductance occurs in a circuit even when conductors are perfectly straight. However, self-inductance in a straight conductor is very small. Inductance is much more significant when conductors are coiled, because the magnetic field of each turn of the coil cuts across nearby turns of the coil.

Inductance in a speaker cable is mainly determined by the area between the conductors. Most speaker cables have conductors that run side by side (twin-lead). These conductors are separated by a small distance and have moderate inductance.

Capacitance is also a function of how close the conductors are to each other. So to keep the capacitance low, the conductors must be widely separated. Note that this is just the opposite of what we need for low inductance. Some cables use many small wires that are woven together. This reduces inductance greatly, but at the cost of increased capacitance.

Inductance is considered less of an issue with the interconnects (line level signal) than with speaker cables since the current in speaker cables is higher. Inductance affects higher frequencies more.

Incidentally, inductors and capacitors are used in crossover networks to build low-pass and high-pass filters.

SPEAKER WIRE MATERIAL
Copper is the most commonly used material in speaker wires; it has low resistance and less cost compared to other suitable materials. Copper can oxidize, but oxides of copper are conductive. Silver is a slightly better conductor and has a slightly lower resistance compared to the same gauge of copper wire. However, it costs a lot more and any advantage gained by using a better conductor can easily be compensated for with slightly thicker copper wire.

SPEAKER CONNECTIONS

When connecting the speaker wires, make sure you connect the red terminal on the receiver/amplifier to the red speaker terminal and the black to black. There are two types of speaker terminals: Binding Post & Spring Loaded, and four types of connectors: Bare Wires, Pin Connectors, Spade Connectors, & Banana Plugs.

Bare Wire




Pin Connectors




Spade Connectors




Banana Plugs

BananaPlugs1.jpg BananaPlugs2.jpg

http://www.monoprice.com/manual/INST...NA%20PLUGS.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK5H5UDsxwo

Pin Connectors and Bare Wires can be used with Binding Post and Spring Loaded terminals. Spade Type Connectors and Banana Plugs can only be used with Binding Post Terminals.

Binding Post




Spring Loaded




WHERE TO BUY CABLES AND ACCESSORIES

Speaker Wires:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/se...=speaker+wires
http://www.parts-express.com/webpage...=main&desc=ASC
http://cablesimple.com/
http://www.cablestogo.com/product_li...id=&dept_name=
http://www.cablewholesale.com/cgi-bi...ables&type=all
https://www.cablesforless.com/c-125-...cessories.aspx
http://zebracables.com/items.html
http://www.pacificvalve.us/Cables.html
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm
http://www.pchcables.com/
http://www.bettercables.com/premium-speaker-cable.aspx
http://21st-century-goods.com/page/21st/CTGY/FWAUDIO
http://www.flatwirestore.com/mm5/mer...egory_Code=AFW
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=12+...wire&_osacat=0

Silver Speaker Wires:
http://signalcable.com/silverresolutionspeaker.html
http://www.silversonic.com
http://www.dvdcity.com/speaker/nor-blue-heaven.html
http://www.audioadvisor.com/products.asp?dept=26
http://www.av-outlet.com/en-us/dept_203.html
http://www.quicksilveraudio.com/prod...eakerwire.html

Speaker Wire Connectors:
http://www.cables.com/Category/Conne...onnectors.aspx

Optical/Toslink Cables:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/su...02&cp_id=10229
http://www.parts-express.com/webpage...n&WebPage_ID=3
https://www.cablesforless.com/c-127-...io-cables.aspx
http://www.pchcables.com/
http://www.cables4sure.com/default.htm
http://www.bettercables.com/toslink-optical-cable.aspx
http://www.cables.com/

Digital/Coax S/PDIF Cables:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/su...02&cp_id=10236
http://www.prosatellitesupply.com/COAXIAL_CABLE.htm (Custom white or black from 3ft to 150ft)
http://www.parts-express.com/webpage...ctGroup_ID=599
https://www.cablesforless.com/c-124-...io-cables.aspx
http://www.pchcables.com/
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/...udio/index.htm
http://www.bettercables.com/digital-...r-serpent.aspx
http://www.cables4sure.com/default.htm
http://www.bettercables.com/toslink-optical-cable.aspx
http://www.cables.com/

Optical to Coaxial Converter:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...H4CjCmmVCjCmmV
http://www.parts-express.com/webpage...ID=3&x=22&y=16
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.as...3106&sku=40019
http://www.beachaudio.com/Siig/Ce-Ct...2-p-98390.html
http://www.hdtvsupply.com/difiopttodic.html

Coaxial to Optical Converter:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...H4CjCmmVCjCmmV
http://www.parts-express.com/webpage...ID=3&x=22&y=16
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.as...3106&sku=40018

Cable Organizers:
http://cableorganizer.com/
http://www.cabletiesandmore.com/index.php

REFERENCES

http://www.datasheetcatalog.org/data...shiba/2034.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPDIF
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coax
http://www.tnt-audio.com/int.html
http://www.cobaltcable.com/newsletters/august_2002.htm
http://www.hometheaternetwork.com/HTN_audio_I2.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_wire
http://www.procosound.com/?page=education&articleid=5
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/03/a...ter-cable-and/
http://www.audioholics.com/education...speaker-cables
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm
http://www.audioholics.com/education...er-cable-gauge
http://www.firedog.com/learningcente...nnections.html
http://www.herguth.com/TABLE_OF_CONT...c_strength.htm
http://www.eddy-current.com/condres.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_conductivity
http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_15/3.html
http://store.a2zcable.com/75auca.html

[bgb]

These are really useful guides. Thanks so much for posting them!

[jeff92k7]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

[B]
Q. Does the Digital Coaxial cable carry a digital signal when we connect it to a subwoofer?
A. No, we prefer to use a coaxial cable because of its better shielding. Who needs annoying hums?

This answer isn't entirely accurate. Earlier in the article, you state that the shielding is to help avoid EMI/RFI which is correct and the answer should stop there. You also state that by having a coaxial cable between pieces of equipment, you create an electrical connection between them which can transfer hum. This is also correct.

The question about "Who needs annoying hums" in the answer above is not applicable. Hums (ground loops) can in fact be carried between different pieces of equipment when using coaxial cables.

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Q. Why can't we bend Optical (Toslink) cables?
A. They work by sending light signals through a plastic or glass tube rather than electrical pulses down a wire. Digital signals are converted to light and then back to digital. That is reason we should not bend an optical cable.

The answer given doesn't actually answer the question. You restate how an optical cable works but not why they shouldn't be bent.

Optical cables should not be bent for two reasons. The first and most obvious is that by bending the wire, you create tension in the glass or plastic fibers that can eventually cause them to crack and/or break. When a crack or break develops, the light can no longer pass cleanly through that section. This causes the intensity of the light received at the other end to be reduced or, in some cases, to disappear completely.
The second reason is that optical cables work by transmitting pulses of light on specific wavelengths that can be altered slightly as the cable is bent. The waveform of the light has to be bent to remain enclosed in the glass/plastic fiber. When the wavelength is altered, this can cause all sorts of issues including reflecting part of the light back towards the transmitter and losing intensity from part of the wave escaping through the sides of the conductor to name a few. Good equipment will allow for this and will properly reconstruct the proper pulse sequence of the digital data once received.

In most cases, bending an optical cable gently will not introduce any noticeable issues. The equipment will take care of any loss of signal strength and the sound will be identical to the source. Never bend an optical cable so the diameter of the "bend" is smaller than two inches. Staying with gentle bends that are larger than that size will allow excellent performance from optical connections.

With the exception of those two points, that article was excellent. It should be a must read for anyone that uses those formats. Great job.

[Big Daddy]

Jeff, thank you for your comments. Although I understand your points, I believe you are getting a bit picky. The whole point of FAQ section was to give very short and non-technical answers to common questions in order to get the point across without confusing the reader.

Originally Posted by jeff92k7

This answer isn't entirely accurate. Earlier in the article, you state that the shielding is to help avoid EMI/RFI which is correct and the answer should stop there. You also state that by having a coaxial cable between pieces of equipment, you create an electrical connection between them which can transfer hum. This is also correct.

The question about "Who needs annoying hums" in the answer above is not applicable. Hums (ground loops) can in fact be carried between different pieces of equipment when using coaxial cables.

As I mentioned in Item #6 in the original post, I agree that coaxial cable can carry the hum that is already there, but it does not create and pick up new noises and problems. Perhaps, I should modify the original statement to “Who needs additional noises and hums created by the cable?”

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Q. Why can't we bend Optical (Toslink) cables?
A. They work by sending light signals through a plastic or glass tube rather than electrical pulses down a wire. Digital signals are converted to light and then back to digital. That is reason we should not bend an optical cable.

Originally Posted by jeff92k7

The answer given doesn't actually answer the question. You restate how an optical cable works but not why they shouldn't be bent.

Again, you are getting excessively technical in the FAQ section. I did not want to make the answer very technical or long. I just wanted to warn readers from bending their optical cables. I will modify the answer by adding the following:

"Optical cables work by sending light signals through a plastic or glass tube rather than electrical pulses down a wire. Digital signals are converted to light and then back to digital. As light travels through different mediums, it can bend. In optical material (plastic or glass), there is an angle of refraction, which when increased to a certain amount, the light instead of going through the material, gets reflected back. Some light still escapes, but most gets reflected internally. By bending an optical cable, two things may occur:

1. The internal plastic (or glass) may snap and break.
2. Even if the cable does not snap, it has a limit of how much you can bend it. The limit is when you bend the cable enough so that the angle of refraction is no longer sufficient for the light to go through."

I thank you again for trying to make the thread better.

[jeff92k7]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Jeff, thank you for your comments. Although I understand your points, I believe you are getting a bit picky.

I probably am. I tend to do that sometimes.

My wife can't stand to watch things like 24 with me because I am always explaining why the "technobabble" they use makes absolutely no sense, or is completely irrelevant for what they are trying to do.

Keep in mind, I'm not complaining. Just trying to help make things accurate for the average reader.

[Texitura]

As I was nosing around on the Intertubes recently, I came across something interesting. I'm starting to upgrade my system and I was really just looking for low-cost speaker cables that would look better than the plain wire I've been using.

I was wondering if anyone has tried these DIY cables: White Lightning Moonshine Cables

The reviewer seems to compare them favorably to Cardas Golden Cross cables which sell for (seriously) thousands of dollars. The 6moons website seems to be very into high-end (and high-dollar) equipment. Not only have I never had expensive cables, but I don't think I've ever had sufficiently good equipment to hear any improvement in sound. But these are pretty good-looking and if they're actually better than the rest of my equipment, at least that's one thing I won't have to upgrade!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Texitura

As I was nosing around on the Intertubes recently, I came across something interesting. I'm starting to upgrade my system and I was really just looking for low-cost speaker cables that would look better than the plain wire I've been using.

I was wondering if anyone has tried these DIY cables: White Lightning Moonshine Cables

The reviewer seems to compare them favorably to Cardas Golden Cross cables which sell for (seriously) thousands of dollars. The 6moons website seems to be very into high-end (and high-dollar) equipment. Not only have I never had expensive cables, but I don't think I've ever had sufficiently good equipment to hear any improvement in sound. But these are pretty good-looking and if they're actually better than the rest of my equipment, at least that's one thing I won't have to upgrade!

The DIY cables you mentioned are interesting and good looking.

If you're looking for a décor friendly cable, buy the Monoprice CL2 rated in-wall speaker speaker cables and banana plugs. They come with a white outer jacket to blend in with your walls and baseboards for out of wall applications and are CL2 rated to meet most building codes * for installation behind the walls when you want to keep the cables completely out of sight. These cables are made from high purity, oxygen free copper, are available in a variety of gauges and come in 2 conductor and 4 conductor configurations. The 4 conductor cables are perfect for bi-wiring high end tower speakers that offer a bi-wireable option.

100 ft, 12 gauge: $28.35
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

50 ft, 12 Gauge: $14.70
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

100 ft, 14 gauge: $22.40
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

50 ft, 14 Gage: $12.00
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

Banana Plugs - Closed Screw Type: $2.37
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

Banana Plugs - Open Screw Type: $0.97
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

[HT + 2CH MAN]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Jeff, thank you for your comments. Although I understand your points, I believe you are getting a bit picky. The whole point of FAQ section was to give very short and non-technical answers to common questions in order to get the point across without confusing the reader.


As I mentioned in Item #6 in the original post, I agree that coaxial cable can carry the hum that is already there, but it does not create and pick up new noises and problems. Perhaps, I should modify the original statement to “Who needs additional noises and hums created by the cable?”




Again, you are getting excessively technical in the FAQ section. I did not want to make the answer very technical or long. I just wanted to warn readers from bending their optical cables. I will modify the answer by adding the following:

"Optical cables work by sending light signals through a plastic or glass tube rather than electrical pulses down a wire. Digital signals are converted to light and then back to digital. As light travels through different mediums, it can bend. In optical material (plastic or glass), there is an angle of refraction, which when increased to a certain amount, the light instead of going through the material, gets reflected back. Some light still escapes, but most gets reflected internally. By bending an optical cable, two things may occur:

1. The internal plastic (or glass) may snap and break.
2. Even if the cable does not snap, it has a limit of how much you can bend it. The limit is when you bend the cable enough so that the angle of refraction is no longer sufficient for the light to go through."

I thank you again for trying to make the thread better.

Hi Big Daddy...

Just want to add my thanks for your post.it was Very informative and interesting....

...Just last night I had, for only the 1st time...had I REALLY looked at all the in and outputs on the back of my DVD player and receiver, in anticipation of up coming added stuff to plug in, ...and had began to wonder about the 'optical' and 'digital' in/outputs offered...
...since both the bigscreen and receiver, DVD all had HDMI in/outs..I plugged everything together with those...
..and all work 'fine'...as far as i know....

...but wondered if I was missing out on some better possibilities in sound/video quality...by going with optical or coax..

...and until only yesterday...I thought "coaxial''...Only existed in the form of the type that, (for 1 example) come down from a satellite dish .
..that has that longish, straightish, non woven center wire ...an insulator around that, then conductive outer wire...(but then, and most particularly)... terminated at each end, with a 'screw-together' type connection...

...I did not realize until yesterday that an RCA connector can also be used at the ends of a 'coax' cable...and that this is the way it is done for home audio/video 'digital coax' interconnects.

...thanks for your having posted the info..

...I will need to read it several more times I'm sure, to have it become more 'ingrained' in my head...to have real understandiing, of 'the best' way to hook everything up.... (between optical, coax, or RCA interconnects)

...may I offer though, that I also appreciated jeff92kys' comments, for example..because as I read your original post about the problems that can occur from 'bending' an optical cable..I was wondering what 'bend' meant?...a sharp 90degree turn?...something less than that?...the 'opticals need to be COMPLETELY STRAIGHT?...NO bends AT ALL???...and wondered why you had not been more 'specific' in how much tolerance an optical cable had for bending...

...so jeffs' comment to keep bend radius greater than 2", was helpful for me...

...the words "exessively picky' ...seemed a bit harsh, and defensive to me...

...we're all just trying to help by offering what we know...right?.

But again, thank you Very Much for having taken the time to make the post.

I'm sure what you posted...will help me down the road to end up with a better looking and sounding system.

HT + 2CH MAN

[mtbkr]

if anybody can find rca to RG-11 compression fiittings let me know! I have access to very good quality RG-11 and RG-6, and I would love nothing more than to go way overkill. i have been looking around the webernet and have come up empty handed. my other option was to go with silver clad quadsheild RG-59(used in cable headends).

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by mtbkr

if anybody can find rca to RG-11 compression fiittings let me know! I have access to very good quality RG-11 and RG-6, and I would love nothing more than to go way overkill. i have been looking around the webernet and have come up empty handed. my other option was to go with silver clad quadsheild RG-59(used in cable headends).

Your best bet is to use an F compression connector for RG11 and then use a high quality F to RCA adapter.

http://compressionconnector.com/line...onnectors/rg11
http://www.mjsales.net/items.asp?Fam...D=38&Cat3ID=48
http://sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Install/Connectors.htm

This RCA compression connector for RG6 quad shield may fit.

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/pro...px?SKU=6470490

[dvdwatcher]

What is oxygen free and what are the benefits?

[RBBrittain]

Originally Posted by dvdwatcher

What is oxygen free and what are the benefits?

AFAIK, it has something to do with the manufacturing process for the copper wire. IMO it's just worthless Monster hype, though even that's a bit more relevant to analog wire (like speaker wire) than HDMI. Extreme audiophiles might want it if they buy into all that Monster hype; for the rest of us, high-quality cheap wire is the way to go.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by dvdwatcher

What is oxygen free and what are the benefits?

The inexpensive industrial copper used for production of wire has an oxygen content of approximately 0.04%. For most applications the oxygen in copper is an insignificant impurity. However, when the copper is heated such as when using a solder, the hydrogen found in air can diffuse into the copper and make the copper brittle.

Oxygen free copper (OFC) was not invented because of the needs of the audio industry. It was originally made because the very long standard copper windings around electrical generators would become brittle and fail due to their exposure to high tempratures and vibrations.

Normally, you want the resistance of the speaker wires to be low. In the process of removing oxygen from copper, other impurities that can increase the resistance of the wire are also removed. However, the difference in resistance between regular wire and oxygen free wire is negligible.

In summary, OFC is more marketing and its benefits in audio have not been proven either scientifically or in double blind tests.

http://www.audioholics.com/education...e-construction

Oxygen-Free Copper
Many cables today are advertised as using "oxygen-free copper," copper which has been annealed in an oxygen-free atmosphere. OFC is popular in audio cables, and has begun to make inroads into the video cable market as well.

We all know, of course, that oxygen is bad for things made from copper. Copper oxidizes and turns green and flaky; in so doing, it loses its high conductivity and begins to fall apart. But the amount of oxygen present in conventionally annealed, non-OFC copper is so tiny that it simply isn't a factor in cable quality. We have cut into pieces of Belden coaxial cable twenty-five years old that have been used in radio transmission applications--and found them clean and bright, completely lacking any sign of oxidation. Modern coax is better still, with nitrogen-injected foam dielectrics that keep oxygen entirely away from the center conductor.

As it is with silver, there's nothing wrong with OFC; but electrically speaking, OFC wire is indistinguishable in audio and video applications from ordinary annealed copper wire.

[dvdwatcher]

Thanks Big Daddy

[dvdwatcher]

I don't plan to bi amp my speakers but is it recommended to run 4 conductor anyway because its an in wall installation?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by dvdwatcher

I don't plan to bi amp my speakers but is it recommended to run 4 conductor anyway because its an in wall installation?

Nobody can stop you from doing it, but it is a waste of time and money, particularly for surround speakers. Run good 12 gauge in-wall speaker wires and you should be ok. Spend the money on things that can have a major effect like better speakers, amplifiers, room treatment, insulation, etc.

[dvdwatcher]

Im getting ready to purchase my in wall CL-2 rated speaker wire and was recommended 12AWG, but Im guessing my wiring will only be about 35-40 feet so will 16AWG be sufficient? Or should I go with a higher AWG to be safe maybe 14?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by dvdwatcher

Im getting ready to purchase my in wall CL-2 rated speaker wire and was recommended 12AWG, but Im guessing my wiring will only be about 35-40 feet so will 16AWG be sufficient? Or should I go with a higher AWG to be safe maybe 14?

The difference in price is insignificant in the long run. Buy 12 or 14 gauge from Monoprice. They make very good CL2 rated speaker wires.

[selkec]

RG6 cable has aluminum foil and aluminum braid shielding. RG59 has copper braid shielding. Aluminum is better for blocking ultra high frequency RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) noise. Copper braid shielding is better for blocking lower frequency interference. RG6 is more appropriate for digital TV appclications. It also has a thicker center conductor than RG59 and is preferred for longer lengths. An RG59 with two layers of copper braid shieldings may be more appropriate for subwoofer applications.

I may be being picky but you said rg59 has copper braid shielding. It is usually only the cheap and generic rg59 that has copper braid. But the majority of rg59 I see is aluminum braid. I have been a dish and cable installer for 8 years and rarely see that cheap copper braid rg59. That being said. If I run across it on an install it must be removed for cable tv. It allows ingress of radio frequencies.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by selkec

I may be being picky but you said rg59 has copper braid shielding. It is usually only the cheap and generic rg59 that has copper braid. But the majority of rg59 I see is aluminum braid. I have been a dish and cable installer for 8 years and rarely see that cheap copper braid rg59. That being said. If I run across it on an install it must be removed for cable tv. It allows ingress of radio frequencies.

I was not referring to the generic cables used in Cable TV and Satellite installations. I meant coaxial cables that have double copper braid shielding with more than 94%-95% effective coverage that are used in high-end audio. Unfortunately, most installers do not have much experience with these coaxial cables. I have listed some examples in the following:

Belden 1505A RG59 Cable:
1st Layer - Aluminum Foil with 100% coverage
2nd Layer - Tinned Copper Braid with 95% coverage

Belden 1505F RG59 Cable:
Two Tinned Copper Braid with 94% coverage

Belden 1694A RG6U Cable:
1st Layer - Aluminum Foil with 100% coverage
2nd Layer - Tinned Copper Braid with 95% coverage

Belden 1595F RG6U Cable:
1st Layer - Aluminum Foil with 100% coverage
2nd Layer - Tinned Copper Braid with 95% coverage

Canare LV-77S RG59 Cable:
Shield Type: 95% Braid over 92% Braid Bare Copper

Proprietary Blue Jean LC-1 RG6 Type Coaxial Cable:
Shield Type - Braid/Braid, 98% coverage, bare copper

Belden 8281F RG59U Cable:
1st Layer - Tinned Copper with 98% coverage
2nd Layer - Tinned Copper Braid with 98% coverage

None of the cables mentioned above are low quality or cheap.