-Contributed by TechLore.com

Why better cables?

In 1979, a man named Noel Lee made a discovery. He determined that different materials in the wire connecting a speaker to an amplifier made an impact on how it would sound. Using this discovery he set out to craft a special speaker wire that would make music sound better. This new cable, upon completion, was given the name "Monster Cable"... and a new industry was born.

Noel's cable had a profound effect on the audio world. At the time, speakers were connected with the same wire used in household electrical appliances known as lamp cord. Today, Monster Cable has become a generic term for high quality cable, similar to the Kleenex brand of tissue. Since the inception of quality cable, hundreds of manufacturers have evolved to research and design quality interconnects for audio and video equipment. Without Lee and his efforts in the research and design of quality cables, the performance of your electronics would never be fully realized.

The Cable Basics

Devices you buy for your home A/V system don't work if you just plug them into the wall. They need to be connected to the rest of your components in order to carry the output signals to where they need to go.

Take a DVR for example: DVRs have an audio and video signal that goes out when you play a show. These signals leave the DVRs through cables called interconnects, which are used to connect various devices together. DVRs can also accept signals coming in from other devices, which you can then record for later playback. These incoming signals need to get to the DVR somehow, and you can thank interconnects for getting those signals there.

Without all of these cables connecting our equipment together, nothing in your system would have a picture or sound. That's why it's best to consider cables as a component of your system rather than an accessory. An interconnect's primary purpose is to carry signals from one device to another, and they have an impact on the performance of the audio or video signal being sent. Using quality interconnects in your system helps ensure you're getting all the performance your equipment can provide.

Get the Connection Type Right

To get the most from your components, it's essential to select the right kinds of cable. Manufacturers usually package a low quality interconnect, known as a "patch cord", in the box with a new device. These cables can get you by in a pinch, but the device's true performance will not be realized until a better quality cable is obtained.

The signal quality of a device is largely impacted by the type of interconnect that's used. The different types of available connections will vary across audio gear and video gear, as well as from device to device. It's important to use the best connection your device allows. Below we'll take a look at the quality level of different kinds of connections.

Video Connections (going from worst to best)

• 300-ohm twin lead - obsolete connection.
• 75-Ohm Coaxial RF connection - worst connection; familiar screw on type wire used in many homes for cable TV service. (Keep in mind that using quality connections are important post-tuner, meaning that picking the best connection comes after your antenna, cable, or satellite signal gets to your box or television)
• Composite - better than RF; single yellow RCA cable.
• S-Video - Better than RF & composite; usually black cable with pins on both ends.
• Component connection - better than RF, composite, & S-video; cable with red, blue, green connectors on both ends.
• RGB - Not often found on home theater gear; use for computers or HD boxes.
• DVI - Typically better than component. Use on HD and DVD sources if possible.
• HDMI - Same quality as DVI, smaller physical connector. Capable of carrying audio as well.
• IEEE-1394 (Firewire) - Simplified connection, but largely unused.

Audio Connections (going from worst to best. The most common connections are listed below. Some gear has proprietary audio connections that could be used.) Some gear sports proptietary audio connections, like Denon's "DENON LINK" Ethernet based connection. What's listed below are the most common.

• Analog left/right - Standard audio hookup; red/white RCA connectors.


• Optical Digital - better than analog, same quality as coaxial; red light shines through ends when in use.


• Coaxial - better than analog, similar quality as optical; typically orange RCA connector on each end.


• 5.1 channel input - superior when connecting DVD-Audio or SACD; 5 RCA-terminated cables.

Once you determine your connection type, you can begin finding the right cable material.

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