Does expensive RCA cables will improve sound quality

[MCRetina]

I sure this have been discused before but:

Does expensive or brand RCA cables will improve sound quality of my sistem?

Thanks

NAD 315BEE amp

NAD 515BEE CD

MA BR2

Audioques cable

Cheap RCA

 

[Crossie]

Here be dragons...

Yawn.

 

[Anonymous]

No. But it may provide a slightly different presentation. Have you A/B tested your cheap RCA vs. Audioquest? 😉

 

[eggontoast]

Oh no, here we go again.

Would probably be easier just to try a few to make up your own mind.

 

[moon]

:wall: dull

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Yes they will......(ducking for cover!!!!!) :help:

 

[tino]

No they don't .. they just degrade the audio less. You may not even be able to hear the difference once you go over the £30 mark

 

[Pistol Pete1]

I did......defo difference when I replaced my £30 connector for a £66 one......

 

[bigboss]

Here's my recent experience with RCA cables.

I wanted one for my bedroom to connect my Sonos to Audioengine 2 speakers. There was a lot of static noise when I first tried a cheap £2.69 cable (I had not even begun to check audio quality). I contacted the ebay seller, who sent another one out. Same result. I then ordered a £16 cable which was better built. No static noise this time.

In a nutshell, I can't comment if there's an improvement in sound, but better built RCA cables definitely eliminate static. Of course, my view about HDMI cables are well known; I haven't noticed a difference.

 

[the record spot]

Yes they will......(ducking for cover!!!!!) :help:

They "might" perhaps.

And given as I've just removed a pair of Atlas Navigators and stuck in my old Computergear ones, let's just say I reckon I'll get more for the Navigators when I stick them on Ebay next weekend...and the remaining audio quality is as good as it was when the Atlas ones were plugged in.

To the OP, get a few, from megacheap to as much as you want to spend. Make sure you can get the pricey ones on a sell-or-return basis and see how you go.

For me, the differences have been minimal and only really came to light when the changes that one partcular cable was supposed to make (thanks to a 5 star review in an unnamed title) delivered nothing of the sort. The questions began after that. For you though, make up your own mind; YMMV.

 

[Messiah]

After years of various 'upgrades' I am also a sceptic about the improvements they offer. For years I told myself the £100 cable I had bought was better than the £20 one but my honest conclusion now is that there was no real difference. That I noticed.

Best thing to do is to demo for yourself and decide.

 

[FennerMachine]

As has been said a well built cable will likely sound better than a super cheapo one.

But you might not need to spend a fortune to improve what you have if you are after a mild change in presentation.

I had interconnects that cost me £175.00 a pair and speaker cable costing the same for a pair of 2.5m lengths. These where at a discount from friend who was winding down his Hi-Fi business, they should have cost near double that.

Made a small but noticeable difference over the good quality cables I had before, £50.00 to £100.00 interconnects and £100.00 speaker cable.

Since changing my speakers and pre-amp I have changed my interconnects and speaker cable.

Speaker cable cost less than £100.00 total and interconnects cost less than £30.00 per pair.

The overall sound of my system is much more enjoyable.

I liked the system I had for a few years but tastes change as you get older.

I would personally put the improvements down to the main components I have changed rather than the interconnects.

Knowing what I know now I would spend the sort of money I spent years ago on cables/interconnects on other components or on more music. Possibly on better quality beer!

As others have suggested try some cables with a good returns policy. Only you can decide.

 

[MCRetina]

Oh no, here we go again. Would probably be easier just to try a few to make up your own mind.

I know, but I cant just borw them from the store, I have to buy them to test them.

The bigest problem is that there is not a big HiFi community in Xalapa, Ver. Mexico. To be honest the only brand that I can find here is Audioquest and only one model (snake). If I would like something else I wil have to buy it in US and smuggle it.

Maybe for the next topic I sould ask something less controversial ........... abortion, religion maybe?

 

[hammill]

Maybe for the next topic I sould ask something less controversial ........... abortion, religion maybe?

Try suggesting one hard disk sounds better than another. That is even more fun.

 

[eggontoast]

Maybe for the next topic I sould ask something less controversial ........... abortion, religion maybe?

You should be OK with them subjects......and politics of course.

 

[The_Lhc]

Do expensive RCA cables improve sound quality

No they don't .. they just degrade the audio less.

That's the same thing, just looked at from the other direction.

 

[SteveR750]

For me, with my system in my house, no. You may have a different experience, in which case the answer could be yes. Then again I don't find much difference in speaker cables, let alone ther direction. With anything as subjective as this, the poor calibration of adjectives between humans obscures the reality more often than not.

 

[MCRetina]

Ok so I bought some RCA audioquest snake 1m and tried them.

I must say that in case they improve the sound quality the difference is so minimal that I may have to try them blindly to be sure its not "placebo" effect. I think that other small changes may change sound a lot more like speaker placement or acoustic panels (in my case some sweaters and jackets hanging on the wall an pillows in the corners, not very fancy I know).

I know that Im mixing apples and oranges but all resumes in sound

Thanks

 

[Helmut80]

Maybe for the next topic I sould ask something less controversial ........... abortion, religion maybe?

:rofl:

 

[shafesk]

Here's my recent experience with RCA cables.

I wanted one for my bedroom to connect my Sonos to Audioengine 2 speakers. There was a lot of static noise when I first tried a cheap £2.69 cable (I had not even begun to check audio quality). I contacted the ebay seller, who sent another one out. Same result. I then ordered a £16 cable which was better built. No static noise this time.

I concur, I replaced a pair of rca cables with more expensive ones and noticed that the interference caused by my mobile phone was gone. I do think that with a revealing setup cables might make a difference, but I do not own one. I can confidently say that a better built cable reduces interference.

In a nutshell, I can't comment if there's an improvement in sound, but better built RCA cables definitely eliminate static. Of course, my view about HDMI cables are well known; I haven't noticed a difference.

 

[Anonymous]

Try suggesting one hard disk sounds better than another. That is even more fun.

I'm still waiting for Audioquest (or Monster) to introduce an aerosol spray that will improve the sound quality of wireless streaming...

 

[Inter_Voice]

My experience is "Yes" and "No" and it depends on the set up of your system.

Previously I owned NAD C355BEE and MA RX1 and changing the interconnects and speaker cables from £20 to £150 product I could not hear any difference in change of SQ.

Now I am using Leema Tucana II and Spendor SA-1 and I can hear a clear difference when I changed the interconnects from the one costing £20 to a £150 😛

 

[visionary]

Try suggesting one hard disk sounds better than another. That is even more fun.

I'm still waiting for Audioquest (or Monster) to introduce an aerosol spray that will improve the sound quality of wireless streaming...

I'm sure Russ Andrews could quote for cryogenically treating the air in your house 🙂

 

[MykhailM]

Based on at least my own experience after listening quite a few audio cables from a well known manufacturers I can say for sure that cables do make a difference and in some cases by a big margin. The better audio gear one has the more difference will be revealed. I `m currently having several pares of Malbru SILVER cables and that is for a good reason, you can find it on Amazon, I highly recommend them to anyone from mid to high-end systems. Some small brads produce a real gem product no doubt about it.

 

[MykhailM]

Good audio cables are surely essential part to any serous audiophile as they deliver a very sensitive signal between your audio gear as it has been said in this page. I have listened to quite a few well known brands such as Russ Andrews cables QED Signature etc. and more often than not the price reflects its qualities. For those who still on a fence so to say and question the sonic differences in various audio interconnects or speaker cables you can easily sort this concern out by going to your local Hi-Fi dealer shop that has a dedicated listening room and ask to audition cables at different price point. I'm pretty sure that should be a good time spent. I narrowed down my preference to Malbru SILVER and Digital Malbru CX cables all under £600 and couldn`t be more happy with. With time you can change audio components etc. but cables will stay as they as essential as components themselves. To me you really need to audition several brands before you spend cash for a good quality interconnect that YOU personally like. If they improve our musical experience for years to come than that what really matters.