Do Audio Cables Affect Sound Quality?

[@stefansynths]

In electrical engineering, we talk about noise and interference as two different things. Interference is unwanted signal from external sources. Noise is unwanted signal coming from the system itself. Even a perfectly shielded and isolated system will still have noise. Every resistor in the circuit produces white noise just sitting there from random movement of electrons caused by the heat of the resistor, called "thermal noise". There are other types of noise with different spectra associated with diodes, transistors, and every other type of component. Interference is the easier problem to solve, as outlined in this video. Low noise requires careful gain staging and sometimes expensive components.

[@MrPureBasic]

We make this differentiation too. Parasitic noise and self noise. What everyone seem to forget is the tendencies for low quality cable to be microphonic (caps are too). I have yet to see a video addressing this issue.

[@CarlVanDoren61]

Power conditioners are helpful 👌

[@sabothawk]

True, not to mention typical impedance mismatches: and all the problems are made worse by the fact that microphones are stone-cold deaf: even the simplest typical recording signal path -- Mic, pre (or phantom), and ADC -- uses two gain stages to get enough signal without adding audible distortion (unless you have access to an ADC with a god-mode preamp that doesn't have to strain to boost the signal all the way on its own), with their associated interacting self-noises. Minimizing the noise floor over multiple stages while setting levels is so much fun ha ha ha!

[@Nourrights_psalm118.8]

The shielding only work vs higher frequency range (depending upon the amplitude of said signal). That being said as long as the cable is properly twisted will do more as far as inductance vs capacitance.

[@DavidLindes]

@@MrPureBasic oh, I forget who or in what videos off the top of my head, but there's a youtuber out there that does address this. Actually, I think Dave from EEVBlog does sometimes, but there's another one, too, I think. I think it's the guy that's building his own voltage and/or frequency reference sources?? Ahh yes, Marco Reps (@reps), e.g. in v=XpbDMo8an5w a little after 15 minutes in -- well, that's about caps, but, cables _are_ caps, right? :D

[@wildekek]

The way you create a completely educational video in combination with a non-annoying product promotion is done so well.

[@neilisabass]

I have taken a number of IT classes, but this was the first time I really understood the function of twisting pairs of wire.

[@dawn-moon]

You shoud start with Cisco CCNA then, this entry course explains this very well.

[@AZisk]

this is likely the best video on the topic on all of youtube. especially the last demo

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks!

[@KaiOfAspen]

getting sponsored by radial is such a flex

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks! I’m very proud to work with them!

[@largefatherbassmusic]

Bros been getting big arm sponsors left and right, rightfully so!

[@groovedealerfeaturing-ashl6476]

Indeed! I wouldn't use any other DI, other than the Sansamp VT i use.

[@RealFitchEmerson]

​@@AudioUniversity Congrats bro! The sponsor of a lifetime. Phewww

[@RNDMID]

1200 feet using an ethernet cable with hardly any loss, yet the audiophiles pay $8,000 for a stereo pair for their living room 😂

[@jamesseto1]

Digital protocols are MUCH more robust to noise. Audio is analog, and so any loss will impact the quality of the signal.

[@user0000user]

@@jamesseto1 Did you watch the video? The last test was analog.

[@matthewdouglas2373]

where can I find ethernet cables that can run 1200 feet?!

[@mcbaws21]

@@matthewdouglas2373watch the video. he used multiple cables

[@abhinavprabhakar455]

​@@matthewdouglas2373right? I only know of 100 feet ones in my area

[@cags12]

Great video. Just thought to mention that on the initial example of an instrument TS cable the impedance is important for the noise immunity. Instrument Active circuits lowers impedance and that offer advantages for noise reduction too. DI boxes not only implements differential amplifiers but also buffers signal to lower impedance

[@theberndog]

Thank you for teaching about balanced cables. I interview Audio techs on a consistent basis and I'm always floored how many don't understand it.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching!

[@groovedealerfeaturing-ashl6476]

Great video mate! Extremely well put with no shouting, childishness or silly flashing graphics for people with no attention span... well done! Yours is, by quite some margin, one of the better audio channels on YT! 😎

[@grandrapids57]

This is another fantastic video where you have the teaching, presentation, and topic perfectly planned and executed. I am thrilled to see this channel now at 451,000 subscribers: for being a channel that targets a rather specific audience, it has grown substantially larger than I would have anticipated and every subscriber has been well earned. I remember joining when there were but 1,200 subscribers.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for sticking with me from the beginning! I’m very fortunate to have made it this far.

[@vickin360]

just what i needed to see before purchasing some audio cables, thank you

[@MarcRoelofs]

This was excellent. Something one understands intuitively but never really focused on. Great work, please keep doing this stuff. You forgot to mention that STP cables are easy to come by and relatively inexpensive, thus easily changeable when needed. I'm not a stage engineer but I would choose STP cat7 any day for this kind of work.

[@AZisk]

is this compatible with CAT6 and CAT7 or just CAT5?

[@AZisk]

nevermind, you answered it 🎉

[@seaneverett7576]

Having done a lot of networking I immediately assumed you'd get 328 feet (100 meters) out of CAT, as this is the standard for data and POE in general before needing to insert a network switch/hub/repeater to get another 328 feet. (You can exceed the standard but it is quite dependent on the situation) Was quite surprised how you can get such a significantly longer run with analog. Not that I'd even need 100 meters let alone 8x that it was still cool to see it done!

[@AudioUniversity]

The frequencies within the audio signal are MUCH lower than the 328-ft specification. We only need it to support 20kHz, but cable made for digital and network connections support MHz and GHz communication!

[@charlotteice5704]

Thank you, now I finally get the logic behind twisted pair cables as well as the quality differences between mic cables. You did an amazing job explaining and illustrating!

[@theftking]

I didn't even know you could send analog audio signals through CAT5. Sick.

[@ytstolemyname]

Oh hi fnaf drama youtuber. Didn't expect to see you here

[@Andreas-ov2fv]

Wonderful video. It's going to be super useful. There is an unadressed, implied question about why the DI box in the beginning needs to exist instead of having a balanced, shielded cable directly from the instrument. I know the quick and bad answer - guitar outputs are unbalanced - but not why it "has" to be this way.

[@robinkleinsteuber5217]

In the audiophile sphere, this is considered a HUGE rabbit hole to go down. Good info! Have a fabulously great day! 👍🍺

[@lazymass]

In audiophile sphere it's mostly snake oil...

[@robinkleinsteuber5217]

​@@lazymass I know that only too well. I've been in arguments, over cables and other related issues, for too many years, and been raked over hot coals verbally many times by the voodoo fringe. They are a most stubborn lot.

[@robinkleinsteuber5217]

@@lazymass Yep, I know that only too well, being involved in that area for a very long time. I support solid engineering principles only.

[@picksalot1]

Extremely useful information and excellent presentation. Thanks 👍

[@djtitan]

Amazing video! I will reference this frequently! This has me now wondering about delay in relation to distance with audio signal. Eager for more videos from you, thank you!

[@AudioUniversity]

These electrical signals travel at the speed of light, so there will be no audible delay.

[@framegrace1]

Just for fun, did the calculations. For the signal to have 15ms of delay (the absolute lowest of the detectable delay), the cable would have to be 2800 miles long. For a curious coincidence, that is almost exactly maximum wide of USA from coast to coast

[@djtitan]

@@AudioUniversity that’s awesome thank you. Do any previous videos cover delay when daisy chaining speakers?

[@sfn4702]

man, your videos are looking and sounding so pro. Really, really well done -- not to mention the content, which is excellent!

[@AudioUniversity]

Thank you!

[@franktriggs]

Jimi Hendrix used coiled/curly cables with increased capacitance to dull the tone of his strat. The highs used to be unwanted in the 60's/70's. Many interviews you hear Jimi talk about the 'shrill' and 'treble' of other bands as being horrible. Especially in a live situation, it can cause hearing damage.

[@InventorZahran]

Hearing damage can be caused by any sufficiently loud sound, but especially higher frequencies tend to sound unpleasant when played at high volume.

[@TomJakobW]

I can see that, especially with them all playing Strats with their single coil pickups. Those things really can be shreekers!

[@risheyrsp]

Thanks Kyle and AU for always putting up great Quality Videos and useful Information with utmost comprehension!

[@breernancy]

Great, great post. I love the practical demonstrations - they put relevant context on to the theory which can be mind-numbing at times. Timely too as I have been discussing cable selection with my colleagues just this past week. My take from experience and based on what I have read: Pros of CAT5 1. Designed for an environment where signal integrity is key - the consequence is that it uses the best cable design technology with tight specifications and consistency on conductor diameter for each conductor and along the length of each conductor, shielding, and number of twists per unit distance. Consistency in balanced cable geometry is key in rejecting common mode noise and the number of twists per foot determine the highest frequency (=shortest wavelength) for which uniform common mode noise is rejected. The basic thinking is that each twist acts as a loop antenna and alternate twists change the polarity of the noise voltage induced in the cable so that, in sum, they cancel out. 2. Designed for much higher frequencies (computer networks) than baseband audio - this is what determines the specifications for the parameters mentioned above. As audio bandwidths are well within that of wired computer networks, CAT5 just works like a silver bullet in rejecting noise from a variety of sources. 3. Economies of scale make for a cable that is cheaper and better than traditional audio cables Cons of CAT5 1. Probably conductor size (24AWG). Balanced mic cable from what I have seen are 22AWG or thicker 2. Not as resilient if being moved continually - best applied in my opinion for installed audio PS Performance is subject to cable length and signal bandwidth. As these increase, source and load impedances and the whole issue of matching those impedances begin to play an increasingly greater role as the cable starts to behave more like a transmission line. The challenges are probably not unlike what was faced by the legacy Rediffusion radio that preceded RF transmitted audio years ago. Rediffusion distributed baseband audio (!?!) country-wide in many UK colonies via a wired relay network.

[@DeadKoby]

Although I knew this stuff, it's a very good explanation and demo that I can share with my not so technical friends.

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad you found it valuable!

[@tharii314]

Appreciate the captioning.

[@ramanceregatti4938]

very nice explanation of audio cables! as always by the way! i have a question: i see that after 1200 ft (like 366 m) signal distortion in audio band is significant, does it comes from increasing impedance of the total lenght of the cable? if yes, what is the value of the total cable impedance? thank you for all your work about sharing knowledge in a very good way! Greetings from Italy!

[@chrismadog8004]

Very nicely done. I have had so many arguements about balanced cables with people who simply do not know. They presume they know all there is to know, yet they have great big gaps in their knowledge. Nowadays, converting unbalanced to balanced can be done without very expensive high quality transformers by using electronics with single chip solutions and it works just as well, if not better with very wide band amplification from DC right up to rediculous frequencies (although this can create problems too). The only 'downside' is requiring a power supply to power it. However, you can end up with useful gain as a result resulting in more headroom.

[@m0j0face]

Fascinating video! I'm curious if the same amount of noise would be introduced if a long cable was stretched out it's entire length between connectors vs. the same length being of cable being mostly coiled up with the connectors being relatively close to each other. I'm sure the particulars of the space and other nearby electrical equipment would be the prevailing factors, but my hunch is that a coiled cable would pick up less noise than a stretched one.

[@sonidojamon]

I frikin' love this channel!!

[@keithsanborn8508]

Excellent video. First time I've the + and - of an xlr cable explained. It's usually called hot, neutral and ground. Neutral for - is a terrible way to say it, when it's out of phase 180 degrees. Unless I totally misunderstood. This really makes we think about the cat 5 route for super long cables. One thing troubled me: comparing the longer lengths of cable using pink noise. I heard a slight shift with higher frequencies being slightly more emphasized with the longer lengths of cable which is counter-intuitive and counter to your graph. Perhaps it's just me.

[@AAAA-lt9hq]

Thank you for another excellent video! Interestingly enough, I found the pink noise at 1700 ft. and longer a little more pleasant to listen to because of the loss of harsh high end. I would need to hear an instrument's tone through the cable to be sure, but I was definitely surprised by the results.

[@mistaowickkuh6249]

"Hey guys! May I plug this coffee machine under this speaker?" "Please don't 🥲"

[@jensschroder8214]

However, a shielded balanced cable can also lead to problems. We wanted to connect a mixer in one corner of the hall to an amplifier in another room. The mixer and the amplifier have the housing on PE of the main socket. Because the XLR cable shield is connected internally to PE, it was grounded at both ends. This led to disturbing noises. It helped to put a sound transformer in between and interrupt the shielded screen.

[@AudioUniversity]

Great point! Ground loops!

[@franktriggs]

@@AudioUniversity For mono instruments like guitars, just use a good quality cloth/cotton coax cable with the shield connected at one end only. Plug the shielded end into your guitar. No noise down the cable and no ground loops. The signal uses only one wire. The ground/shield is effective only along its length. No need to connect the shield at both ends.

[@llll-lk2mm]

i thouvht id get bored watcbing this but man i was hooked thanks

[@jtf2dan]

Great info and tips to clean up the sound.

[@Mr.SharkTooth-zc8rm]

Good stuff me lad! SUBSCRIBED!

[@gorangogomisicsstreetofdre890]

Great advice. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. U ROCK !!!!! 😎👍

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching!

[@MatthewWright001]

EXCELLENT VIDEO! I finally know why RJ45 connectors are on audio gear

[@AudioUniversity]

They are also sometimes there for network protocols like Dante. Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3nKoYOpj62jjKc

[@F0NIX]

You can get an Cat6 cable where each pair is shielded too. It then have the designations S/STP, S/FTP or F/FTP on it (S for braided shield and F for foil shield) instead of UTP (Un-shielded Twisted Pair). Most used here in Norway is Cat6A S/FTP cables. You can terminate the plugs yourself on the cables, but you need those special plugs for that. And it often takes a lot longer time to do. For those few times I use the "Field Termination Plugs" that have a lot more room in them for the thicker cables and does not need an RJ45 crimp tool. Thanx for a good explanation og the different cable types and signal types used in Audio installations. I will be sure to send this to my colleagues :)

[@Aerobrake]

it looks like a logaritjmic dropoff the longer the CAT6 is. Very cool! I will be sharing this with my friends and you got a new sub.

[@kevind4061]

Thank you! Your videos are amazing!

[@Yoda8945]

One thing not mentioned is that the twisted pairs in CAT cable are twisted at different rates. This goes a long way (groan) in preventing crosstalk and provides another source of common mode rejection.

[@bugdozer]

Oh yes, very informative vid too. Thank you!

[@giorgiobarchiesi5003]

I really appreciated the video, very clear and informative, and as an electronic engineer I find it sufficiently accurate from a technical point of view. But please, next time, also provide measurements in metric units, if you care about your international audience.

[@bugdozer]

Interesting thing about CAT5/6/7 cable is the twist per inch (TPI) of the conductors affects the impedance of each cable pair. If you look at each pair of conductors in a CAT5/6/7 cable, you will notice the TPI is not the same, slightly affecting the impedance of each pair. This makes a difference in high speed data transmission and why correct pinning is critical when making cables.

[@vadimmartynyuk]

Everyone can have their own proof or opinion but here are my experiences: 1. I used to have my studio wired with generic audio cables and monster cable cables. I had buzzing and other noise in the signal path. I switched to Mogami and there is no noise at all. 2. had RJ45 connectors and cat6 cable from Amazon for digital snake about 150 feet long, had drop outs quite often, the system was almost unusable. Switched to cable and RJ45 connectors bought at local electrical store, and now have 0 problems.

[@AudioUniversity]

Yes. The quality of cable and connector construction will vary.

[@AlexMitchell-sj4sb]

I have a question but maybe you don't see it. So is there any point in have shielded cables for home audio set up, or are the cable usually so short as to not cause an issue with picking up external noise?

[@AudioUniversity]

At such short distances, you’ll probably be using an unbalanced connection like RCA.

[@AlexMitchell-sj4sb]

@@AudioUniversity thank you for your reply.

[@totalplonker824]

If one is running a multi-channel setup and is also looking to experience an exceptionally quiet room, then shielded cables, in my opinion, are absolutely essential. This is coming from someone who's running 9 channels (5.2.4) and has changed nearly all his cables (analogue & digital) multiple times for this very reason. If one is looking to lower their noise floor and wishes to hear the incremental differences, I would recommend starting with the analogue cables of length first (heights, surrounds, etc)

[@AlexMitchell-sj4sb]

@totalplonker824 thank you for your reply. Not an Only Fools and Horses fan are you by any chance? (The screename)

[@totalplonker824]

@@AlexMitchell-sj4sb lovely jubbly 😁

[@gunjeshkashyap4019]

Nice audio cable information ❤ thanks

[@johanslabbert2869]

Your content is so cool 👌🏼

[@kras_mazov]

I have a question for you. I make my own cables and i've bought a spool of microphone cable for that purpose. The cable has 2 wires and a shield. When i make XLR or 3 contact TRS, i know what and where should be connected. But sometimes i need a 2 contact TRS, and i would like to use the same cable which i have. Should i use 2 wires for the contacts and just leave the shield hanging, or should i use the shield for one of the contacts and one of the wires for the other?

[@rustinpsy7957]

Perfect video! But the moving ‚sketch‘ background you use when showing cables makes me dizzy and getting a headache. Still great video and a new subscriber earned :)

[@SamiJumppanen]

Great video! It's interesting that CATs are a topic now (well, they must have been for longer, but the topic is popping up more frequently). I assume it's because of the economical situation. Everything's cut. Less margins, smaller investments. Cables are expensive. CATs are cutting it? ;) Some time ago I thought to try UTP CAT 6 for 4x unbalanced audio in my studio, because I needed more cables over more than 15 ft distances and happened to have cat6 and TS plugs at hand. Did a 30 ft cable (to be able to run it around the room rather than under the carpet) and was really suspicious about the unshielded, bare twisted pairs going to 1/4" plugs. But the result surprised myself! The cable stays in production use.

[@barisaxx4493]

Great video. Nice to see science and engineering on the internet instead of mythology. Keep it up!

[@Momfasa]

Thank you very much! Next, do a video about speaker wires.

[@sankarn.s5645]

I have to connect audio output from my PC to a audio Mixer which is more than 15 meter. Option1: Connecting Line output from PC to mixer using a DI box Option2: using a HDMI cable and Audio Deembedder Which option is best???

[@AudioUniversity]

If you need multichannel surround, use the HDMI Audio De-embedder. If you just need stereo, either option is ok.

[@Not_Aran8276]

Subtitles in HTML? Some of it is also styled with color, which is illegal (aka it simply won’t work) and it’s a deprecated font tag.

[@HoustonRoad]

Great info, thank you!!

[@romansavrulin]

That's a great explanation, but it lacks of taking into account the output impedance of the signal source. With high impedance outputs even short cable runs (dozens of meters) will ruin your signal's frequency response and level dramatically due to the internal cable capacitance. The same is with the noise interference. Noise can also easily jump into the signal path with high imedance output. So, you should take that parameter into account too when doing such tests

[@3L3V3NDRUMS]

Cool video man!

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks!

[@adamdeverb]

Love to see this!! 👍🏼

[@poser_disposer]

I recorded with a guy recently that has an issue with electrical noise, and i wish i would have seen this before going into the studio.

[@totalplonker824]

Even after auditioning 3 separate AVR's, the same ambient sound of the room was still present! That told me the unwanted faint background signal noise I had been experiencing had nothing to do with the actual units. Therefore, my attention changed to the cables. And even then It was only on the third occasion after I finally purchased shielded cables that the noise floor within my small room finally came down to satisfactory levels. Cables often act as antennas for attracting RF, and the longer the cable, the better the antenna. Probably explains why when I used to disconnect my heights and surrounds within 10 minutes, the faint background signal noise (RF/EMI) within my small room used to disappear/dissipate. The more cables I shield, the quieter my room becomes. In fact, the last group of cables I shielded were my HDMI's and Lo behold the room became slightly quieter again.. When friends came around, I used to show them how loud the system goes. Nowadays, I prefer to press pause and show them how quiet it goes. None of them gets it, of course 😂

[@vk3fbab]

The important thing about multi pair data cables is that the twist rates of each pair are not mathematically related to each other reducing the coupling of pairs in the same cable. They worked this out for hundreds of pair cables to stop telephone cross talk. With cat 5 you can see how the different colour pairs have very different twist rates. For high speed data this makes a difference as each pair has a different length and the timing skew must be accounted for

[@davidasher22]

Sick bass line bro!

[@gulogulo7636]

Scared me there, thought you where going to talk about speaker cable hocus pocus.

[@0sm1um76]

Gold and carbon fiber makes the electrons go faster!

[@MePeterNicholls]

I need to do a strand test.

[@Error2username]

Yes, see how much sound you get without them😂 magic hoguspogus are the best invisable cabel you can get, and i will sell you a pair😅🎉

[@pirojfmifhghek566]

I'm sorry, I couldn't read your comment through all the distortion. You should be using diamond-tipped platinum USB cables on your keyboard at the very LEAST.

[@showingpig01]

What exactly do you mean by speaker cable hocus pocus? There is an important factor regarding the gauge and material of conductors not covered in this video that is applicable to speaker wires and other analog audio signal routing - which is resistive noise. Thinner wires made from lower quality conductors have higher resistance and therefore produce greater resistive noise. This is especially important on pre-amplified signals, but over long distances or sufficiently thin wires it can be noticeable on amplified signals like the ones traveling through speaker wires. Has nothing to do with electrons “moving faster” like one other person sarcastically responded. In general though, it is fair to think about electrical resistance in terms of impediments to the flow of electrons, but i conceptualize the effect of this to be something like electrical turbulence rather than “slower” electrons. Resistors produce electrical noise, especially when they get warm. That’s a fundamental principle of electrical systems, not pseudoscience.

[@roscius6204]

Great educational video 👍

[@adrian-paul9114]

Would be nice if they made RGB XLR cables. Everyone knows RGB increases sample rate from 44kHz to 96kHz

[@paulstubbs7678]

Answered one question I had and that was how a four pair cat5 unshielded worked, I always thought you either had to use shielded cable, or sacrifice one pair as a pseudo earth especially for phantom powered kit. I'll have to try this at church.

[@sankarn.s5645]

DI box with 3.5 mm input available for connecting PC audio output?? Pls recommend some good brand DI box??

[@AudioUniversity]

Check out the Radial ProAV2.

[@7171jay]

The ProCo AV1b is another good DI that has 1/8" (3.5mm) and is about $70 cheaper than the Radial. If you are good with your audio summed to mono then the ProCo might be something to look into but if you need proper full stereo output then go with the Radial.

[@redlopa1]

Not quite the video I was expecting from the title… I read once that higher frequencies prefer the surface of a conductor and so a multi-strand cable with thicker conductor yielded more high-frequency clarity over distance. I also wondered about the properties of copper vs aluminium…

[@AudioUniversity]

The twisted pair cable is rated for frequencies MUCH higher than audio frequencies, so there may be an additional advantage there. But as you could see in the frequency analysis at the end of the video, the frequency response is flat up to about 1200 feet! Pretty amazing. These results will probably hold true for any balanced audio connection.

[@wrenchposting9097]

You're thinking of the 'skin effect' which is negligible at audio frequencies. People bring nonsense like that up when they are trying to sell you audiophile scams.

[@redlopa1]

@@wrenchposting9097 I’ve suspected my whole life that it was bullshit, and expected this video to deal with it. As another commenter said, it’s a rabbit hole!

[@finintuk]

I've often wondered why we dont use shielding for short unbalanced cables, like on pedalboards for example. Some sort of shroud like you get in aviation wiring.

[@SuperBrainAK]

Hey, don't forget that each pair is twisted at different periods, so some pairs are effectively longer pieces of wire with more inductance, capacitance and resistance.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

Brilliant video! You are like watching someone from the 1950s (in a good way) because you've obviously read books too! I build my own valve based hifi, the difference moving from unbalanced to balanced is incredible. I knew about common mode rejection but had forgotten about differential mode gain, thanks! I met Aspen Pitman of Groove Tubes in 1997 (lovely guy) and he always raved about transformer coupled balanced connections, game changer for audio! Ethernet cables are twisted to a tight spec to reject interferrance to their high data rate and are actually really good for audio - ditto, old telephone cables are really good for digital, as Imperial College in London found out to their great saving in 2000

[@generalgrafx]

Never realised I could use “ordinary” cat.5 ethernet cable for audio purposes.

[@inthefade]

Yeah it is pretty cool. I would love to get a solution like this for my studio next time I have some budget.

[@jrgenholteng1529]

Is Klotz M2 xlr to xlr 9,8ft a good enough cable? Or Rode 9,8ft?

[@RobertRyda]

this is genius! i now understand that the signal being transferred is out of phase and it gets the in-phase noise. when recombined with polarity flip the noise would cancel out while the signal being transferred becomes phase-coherent! GE NI US !

[@jason.martin]

This is great info!!!

[@pasteye1671]

Is there any benefit from twisting two conductors where one is signal and the other "earth", eg as in twisting the conductors in a TS cable?

[@andrewlutes2048]

Great information! Thanks!

[@ZacabebOTG]

Using balanced connections is sound advice.

[@mastablasta9x]

Yeah, building my studio on cat6 shielded saved me days of cable laying :D

[@leteradaniel873]

the best in the audio university in the world

[@nickpenacl_]

clear as god level ... got my thumb up

[@mikemeskel]

Hell yeah dude, looks sick.

[@foxhifisystems]

Amazing video

[@keeppushin]

so is there a video on recommended mic and speaker cables?

[@GgWhyfye]

THE CAT 5 IS GONNA CHANG3 SO MUCH, IVE BEEN doing my research on how I will convert a full cat5 setup soon . also how network security will be handled , because the integration capabilities are AMAZING AND ENDLESS . no more patch bays filled with hundreds of trs . talk back going through the same line with NO WHITE NOISE AT ALL . sending audio to a whole different room through a network . imagine using a reverb that only in room c and sending it back with to the main room with just the click of a mouse

[@VintageGearMan]

When my hearing was perfect 20 years ago and I had my recording studio up and running I changed out ton of crap cables for the real deal then Monster cables. YES! You can hear the difference! I was amazed! All those original Monster cables still work perfectly. They do not make that quality anymore sadly.

[@jonathansourdough9782]

AV systems installation engineer, and I have been meaning to play with/test with these for a while. Particularly interested to see a SMAART readout (both with magnitude and phase) in comparison between 1000' spools of 5e UTP, 6a UTP, 6a UTP, AES cable, and Analog cable... Heck as silly as it might sound I'd also throw in a spool of RG6 12G SDI cable to play with too. Probably including multiple different tracks on the cat cable to see if crosstalk is noticeable. I have 2 questions for you though! 1: What was that program that you were using to compare the signals? That didn't look like SMAART from what I could tell, I'd love to play with another program. 2: While category cable obviously tests better. and ultimately is designed for signals at significantly higher frequency ranges (depending on the type of CAT you used, 100Mhz-550Mhz) the results makes sense... However thing I am curious about how the difference in impedance from standard cable may effect the signal. Balanced analog cable is typically 45 ohm impedance. CAT cable is typically 100 ohms. Shouldn't this cause some issues with reflections back down the cable, as well as introducing extra phase shift on the entry and exit of the 100 ohm domain (cat cable)? Maybe there's a proper impedance transformer inside? If you don't know, maybe you can ping the engineers at Radial?

[@AudioUniversity]

The software I used was Room EQ Wizard, which is free. These are intriguing questions, a bit beyond my understanding of the topic. I encourage you to run the tests you’ve mentioned. I can tell you that (even at 3,200 feet) the phase measurement in my testing was razor flat with a tolerance of 0.3 degrees.

[@sankarn.s5645]

What is the difference between wireless mic like RODE wireless GO2 and wireless mic from shure & sennheiser??? Can I connect wireless mic from RODE to a analog mixer using 3.5mm to XLR cable ??

[@CosmoBubblegum.]

very informative. thanks 👍

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad it was helpful!

[@videosbyadhi]

Hey Audio University, I know I am late, but it seems like my condensor microphone , connected to a laptop with a XLR to 3.5 mm audio pin, gices me unwanted noise... My room is not acoustically treated but it doesnt have any noise... How can I reduce the noise without any gates or ai? The video was fire too.

[@AudioUniversity]

If it's electrical noise (like a hum or buzz), there is a problem. If it's just hiss (like white noise), try singing louder or moving the mic closer.

[@videosbyadhi]

@@AudioUniversity I do sing with the mic really close to me... So it's an electrical noise? It's a hum but the hum is uniform... No distortion or anything in the actual hum... Do you think the mic might need an audio interface? Is that even a thing?

[@AradijePresveti]

Yes! Next question

[@TraxtasyMedia]

That beginning tho, I would do a ton of sounddesign with it. So just using a connected cable a fan and a microphone to record this? Holy damn, I never came across such things.🎉❤

[@v0ldy54]

I love when "audiophiles" claim the cable (or whatever insanely expensive piece of gear they're trying to justify in that moment) is worth the money they mention how it magically "improves sound stage", or "removes the veil" etc, all stuf that's conveniently impossible to measure, never that "it has less noise", as somehow noise can worsen or improve sound stage.

[@franktriggs]

Just get a decent quality mono cable and solder the ground at one end only. For the best noiseless result, use cotton/cloth braided coax and Neutrik stainless jacks. Plug the shielded end in your guitar. No noise on the cable and no ground loops from the amp. Simple and cheap.

[@pc750-V4]

Well you didn't take long to turn up.

[@urphakeandgey6308]

"Audiophiles" are just non-audio nerds pretending to be audio nerds. Most of them don't know anything, just a bunch of mumbo jumbo about why vinyl is objectively better or something stupid. They'll spend 10K in gear, another 10K in records, and then never stop and think to acoustically treat their damn room.

[@franktriggs]

@@urphakeandgey6308 I do 150 gigs a year, playing in pubs, clubs and open air festivals. I know what you need. Really you don't need to spend loads of money, I don't. Most guitarists and bass players that walk into crowds with wireless just come across as pricks.

[@robbrobb5543]

Balanced cables and DIs are the way to go keep thay signal protected and projected.

[@vadnegru]

Cat7 shielded shown here aren't exactly tied to being Cat7. They called SF/FTP (Shielded & Foiled with Foiled Twisted Pairs). Generally, using shielded cables is nice, but both ends must support shielding grounding, otherwise your shield might become big antenna that attracts and creates MORE interference.

[@Signal_Glow]

Balanced lines and short runs with proper grounding for unbalanced are a lot more helpful than any fancy cable.

[@Roy_Tellason]

I never would have thought to use a toner like that...