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

[@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! 😎

[@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.

[@IQof2]

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

[@mcbaws21]

@@IQof2watch the video. he used multiple cables

[@abhinavprabhakar455]

​@@IQof2right? I only know of 100 feet ones in my area

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@vickin360]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 !

[@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

[@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 :)

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@petertate3436]

I was new to all this in the 80s. When AM radio stations still used 600 ohm landlines from a teleco for getting feeds to where they need to go. I asked how come you can get audio across town and I can't use my hifi components (in this case a cassette deck) in another room. Why I wanted to do this is another story. But I noticed right away with RCA leads you got a bit less volume even using a 20m lead. The broadcast tech I asked said... your stereo is 150mv and unbalanced... it also drives into a high impedance. We use 1v balanced and it sees a 600 ohm impedance when it gets there. So its like a marathon runner that has finished the run... and now sees a whole bunch of steps they didn't know about... at the end. 1v means the runner is more fit... 600 ohms means no steps. Aha... got it! Dont forget this is the days of telephone thinking where ends need to be matched. Not today's low impedance in the send end to high impedance in the recieve end. I tested this... given my vintage I'd rather see all runs terminated with 600 ohm resistors. If we keep the analogies going.... modern connection is like having a pot plant sitting in the back of a transit van on its own... its going to get a ruff ride. Stick some weight in there.... aka 600 ohm terminated... in this case bags of dirt. You will get a smoother ride!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Antibackgroundnoise]

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 😂

[@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.

[@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

[@APMTenants]

There is a big difference between an unbalanced hi impedance instrument signal and a line level signal. It is not necessary to use balanced cables when dealing with line level signals in a home studio situation. It actually creates an extra failure point. The quality of the cable also makes almost no difference, when you are dealing with line levels. With instrument cables, there is a slight difference in tone and/or audio quality from one cable to the next, but the most expensive cable does not always outperform less expensive cables. A Mogami cable will usually sound just as good, if slightly different, compared to the most expensive cables. Once your instrument signal has been converted to low impedance, by going through the buffer stage of a guitar pedal for instance, the rest of the cables in chain also make very little difference. Spend you money on the cable that carries the high impedance signal from your instrument. Don’t worry about the rest.

[@franktriggs]

Passive guitar pickups are low impedance, fuzz pedals need to see this else they don't work right. Been playing in bands for 35 years and never needed a cable over 15-20ft. I gig 3 times a week, every week. Festivals, clubs, radio stations and pubs. Just use a quality cotton/cloth cable with stainless mono Neutrik jacks for guitar/bass. Connect the shield at one end only and plug that end into your guitar. Noiseless and no ground loops from the amp.

[@APMTenants]

passive guitar pickups are high impedance. Unless you are using two conductor wire, if you don’t connect the shield at both ends, you won’t get any signal because you won’t complete the circuit. And if you do use two wires, but only connect one side of the shield, the shield will still be attached to both ends because it will still be connected to the ground wire. The method you’re talking about would apply to balanced line level signals, not unbalanced, high impedance instrument signals. Many, but not all, fuzz and wah pedals need to see a high impedance signal.

[@franktriggs]

@@APMTenants A single coil can be around 4-8k, a humbucker 6-18k, that's low impedance. Only active pickups have high impedance of 1 mega ohm or more. And an audio signal is AC, only 1 signal wire, no need to 'complete the circuit' as it's not a loop. Maybe you're confused with how audio AC works, active vs passive. Even D'Addario sell guitar cables shielded one end only. Planet Waves cables.

[@APMTenants]

High impedance is about 1k and above. Below that is low impedance. Active pickups are LOW IMPEDANCE, because they run through ACTIVE electronics that convert the signal to low impedance. Without the electronics, then it would be high impedance. No man, you cannot get sound out of a guitar pickup with just one wire and no ground; that defies the laws of physics. The type of cable you’re talking about is a twin axial cable, meaning it has TWO wires, and it does nothing when connected between your guitar and amp for the reason I already explained. You need to use google and go back to school. I’m going to ignore any further responses because it’s just too ignorant for me to deal with. Playing in bands does not qualify you as an electronics expert. This is noob level bs

[@risheyrsp]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@barisaxx4493]

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

[@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

[@picksalot1]

Extremely useful information and excellent presentation. Thanks 👍

[@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!

[@AZisk]

is this compatible with CAT6 and CAT7 or just CAT5?

[@AZisk]

nevermind, you answered it 🎉

[@leteradaniel873]

the best in the audio university in the world

[@NoEgg4u]

I have swapped balanced cables on a high-end stereo. Sometimes, the difference in sound quality is hard-to-near-impossible to hear any differences. And even if there is a slight difference, I would not be able to tell which ones were in use (I could hear a slight change, but not be enough to tell one from the other). But then there are swaps where the difference is apparent. That happened when I did a listening test with Audioquest's "Sky" interconnects. Everything sounded better. Switching back to any of the other balanced cables was easily noticeable (sound degradation is more noticeable than sound improvement). All of the balanced cables that I tested (via my ears) were made by respected audio manufacturers. But somehow those "Sky" cables were just better. Why? I wish I knew. But there was no mistaking the difference. It was not wishful thinking. A person deaf in one ear could hear the difference. So there is something going on with the construction of the cables that factors in to the sound quality of the stereo. There is the "copper" vs "silver" difference to consider. But some of the swaps that I did were with "like" metals (silver vs silver), and the "Sky" (silver) won. My listening tests were not the same as what our host demonstrated, which was mostly for distance. My listening tests were for wiring up a high-end, home stereo.

[@wrenchposting9097]

Measure it.

[@AT-wl9yq]

@@wrenchposting9097What would you measure and why?

[@AT-wl9yq]

Sky is silver, solid core, has no dielectric molded to the conductors (each is placed in a Teflon tube) and uses 3 discrete conductors, not just 2 and a shield. If you look at the qualities I just listed, plus some others that I didn't mention, and compare them to the other cables, chances are that the materials and design of the Sky will be completely different. Given that, the real question is, how could they not sound the same? If I had to guess, the silver was the biggest factor. I've done extensive blind testing between silver and copper, but you really don't need to because the differences between them is easily apparent. But, like you said, you were testing in the context of a high end home system. In general, really good home gear reveals a lot more details than pro gear, or studio monitors. I have studio monitors from companies like Adam, KRK, Kali, and Dynaudio. I've tried high end cables with them on many occasions, and the differences, if any, were little to none. On that type of equipment, all you need is something cheap and well made, like Mogami, and you'll be fine. Regardless of what type of gear you have, never spend big money on cables without first trying them in your system. Also, be careful with silver. When it works, it sounds great. But that's not always the case. Quite often you get lucky and a copper cable will sound better in a particular connection.

[@NoEgg4u]

@@wrenchposting9097 "Measure it." How do you measure a wider soundstage?

[@NoEgg4u]

@@AT-wl9yq "If you look at the qualities I just listed, plus some others that I didn't mention..." That you just listed where? That you didn't mention where?

[@tharii314]

Appreciate the captioning.

[@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!

[@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.

[@ZacabebOTG]

Using balanced connections is sound advice.

[@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?

[@robbrobb5543]

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

[@Signal_Glow]

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

[@sonidojamon]

I frikin' love this channel!!

[@mistaowickkuh6249]

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

[@RealFitchEmerson]

You had me at Radial. The Twin City is NEVER ever ever coming off my board. Ever. The transformers in that thing are 🎉

[@PeterJensen7]

I could make twice as long a video discussing everything left out of this one, but the title question is more or less left unanswered. The answer is different makes of the same basic cable design don't have noticeable affect on audio quality if in fully working condition. Cables do vary in capacitance but a good line driver implementation will resist cable capacitance effects, that's a test not of the cable but of the implementation. A bass guitar isn't a good line driver in that sense. You advocate braided shielding but Gotham's design apparently tests out a bit better than braiding. CMRR is a giant discussion of which the cable is the least of it. Yes it's good to run balanced and shielded at low impedances and minimal run lengths, but Jimi Hendrix apparently liked the tone of long cable lengths from his guitar and he seemed to impress people with it. Nowadays, if people aren't just miming to a recording, the preamps are on stage and front of house is more or less a remote controller. No I don't take your students as interns.

[@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.

[@llll-lk2mm]

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

[@adrian-paul9114]

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

[@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!

[@Mr.SharkTooth-zc8rm]

Good stuff me lad! SUBSCRIBED!

[@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

[@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 :)

[@SkillShaperSS]

Quality is not only as quality I love to hear quiet stuff on the track louder without upside multiband compressing

[@dedave]

Overall, a great explanation of balanced audio and twisted pairs. I was disappointed that you did not discuss the reason that high impedance circuits(bass guitar) are much more limited in cable length vs low impedance (transformer or active) circuits. Cable Capacitance/foot is much more influential at higher impedances as that acts as a RC high cut filter. CAT cable is limited to 328 feet for data because the signal is at a much higher in frequency than audio.

[@4thesakeofitname]

It's not about the "quality" of the cable, but about the "proper" way to connect it...

[@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.

[@bugdozer]

Oh yes, very informative vid too. Thank you!

[@kevind4061]

Thank you! Your videos are amazing!

[@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.

[@mastablasta9x]

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

[@jtf2dan]

Great info and tips to clean up the sound.

[@gorangogomisicsstreetofdre890]

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

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching!

[@Archer690Channel]

the utp standard for cat 5 and 6 ethernet doesnt allow for cables to be longer than a 100meters because you start to lose signal and cause latency at that point, if you want a longer, non standard cable you have to manufacture it yourself, it surprised me that the same cable using analog audio was able to run way longer with little so little loss (compared to the same cable transporting ethernet). in a way this makes this system extremely reliable as there's no way you will accidentally buy an utp cable longer than the norm while shopping for gear.

[@ralfbaechle]

Older twisted pair network cables were using CAT 2 or CAT 3 cables for speeds like 4 Mbit/s (ARCnet) or 10 Mbit/s. Later cables types such as CAT 5, 5E, 6 and 7 significantly improve not only the properties of the cables but also tighten up the standards that define these properties. A telephone voice signal uses a signal of like 300 Hz to 4000 Hz or so. CAT 5 otoh is suitable for up to like 100 MHz. Other cable types that go up to 2 GHz are defined. Standards also define how much frequencies in that range may be attenuated, phase shifted etc. At the bottom line these cables are total overkill for audio use. Footnote - of the top of my head I don't remember how much crosstalk is permissible as per standard. This may be more of an issue with analog signa fidelty than for digital stuff. However at least in theory twisted pair let alone shielded twisted pair cables should be pretty good at that. The one thing were twisted pair will really fail is high power. The conductors are pretty thing. And cables with solid conductors just aren't meant to be bent many times over. That''s where I will stick to my pricey but super silky-soft XLR cables.

[@nickpenacl_]

clear as god level ... got my thumb up

[@panikpas]

Long cable will give you ground loop and capacitance. Ground loop is a different story but capacitance is written in the spec of a good cable. I work on ships and we deal with ground loop everyday.

[@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.

[@adamdeverb]

Love to see this!! 👍🏼

[@petertate3436]

Also while I'm here.. you need to know that most xlr stuff is servo balanced. If you setup with a DI box or have transformers involved. You will get nothing if one leg drops due to a dirty plug. Servo balanced you will see the channel drop 3 dB but still work.

[@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.

[@hexdegen]

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.

[@AradijePresveti]

Yes! Next question

[@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.

[@Antibackgroundnoise]

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)

[@Antibackgroundnoise]

@@AlexMitchell-sj4sb lovely jubbly 😁

[@AZisk]

ah math! love this concept.

[@Sir_Corgerus]

As an audiophile it's mind numbing how there's one camp that says audio cables make zero difference and the other side is saying that cables make significant differences. No one can agree on anything, subjective listeners always disagree with objectivists. Why can't we just focus on our goals without shaming one another? I don't care if someone has $10,000 cables until they shame me for being more reasonable with my spending. Many people also forget how we audiofool ourselves with our own ears, we claim there's a difference when there is not.

[@PartyPhil1]

0:55 I like how both sound tbh

[@johanslabbert2869]

Your content is so cool 👌🏼

[@bingdong8571]

Some comment about how expensive cables are bs. Yeah we know! Lots of people hate expensive cables! Me too but its old!

[@gunjeshkashyap4019]

Nice audio cable information ❤ thanks

[@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.

[@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!

[@parkerpayne3957]

I'm looking at purchasing a catapult system for some recording scenarios which might involve having the recording booth in a remote location. The setup will primarily comprise of condenser microphones (recording mainly for choir) so I am looking at purchasing a separate preamp to be used. I've read in various places that phantom power can become an issue with these catapult systems. Looking at the signal flow, should the mic cable run from the mic, to the preamp, then to the catapult transmitter and off to the receiver? Or should the mic cable run directly into the catapult transmitter, to the receiver, then into the preamp and off to the interface? I think I am just a little confused as to what end of the chain phantom power should be introduced.

[@HoustonRoad]

Great info, thank you!!

[@3L3V3NDRUMS]

Cool video man!

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks!

[@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.

[@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.🎉❤

[@roscius6204]

Great educational video 👍

[@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.