Huge Improvement! You Should Buy These Affordable Audio Cables

Budget Tier $25 Power Conditioner amzn.to/3JPZeCX
RCA's amzn.to/3LwtjJ0
Optical amzn.to/3JSWowY
Speaker Wire amzn.to/42o0EvF
Mid Tier $300ish
emotiva.com/co... $99
Audioquest Optical howl.me/cjmCwS... $40
Pine Tree Audio Power Cable $60 sites.google.c...
World’s Best Cables RCA amzn.to/40nkB3I $25
Audioquest HDMI $50 amzn.to/3JQ1CcW
SVS Subwoofer Cable and Speaker Cables bit.ly/40p3qPz $25
Top Tier $800ish
Audioquest Power Conditioner howl.me/cjmCRV... $400
Audioquest Power Cable AudioQuest NRG-Y3 High-performance AC power cable with 3-pole IEC C13 connector - 1 meter/3.25 feet - howl.me/ciwwTs... $150
Audioquest HDMI $50 amzn.to/3JQ1CcW
Audioquest Optical howl.me/cjmCwS... $40
Audioquest RCA howl.me/cjmCVo... 80
Speaker Cable howl.me/cjmCYY... 90
SVS Speaker Cable bit.ly/42hPit0 $100

[@cheapaudioman]

Budget Tier $25 Power Conditioner amzn.to/3JPZeCX RCA's amzn.to/3LwtjJ0 Optical amzn.to/3JSWowY Speaker Wire amzn.to/42o0EvF Mid Tier emotiva.com/collections/accessories/products/cmx-6?aff=9 $99 Audioquest Optical howl.me/cjmCwSBdfHh $40 Pine Tree Audio Power Cable $60 sites.google.com/view/pine-tree-audio/power-cables/stealth-1000?authuser=0 World’s Best Cables RCA amzn.to/40nkB3I $25 Audioquest HDMI $50 amzn.to/3JQ1CcW SVS Subwoofer Cable and Speaker Cables bit.ly/40p3qPz $25 $300 Top Tier Audioquest Power Conditioner howl.me/cjmCRV3CKm4 $400 Audioquest Power Cable AudioQuest NRG-Y3 High-performance AC power cable with 3-pole IEC C13 connector - 1 meter/3.25 feet - howl.me/ciwwTsQZ8yH $150 Audioquest HDMI $50 amzn.to/3JQ1CcW Audioquest Optical howl.me/cjmCwSBdfHh $40 Audioquest RCA howl.me/cjmCVoXtCDc 80 Speaker Cable howl.me/cjmCYYiOnfp 90 SVS Speaker Cable bit.ly/42hPit0 $100

[@stevecolley5990]

Just as a point of reference, as you are viewed globally, the Furman costs $79.99 on Amazon Canada. On almost everything you show the prices outside of America are significantly higher. Love your stuff. Keep up the great work on giving us budget-centric audiophile wannabes lots of options.

[@Vilmalith]

The SS6B is not a power conditioner and is labeled wrong on Amazon (and honestly has been since it hit Amazon). The SS6BPro is labeled correctly as a surge protector and an "updated" version of the SS6B.

[@HawkFest]

Thanks a bunch! I think I'll make my own cables (not "make" but cut them and add banana plugs). One important question though, at 5:25 we have RCA "subwoofer" cables... What's a "subwoofer cable" really? What if I have a cable with RCA plugs but it doesn't specifically say "subwoofers (..)" on the markings, *how do I know if such RCA cable is "subwoofer ready",* what kind of specific and _special_ RCA cable does a subwoofer require, coax? Directional? ...?

[@ryanmccann2539]

I use Blue Jeans Cable for speaker wires, interconnects, and data cables. So far I've purchased RCAs, S/PDIF optical and coax, BNC to RCA, Y-split RCAs, spade terminated speaker cable, and two data cables. They're all functioning great and tolerate my interminable tinkering.

[@michaelrossmaessler200]

Blue Jeans has been a quality go to for years.

[@stonefree1911]

Blue Jeans are great cables AND ALL 99% OF US WILL EVER NEED.

[@davidbono9359]

Their website used to have an excellent letter written in response to a threat of legal action by A Major Manufacturer of Overpriced Cables (I'll let you guess who that might be). The "AMMoOC" lawyers thought they could intimidate the BJC owner, but they didn't realize that he was *also* a lawyer. He was not intimidated, and let them know in no uncertain terms.

[@Mr.Canuck]

+1. Very pleased with BlueJeans quad wire speaker cables.

[@stefanfrankel8157]

The nice thing about Blue Jeans RCA cables is that they come in different colors, so you can run different colored cables from your amp to different sources and you don't have to fool around trying to read the small print on the back of your amp.

[@judmcc]

Do you know that there are miles and miles of who-knows-what cable between the power station and your wall socket?

[@barlow2976]

Yes, and that's why we use power conditioners after the wall socket.

[@6StringPassion.]

As an audiophile purist, I find that dipping all of my cables in audio-grade clarified butter that is specially prepared by my local audio shop provides the absolute smoothest sound possible. The difference is palatable.

[@mikecampbell5856]

I think Sith Audio sells that.

[@BatteryAz1z]

No trans fats thought, those cause horrible crosstalk.

[@lilpoindexter]

butter... peanut butter

[@martinarrieta4536]

Make sure they’re made of low background metals too.

[@6StringPassion.]

@@BatteryAz1z Correct. My dealer told me that's the reason it has to be labeled "audio-grade".

[@moss8448]

now we're talkin budget stuff

[@phillipmorris9847]

I love wbc great value and there Sonic descriptions have so far been spot on.

[@welderfixer]

Randy, Thanks for making this tier list of cables! Makes good sense. IMHO - HDMI and RCA cable quality is on my important list. Power cables not so much other than current carrying capacity. If my finances ever improve, I'll be buying Worlds Best RCA cables with the Gotham dual-shield cable for interconnect use. They seem tough yet flexible and have great EMI shielding. Oh, Randy, there my not be a better audio cable than the ones I sent you last year. Hahaha! How about vid with all of your gag props? That would be great.

[@terraneidem5765]

hdmi cable either work or they don't. You can't get better one's or zero's.

[@coolelectronics1759]

@@terraneidem5765 yeah I found that part of the vid kinda sus to. Its all or nothing with digital dataline stuff or maybe some intermittent dropouts if u have a dodgy optic cable like I witnessed the other day it sounded garbled most likely the cable was pinched though it was pretty old. sure the very cheap stuff will be more likely to fall apart and have internal breaks in the wire etc but for digital its really no issue with EMI n stuff like that.

[@tjellis1479]

is that 4 Foot Metric?

[@NeilBlanchard]

One meter is a bit over 39"; and 4' would be ~1.22 meters.

[@haaspaas2]

If you can hear the sonic difference between working optical cables youre not just drinking the snake oil, youre injecting it straight into your veins.

[@The_Waraba]

😂😂😂

[@gqaeaudio]

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@Solus793]

It requires an astounding level of ignorance and a total misunderstanding of the fundamental principles that underpin digital signal transmission to make such absurd claims.

[@martyn_g]

@@Solus793it doesn’t take knowledge of engineering to know that you can’t hear bugger all difference between a $50 buck digital interconnect and a $1000 buck one.

[@AllHandlesHaveBeenTaken]

Wrong. I was using the optical cable included with my wiim mini. The sound was horrible with jitter artifacts. I ordered another cheap one which didn't help it. I ordered one that reviewed well and then everything sounded good with any noticeable jitter artifacts. Cheap optical cables can intotroduce jitter.

[@jamesmansion2572]

Digital cables do not have a sonic impact, unless they introduce errors that the protocol cannot recover (or that by recovering, just maybe, there is jitter). There is, perhaps, a possibility that an HDMI cable could be borderline and the clock reconstruction circuitry on the receiver will have to work harder and create jitter, but I doubt its an issue with modern kit, and suspect its in your head. Get an electrical engineer to explain why there might be any issue one way or another - preferably a real one, rather than a guy that sells cables. There is never any cable issue with I2S, or with USB class 2 and an async buffered receiver. For I2S, an explicit clock signal is sent from the source. For USB Class 2, the clock in the DAC is driving the process after a tiny buffering period and its signaling buffered data just like TCP/IP and even an early Raspberry Pi can deliver 44.1/16 with its crappy USB.

[@ec8107]

You forgot about Sith Audio Bass Paste. I dip all my platinum banana plugs into it before I connect. Completely opened up the soundstage.

[@Darrylizer1]

And it’s a wonderful sandwich spread!

[@g00dgh0st]

You are recommending a product you only found out about the same day you made the video? Wow and you literally just showing your amazon searches in your video without testing or demonstrating your recommendations. And you link your recommendation with direct link in the video description. Talk about a cash grab.

[@LeRoySL-q5q]

This guy is hit and miss.

[@bradt.3555]

I agree the sonic differences in RCA interconnects is so small, but HDMI, come on, blind test time. Same with optical. Power cords no, no, no. Only replace power cords if they're too short or damaged!!! Then a standard power cord is just as good.

[@sylvainbiensur7370]

You will not hear a difference with lo Fi equipment I agree 💯

[@bradt.3555]

@@sylvainbiensur7370 As far as a digital cable or a power cord you won't hear, or actually there is zero difference on any level of gear. You may hear a difference but that's due to placebo, which thru many of these discussions I've come to realize people just don't understand and are unwilling to accept it.

[@thefloop2813]

In the analog domain, i can absolutely hear differences between cables. Especially RCA cables. With RCA cables it can actually be a "WOW" moment when you finally hook up a good one and realize what you've been missing. Ive tried and tried and tried with digital cables, double blinded. Having people hook my stuff up and surprise me while i try to guess. Running phase null tests nto my interface. trying with multiple different interfaces even. Every way i could come up with to try and zero in on a difference with the intent to prove myself wrong, not right... Cheap cables, expensive, whatever. The only difference ive ever been able to perceive, and this is with ears trained for mixing and mastering mind you... Was build quality. And i will definitely say, there is a reason that basically every DAC designed for mixing and mastering professionals, runs thunderbolt USB and doesn't even bother with coaxial or optical. Professionals dont buy stuff that doesn't affect the outcome of a particular task like the average consumer can very easily be convinced to do. I too recommend the exploration of cables, but only if you actually have the ability to remove the placebo affect from the equation, as well as let your ears adjust to the frequency changes they experience every single time sound pressure vanishes and returns, you also need to train your mind to compensate for this on instict as well otherwise youll hear and see lots of things that arent actually there. Its just part of the way the brain works and responds to stimulus. Unless you have the desire or ability to do that, i recommend the best quality cables you can afford in analog paths to benefit the transmission of the signal. I recommend the best digital cables you can reasonably justify because they will last a lot longer then the el cheapos at walmart. P.S. (no pun intended) if your amplifier's USB input sounds worse then the coaxial and optical, its because the manufacturer of your equipment did that on purpose, btw. ive done the phase null tests with dac outputs into the front of my interface with several digital cables in the feeds to the dacs. You cannot argue with a phase null test, if you think you hear a difference, its only because you think you do. That is what the placebo effect IS, perceiving something that isnt actually there simply because you expect it to be, and you can absolutely tell yourself as much as you want there wont be a difference, while still expecting there to be. People play this trick on themselves constantly without realizing it. Audio professionals dont get sold snake oil, because all we have to do is run a phase null test that wont lie to us like our ears will.

[@sylvainbiensur7370]

Did you really do some null tests with various cables ? That's interesting, did they null and if not to what levels ? You should post a video ?

[@gqaeaudio]

😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@Solus793]

No reason to even use RCA interconnects in the first place when balanced XLR exists.

[@brianmaxey4034]

Personally, I have never heard a cable make any difference., however, YMMV. I do buy nice cables based solely on if they look cool (and are solid in its engineering).

[@lilpoindexter]

THIS

[@lepus6511]

I'm a sucker for braided covers 😮‍💨

[@njm1971nyc]

I've worked in the professional video/audio field for many years, on the engineering side. Also been buying/using HiFi gear for four decades. Only once have I ever found a "bad" audio cable - it was a "nice-looking" braided 3.5mm-to-RCA thing that I bought on Amazon. Shockingly-bad hum - must've been very poorly shielded. Looked like "good enough" quality on the outside, but it was junk. Aside from that, out of literally thousands of cables, I've truly never had any problems. A "competent" cable which fully serves its purpose is very easy to make. Once, also, for a party, I wanted to move my hifi gear to my bedroom, to keep it safe, and used some cheap (free!) cable that was lying around at work, to extend the speaker cables into the livingroom. God, it sounded bad!! Long runs, of thin cable...go figure. But at "normal lengths", virtually any "decent" speaker cable is more than sufficient to work properly. Cables have to be pretty bad before they become a problem.

[@WisGuy4]

Randy, there is a video on the Scientific Audiophile channel entitled “CheapAudioMan Jumps the Shark!” that soundly criticizes you for essentially pushing snake oil with your claim that you noticed a difference with the $150 power cable for your AppleTV. Setting aside the fact that the channel host narrates his video wearing an orange blazer while petting a stuffed toy cat, I think he is correct. Expensive cables are Sith Audio gimmicks. Randy, before you turned your KZbin channel into your full-time income source, I think you did a lot better and more credible reviews. Nowadays, you definitely seem to be finding that most products are Fantastic! but you aren’t giving the sort of details that you used to give. You ought to consider how your credibility is suffering because of your desire to cozy up to the manufacturers and to earn more commissions through your product links.

[@cheapaudioman]

appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment

[@TheHammerofDissidence]

I use Blue Jeans cables and they're great. I especially recommend their low cap RCAs for phono leads...

[@bburkie55]

When I upgraded my system. I went with Blue Jeans RCA cables between all my analog components. Don't regret it a single bit.

[@tmdillon1969]

I can't see how an Audioquest HDMI cable would have any difference in performance over an Amazon Basics if they're rated at the same bit rate. It's a digital signal so that 1 or 0 will either come through or not. It's not going to come through "better" or "worse". It can't until it's analog. Same for an optical cable. I can see where build quality could make a difference if you're changing connections all the time as perhaps cheaper digital cables will break at the junction between cable and connector. But for those of us who set up a system and it stays put for the foreseeable future digital interconnects step into the realm of snake oil pretty damn fast. As for analog connections, I'd say those World's Best click all the boxes one would need unless you want to go DIY. I've seen some videos on making some pretty cool DIY speaker and power cables but I'm not sure you'd save any money over WBC. I saw a pair of used RCA's on an audiophile eBay store for over $8K the other day. "A fool and his money...."

[@martinarrieta4536]

HDMI cables are one of the most obvious ones to see if they’re quality or not over sound cables. Because when they’re butt, you notice weird video artifacts that shouldn’t be there. Like flickering, random static, etc. This has resurfaced with 2.1 cables and actually pushing 40-48gbps through them and a lot of of the cheaper cables not being able to. Hell I’ve had 2x HDMI 2.1 cables just stop working outright in my 2.1 devices but work fine on the 2.0 devices. That said, it’s more about the certification and actually passing them. I’ve got nothing but Zeskit 2.1 cables that run like $15-$25 each depending on length and they’ve been fine for a couple of years now.

[@tmdillon1969]

@@martinarrieta4536 I've had a bad cheap cable before too. Pixelization and cutting out. But I've also had ones that lasted for years. I said it elsewhere but I believe if there is a difference between a $50 cable and a $7 cable that are both rated for 48GB then I'd wager the cheaper one is fudging the specs. It's not like we can really check. If my internet or router claims a certain speed we can check it. I'm not aware of any way to test the claimed speeds of any cable.

[@gqaeaudio]

🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@mistermarkdavis]

I'm a big fan of WBC cables using Mogami cables. Pro Audio people use Mogami cable so you don't need anything better than what they use in recording studios. The prices cost about what they would cost if you made the cables yourself from the same materials.

[@mistermarkdavis]

@@ChicagoRob2 bro there's 339 comments. How do you expect me to find your comment?

[@nathan518]

Now I know I can't trust Randy when it comes to cables. I was actually willing to believe him up until he said a high quality HDMI cable made his video picture look better. Unlike USB cables, which actually can transmit noise to a DAC, HDMI video really is just 1s and 0s. Any noise in the signal transporting those 1s and 0s is going to be much lower than the noise generated by the TV's internal electronics. More importantly, the output of a TV is more like a digital signal than an analog one. With audio, the output must be a continuous wave, but with video, it's just a static voltage held on each pixel for a certain amount of time (one frame). Noise on the HDMI cable isn't going to affect that. All that matters is that the 1s and 0s are correct. Any visual difference observed in a video signal carried over an HDMI cable (where the picture isn't cutting in and out) is purely placebo. Is there anything wrong with liking something better because of placebo? Nope, not at all. But if you know when an observed difference is placebo and when it's not, that can help you make purchasing decisions. Footnote: If you're interested in seeing what noise on an HDMI cable looks like and how it affects the signal, check out the Linus Tech Tips video called "This Just Saved me $100,000 - Totalphase Cable Tester." His other video "I Spent a THOUSAND Dollars on HDMI Cables.. for Science" is also pretty good to check out.

[@TheNobleFive]

Glad someone has some sense.

[@ericelliott227]

In my opinion, decent affordable cables are all that is needed. Science fact: Cables, as long as properly shielded and made make little to no sonic difference depending on application. It is basic physics and no brand has a corner on the world of physics. Trying to defy or claiming to defy the laws of physics is a fool's errand. One should not need to spend more than around $250 on cables for everything, not including power conditioners. A budget of up to around $300 or so should get a very good power conditioner if one needs one. I would only add the following: Speaker cable: For very little more money, I'd go with either building one's own speaker cables out of something like Belden or what have you or at least getting something similar over the zip type cable. The zip type is fine for non-mission critical stuff, such as surround speakers and especially for vintage gear, but for mission critical, I'd spend $6 to $10 more and get the better stuff. RCA interconnects: I have not tried the Amazon Basics, but they might be decent at least. Some of the Amazon branded products are quite good. I used to run Monoprice premium RCAs but while they are shielded (might even survive a nuke blast), they are extremely stiff and the terminators have the potential to disembowel your gear should you need to disconnect them. I would not recommend. I run Wireworld cables (only because I got a killer deal some 3 years ago). Otherwise, the World's Best are decent and somewhat reasonable. I have a pair of their japan canare balanced cables - good enough and more. Power conditioners: They make no sonic difference and do not improve your homes wiring, etc. (they are the last step in "upgrading the home's wiring"), but none the less, they do protect your gear and give some assemblance of last step feeding of said gear. Furman is good, just as the more expensive Panamax and the ones that cost the same as a sports car. I have an older Panamax (far more expensive than the Furman) and it still does it's job. (It saved my gear twice I can count). There are a lot of good optical cables to choose from for little money. One can almost throw a stone and hit one. HDMI cable: By experience, they DO make a difference. However, one need not spend $50 on an HDMI cable, it doesn't buy you anymore than a $15 to $20 HDMI cable does. The trick is to make sure your HDMI cable is not only shielded of course, but not too heavy or stiff and has the correct rating. For ARC purposes, one needs to make sure the cable is compatible for that as not all HDMI cables are. The SVS cables are over-priced. Power cables: I don't know that they make a sonic difference, likely not. However, they are healthy for one's gear if made well and generally better then the power cables that come with the gear. Heavy money need not be spent though. I found a couple from a company called Waudio on Amazon that are just as good as any for a bit less than the Pine Tree one. Are power cables worth upgrading knowing they likely make no sonic difference? In my opinion: Yes. As for Audioquest product: Very questionable in my opinion. Very over-priced = fact. Companies like them are the cause of the "snake oil theory". Trying to give a bad name to science fact will always result in failure on many levels eventually. I view companies like them as "flat-earthers". Fuel for cults. Same goes for all the "boutique cable companies. None of which have been able to prove their product.

[@ricks311]

I have found the ultimate speaker cable. It is 99.9999999999999999% hydrogen free copper. It sounds 10 to the 26th better than oxygen free copper! You can get it for $1000 per foot! Just kidding LOL******

[@monkeymanstones1]

I just bought the SVS SoundPath single RCA's for the new PB-3000 I bought. Problem? I didn't check before buying the subwoofer and Marantz SR8015 and was an idiot for not doing so... 800 watts for the sub, 780 watts for the receiver, 360 watts for my 4K TV means I can't even risk turning the lights on in the room because it's going to trip the 15 Amp breaker. Can't use the AC, can't turn on my cable box/computer/Blue-Ray player or anything. So after having spent many thousands on the Marantz, SVS & Focal Theva 3-D's & other parts, now I have to spend an additional few thousand to have an electrician run 12-2 from a new 20 Amp breaker to various places in my livingroom. Man that was dumb of me not to check the power requirements first! I have until January 31st to return any of the parts I need to at least, so hopefully the electrician shows up sooner than later...

[@LeRoi81]

Nice satirical video contribution. Hope so, if not I recommend a psychologist or you seem to be one of the crap audiophiles you have criticized in another video.

[@MarylandDevin]

Ever since I started using an external dac on my pc setup I get a ringing noise on occasion. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the pc itself somehow. Maybe driver issue or wire or psu. I havent tried a power conditioner before I wonder if this would help.

[@BFArch0n]

See a difference with hdmi cables? I call bs If true, easy to show in a KZbin video side by side Prove it!

[@tacofortgens3471]

I paid $100 for my morrow audio speaker cables with banana plugs

[@jamistevens9049]

HDMI you get what you pay personal experience

[@michaelwright1602]

About all you can do is go for the certified cables. A few dollars more. I bought a certified one for i2s, it is a toss up between i2s and AES in my system. I'm not much on these HDMI cables, either they work, or they don't.

[@charleskatz2606]

Save "Contempt Prior To Investigation" to the realm of politics where it belongs

[@jeffjefferson7384]

I for one welcome our cable overlords.

[@Martin_J0r]

@Cheap_audioman- I thought it was April 1st when I saw this. But no, it's not. So lets all just blow our money to get that psychosomatic improvement. I mean better ones and zeros, maybe the HDMI cable makes them bigger. BIGGER ONES AND ZEROS, who doesnt want that!!!!! PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY😱

[@CADClicker]

​@@Martin_J0rYou're replying to a scammer

[@Martin_J0r]

@@CADClicker Yep

[@theoriginalcraig]

Great Simpsons quote. Bravo. Well said. 👍

[@docox27]

Hoping everything comes out good with your colonoscopy!

[@cheapaudioman]

I hope so too!

[@lsaideOK]

It all comes out before your colonoscopy

[@basos-zs5to]

I have always have noticed a difference in cables. But, diminishing returns set in REALLY QUICK. It gets to the point that the $30 RCA cable is clearly better then the $2 cable a cheap source comes with, but only slightly sounds different one costing 10 times more. Sounding different does not always mean better, at that point it is subjective and really a matter of taste.

[@georgemoonman2830]

Basically, if you are paying $2-10 for a cable its far more likely to have quality issues - not oxygen free, poor solder joints etc that absolutely will cause a drop in quality. Cables around $30-60 are likely to be made with no faults and provide optimal performance electrically speaking. For longer runs you'll need a thicker gauge but this is pure physics of an electrical system. $100 you are paying for aesthetics and $1000 is pure snake oil territory.

[@erico888]

@@georgemoonman2830 Agreed. I use Blue Jeans speaker cables, 8 ft runs, 10awg(bit of overkill), cost 80 bucks for the pair, and they are good quality. No doubt in my mind that an 800 buck pair couldn't possibly be 10 times better. I doubt it's even audibly better, it MIGHT test slightly better. But audibly? Nope.

[@erico888]

I have seen more than one audio reviewer misinterpret the law of diminishing returns(not that randy did). First time I bought an HDTV and used the included HDMI, the screen was all sparkly. I consulted a AV forum and it was said a better cable would solve, bought the least expensive audioquest cables and problem solved. So, cables can make a difference but it's 99% with the first few dollars spent.

[@holdencaulfied7492]

Cables are BS. It's been proven by the guy who used coathangers for cables. The only thing to consider is gauge for speaker wire. Otherwise I buy the cheapest cables possible.

[@davidjudd951]

​@@erico888 Agreed. I hear you loud and clear. (Pun intended)

[@rogerjames6956]

Everyone,says they can hear the difference but they don,t say improvement ?

[@ordinaryjoe2247]

See, this is why I use an air cleaner with a HEPA filter and an ion generator to clean the air in rooms where I use wireless speakers! That intermediate connection matters! I don't see a label, but I think this is a Sith Audio product. 😋

[@welderfixer]

I have never considered Air as a conductor in this situation. Genius - simply genius! 😉

[@faustogomez9051]

Ok listen, for e.g. the quality of your ethernet cable or wifi card does NOT affect your downloaded streamed audio quality, why? because it is just data, bytes of 1s & 0s, your files are encoded and decoded at the receiving end. Hdmi from what I'm seeing is that it can send both compressed and uncompressed audio data but still that would be a matter of the electonic components at both ends not the medium (cable).

[@juanmillaruelo7647]

Hundreds of greenbacks for power cables is hilarious.

[@fredwaldrop3810]

So I ordered budget tier power conditioner, and cables. I'm a believer, thanks Cheap Audio Man!

[@njm1971nyc]

Claiming that a power cord will improve your audio is just not true. Same with HDMI cables. HDMI is either working correctly, or it isn't. There is no "better" than working correctly. Speaker cables are also very simple to get right. I'm kinda sick of hearing lies but also sick of trying to save people from wasting their money. Suffice to say I would NEVER give Audioquest a single dollar of my money. So many "untruths" in this video, sadly.

[@RokitScientist1987]

Well you can see the difference in picture quality from a digital cable. Thats all I need to know.

[@052RC]

Look at the basics. I'm not a video person, so I can't talk about picture quality differences between things like HDMI cable, but HDMI cables are also used in audio products to transfer digital signals, and in the right system the differences between them can be clearly heard. You can't send a bunch of 1's and 0's through a piece of copper wire. In order to transfer a digital signal through HDMI, S/PDIF, USB, etc...., it has to be converted to analog first. Its not the same type of signal that comes out of a dac. Its an analog representation of the digital signal. When the signal get to the downstream component, the signal is converted back to true digital. Since an analog signal is going through an HDMI cable, it can be effected by the same factors that effect any other analog cable. Yes, there's an audible difference, but if you're still skeptical (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with being skeptical), you can do a simple null test so you can see the proof yourself. If you're not sure how to do it, there's several youtube videos that go over the process. Its fairly simple, and they show the open source apps they use, so the only real cost will be your time. Hope this helps.

[@tacofortgens3471]

Morrow audio for speaker cables

[@madsfrancke6538]

I had to check todays date, but it's not april fools day yet unfortunately ;)

[@philbert9117]

Great video Randy! I'm on the cusp of re-wiring my back channels because the speaker cable is 20 years old and has clearly oxidized. So for me this is the right video at the right time!

[@DescartesRenegade]

Probably just have to restrip them. Oxidation only happens when bare copper is exposed to oxygen. The stuff inside the jacket is probably still fine

[@philbert9117]

@@DescartesRenegade I wish it were that easy:) But the speaker wire has clear insulation, and I can see that a lot of the copper inside has turned green. Yuck!

[@hagbard72]

This channel falls apart from me when its based on getting inexpensive stuff and then go check it here in Canada and its crazy expensive comparatively. Yeah, great for Americans.

[@D1N02]

Not Randy's fault but Amazon's for letting resellers ask ridiculous prices for grey imports

[@lekmannen9990]

I like you Randy, you do great stuff here on youtube. That’s it.

[@cheapaudioman]

I appreciate that!

[@lekmannen9990]

@@katebloggs8243 I´m convinced that cables do make a huge difference, my system wont even make a sound without 'em.

[@lekmannen9990]

@katebloggs8243 c´mon I was just joking

[@haqitman]

Totally get how analog cables can change/improve sound. I've heard it myself and I use some pretty beefy RCAs in the interconnects. And beefy speaker wire can also make an improvement. I guess a power cable could make a difference for the same reasons but I've not experienced it. But I still can't resolve how anything digital would sound different or better with a different cable. For 4K, the max bitrate for HDMI is 10.2 Gbps. Anything faster isn't helping. And i really can't reconcile how something like gold connections on a digital cable can matter. If you heard a difference with digital, and I trust that you did, I just can't account for why.

[@fluphybunny930]

They don't make a difference. The "gold" connector is often not even on the part that makes contact. BUT those ***affiliate*** links pay better. A well made cable >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> bs marketing. And AudioQuest is nothing but bs marketing. Very disappointed to see this crap been pushed.

[@AmbientWanderer]

What youé hearing is not real. its nothing more than Confirmation bias

[@Chris-hy6jy]

As long as the digital cable is not introducing data loss or corruption, there is ZERO difference between a digital cable at any price point.

[@spaznetwork6982]

I plan on getting that Furman power conditioner and the Snake Oil cables.

[@rhubarb99999]

conformation bias is a wonderful thing.

[@NeilBlanchard]

I prefer the Pine Tree Audio Iso-Braid power cables over the Stealth 1000 cables - the shortest length (3') is $65. I listened to five different AC cables in addition to the 18AWG "generic" cables - and in my system and my opinion, the Pine Tree Audio Iso-Braid was definitely the best sounding, by a good bit. The PTA Stealth 1000 was next best, and the other 3 were only slightly better than generic. The Iso-Braid AC cables *are* the *biggest/best* improvement that I have ever gotten per dollar spent. I was a major skeptic - but I am a convert, now. I also really like the Pine Tree Audio Iso-Power 8-outlet AC filter, which is $250. You do need to buy a cable for it - so add $65-85 to this; depending the length you need. For interconnects, I have made my own - these cost only about $25. They are braided 18AWG solid core copper wire, with locking RCA plugs. If I was going to buy interconnects, I would get the Pine Tree Audio Iso-Quad interconnects. They are *very* reasonably priced and *very* well made.

[@jamesgreer7436]

Neil - I also have the Pine Tree Iso Braid power cable. Im really happy with it.

[@Chris-hy6jy]

Analogue cables obviously can make a difference, digital cables do not. That is assuming the digital cable is of "good enough" quality to pass the digital signal at the required bit rate without data loss. Almost all cheap digital cables will perform the above function so no need to spend a cent more.

[@Benjamin-nf2ir]

I used to believe this too. Recent swapping of poor cables with higher bandwidth and quality because of picture dropouts also proved to have sonic benefits on my hi end Oppo player. I am a convert now

[@Chris-hy6jy]

@@Benjamin-nf2ir if you were having picture dropouts there was a fault with the cable. A digital cable designed to meet a certain spec should be able to pass the desired bandwidth 100% of the time. If it doesn't, it's faulty.

[@simonegleton1790]

World’s Best has these “Using Van Damme Silver Series Session Grade - 55 Low Cap Wire and Eminence Gold Locking RCA Connectors” for $68

[@dagnahbbet8292]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciates this compendium of affordable accessories. Thanks man. You mentioned Snake Oil. When I bought my Schiit Stack I discovered their custom length single ended RCAs. Love eliminating my cable clutter with 8 or 10 inch lengths.

[@Darrylizer1]

I use SVS RCA cables primarily for their solid build quality. For speaker cables I use Blue Jeans Cables made by either Belden or Canare. Rock solid build quality at a reasonable price.

[@massgrave8x]

The only thing that should influence your decisions when it comes to digital cables is build quality, and that's only if you really care that much about it. By nature of how digital signals work, there is ZERO difference in signal between a $5 digital cable and a $15,000 digital cable. I repeat: It's not that there isn't a PERCEIVABLE difference, it's that there is LITERALLY no difference. Data is data. Either there is a successful connection, or there isn't. Anything outside of that is pure placebo.

[@venosepticgaming3864]

Just build my first hifi system, and I went with CHORD CLEARWAYX speaker cables, but nice viedo to " add more stuff as time goes " diffently very amazing information and wanna add the Audioquest Power Conditioner diffently! I did also just order there HDMI 2.1 cabel.

[@CinemaDemocratica]

I have heard a lot of audiophiles -- both reviewers and rank-and-file hobbyists -- say that cables make a sonic difference. I'm not saying they don't, but in all the presentations I've seen, there's one specific form of scientific control that never gets mentioned. Some reviewers will leave the first set for the second music segment, to police against placebo effect, but what they don't mention is if they ever disconnect and then reconnect the first set, and then play the second music segment. And that's a huge missing data point in the pro-difference argument, because the physical act of breaking and re-establishing the connections really *does* make a verifiable sonic difference -- so much so that many manufacturers include this procedure in their troubleshooting guides.

[@LynnMitchell-wk7po]

I have been buying some mid to upper price Audioquest RCA and XLR cables used which saves half the price. There is a very noticeable difference over even lesser Audioquest cables. Speaker and power cables are all DIY with high quality wire and connectors.

[@AT-wl9yq]

That's a really good way to do it. AQ is the biggest name so its easy to find used cables. More importantly, when they started with the DBS feature, the cables have not gone through any major updates. Every year or two, they get small refinements, so if you find a good deal on a 5 or even 10 year old cable, you're not going to be too far off the current version. Just be careful with silver. Just because its more expensive doesn't mean its a better choice. Sometimes it is, but not always.

[@fluphybunny930]

Please tell me you didn't buy expensive AQ XLR cables ! They ripped you off. The most you should be paying is something like Mogami.

[@AT-wl9yq]

@@fluphybunny930 We've all made it this far in life without your guidance. There's no need to get excited over a piece of wire that some stranger on the internet bought for their stereo system. Loosen the straps on your bathing helmet, sit in your safe chair and take some deep breaths. We'll somehow manage to get through this.

[@wallyhurst7218]

You totally sold out on this video, preciously you posted a blind test on power cords, which showed your integrity towards helping the Audiophile Community that you couldn’t justify the more expensive cable in that video you choose the generic cable Where is the blind listening and watching tests on this Video You need to go to Wikipedia and read how HDMI cables works, a properly designed HDMI that sells for $10 vs a $100 will have no difference is Visual or Sound Quality Please stop miss leading the Audiophile Community on just using listening tests, Do more double blind test and use measurement data not opinions To many snake oil salesmen on KZbin you are better then this

[@matthewb.1687]

Audio Quest are extremely over priced. I buy Ugreen HDMi cables. Those are fantastic. I promise apples to apples Ugreen knows how to make world class hdmi cables for cheap. They certainly don’t feel cheap though.

[@kellygrant4964]

I have ended up using Worlds Best Cables. Build quality is there. They look great and you don't have to shell out a stupid amount of money while bending over and getting rammed from the backside.

[@diegocanale1124]

Not really into RCA or optical cables, as the cheapest options for me work fine in that department. On the other hand I believe one should invest 10% of their budget on good speaker cables. Speaking of which, I use Audioquest rocket 22 connected to a pair Dali spektor 2 and a Marantz mcr612 system.

[@94dodgedude]

I purchased the Furman SS6B on your recommendation. Sadly it isn't a power conditioner. Every time my baseboard heater comes on and draws extra power my AVR glitches so I added this and it did literally nothing. There is nothing on Furman's website referring to it as a power conditioner. It is a power strip not a power conditioner. Sadly have to buy something more expensive for actual power conditioning.

[@cesargaray6137]

Phillips and GE HDMI cables are ok! Monster cables got an incredible bass but lacks details Pearl48 AQ sounds crispy, detailed, clean but lacks some bass

[@toby9999]

Absolute junk aside, and by junk, I mean the cheap hookup wire you'd find at your local hardware store.... I've not noticed any differences in speaker cables. Not with any system I've owned over the past 40 years. All of my current cables... HDMI and audio, they're all cheap. And cheap is why I watch this channel.

[@jdm-uk-yank]

Oh no, not you too. Reviewers need to stop using the term "believe" when it comes to cables. It's not faith based, either your system is capable of revealing the difference or it isn't.

[@jacoblynch9862]

My biggest problem with optional power cables is you’re basically saying the engineers at side company that get paid probably good money to engineer all this stuff you’re basically saying they did their job wrong and you know better as long as that cable can give your device the proper amount of power Power cable should not make one bit of a difference because regardless it’s still the same power coming from the wall to your product and no power cable is going to change that once again as long as it is thick enough to provide your product with the ample power

[@yambo59]

anything beyond said mid tier is more snake oil than perceptible difference, my only cable problems almost always originated from inadequate shielding audio source cables causing buzz and hum

[@Kratos41277]

I’m all for taking a step up over the cheapie cables and wire. Definitely diminishing returns the higher you go for the average system, but I do believe they make a difference, however small.

[@deanwhiteley3065]

I enjoy your reviews very much but I’m not sure how you can make recommendations based on something you’ve not owned or tried yourself? Just my 2c

[@ropeburn6684]

Title: "you should buy these" First words: "I'm not telling you what to buy"

[@jimhuang8911]

I unsubscribed after watching this. I can no longer trust i can get unbiased recommendations from this channel.

[@stephens2r338]

As cables don't wear out its better to buy used. Often you can get a high end cable that's a few years old for just 20% of the original retail price.

[@frogsdogs]

Been very happy with Blue Jeans Cables! Reasonable and well made!

[@mistermushroom652]

When you were talking about HDMI cables, you showed an optical cable.

[@fluphybunny930]

Spoilers: Do not buy cheap crap. Do not get conned and buy stupid "audiophile" cables.

[@fubartotale3389]

So you're recommending Sith Audio cables....?

[@alejandrooviedo1981]

What Coaxial Subwoofer cable you recommend ????

[@brianjones8938]

Check out Blue Jean Cable.

[@heavyweather4893]

As an old Hi-fi lover i'm very very skeptical about "quality" cables.

[@lern2swim]

Why does it seem so difficult for companies to make, at any price point, power strips/conditioners with ports that are logically laid out to account for power bricks??? Ugh

[@DavidMander-rs4uk]

Akord cables are very cheap but good quality!! 👍

[@PaulTheFox1988]

I'm extremely skeptical of digital cables making any difference outside of reliability and being in spec, I've just never noticed anything, and my fiancée can't notice any difference despite having excellent eyesight and hearing For analogue cables I am convinced of a difference and even with my damaged hearing I can hear that better quality cables sound better. I switched over to mostly optical hdmi cables for reliability with high bandwidth uses, but I absolutely do not in any way detect ANY sonic or visual difference despite them costing 10x the cost of my previous cables. If you notice a difference, then buy the best you can afford, but be aware of the price and feel of more expensive stuff colouring your opinion in favour of the more expensive items

[@DJaquithFL]

Sound conditioners are a total sham, for that kind of money, I would highly recommend a clean sine wave UPS. An UPS adds EMI/RFI Line Noise Filtering in addition to protection from sudden power loss.

[@DJaquithFL]

.. Also, any cable that delivers digital signal example HDMI, coax, fiber, USB the only issue is adequate bandwidth. There absolutely is no improvement otherwise it's all ones and zeros. Frankly, I'd love to see audio equipment disuse all HDMI cables and completely get away from these archaic RCA cables that absolutely do suffer from interference.

[@DJaquithFL]

Keep in mind some digital cables do not have certification especially those from Chinese companies and bizarre named companies sold on the Amazon marketplace.

[@joshualumpkin2997]

Completely agree and I too mentioned this in the comments although I don't see it. Anyway at $100 or more why choose any power conditioner when you can buy a UPS with voltage regulation? I've been using them to protect and provide clean(er) power for over a decade. Some of these power conditioners go for + $1000! I don't get the logic when a UPS provides superior power, surge protection, and filtering for far less money. Massive amounts of data are stored on servers connected to UPS systems because the efficient retrieval of data, which is far more sensitive to power fluctuations and noise than audio, is essential.

[@michaelcorlet2998]

Good common sense review. Shout yourself a nice esspresso.dude.😊

[@m4nc1n1]

I also use the Furman ELITE15 PF i Linear Filtering AC Power Conditioner in my HT because it works and looks good doing it. And these D'Addario Tour-Grade Power Base - Base Protector - Stage Power Strip with 6 ft Cable - 5 Standard and 3 Transformer- Guitar Amp Outlet - Music Surge Protector with Indicator Light also the Furman's you have listed here are good also.

[@robertwoodward9231]

Does your unit take much power from your system? I ask because I was thinking of getting one. I've read a forum that suggests using the wall sockets are better because of this.

[@bernardodon7501]

"...every little thing matters...!" WHAT ? Now i am waiting for the episode: "the beverage matters honestly, which is in your brain, when listening." PBR vs Johnny vs Coffee vs Water vs Almdudler... go for it Randy!

[@worthingtonmodelrailway8628]

Always an interesting topic. Having pushed the boat out and bought a PSM136 I can’t rave enough about clean power! Speaker cables - I’ve never tried $1000+ ones but still have to be convinced laws of diminishing returns are not in play! I love worlds best interconnects but I have the $100+ ones. Have yet to be convinced there is much difference in optical cables - interesting comment on HDMI May try a more expensive one!

[@stefanfrankel8157]

My experience with optical cables is that the really cheap ones can have garbage connectors that can actually fall out of the jack. When I went to just slightly more expensive ones, they stopped falling out and the bass was massively improved to the point that even I could hear the difference. The difference was so noticeable I thought at first that there was something wrong with my system.

[@donaldharrell6915]

Love the channel. Keep it up. Blue jeans cables are my cheap go to.

[@petesporsche8098]

One does not need a very revealing system to hear clear differences between various cables.

[@gordonsmith5620]

Power conditioner is currently $47.00

[@monkeymanstones1]

I bought the Audioquest Pearl HDMI's you showed 6 or so years ago. They are good and not painful to the wallet.

[@1oldson]

cables DO make a difference, but only to your wallet

[@memoryerror]

I would love to see you do blind tests, (especially of HDMI). I am not trying to tell you what to do, or challenging your experience. I am curious.

[@joelcarson4602]

HDMI cables can be problematic if the particular cable is NOT up to spec, your 4K video drops down to a lower resolution. This will get worse with longer cables. Optical Toslink cables are not meant to be very long, and crappy ones can cause problems with the laser signal reflecting back and forth inside the light guide. USB cables are not intended to be much more than about 4 meters long and if the cable comes with its own ferrite choke that's a good thing. Well made connectors on audio interconnect cables and well shielded cables are required. They don't have be silly expensive or made of unobtanium. All modern copper wire has very little oxygen content. Wire with silver conductors are for RF circuits for the most part. Gold plated connectors are for "Oooooh, shiny!"

[@epi2045]

I agree with everything you said. When I started using Audioquest Pearl hdmi cables, I noticed an improvement in usability. Prior I had some decent 4K hdmi cables but occasionally switching to the sources, there was lag or no connection. With the Pearls switching between sources with 100% connection consistency is worth the $50.

[@jamesgreer7436]

In my use, BFA style bananna plugs with two set screws are far superior to traditional bananna plugs. Now, im just speaking about the look, feel and connection difference, I have no idea about sonic differences.

[@francescotenti193]

I see the "cables bug" got to you! Too time consuming buying a bunch of new cables, doing comparisons, returning the ones unwanted, too much time taken off from listening to music. And what about adapting beefed up power cables to vintage receivers? I go along tier 1, maybe the second but 800 bucks for cables is something of a no no, why not getting a better component, amp, DAC, cartridge.... to improve the sound?

[@AmbientWanderer]

exactly.

[@ThomasTVP]

Sorry, but no: cables, provided they have solid shielding and are adequately made, have NO impact on sound. That accounts for speaker *and* RCA cables. As any electronics engineer would tell you, they don't have because they simply CAN'T. Once you go for better than bargain basement cables, you'll never have any issues. I once tried two different pairs of higher-priced RCA cables (US$ 150-200 per pair at 50cm length) that the audio dealer said were supposed to sound vastly different. Zilch, nothing, no difference. It's an audiophile myth established by companies that want to sell you stuff at vastly inflated prices so they'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

[@cheapaudioman]

thanks for watching, Thomas. I wonder if all of those electrical engineers have listened to all of the cables that I have.

[@mpeters4731]

@@cheapaudioman Have you ever done a blind test?

[@hagenlund]

@@cheapaudioman I'm sure those electrical engineers have listened to the sound from lots of different cables, but more importantly, they've properly blinded their tests. Did you perform proper blind trials before you decided you could hear a difference?

[@cheapaudioman]

@@hagenlund the comments are going to be fun today.

[@cheapaudioman]

@@mpeters4731 yes. I made a video about it.

[@camelpuncher95]

Of all people that know stuff about audio, this guy got past the 100k sub count.... This hobby is a meme

[@Silas-Cube]

why that? Is he not trustworthy?

[@camelpuncher95]

@@Silas-CubeNo one who discusses cables without actual technical overview and claims they'll somehow improve your system is

[@spudpud-T67]

@@camelpuncher95 The entertainment value is greater than the technical.

[@TheAgeOfAnalog]

I'm a big fan of AudioQuest Evergreen cable. I know they're not crap, and they are affordable and nicely flexible.

[@bbeato8012]

I've had really bad luck with amazon basics banana plugs, I bought a set and half of them broke at the tip. I bought some Viborg banana plugs from amazon after and they've been a great budget solution, had them for like 4 years and have never broken.

[@MrOldandslow]

I have lost all enjoyment from watching your videos. Snake oil salesman. It has been proven over and over that well made, low price cables are just as good as "snake oil high priced cables" and some times better. It's not what you believe, it's how they measure!

[@cheapaudioman]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment