I Spent a THOUSAND Dollars on HDMI Cables.. for Science

[@LinusTechTips]

A follow up: Belkin reached out to explain the results we saw with their cable: "Our coax design is that pins 2 5 8 11 and 17 are connected to a common ground shield to create a shield loop - so it would fail a continuity test - but it doesn’t mean that the cable fails. The reason Belkin chose this design is because it creates a shield loop to protect it from interference."

[@anton201003]

Makes sense for them to clear that up. I actually did not understand the importance of the continuity test

[@awesomearnav21]

Good follow up

[@jjb0894]

I have that exact same HDMI cable that I bought with my Apple TV 4K. I do regret that I paid $30 for it after seeing this video though… because there would’ve been good enough options for less money.

[@LAMBofLUCI]

i bought a 2k ultrawide monitor that i can't run above 85Hz because the cables i bought all failed to handle it(display port and HDMI), and product descriptions are so bad i don't even bother anymore, specially when a cheap DP cable is "only" 15$ it adds up very quickly

[@jayknight139]

What's active and optical active?

[@SethEverman]

i spent around $330 USD on my 65 foot active optical HDMI 2.1 cable, to reach the projector i have. does not work

[@cheemes4536]

so sad

[@lemonzest8650]

insert obligatory "oh hello there popular youtuber, I did not expect you" [This is not spiting anyone who says this]

[@kaldo_kaldo]

Davie, is that you?

[@AgentPlatypus]

Pain

[@kulh]

you can try to add a booster box every 10ft, something that can receive the input of one cable, and then output that signal to another cable.. might require more than it's worth though.

[@marxmaiale9981]

The Included cables with 'Anything' are of key importance. We all get them. Add a segment to any product review about the Included cables.

[@iggysixx]

* when relevant :) For instance, if you buy a 4K 120Hz tv, can the included cable actually deliver that signal to the tv (or is there a written notice somewhere that you need a better cable to take advantage of the top features)

[@saifaddeenal-manaseer6325]

If a cable supplied with a product does the job for that product, how does it matter in anyway?

[@marcusborderlands6177]

@@saifaddeenal-manaseer6325 the point is being if it CAN do the job. I've had plenty of HDMI cables that look like they work then fail after a bit for no apparent reason.

[@tikitakaboyz5050]

Yes please! (For example the PS5 2.1 HDMI cable)

[@ZinhoMegaman]

The included cables are the best available, never damage It, never sell It and never lose It. Tv Brand HDMI and Display Port are all VESA certified.

[@ntb3884]

This is the kind of content that basically only LLT can do and is amazing to see your team doing

[@shadow7037932]

Yeah, because LMG is one of the few companies with a budget like this where they can blow $100k in test equipment lol.

[@Lieutenxnt_Dxn]

@@shadow7037932 well I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily “blowing 100k” considering they get at least some return on their invest in the form of making additional videos that they wouldn’t of been able to make before.

[@Sariusify]

@@Lieutenxnt_Dxn And also, considering they're a 50+ people company who go through tons of electronics and cables the actual use of the tester as a tester does save some money in hours spent on finding errors caused by faulty cables

[@greatdouble8966]

Finally, some good fucking comment

[@mrn234]

Eh i think the price for that little machine was around 10k

[@SirWade]

Sweet! Can we do the same thing now.... with DisplayPort? 😅

[@fryl6082]

Woah ive heard this from one of my gay friend.

[@norusskiy7644]

@@fryl6082 damn

[@-DFRNTshdOFsol-]

Upvote this to the high heavens, I also want to know.

[@eddiecook9064]

You monster

[@hazgebu]

And then VGA and DVI Cables for the lols

[@ytQrash]

For computers, HDMI has been my second choice. I prefer to use a DisplayPort cable. In the past, the specs for DP cables have generally exceeded those of HDMI. So I'd like to see a similar check or DP cables.

[@jarphabib]

Seconded!

[@KixPanganiban]

Thirded!

[@dycedargselderbrother5353]

Expected usage could come into play. The average HDMI cable is used for 1080p 60 Hz content or less while both the expected resolution and refresh rate are higher for DisplayPort. Also, failures in HDMI cables probably go unnoticed and are more commonly attributed with provider issues, e.g. if the picture cuts out for a second, people are more likely to blame Comcast than the HDMI cable.

[@Nelo390]

!! yes!

[@easygoingdude9990]

This please

[@nickglover]

I'd love to see the HDMI cables that come with consoles, especially PS5 and XSX, tested. As far as cheap brands go, I mostly buy from Cable Matters these days as I have had pretty good luck with them working as advertised and not immediately breaking, but I'd love to see more objective data. I think another good follow up to this video would be durability testing. I don't really know exactly how you'd go about it, but figuring out not just how the cables perform out of the box but how they perform in a few weeks/months would also be good to know.

[@HostmorkeCZ]

My XSX cable loses connection to my lg oled.

[@mrn234]

Wont be the best but will work. But when you have a proper HDMI 2.1 TV that costs more then 1k buying a proper cable for 15-20 bucks shouldnt be a huge issue.

[@jimjames6287]

Absolutely. Love to see if those bundled cables work as intended.

[@batt3ryac1d]

The cable that comes with TV/monitor/console/whatever device is usually good to go they'd surely have QC'd it to make sure it works to limit returns and shit.

[@jimjames6287]

@@batt3ryac1d I'm thinking that's the optimistic word in question: "surely". 🤨

[@USMC-es4yy]

Some purchase recommendations at the end would have been nice!

[@AwesomeBob]

Dude! This is some of your best content! PLEASE keep doing this investigative work as much as feasible! Loved the scientific break-down of signal quality, jitter, etc. Makes the whole science of signals across the wire so approachable and understandable. I feel like an informed consumer again and your production quality is top-notch as usual! Thanks Linus and team!

[@jk5rt4kd8q]

Please do this for USB-C cables too! There was a Google engineer years ago that used to test them and post which ones actually were in spec but as far as I know he hasn't been doing it for quite a while now.

[@thatsgottahurt]

Replying to this for extra exposure and hopefully more likes! My vote is also for USB Type C cables, especially 10Gbps data transfer. Certain USBC Cables work great for transferring data while others that say 10Gbps work worse than my standard USB 3.0 5Gbps Type A cables. I use NVMe Gen3 and Gen4 external SSDs as well as my 2021 Cell Phone transferring GBs of data for video and picture backup, as well as various other high speed devices.

[@greatbeavers9418]

Also a video to show which "SUPER CHARGING" AC Bricks matters too because the last thing anyone wants is any of the best cable destroyed from the faulty AC Brick.

[@danielbrenzel292]

Please also test for thunder bolt 3 and 4 USB c

[@itsbazyli]

Even better, not just cables, do the USB 3.1/3.2 hubs! They're all pretty terrible in my experience.

[@connoisseurofcookies2047]

Yeah USB-C is a nasty, dirty can of worms with the amount of companies capitalizing on poorly informed consumers.

[@georgen9838]

Hi, ex-professional network cable installer/designer here. Relevance: we tested all runs, existing and new, with a calibrated cable certifier before any project could be called completed. (Trust me, that is a *lot* of cable testing!) A few comments: 1) That used-in-office ROG cable that "failed" may have actually been good when it shipped. You mentioned that it only failed continuity, and the video showed the continuity only failed on the shell -- the shell is by far the most common point of failure for a cable after repeated use, as it commonly takes the brunt of the beating from even typical bending of the cable where the housing ends. A few severe angles there under stress from some accidental yanks can do a number on them over time. (That said, get rid of it anyway: the shell ties to chassis ground, and a floating ground of any type can be hell on signal integrity. It served its time honorably; it's time to retire it. But props on ROG for sourcing a good quality cable.) 2) Seeing the same pairs fail across a number of different cables is actually remarkably common. Particularly with high signaling speeds, crosstalk across wire pairs can be a serious limitation on the performance of the overall cable, and the internal layout of the pairs relative to each other within the cable are very commonly the same not just across different cables or batches, but even across multiple manufacturers. There is more detail wrt why that is, but I doubt anyone's *that* interested. :) (This is, incidentally, true even when one takes into account different OEMs -- a consideration that I wish the video had at least mentioned, considering neither Amazon nor Monoprice manufacture their own cables. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Belkin doesn't for the majority of their cables either...) 3) For HDMI 2.1 in particular, you're right that long cables are much less likely to pass, but for that info to be useful to "the average consumer", you should probably note what that *actually* means. A lot of the HDMI 2.1 spec doesn't require bandwidth greater than the 1.4/2.0-era Cat 2 spec. Specifically, if you're running up to 4K 60Hz without HDR or 4K 30Hz with HDR (or 1080p with pretty much any fancy feature you want), an HDMI 2.0 ("Premium") rated Cat 2 cable is well within spec for those HDMI 2.1 applications -- which also means it's much easier to find longer runs that are spec-compliant, assuming no interference issues with the run of course. If you do need Cat 3 spec'd cables, just don't even plan on long runs without active components or the like, honestly. AFAIK there hasn't even been a single HDMI cable by any manufacturer certified to run past 15-16ft, and I'm pretty doubtful that we'll ever see a certified passive 25ft Cat 3 any time in the near future if at all (bad spec design on HDMI's part -- another long story the details of which I'm not throwing in here; this is long enough already). And if you're doing any long runs *at all*, you will want to stick with the officially certified Premium or Ultra High Speed products, with the HDMI.org sticker on them. (And verify their cert, of course!)

[@mervinminiman]

thanks for the info!

[@xxxlocalhostadmin]

great addition!

[@DonUschi92]

Old 2.0 cable seemed enough for picture. Never had any issues. But arc was a horror. But with a new 2.1 cable those constant disconnects are solved. Probably not because it's Oehlbach but just because of spec and probably holding the spec better than the old one

[@RafaelSilva-yv3oh]

This comment should be pinned!!

[@MindBlowerWTF]

bad spec design on HDMI part or not enough future proofing?

[@mallerschwab980]

These kinda scientific videos on consumer tech are far and few beyond, and should just get more regular with your new lab. So I am really excited you guys are doing this

[@SimplyStave]

I’m actually curious to see if Display Port cables follow similar trends to the HDMI cables. If you have the capability, it might be worth tossing a few in the next batch for science!

[@Masterown35]

I was thinking the same thing. Would be interesting to see

[@catch22frubert]

They do have the capability. They can test a ton of different types of cables, and DP is one of them.

[@dpool7416]

Man I'd be willing to donate to get a display port video.

[@begna112]

Same. Need DP ratings. Can we just send cables to LTT to get them added to the database?

[@KyleBenzien]

Yes please this, I have tried 2-3 Display Port Cables in the last 3-4 years, they just stop working.

[@Davidx_117]

I'd love to see a roundup like this video done on DisplayPort cables since they seem to be a lot more troublesome if you don't ensure they're Vesa Certified

[@Vlad98844]

Totally agree, had a great time when the two DP cables I’ve bought were shorting the motherboard, and the random PCIe errors were appearing all over the place

[@Lambda_Ovine]

@@Vlad98844 Yikes...

[@staratlascrypto9135]

You missed shib. Let's go to mars with Star Atlas. Remember to take POLIS on the trip, maybe 69420 tokens..

[@ElijsDima]

Agreed. Displayport has given me a lot of problems

[@deezeeYumYum]

+1

[@connorhearne8695]

I've been waiting for so long for this, I can't wait for the usb-c one

[@arkratos3727]

And display port cables

[@siedenburg1]

@@arkratos3727 don't forget cat.6 cables

[@theethicsofliberty4642]

👍

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

@@neuralismgamingtv4511 I agree, nothing has dethroned Mini USB in strength for me yet

[@joshua41175]

@@neuralismgamingtv4511 flimsy in what respect? For example, the housing for the type c male end always fails before the connector actually shows any wear or tear for me. Meanwhile wicro USB always developed a connection bias on my cell phone or other chargers within a half to annual rate meaning I'd have to purposely angle it off a desk or charge my phone upside down to get it to work normally.

[@Bharathkumar-gv4ft]

People in the world of tech would rarely go through this kind of hellish process. Kudos to the team who did this painstaking work. Their work has provided knowledge to around ~2.5M people!!

[@BobRooney290]

these cable makers are hoping nobody does any testing. not sure how they get around the bad reviews.

[@neilmehta7772]

I wish you has included Cable Matters in the testing. They talk about how their HDMI 2.1 cables meet the specs and can hit the 48 Gbps requirements. It would be nice to know if that is true since I replaced everything in my setup with their cables last year.

[@ShadowOfAchilles]

I second this, would like to know about their cables as well.

[@AmandaComeauCreates]

Lol, they test 53 from 17 companies but of course the ones the two of you bought aren't included xD

[@TheLaptopLagger]

Frankly if the cable you're using works in your setup then you already have your answer.

[@joehelfrich7456]

Would also be interested in Cable Matters testing. I've used them for ethernet for years, but wondering if they're as good in other applications.

[@christophergilmer8267]

@@AmandaComeauCreates Cable Matters cables have official HDMI certification. i run these on my setups, as well. $9 for a 6 ft cable

[@argh7733]

So Linus is the guy who has all my HDMI cables when I need them !

[@jemma2607]

Yep. And the Graphics cards too 😅

[@multinathaniel1764]

@@jemma2607 And when he gets one he drops its 🤣

[@Enixious99]

I was wondering where I put those damn things🤔

[@_AN203]

🙂😂

[@tomaszwota1465]

Some of those days we'll find out he plays guitar too. And has all the lost picks .

[@mattb6001]

I feel like any and every IT section at a company should have one of these cable testers. Literal thousands of hours of troubleshooting fixed right there. Thanks for another great video with this thing! Looking forward to seeing it appear in the future!

[@Azivegu]

Or just being able to rent one out. Spend a week testing all the cables, and being set for the next year. The grief it could spare in IT corners would be incredible.

[@altanis1499]

@@Azivegu I'm smelling a business model rising

[@mrn234]

@@Azivegu Yup. I know someone working in IT and they fixed alot just with a completely different cable.

[@Ryaninja]

I agree it would be really nice to have a machine to just test the cables, but I highly doubt most IT companies would need HDMI 2.1, so buying one would be a really big expense (they are far from cheap) when really the only three options are a fault with a cable, a fault with the monitor or a fault with the device outputting a signal. It doesn't take long at all to troubleshoot any of these really, so would be a waste of money, as indicated by the fact that IT departments don't tend to have these. However it becomes tricky is for the consumer who wants specific bandwidth for home theatre and or games so I totally agree with you about this being a useful video. You would expect a big manufacturer like Belkin to do better!

[@alexdavis9324]

@@Ryaninja it can test more than HDMI cables...

[@abbasx2891]

... "One failure is a fluke, two is a coincidence, three is a pattern." LOVE IT -- this is wisdom that transcends HDMI cables and tech

[@Ornithopter470]

Data point of two does not a trend create.

[@AnthonyCSN]

I don't even need new HDMI cables but I feel like buying new HDMI cables...

[@lepkr6095]

You should check Simon's HDMI cables lmao

[@iPoopPancakes]

Everytime I watch a video on anything on this channel...

[@PabzRoz]

@@iPoopPancakes for real... tell me about it lol.

[@readypetequalmers7360]

I've been having weird TV issues with video and I wonder if it is bad cables. Sounds like it is really common.

[@thatguyalex2835]

Don't tie people up with your new HDMI cables. :) That would be quite a mean thing to do. Lol...

[@DarthDweeb]

I was really hoping to see monster cables in this roundup. In my world they are the original overprices cable provider. They make incredible claims about their superior shielding and performance. While only costing roughly 4 times more than what other cables charge. It would be nice to see if they even meet the requirements.

[@TumanWK]

My only issue is around the year 2000 the company changed direction. But originally the founder was a huge audiophile. Also the gold plated connecters for analog audio when used with devices with gold plated inputs, reduced noise/better audio. Most computers and TVs don't have gold plated inputs, so yeah, Linus is correct not as important as long as not full of corrosion. Snippet from Wikipedia, I wasn't sure if Beats/Apple bought them, turned out was just a partnership. Monster changed their business model to licensing their name starting in 2018. After years of sales declines, Kevin Lee (son of Noel Lee) took the helm. As of 2021, their work force was down to less than 10 people from a height during the Beats days with over 850 globally.

[@FuncleChuck]

Monster is bs, no point to test them

[@jong2359]

I guarantee they meet the requirements. I also guarantee that a cable that costs $3.75 can do the same thing as their $120 offering.

[@josephtaylor3189]

@@TumanWK What he meant by the gold plated input is that the gold plated end on that HDMI cable doesn't carry signal. Gold plating on an HDMI cable end is purely aesthetic, electricity does not go through it.

[@Quetzasp]

@@josephtaylor3189 I had a problema with Wii U signal and ended up buying a Monster HDMI (Gold Plated) to see if it would solve. Turned out to be my TV the problem. Somehow it was incompatible with the Wii U and gave me flickering (which did not happen with Xbox 360 and Ps3).

[@Vinchenz]

One thing I really appreciate about LTT videos is that despite being made to be as wide-reaching as possible to get as many people watching, the videos themselves still dive quite deeply into a lot of the granular stuff and are well-researched for how quickly they have to be produced!

[@wta1518]

It helps to have a massive team.

[@micher60]

Too bad they completely misunderstood the continuity reports. There aren't any wires missing. All the grounds are just shorted toghether which is fine IMO

[@jsmithepa]

Linus you are a national treasure. Nobody does testing anymore, except you and Farm Project.

[@wurmageddon]

Ahem, GN...

[@endex2k8]

@@wurmageddon GN is comparably a small operation when next to LTT and FP. So people who aren't deep into the techsphere like you or I may not know they exist, yet.

[@Oktivian]

*looks down at my 8 year old HDMI cable* Have you been betraying me all this time?

[@realtechhacks]

You can only hope it hasn't been. I've just been using the one bundled with my monitor.

[@Ryne4S]

if it already works for 8 years then it probably won't matter lol, only upgrade if you upgrade your monitor

[@7zipx73]

Mine started to loss audio until I repluggin it

[@PlatinumEagleStudios]

@@7zipx73 Nice grammar. You should fix it.

[@thejunkman]

I have a 10+ year old 10 footer, just now giving me fits. I suspected it, but this video confirms it.

[@DutchBushcraftKnives]

Now that HDMI has caught up with DisplayPort I wonder which of the two is most reliable in general when you have a choice of which to use for your monitor

[@BigDavoNorriwong]

Good question and video idea. I've always found DP to be a lot more consistent

[@kyriakos098]

I've had tons of random HDMI cables completely fail out of nowhere (not even long ones) over a short period of time... (3 years or so). I've never had a single DP cable fail on me... (I work as an IT for a company so my data sample isn't all that small). I really don't understand how we can make reliable 5nm chips but not reliable 2 meters cables.... I refuse to believe it's hard and start to think it's the same story as with light bulbs... they make them so they fail on purpose and you have to buy a new one.

[@krane15]

Incorrectly stated. All these cables are backward compatible (part of the problem), but remember, every port comes with a generation code that must match the cable to get the full benefit of the product its connected to.

[@imaginefinding]

If display port is superior, why dont we just use DP to HDMI converter?

[@Space_Reptile]

displayport hands down, its the much better connector standard and carrys more signals at the same time not to mention that the ports are alot more robust

[@KJ4EZJ]

Everyone is suggesting high-end brands for analog cable tests and this probably goes without saying, but please continue to include Amazon Basics and Monoprice in your lineup.

[@noeldillabough]

I have a ton of Monoprice cables, and they're great! Note they're very short and were for 18Gbps, guess that matters

[@Aereto]

@@noeldillabough Unfortunately, I use moderately long cables since the full tower case is on the floor and I use vertical dual monitor setup. On my next build I would sequester the PC into a different room (thermal isolation plan via watercooling), so that meant I need long cables to reach the next room.

[@noeldillabough]

@@Aereto Yeah you'll have to use active cables then, wish I knew more

[@Paulywogg]

I'd love it if you could test the pack-in HDMI cables included with the current crop of game systems. Should we be chucking them on Christmas morning, or are they sufficient to get the most from the future of gaming?

[@CarthagoMike]

I would like seeing more tests of 'included monitor' cables. Not just from RoG, but also Gigabyte, MSI, and BenQ (esp BenQ since they advertise including high-quality cables here in Europe).

[@mrn234]

Usually its the cheapest shit they can allow that the display works and use all its features.

[@diebygaming8015]

Also try LG, my included cable from LG didn't work at 240hz.

[@phaldaz]

@@diebygaming8015 waytaminute you bought a 240hz capable monitor and the INCLUDED cable couldn't support it?!

[@MissCloud9]

@@diebygaming8015 Seconding, I replaced the included LG wasn't getting 165 hz 1440p.

[@exxmodel]

The HDMI 2.1 cable included with the Samsung Odyssey G7 is the most hilariously cheap pos for a $600 monitor. It's like 3 feet long and the entire housing ripped apart exposing wires when I moved the monitor and tugged it a little.

[@FrostbiteB83]

I was seriously expecting Linus to test that THOUSAND dollar HDMI cable that he bought several years ago. He literally said that he wanted to use an oscilloscope to see the tiny gain in conductivity of something like that. THE CABLE CAME IN A CARRYING CASE WITH AN AUTHENTICITY CERTIFICATE!!!

[@IIVQ]

I once saw a €100 (about $110, although it was maybe 15 years ago) 2m Gold-plated SCART cable, guaranteeing video qualities that normal PAL TV signals don't even have.

[@rskl3284]

@@IIVQ I convinced my mum to get one of them lol

[@Dawn_Breaker]

Yes! I want to see that too!

[@AZGOLF]

@Fernando Martinez he made it all happen from his hard work. he has every right to be proud of that and he makes sure everyone knows he has an amazing team behind him that is always making things happen.

[@TheSevenJr86]

@@IIVQ maybe these companies know something I don't buy copper and silver are better conductors than gold, I would imagine in terms of latency you'd see better results with those than gold

[@purplepinkbunny1888]

I want to see Denis buy some cables that he thinks are "cool" maybe he will find ones with feet warmers. I like these types of snake oil busters as manufacturers may step up their game before they get called out by big tech viewers now. Also I love more professor riley!

[@chincemagnet]

With HDMI 2.1, 4K 120hz, 12 bit HDR, e-ARC, Atmos, etc. Cable quality is more essential than its ever been. I’ve had major issues with HDMI 2.1 cables on my 3090 and LG OLED

[@Kinslayers0]

Which cable do you recommend?

[@LinusTechTips]

We're sorry, but you guys liked our new WAN hoodies so much that we sold out since filming! Sign up for restock notifications so you don't miss our next drop (expected late 2021/early 2022) www.lttstore.com/collections/clothing/products/wan?variant=39516863168615

[@AliasAlias-nm9df]

LTT HDMI cables when?

[@PlanetXtreme]

I'll take your ewaste cables off your hands for free!

[@boobeshkumar406]

Test the Xbox and PS5 included hdmi cable

[@ardahhgvhg15]

Lmao

[@handlemonium]

Can you guys please benchmark Thunderbolt & USB4 cables next?

[@JesseArt]

I love when my favorite TechTubers get new toys to play with that can aid in holding manufacturers accountable for the performance of their products. Linus seems to be about as enamored with his cable tester as Steve at Gamer's Nexus is with his industrial fan tester. Good stuff.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

And the PSU tester

[@michaelbuto305]

With how these Virus and Stock playing, many things collapsing, many things in shortage. Its probably the BEST TIME. Heck maybe revolutionize market

[@Kiyometa]

Huge kudos for making this, buying cables has always just been a case of *shrug*, they seem reputable and having no idea what things to look out for. Thank you for using your buying power to shine a light on things to look out for here.

[@Clemsou]

And displayport please

[@sacredcreationz]

PROF Riley more please!!! guy has a knack for the explaining in a fun way. Not just the script, the voice inflections and body language. love it!

[@alecgarcia8709]

I would love to see more on "included" cables. Knowing whether or not I should buy a separate cable with a monitor could be the deciding factor on a monitor when they're already super competitive with each other on pricing. Especially going into black friday

[@krane15]

Yes. No charge.

[@Artamos1020]

Riley’s over dramatic acting is probably one of the best investments LTT has ever made. GG Riley

[@KBTibbs]

Professor Riley is truly a blessing.

[@That1Fox]

I was feeling a Bill Nye vibe there

[@azetyler]

@@Frostfly Missing out on the funniest LTT member sadly

[@andrewnotmyrealname7827]

9:40 proves this.

[@redhammer92]

@@Frostfly Didnt get invited to many parties huh? Everyone knows drunk people are obnoxious when you are sober. Thats exactly why you get drunk too, so you can stop being a stick in the mud.

[@theodorthiele]

I'd love a video specifically on the whole mess that is USB-C / USB generations / Thunderbolt - both in terms of explaining the differences properly, but also testing various cables. And of course testing some crazy snakeoil audiophile cables sounds like a lot of fun. I'm thinking audioquest and then something like Hart audio which seems to be the go-to for fairly prices custom made cables.

[@cschwehr]

Everybody, remember, Linus didn't spend $1000 on cable testing. He spent $1000 on hardware and then probably $2500+ in person-hours doing the testing and editing and in such. 😂

[@barbosaguzman6101]

👏🏽👏🏽

[@eyquemesque]

He gets at least 20 times back in ads, sponsors, merch off of his store etc. Don't worry...

[@competetodefeat4610]

He also hawks hoodies for 90 bucks, pretty sure he's doing alright. They probably made that much back in the first few hours the video was live.

[@taconachoz3753]

He’s a millionaire bro

[@lunakoala5053]

+ whatever the cable tester cost

[@Ulandos]

I bet so many dodgey companies that make hdmi cables are pissed as hell at you right now. Thanks for the information Linus, another video to add to my education playlist *grievous cough*

[@Artimidorus]

Not really, the people who might watch this probably already know all of it - and for every one of us who won't allow ourselves to be ripped off for cabling, there are 10,000 others buying $30 3ft long cables at Walmart/BestBuy. :( It's been an issue for years.

[@ihateeveryone8161]

@@Artimidorus 1.7 million views, I highly doubt anywhere close to everyone who watched this knew any of it. Many people would have been educated by this.

[@DickCheneyXX]

They ought to be, most of the "failures" are actually fine. LTT clearly doesn't understand their tester, the HDMI standard or how signal shielding should be done. The continuity failures are over shielding not being grounded at both ends as per HDMI standard. The thing is, the standard is wrong about this being the better approach to shielding.

[@Agent66692]

i just wish there would be a option to test hdmi cables like this for everyone :( cause as their tests shown - it fu**ing doesnt matter how premium u buy - it still can fail.

[@TheExileFox]

Type-C has similar problems

[@smithright]

This is my favorite kind of content from you, Linus. Deep dive on a product I use, pragmatic and data driven comparisons, helped me save money and skip bullshit, entertaining but not cringe. More beast mode pragmatic deep dives, please! THIS is your best product.

[@AntonLejon]

Completely agree!

[@micaiahfonken]

I actually like the cringe lol

[@markkim5988]

Was about to comment this until I saw yours

[@smithright]

@@micaiahfonken I hear you. The thing about the cringe, tho... is that it is cringe.

[@zdanee]

Linus: buys a cable tester The entire cable industry: I'm in danger! * chuckles *

[@AaronShenghao]

At least its not like GN buying a fan tester.

[@viliamklein]

You're not wrong. How is it not potentially illegally misleading to sell a cable to a spec where roughly 50% of the product fails to meet the spec...

[@fitybux4664]

@@viliamklein Contractually illegal, perhaps. Criminally illegal, hilarious. No.

[@viliamklein]

@@fitybux4664 that's what I meant. Could they potentially be successfully sued for failing to deliver.

[@alesfalut]

@@viliamklein Should be possible if they don't deliver what is written on the small "what is this product papers" like speed, colour etc. or marketing promises which the product does not deliver. In Europe we have something like "authorities for consumer protection" (idk if this is the right translation I'm sorry) you report a product that is not doing the work it should and they will put that to a special court in the country or if its a bigger company to some EU courts. Hope you can unterstand that it's not very easy to explain this in a foreign language. oh ps. in Europe its possible from a legal point, not sure how it is in the US or Canada

[@Alastor_070]

Well done for “showing” cables which passed all of your tests!

[@moshboshi7205]

As an audiophile, sound designer and Dj i would love to see how audio cables compete as i only use my ears and don't hear any difference at all or it starts popping and crackling immediately and know not to use that one. I mainly use Devine cables, they are inexpensive compared to most other brands and the build quality is fairly decent. Would like to see a stand off between Cordial and Roland per example or, Pro-cab, Stagg, Audioquest, Devine, Klotz, Neutrik just to name a few! Keep up the good work :D

[@FerSpada]

As guitar player audio enginer, singer, songwriter, audiophile, and playboy, i would love to see extensive extreme and exagerated testing on audiocables and tequila drinks in this channel

[@EposVox]

Wow, and here I was so sure Monoprice would come out better. Wellp

[@T800123]

Yeah really. Monoprice has been the default answer to "what brand cable should I buy?" for years. I wonder if they have always been this bad, or they've just grown complacent and have been coasting off of their reputation.

[@aryatadonkey6944]

yoo

[@endfm]

​@@aryatadonkey6944 yoo

[@witcher3videogame854]

Not an American here, why did Americans always recommend monoprice?

[@black.phoenix.]

@@T800123 yup. Everytime someone asked for HDMI cables on any forum, citing brands as Monster and Audioquest most of the replies was always forget those and get Monoprice. Lots of testing was done way back in the 2010-15 citing exactly that it wasn't an advantage of getting any above Monoprice. It really shows that or LTT had a bad luck with or as you said, they kept riding on their success and brand and just started cutting costs.

[@danielravinsky]

You can build a scary HDMI monster now

[@boogie3552]

@Laura Brown L comment , Ratio

[@ryderholland]

3rd reply ig. Cool

[@emmanuelsilva1520]

@@boogie3552 W

[@EverSnaxolotl]

the real scary monster is DVI

[@evans32]

so which cables did pass? That spreadsheet is it available somewhere? Where is the good old screenshot of what cables failed and which passed?

[@varp4557]

Riley: "All late assignments get ZERO" Me: Professor PLEASE!

[@fitybux4664]

DIVIDE BY ZERO ERROR! WIN!

[@graciouscompetentdwarfrabbit]

I'm just praying my professors don't watch LTT and get any ideas from this Riley bit as I currently have: 1 - 28 questions of Fluid Mechanics (it usually takes me around 30min-1h per question) due tomorrow and 2 "key problems" (basically a small project that often takes us over 12 hours of work to get somewhere) late. Part of my grade; 2 - 2 late Marine Structural Design assignments + another one due tomorrow (usually 1-3h of work). Part of my grade; 3 - One very long assignment for a Ship Design class due Wednesday (not difficult, but very long, the previous assignments took over 5 hours each, with one taking a little over 7 hours). Part of my grade; 4 - A crap ton of Thermodynamics questions suggested for Wednesday. Not part of my grade, so it has the lowest priority in my list. And I have 4 hours of classes tomorrow, and I can't miss any of them because both the classes have under 10 students, so the professors really notice when you're skipping it. At least we're still doing only online classes, because the assignment load would be the same in in-person classes, but I would have even less time and I wouldn't even be able to work on them during the class, as I often do. And there's people asking me why I'm sad in-person classes are due to come back next semester...

[@bullet996]

Based Prof

[@staratlascrypto9135]

You missed shib. Let's go to mars with Star Atlas. Remember to take POLIS on the trip, maybe 69420 tokens..

[@YOEL_44]

@@graciouscompetentdwarfrabbit Maybe close YT and start working on it?

[@Bill1993YT]

With USB-C/Thunderbolt being the new thing, I would love to see how good all these USB-C/Thunderbolt cables really are. As I have gotten a few that have not done as they've claimed.

[@pfcrow]

It would be nice to put the failures into consumer terms. For example, "This cable works with 1080p, but not 4K." "This cable won't carry ethernet data, but otherwise works." "This cable simply doesn't carry video at all." In other words, when there is a continuity fault, what applications are impacted? I see this as a failure grid, listing various uses of HDMI and a check or 'x' indicating whether the cable is good for that purpose. Likewise, it would be good to suggest ways to test cables at home without fancy equipment. How can I push my cables to the max consistently? Do I need to test CEC controls, ARC, various video formats, etc.? What's the right set of tests? Bonus points if a particular set of pass and fail will indicate a specific problem with the cable.

[@kvell24]

My test is see if it's reliable providing a 120hz 4k hdr signal from my PC, but that's the application I care about, and most probably don't need a cable that passes that spec anyways. Almost any cable should be able to do 1080/1440p 60hz or 4k30, which for the average user is probably the highest they're going to use.

[@hanfred]

@@kvell24 Got a my LG CX about a year ago (no burn-in yet, lol) and had to buy a new cable because of 4k@120Hz, it flickered like hell with the old one, which had been good enough for years using "only" 4k@60Hz. Bandwidth is definitely a thing obviously, I knew that beforehand but could observe it then and there.

[@DiegoSynth]

As the other guys said, he's probably referring to bandwidth which ultimately impacts on how fluent and immediate image you get. But that actually applies to any cable; in the end, it's just shielded metal transferring signals (except fiber). "Somehow" cheaper cables are usually thinner as well as less robust at the connectors. I totally agree that a couple real life examples would have been of big help.

[@PenguinTutor]

HDMI 1.4 is good enough for most 4K. 2.1 has raised the spec so even some that don't meet 2.1 will likely work for most 4K without a problem. If you are buying a cable that claims to be 2.1 then even if it doesn't make the spec it's unlikely to have any problems transmitting 1080p. I have a 4K TV, but as of yet do not have anything that actually connects that is 4k capable (only apps running on the TV), so I'm not going to be going out swapping any of my cables for higher spec any time soon.

[@ParadigmUnkn0wn]

@@DiegoSynth Bandwidth is completely unrelated to latency. I can load a petabyte of hard drives in the boot of my car and drive 15 minutes across town and load them in a new server; total transit time of 30 minutes. The bandwidth in that scenario averages out to 4.6Tb/s, but the latency is literally 30 minutes. Good ol' SneakerNet is my favorite example of latency vs bandwidth. The immediacy of the image is also unrelated to the cable. Electricity doesn't magically travel faster through your Mega Monster Cinema Grade 12K+ HDR1000 cable. The fluidity is also unaffected by cable quality as long as there isn't sufficient signal degradation to cause issues, which usually manifests as intermittent video outages, or quite obvious stuttering and other visual artifacts.

[@anishyerneni8696]

Question: Did you test any cables that failed that were labeled right out of the box as ULTRA PREMIUM Certified? If so, which ones to avoid?

[@cheesepuddin1266]

I feel this to another level. Back when I worked IT at my local college, tons of our hdmi's were failing/ having issues. So I started testing our whole supply one day and found that nearly 50% of the cables had most of their conections not working. Then the 20+ brand new "twisted veins" cables still in their box only had on average 2-3 channels working. Ironically the el` cheapo amazon basics worked the best out of the ones we had.

[@JynRoh]

I would love to see this for Displayport cables, people always say "DP cable quality actually matters unlike hdmi"

[@noba4696]

yeahhh no, the signal is still digital, either you have an output signal or you don't. I actually had to swap out one for 120Hz over 60Hz because I simply got no output signal. If you don't have intermittent display losses, you are gtg....

[@Draffen]

@@noba4696 damn i love being grey to grey as well

[@dylanandersen9318]

@@noba4696 while I agree, I have also had far more Displayport failures than HDMI

[@MessyPointedBlob]

​@@noba4696 The point is DP is pushing significantly more bandwidth than HDMI because not only are we talking 4K or 8K or more, we are talking > 60Hz to 144 Hz and beyond. And we are talking HDR meaning even higher bit rates required. The combination means DP cables are a world apart from HDMI standards. The DP 2.0 standards set max data rates 2x above HDMI 2.1. And the cable quality bit is important because you can end up with intermittent display losses like you said to the point it's infuriating.

[@Thunderstyle7]

Yeah I had to buy 2 cables. The cheap chinese one from Hama did not work properly, it didn't support high refresh rates. The Club 3D one worked perfectly.

[@mikecoshan3752]

Employee: “I can’t come into work on time “ Employer: “ why not?” Employee: “ I’ve got the jitters”

[@fynkozari9271]

I thought Linus Canadian? Why did he use old british imperial? Not metric?

[@hellopsp180]

@Bunk AssPitch llol reported that person for Spam ;) XD

[@hellopsp180]

@@fynkozari9271 British Canadian rule = 1763-1867 they probably have it ingrained in society to use imperial for the oldies ;) Only cool kids use metric's ;)

[@felixar90]

@@fynkozari9271 Except for kilometers for road distance and degree Celsius for outside temperature. (we still measure oven and pool temperature in Fahrenheit), we actually use US Customary units for most things. We are taught metric only in school, but basically once you reach adulthood you start using imperial units because everybody else is doing it.

[@JLMtime]

This is kinda video that has real world help for viewers means alot to people like me. These company's are marketing old cables as 2.1 seems like and not puting in bigger wires in longer run cables

[@Steamrick]

Please tell me the $1000 cable made comeback. (Gonna watch the video now.)

[@LinusTechTips]

It would have... if we still had it! -CW

[@AnthonyBij]

Ah, that’s where it went, also plz pin this comment

[@swapnilpatidar7522]

@@LinusTechTips wdym where it is

[@allansh828]

I thought the same.The JPS Labs cables that dms brought to demo this 1266 headphones cost more than the electronics. That power cord costs 2X the headphones.

[@MageTheEmperor]

@@LinusTechTips aight now that 1000$ cable is in your shopping cart for the next cable testing video. We demand it's test!

[@vulpes4758]

I feel like it's a given that you should test the Audioquest HDMI Cables, however id be interested to see the cables that come with more everyday electronics like the Series X/S/One, PS5/PS4, and maybe even Cables that come with Monitors, especially the more expensive ones that support HDMI 2.1. I feel like it would make a great follow up video to this!

[@bbbbbbb51]

Considering they have a tester now, going forward they should test every HDMI cable that comes with whatever product they're reviewing. Wouldn't take up much review time unless they had to explain how/why it failed.

[@Spencisuar]

Ooh, I really like the idea of testing included cables. Seems like a good follow up.

[@geoffersmaher]

Plus one for audioquest and my series x cables

[@alistairblaire6001]

Thanks for including the data files. Maybe a potential test for the future: try to induce a signal failure by running the cable around a motor or generator while running the signal integrity test to see how effective the shielding is.

[@vintyprod]

run it through a microwave and watch the signal go brrrr

[@loganfisher3138]

I'd love to see you take a deep dive on adapters. Take a cable you know works very well and try connecting it to different adapters to see how they perform.

[@erickauffmann_official]

Professor Riley is lit 🔥

[@totalphase]

Agreed!

[@PabzRoz]

his mustache makes me wet

[@Who-Dat42]

No, he's EE. Professor Colin teaches lit.

[@veganwiener8047]

The way he talks reminds me of Bill Nye

[@erickauffmann_official]

@@PabzRoz wow easy there

[@zahidshabir4038]

Linus you guys SHOULD start selling cables on your store and also have them cable tested to meet spec I would gladly buy if it is a good cable

[@XboxUnitD77]

While tooling up for a cable would be expensive. I'd be ok with 3rd party selling a "Linus Approved" cable. That Linus has to secret shop and approach the company to offer to sell, not the company sending cherry picked samples to bait in an offer.

[@PortersMob]

They touched on this idea in the first video, finding a supplier that will consistently provide good quality cables seems to be an issue. Just like everything else they are branding they wont sell it till they can guarantee its the best out there.

[@thanakom2946]

@@XboxUnitD77 Linus has already mentioned this Company a few times, and in this Video as "King" with a Guarantee 2.1 certified cable. I shop there all the time, great quality products for great prices and great services.

[@OptimusSatanas]

@@thanakom2946 What? Why phrase things in such a cryptic way?

[@ortzinator]

Assuming they can keep the cost below $1 per foot

[@tobytaylor9036]

I'd love to see testing done on other types of common digital cables. HDMI isn't the only standard you see "audiophile" cables in. I'd love to see specifically testing done on USB... it gets really snake oily there.

[@dicknoseturdwaffle5305]

To an extent, they're pretty straight forward. For 3.0 you use active cables after you reach a certain length. It would be cool to see Ethernet cables as well though.

[@RGressick]

Especially with USB-C cables.

[@dicknoseturdwaffle5305]

@@RGressick it's less snake oil and more of not having a set standard for so long.

[@willtrking]

It actually would be really useful to test fiber hdmi 2.1 cables. They’re super expensive and don’t have a lot of reviews

[@Thracx]

I would certainly appreciate more testing on longer (>10ft) cables - I see quite a few 16.5ft 'certified' cables on Amazon, and even a few 20ft that still claim 48Gbps. Even adding 1 or 2 longer 'active' cables would be nice to see. Regardless, thanks for the initial batch - very much appreciated!

[@MrMustangMan67]

I really want to see a rundown of AudioQuest's lineup at different price points and lengths, as well as Best Buy's Rocketfish line. The standard 4k ones. They also have an active optical cable that I find very curious.

[@devinmurray5280]

YES

[@SenpaiofNone]

I also would love to see this. Rocketfish was "rumored" to be made by Monster Cable before they were sued into oblivion. You say that materials didn't matter but didn't show any forensic analysis between failed cables and good ones. I love this video but feel like you left a lot on the table here.

[@carbsncaffeine9254]

Yeah I’ve been wanting a reputable study done on the audio quest cables for a while

[@Soulcommander]

Was wondering on the Rocketfish line myself.

[@jamesjx]

I had an active optical HDMI cable, it stopped working after like 3 months.

[@RedLegion]

Linus, what about testing jitter-prone cables with a ferrite core choke? You can buy snap-on chokes. It would be interesting to see if you can take a crap cable and get better performance out of it.

[@rvds0804]

i doubt it would do much with a low power digital only signal. Anything with power running along an analog signal is far more effected by the ferrite bead.

[@jusaca01]

Why should a ferrite core do anything to improve jitter?

[@craigedgar2828]

This! Testing which fixes and 'hacks' actually work

[@RedLegion]

@@jusaca01 not gonna lie- I'm not an electrical engineer. I just grew up in the 90's where every cable, including USB, had a ferrite choke.

[@jec6613]

@@rvds0804 It works wonders if you have high RFI , otherwise it's just cable jewelry. The core needs to be tuned to the frequency of the RFI the cable is picking up, though.

[@armandtdupreez1026]

What a great video. LTT quality just gets better and better. It's like a high-budget production TV show. Awesome

[@ualdayan]

I'd like to see Blue Jeans Cable reviewed - they were the other place I used to think of as the place to go (besides Monoprice, which apparently isn't as good nowadays). I mainly try to go active optical nowadays though since I moved all my stuff into another room to mitigate noise/heat.

[@michaeldmccallum]

I’d like to see AudioQuest cables testes, we uses them at work and it would be good to know if it’s worth it. Especially at longer lengths.

[@tekstyle1679]

Yep same here

[@benbmusic88]

I seriously love this! This is one of those fields where getting a "quality" cable is never verifiable.

[@alk3myst]

Smart on the multiple cable purchases for fair testing. I have done large scale deployments with just ethernet cabling. The worst install was a 10% failure rate (from a known good Manufacturer). Their China-based supplier decided to change their ways and incorporated small groups of those 'new spec' cables in our 10k+ quantity order. Sadly these cables were for wireless APs so required ladder work to resolve.

[@istrashera7082]

I'd love to see how signal integrity holds up while using splitters and switches for those that only have 1 port on their monitors and need these for convenience

[@3333218]

YES!!!

[@HowardYing1]

Bump

[@RC-1290]

8:42 During engineering work, I prefer something that consistently fails... makes it much easier to diagnose and address.... though, preferably not in production 0_0

[@96msd]

When Linus said that I was like "wait, isn't that a good thing?" Then I read you commentary and remebered I'm also an engineer hahaha

[@LordMauel]

We’re all pretty much using the ones that came with our devices, Id have loved an inclusion of the included cables with the PS5, Xbox and so on.

[@fynkozari9271]

I do think HDMI is one of the best human inventions.

[@michaelo5665]

@@fynkozari9271 USB would like to have a word with you.

[@zachansen8293]

Jitter doesn't cause "pops" or "crackles" in analog audio. It's just noise floor.

[@kjanaa66]

I’d really like to see USB-C, Thunderbolt 3/4, DisplayPort and especially Ethernet cables being tested. Oh and of course all the snake oil cables that try to 1up them. What I’m really interested in are cables from Anker, KabelDirekt* and Oehlbach* (* might be EU-only?).

[@sedixmrboss5625]

Also HAMA... also EU only but they are quite common, and what most of my family and friend have in their house...

[@creamthelapin]

Comment read on my KabelDirekt 3M DP cable.

[@krtirtho]

"One failure can be a fluke" "Two is coincidence" "But Three is a pattern" ~ Weirdo Computer Nerd aka Linus

[@ahriik]

I would be extremely interested in seeing how different audio cable brands stack up to each other, especially the "audiophile-grade" ones. Hosa is pretty much ubiquitous when it comes to inexpensive audio cables, and I don't believe I've ever had any issues with their stuff. Curious what kind of benefit something like Monster of AudioQuest could possibly be offering.

[@Tom.Bombadil]

This!

[@thijmenligthart]

@@scorpioassmodeusgtx1811 I'd say that depends on whether the cable carries a digital or analogue signal. Analog signals are much more susceptible to any type of interference or jitter.

[@gormauslander]

The answer is no. Anything you listen to, unless you have a real problem, is in a digital signal, so if you can hear it, you can hear all of it

[@Canbutcant]

I would like to see this answered. I'm looking for a new HDMI.

[@joshuastrader]

+1

[@neilrhode5968]

These fail rates are WAY higher than I thought they would be. This explains so much. Nicely done.

[@AdrianOakBluff]

I'd really like to see Ugreen cables tested. Their pricing and build quality is very good, and I've had great results with them.

[@Hiwired96]

Loved it! I wonder how audioquest cables do. They have a whole range of cables, all of which are unreasonably expensive. Are they actually high quality? Do they transmit over longer distances? How do they compare to the best cables tested in this video?

[@The_LIC]

@@dantdmnl copium. You got ripped off.

[@TheLaptopLagger]

Any AudioQuest cable that's digital is pure snake oil.

[@TheLaptopLagger]

@@The_LIC actually the "Tower" is an analogue cable in which case quality can definitely mean *a lot*

[@dantdmnl]

@@TheLaptopLagger yup, when it comes to aux cables there's definitely a difference between cables, with a bunch of other kinds of cables on the other hand, I'd just buy a cheap one.

[@Henrik_Holst]

@@TheLaptopLagger Not unless the one you compare with is faulty. There is not a single blind-test where people can detect the difference between the cheapest power cable and high-end cables. Even James Randi included such a test in his one million dollar challenge and ever single manufacturer that took up the challenge bailed in the end.

[@dhoome1234ify]

Linus: "is a bit disgusted about spending a grand on 50-ish cables" Also Linus: "doesn't care about ruining a cpu that costs 8 grand."

[@will16320]

How much was the Gold Xbox controller as well

[@Screwable]

out of pocket vs sponsor

[@delphicdescant]

A grand is less than pocket change for LTT, but as usual, pretending to be relatable is important for a channel this big. Resentment from the peasant viewers is bad for business.

[@iplaymajesticx]

Gonna use the clu multiple times, in builds a well as either selling or giving to family/staff. So the 8k actually has use. Meanwhile you spend money on cables that dont work, or you dont need more then 1-3 of and he bought 50?

[@Bremend]

Intel gives them free cpus, unless they break them

[@Shamino0]

Regarding the massive Monoprice failures, I have a question. Monoprice's web site advertises some cables as "certified", while others don't use this term in their description. Was there any correlation between certification and whether the cable passed the test? Or did their "certified" 48G cables fail just as much as the ones that don't mention certification?

[@vladsnape6408]

How about comparing Display Port vs HDMI, and also various brands of Display Port against each other? For me, the biggest issue with crap cables has always been my cheap 4k x 2k monitor having occasional momentary blank screens for some reason. High quality (thick!) cables, esp. Display Port rather than HDMI, almost completely prevents this issue.

[@83hjf]

because he needs to buy an expansion for his cable tester to do that

[@MelodySigers]

I'd love to see this kind of testing on different kinds of Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a cables to see if they're any good.

[@TheExileFox]

Add in type-C cables too because it's a huge mess

[@ca5cada4eva]

@@TheExileFox buy a Charger Doctor to check your cable charge outputs

[@ca5cada4eva]

How about Cat 7?

[@gwillen]

My guess is they won't have nearly the same rate of problems, because they're much simpler in construction. (Maybe at the higher ratings it's worth testing, but at this point any company that can't make a cable compliant with Cat5 should be out of business.)

[@jbld50]

I hope they do this 🤞🏻

[@parallelcircuit]

I'd love to see some of the higher end cables put to the test. Audioquest and Kimber Kable are the ones that are probably the most well known. Also, although they ARE expensive, you can probably recoup a good amount of your money by reselling them after the test.

[@LogicalNiko]

So from a pure conductor perspective most HDMI cable manufactures are buying bulk cables from a very limited number of suppliers. The suppliers will either sell large spools of jacketed or unjacketed cables (the jacket being the outer insulator surface). Unjacketed cables are usually sold to places that want to use specialized coatings or colorings. The cables really tend to be of only a few different grades overall, so in most cases your really looking at 3 cable grades from the top 2 manufacturers being 90% of all off the shelf cables. The risk increases a bit with the unjacketed cables. This means the wiring company sold the spool, but depending on how the custom cable maker handled and finished it could have caused damage to the shielding or stress on the individual pairs of conductors. So unless it a good quality brand, its best to buy the stock black, standard PVC jacket. The overall biggest factor in most cables is the termination. The two end connectors make a massive difference in the quality of most cables. And your not talking gold plating or exotic copper alloys. Its mainly how well the machines are made, inspected, and maintained. Setting pins properly into connectors is not easy and is the number one cause of issues in cables, when the cable or pin is just barely in place it causes poor signal performance. The next major factor in terminations is how those pairs were cut and shields removed. At higher transmission rates just accidentally removing one twist or stripping back the foil shields 2-5mm too much can cause the cable to go from perfect to failure. And the last factor is the really unknown quantity of how willing the company owning the brand put on the cable was willing to check for rejects. As much as they are not supposed to pass cables that fail there is always pressure on the factories to have a bigger percentage of more "good" cables. They tend to cheat and not check them all, knowing that noone will find out they are skewing their numbers.

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

It was mentioned elsewhere that the only substantive (physical) difference between a cable that is HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 rated has to do with the degree of impurities in the conductors. The idea there being that the freer of impurities the conductor is the faster the signal the cable can carry reliably. As the two main types of wire used are Copper Coated Aluminum (CCA) and OFC (Oxygen Free Copper). The main difference there being that aluminum is only about 60% as conductive as copper. Additionally, there are at least three different types/level of OFC copper as well, each with a varying degree of impurity: (OFE) 99.99% pure copper with .0005% oxygen content, (OF) 99.95% pure copper with .001% oxygen content, and (ETP) 99.9% pure copper with .02% oxygen content. It would be so helpful if cable manufacturers were required to disclose this level of detail on the packaging. That way, consumers would always know just exactly what it is they are getting - and just as importantly, what they are paying for.

[@stephenhamilton3303]

Absolute gold content, thanks for draining the snake oil. Having done some amateur sound engineering it has always been hard to get good XLR cables, I personally would like to see a comparison of those (even though it is analog) since more and more people are using it for stream setups.

[@PhonicWheel51]

Lowkey i kinda want a channel/series dedicated to just testing cables.

[@TheHammerGuy94]

​@@Lebon19 LMG's ShortCircuit, Techlinked and MacAddress's new family member: ExposedWiring!!!!

[@StarkRG]

Riley's moustache makes him perfect for the Professor character. I vote he keep it and just replace his normal personality with the Professor character.

[@Matisyahuwu]

Real Dr. Darling from control vibes.

[@fynkozari9271]

Theres no vote, this isnt a democracy.

[@airee4753]

That sounds accidentally very insulting lol

[@StarkRG]

@@airee4753 I'm not saying his normal personality is wrong, nor even that it doesn't fit with the moustache, just that the Professor fits better.

[@airee4753]

​@@StarkRG Do you not see how that could be insulting?

[@georgyantonyuk2016]

Yes! Please, go for audiophile cables! I would suggest AudioQuest (basic Blueberry vs top Dragon lines), Inakustik and Van Den Hul

[@CroneLife1]

Dayum, your audience asked, and you delivered. I was so hoping you'd do this. Can't wait to see what you do with audiophile cables. I used to be heavy into component stereo gear decades ago (back with Boze 901 speakers were essential); but I've been out of that loop for a while. Can't wait to be educated on what's out there and what to watch for.

[@smithwillnot]

Linus: "There are more product launch videos we need to release before Linux video" Also Linus:

[@monokultur3344]

I would find some audiophile cabel testing really interesting. Eg. "Inakustik" cabels. Maybe some USB audiophile cabels too, cause they are commonly used for pc - hifi connection (to go into integrated amps for example). Very much appriciate your content! ;)

[@The.One.True.B]

I would love to see how different Mogami cable is for guitar and signal cable. There's actually 2 types of mogami, too, and for a long time I thought it was a brand but it's actually a type of wirec/able used by many brands. It's not as expensive when bought in bulk and cut/terminated at home, but pre-made mogami cables from Worlds Best Cables and stuff have a lifetime warranty which is nice.

[@javitronix014]

@@The.One.True.B Guitar cables and such are analog only tho right? I believe that this machine can only test digital cables.

[@The.One.True.B]

@@javitronix014 they'd have to have a different testing setup but it wouldn't take nearly such an expensive and thorough machine. There's single channel for guitar/bass and dual channel versions for balanced speaker outs and even triple channel cables for headphones with mics. You can tell by how many rings are on the 1/4in tip. They could build different lengths, make their own cables using cheap vs expensive parts, and buy a few premades too. I know they aren't musicians but maybe they can have a test tone or something generated by a synth or use one of the DAC audio setups they've shown previously.

[@AnthonyPtak]

The Professor Riley segment was so funny so shoutout to the Professor who explained signaling.

[@joshuajohnson5193]

The industry needs someone holding cable manufacturers accountable. In the past it is all based on trust. You’re doing gods work

[@InGovWeMistrust]

I really wanna know if the “HDMI 2.1” cables they include with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles are within spec.

[@UnlocalizedSimulator]

I'm sure they are, Microsoft is known to make really high quality cables and Sony is very reputable

[@Nickkkk838]

They are. The one that came with my XSX shows complete compatibility with my LG C1 on the XSX display compatibility screen.

[@aussiebattler96]

@@UnlocalizedSimulator But as linus pointed out the ROG cable was bad and they are a reputable company too.

[@DraconicA5]

@@aussiebattler96 This is what they're saying about ROG cable on their spreadsheet: "Nearly passed signal on 2.1, but failed outright due to shell continuity fail. This IS a used cable though so take that with a grain of salt. It will run a signal fine."

[@UnlocalizedSimulator]

@@aussiebattler96 True but I've never heard of ASUS being known for good cables in particular, but I've always heard that about Microsoft, can't speak for Sony tho

[@thatjokerperson7062]

Cant wait for the "meets ltt standards" printed on packages that people pay for 👍

[@IncertusetNescio]

Get Gamers Nexus involved and between the two you have a pretty legit testing and standards group.

[@Gamepalooza]

This content is extremely useful. Buying cables is a crap shoot for the average user. Having a reliable source of info on this would be fantastic.