I have an emotiva xmc-1 and emotiva xpa gen3 7 channel amp. They both have xlr connections so I bought 7 canare xlr cables and 1 mogami 10 foot cable for my svs pb4000 sub. By the way I have a seven channel svs ultra set up (towers, center and ultra surrounds). I hooked the cables up and noticed the detail, wider sound stage and more heft to the overall sound. Not mention 3 or 4 db less volume needed on my processor to achieve the so noise level. My processor is fully differential so the extra volts coming through the xlr cables give me double (3db) the volts than rca cables and more than likely the same for other receivers and processors that only use xlr cables. If your xlr components are not fully differential you might not notice the difference between rca or xlr cables at all.
I have a pair of RCA interconnect from World's Best Cables. At first I was a little suspicious, but I saw when they came they were legit, they're awesome and so cheap! I love my Kimber but I'll never get those again with their prices.
Thank you for this. As an audio engineer I have been fighting with "audiophiles" for decades once all these ridiculously priced interconnect cables came out. Canare StarQuad has been the industry standard, and used in most high level studios, for decades. They are the best cables out there for balanced lines. The Mogami brand is also common. Nobody needs anything else, or more expensive, than Canare StarQuad, which is about 90% of all recordings were made on. "Snake oil" is the best description of cables sold as audiophiles grade. "Audiophile grade" only means overpriced, and most times not as good. The audiophile cable industry is abhorrently exploitive and lies about what its cables can do most times and has been deceiving the public for decades. No need to buy anything else than what you recommend here, there is nothing better. Understand, I am what would be called an audiophile since I have a very hi-end system; however, I buy what I know as an engineer and as an industry insider that is the best quality.
As an audio engineer, I find that Star Quad cable is not necessary unless you are in a space with a ton of RFI. Star Quad increases the capacitance by 2x. Standard Mogami mic cable is fine and most records are made with standard mic cable. I do location recording and have never needed Star Quad (although I made up a bunch of them about 15 years ago).
@@edwinhurwitz6792 If you are in any urban or even suburban environment, these days, you are in an area with high RFI. If RFI makes an audible difference it's extreme, and actual measurement of ambient RFI/EMI is truly needed to know for sure if additional noise presents. If the fields are measured, you can calculate the additional noise with a given cable. I don't like to guess or use anecdotal evidence when doing mission critical work. I would rather use StarQuad (as many of us do) to have the tools on hand and not find out I have noise issues later. Nor just make a predetermination that such tools are "not necessary" based on anecdotal thinking. I say that because you mention the capacitance being "2x" larger. And that means ......? The question I ask is, is that capacitance within a range that has a negative impact on actual performance? Not even close, if you do the math for practical lengths of cable. With StarQuad the amount of high frequency roll-off is about -0.02 dB at 20 kHz for a 25ft mic cable (for low impedance source). This rises to about -0.2 dB at 20 kHz at 260'. So the effects are marginal to the extreme in the audio bandwidth for common cable lengths. The benefits are where interference becomes a virtually perfect common mode signal presented to the connected devices differential amplifiers and is easily removed. This far outweighs any concerns of additional capacitance or R/C filtering that may exist since it mostly exists above 20kHz to any significant amount. Using StarQuad is just a form of best practice ... you know ... engineering.
@@Espiritiv I am assuming you mean the distributor WBC. Mogami also has a "Quad" configuration called Neglex. It is equivalent to Canare StarQuad. The important factor is the wire configuration and how it is connected to the connectors, not really the manufacturer or distributor. Canare has always been predominant in the industry for higher quality cables, but Mogami is, as I say, its equivalent. Even Belden makes a fairly decent performing quad; however, its handling noise is higher as well as it not being as mechanically durable as the Japanese brands. It's the physics of the configuration that makes it "better". Canare and Mogami just tick all the boxes, and not just in regard to the issues of using a quad configuration. If WBC is where you'd like to get it, Mogami "Neglex" 2534 quad is the one to use for best practice.
One thing I agree on is that XLR cables work amazing for long runs in excess of 10'. RCA cables work great for short runs(SVS RCA cables are awesome). Please share your comment about this. Thanks for your reviews on Home Theatre.
@@46wireboy What we are saying is XLR balanced lines will have less noise in all circumstances, just by their inherent nature. Either works, one is better. Even more so if you have AC cables in close proximity or high RFI. If you have numerous Wifi devices, smart TV's, computers, cellphones, LED lights, dimmers and other such things in your home ... you are in a high RFI environment. That just turns into common mode noise in unbalanced cable, even "the best" unbalanced line. It's unavoidable. With balanced lines (especially using a Quad core cable) this is almost completely eliminated. We are talking about a difference of anywhere between 20-40 dB in noise floor in reality. It's just physics.
My system volume with rca cables -15 to -10...with xlr cables -20 to -17 . not even a 5db difference using xlr and the sound is tighter for me atleast.
So? I stand to make $.30 on Amazon if someone uses my link. I think it’s a cool product to save money on xlr versus buying bulk cable. So what? Still use them 4 years later. No complaints.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Well that's some useful feedback that I and others can use now. I recommend you always use the products your talking about before giving them a high recommendation. Otherwise your just giving a high assumption and I wouldn't feel confident taking action on an assumption without having to do more research. Thanks for getting back to me. I do appreciate it. Best wishes my dude.
I was kind of hoping that you will use it to connect to your audio equipment and have a quick test by recording ur voice... the only way to know if it's genuine Neutrik connector is to see how easy for the cable to connect and disconnect...
Excellent video! I use XLR wherever I can. I bought the Monoprice cables. They are nicely made and havent had a minutes problem out of any of them. Dude, thats some very nice equipment you have.
Have you ever gotten a loud popping or cracking noise through your whole system lost all sound but yet everything still working? Then had to stop it restart it all to get sound back?
An xlr should give you around a 3db bump up in signal and that in it's self is worth using to me. Besides I've had rca cables that when near power cords turned on my sub1
What XLR to RCA adapter would/do you use for an LFE connection on the back of a Subwoofer plate? Most don't have XLR on the back unless you have the SVS 4000 or higher series.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude ok great Thanks for the tip. Really appreciate you making this video. Im now aware of his brand that uses Canare. I was really frustrated with too many options out there.
A consideration you must make is in terms of impedance. The audio standards dictate that RCA interconnects are to be used for high-impedance connections, where XLR balanced line level are generally for low-impedance connections. Simply wiring a balanced line to an RCA may not be sufficient dependent on the actual impedance of the subs input. While electrically speaking going from low-impedance output to high-impedance input is not a bad thing. The opposite can be harmful to audio quality and increase noise. Many manufacturers do not adhere to standards unfortunately. So knowing what the actual impedances are (if you can get that information) is good to know. Depending on what you have, some form of transformation may be required, not just simple wiring.
awesome! i had alot of sleepless nights trying to find the right ones on short notice. i didnt want to spend 600+ on 15 3 foot cables. I found a reasonable solution
That Home Theater Dude yeah I hear you... I am replacing the Colored GLS Chinese brand I bought on Amazon... will see if I hear any difference... check out the GLS brand though... great reviews on Amazon...
THTD: What do you think the difference between these canere cables and lets say GLS and Audioquest mackenzie XLR' cables. I've tried cable matters, monoprice and now on GLS. I was told that Audioquest is best for HT equipment and all others are more for pro mic studio type setups. Your Thoughts. PM
i dont have experience with those brands. I use the WBC Canare star quad cables. They work great and are nice and clear. If you want to bump up from there go with tributary/ clarus. Those are high quality too and made is the usa
would it be any different if you went with a subwoofer RCA or regular RCA. Cuz you know the subwoofer comes with one cable and the regular RCA come to the left and right Channel so really it's a better deal. I just didn't know if they was better for some reason
Since balanced is the industry standard, what's best for the pros is good for me..company cant funge numbers on pro audio equipmentment. Nice video bro.keep up the good work.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude I'm not really sure ...need to go to Vegas first to look at propertie and the Vegas terminal for work...but plan to come back..will hit you up when I do.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Hi, I just want to understand the electrical process involved in "balanced" cables . Thanks for question. it's not easy imparting info to newbees, I know this.
balanced cables are for balanced outputs on processors / preamps. The cable has 3 prongs. 1 ground, 1 hot 1 cold. the hot carries a sine wave. the Cold carries the same signal as the hot just 180 degrees out of phase. this is whats called an inverted signal. Any interference (electromagnetic/ radio) is picked up on the cold lead or inverted signal. In your amp the cold lead/ inverted signal gets flipped 180 degrees and in phase with the hot lead. the same signal is original strength and interference free. If you need more in depth then i can point you to a video explaining it
Too many so called reviewers don't heed the warning to burn it for 175 hours (directional Mogami wire). That's all I use, and they have always given me excellent performance. However, during the burn it period they are average sounding, therefore the average rating. I'm glad you understand what professional means. Since most studios use Mogami to wire it, you listen to it whether you know it.
As a professional audio engineer let me just clarify a few things for you. First audio is not directional. It is AC by nature, technically bi-directional. (This is unrelated with grounding issues). Second, "burn-in" in cables is not a real thing. There is nothing going on either mechanically or electrically that changes the characteristics of wire/dielectrics and the conduction occuring in wire. Molecules do not "align" nor do "charges build up" in dielectrics. The cable at a molecular level does not change in any way over time. The only way a cables electrical characteristics change is when voltages and/or current exceed the nominal ratings (causing molecular breakdown) which is not achievable with cables used in typical audio applications and the signal levels involved. It's bunk. They are myths created by the companies who make expensive cables, dating back to the 80's. Most apparent audible changes in cabling occur due to contacts in connectors 99.99% of the time. This can occur over very short periods of time after a cable is connected and left to sit. Plugging in a cable scratches off corrosion at the point of contact, but in short order that corrosion will return. Corrosion (even if you cannot see it) can cause added resistance or capacitance (reactance) which interacts with the audio circuits connected and can cause filtering effects. This is more prevalent in high impedance interconnections. This is most likely the change most people report over a "burn-in" period. Most people report "warming", which is most likely high-frequency filtering from corrosion in the connectors. Using some sort of corrosion inhibitor is good practice to help mitigate this negative change in amplitude response.
I have been using WBC for a while and I really rate them. BUT what about the plugs? Seriously, the plugs make the connections. I have, over a few years, come down in favour of KLEI plugs. You can look up Keith Eichmman and his bullet plug and what he had done since. Also being in Australia I have had exposure to his products. There it is, love the cables and the plugs are available from WBC.
As an audio engineer, I... I just remembered, I'm not an audio engineer, and thank god for that. If I was one, apparently, I would have missed the most important part of the equation. The equipment. A balanced cable guarantees you absolutely nothing. XLR connectors on audio components also guaranteed you absolutely nothing. For a balanced connection, you need 3 things. 1. The upstream component has to put out a balanced signal, not just have an XLR jack. 2. The downstream component has to accept a balanced signal, not just have an XLR jack. 3. The cable has to be balanced and have a matching pin configuration for the components you're connecting. It looks like they got this right in the video. Just keep in mind not all cables with XLR connectors are meant to be used as a balanced interconnect. They have other applications, as well. Since it wasn't mentioned in the video, the components you are connecting must be balanced. There's more than one way to balance a component, but as long as the pin configuration is the same for both pieces, it shouldn't matter. It may matter for sound quality purposes, but not for a connection. If you have a component with XLR connectors, you still have to check to see if its balanced. If they label the connection balanced, you can't trust it because there's ways of getting around it. The best place to start is your owners manual. Look at the specs. If the component is really balanced, it will have 2 sets of specs. One for balanced operation, and one for single ended operation. Look for the output spec and it should be 6db higher for balanced. Some gear, mostly pro audio, will list balanced as 4db higher than the single ended connection. Also, balanced operation is not compatible with single ended operation, and there's usually a way to switch back and forth between the 2. Here's the part where most people get screwed over. As I said earlier, not all balancing is the same, and there's several variations as to how things get wired. Most of the time, your 2 components have XLR jacks, but either one or both are not balanced, and when you connect them with XLR cables, everything works and sounds fine. But its not balanced. Simply put, only 2 of the 3 pins on the XLR cables are being used, and that makes it electrically identical to using a regular RCA cable. There is no difference. One final thing to note is in some situations, you can damage your components when you connect them using XLR cables. A single ended connection has one hot (+) and one ground (-). A balanced connection has 2 hots (++), and one ground (-). Some cables and adaptors, or even the input or output of a component that has XLR jacks, and is not balanced, will shunt or connect one of the signal conductors to ground. If you then take this cable or adaptor and plug it into a balanced connection, you will immediately create a short circuit, hear a noise and know something is wrong. If you catch it right when it happens, most of the time you won't do damage, but its possible. This will only happen under certain circumstances, but I say always treat it like it will happen so damage can be avoided. This is a big topic, and I had to skip a huge amount of details to keep a short post. If anyone is interested, there's plenty of info to be found with a simple search. An actual expert on the topic can explain it far better than I can. The pro audio company Rane has been very vocal about cleaning this whole mess up so customers don't keep getting screwed. They have several good papers on the topic. I believe PreSonus does as well.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude If you read through the posts, some of them claim to be audio engineers. I find that hard to believe because what was presented in the video was only a small portion of what needed to be said about balanced connections. Its not the cable that makes the connection balanced, its the components themselves. The cable just links the 2 pieces of gear together. A real audio engineer would immediately pick up on that. Read through my post again, and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.
Hey I have a sony reciever 5.2 channel . 90w 2 channel into 8ohm . my surround is in the living room and wife won't let me put anymore speakers in it lol . my speakers are 150w rms are there any 5.2 channel recievers that will get me anywhere close to 150w
Iv tried bad cables and better ones also. The only thing that matters to me is to balance your components. What I mean if you have a high end system you might just go for better quality cables in my opinion but not thousands of dollars cables , I think that is as you said "snake oil"
Yeah. some people will throw cash at their system when its just set up improper. I cant afford 1000 cables. So I use logic to get me though the struggle
My first exposure with these connectors was when I was a musician in the 70s mostly on PA amps n cabs Nice to see them used on HiFi systems Thanks Bro 👍🏻
@@andramachespapa6143 No. It must be balanced from start to finish but as I stated just because a component has XLR connectors doesn't mean it is truly balanced. It must have balanced circuitry and not just the connectors which may be there just for convenience.
Not actually true, it's a matter of impedances, not just simply being a balanced line. Most inputs on amplifiers are higher impedance than outputs from preamps. Going from a low-impedance output to a higher-impedance means the line impedance is low. A balanced line is inherently lower noise in this scenario, even if the amplifier simply makes a connection and does not use a balanced input amplifier buffer circuit. It is not required electrically to use a balanced circuit at an input, especially a higher impedance one. This only applies to the output as to prevent loading on the line, balanced or unbalanced.
You and the Youthman are talking about the same thing this week? Interesting video but for the rookies and the people new to this. Keep up the good work!
In fairness to youthman i complained a bit about the SUPER basic content explaining how to hook up cable on a $5000 Processor so ill do the same here. All i ask for is a time stamp menu so i can skip to anything i might be interested in and skip the beginner content. Thx
But what about speaker wire itself. Thats just open wire with no shielding at all!!! So sure your have a great transport signal but that wire going from banana output post to speakers is a antenna. So wouldn’t u want xlr output to speakers also? Should be all the same from start to finish?
there is one question I wanted to know did you ever ask emotiva why dont they have auro 3d and the receiver that would be a major game-changer added that don't you agree anyways I guess one of your upcoming video you will be describing the difference between it can't wait to see that video also it's good that you're explaining XLR cables 👍
I've taken your advice and purchased these cables from Amazon still waiting for them to arrive in the post living in Australia they cost a little more due to the currency conversion. The reason for the purchase I've just bought the Parasound a51 five channel amp and here in Australia it has a hefty price tag of $9,500 but i got it for $8,500. Just wondering if you have done the review on those XLR cables. I enjoy your channel immensely.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Worlds best cables arrived yesterday will be installing the Parasound a51 on the weekend i have a 5.2 set up thats all the space i have the .2 is dual SVS PB 2000. The XLR cables look high quality with nickel Amphenol connectors and Canare star quad core. Thank you very much for the heads up.
I wanted to buy XLR cables for my subs. I need two 35’ runs. I’m finding that they all state microphone cable or ‘analog cable’ on monoprice. Are they all the same when it comes to the subwoofer?
That Home Theater Dude Thank you. I kept researching and also noticed monoprice sold 16awg versions with gold plated ends. I wonder if these are any good compared to worlds best cables canare or with the better ends?
HTD... Your explanation about XLR and noise cancellation is a bit way too simplified. If the equipment does not have a truly balanced circuity, you can still get noise in your system. The RMC-1 thankfully is fully balanced from input to output. The older Xmc-1 was only fully balanced on the L/R channels. Processors like the Marantz 8805/7705, Yamaha CX-A5200/A5100 have Xlr but a not Fully balanced.
I have the Marantz av7705 and 2 amps running 13 speakers and 4 subwoofers..... of those 17 channels i think 11 are XLR . I dont hear a difference and the best reason i had for going xlr was how pliable/flexible they are compared to RCA. So I would endorse XLR for that reason alone.
I was keeping the information superficial to not confuse the masses. You and i know the deep and dirty, but i didnt want to go balls deep and have to answer a million questions. I can dive deeper in the next video
Bill if ur so perfect why don't you start an actual channel called "actually"...lol. This info helps people spend wisely and gives them options on how they wanna spend their money. Don't know about you but, I would rather spend 30, 40 or any% less for near or equal quality products!!!
I bought the emotiva 7 channel snake xlr cables. I will say I bought the canare's and you get what u pay for ! Let's just say emotiva should stick to processors!!!
get out of here with this BS. You watch one of my videos and you think you know everything? Im not paid to endorse anything. All my videos are my ideas. The purpose of this vid was to explain what xlr cables are and how to get them cheaper than the big companies. If you have some sort of problem with that then thats all on you my friend.
Feedback to you as a creator: I counted you saying a word containing "actual" 30 times in this 7 min clip. It makes you sound repetitive and boring to listen to. Please stop using the word "actual" all the time and your production quality will increase.
I keep checking to see if anyone complains about how many times "you guys" is said. Seems like every youtuber has to say it 100 times in their video. Love That Home Theater Dude videos so dont let my peeve change anything. Hopefully just constructive feedback for you.
I replaced all my Monoprice cables with these. They are fantastic and very well built. Highly recommend
I like building all my own cables as well. Thanks for the info
I have an emotiva xmc-1 and emotiva xpa gen3 7 channel amp. They both have xlr connections so I bought 7 canare xlr cables and 1 mogami 10 foot cable for my svs pb4000 sub. By the way I have a seven channel svs ultra set up (towers, center and ultra surrounds). I hooked the cables up and noticed the detail, wider sound stage and more heft to the overall sound. Not mention 3 or 4 db less volume needed on my processor to achieve the so noise level. My processor is fully differential so the extra volts coming through the xlr cables give me double (3db) the volts than rca cables and more than likely the same for other receivers and processors that only use xlr cables. If your xlr components are not fully differential you might not notice the difference between rca or xlr cables at all.
World’s Best Cables are awesome! B&H has Canare with Neutrik connectors for a good price, too.
I have a pair of RCA interconnect from World's Best Cables. At first I was a little suspicious, but I saw when they came they were legit, they're awesome and so cheap! I love my Kimber but I'll never get those again with their prices.
Thank you for this. As an audio engineer I have been fighting with "audiophiles" for decades once all these ridiculously priced interconnect cables came out. Canare StarQuad has been the industry standard, and used in most high level studios, for decades. They are the best cables out there for balanced lines. The Mogami brand is also common. Nobody needs anything else, or more expensive, than Canare StarQuad, which is about 90% of all recordings were made on. "Snake oil" is the best description of cables sold as audiophiles grade. "Audiophile grade" only means overpriced, and most times not as good. The audiophile cable industry is abhorrently exploitive and lies about what its cables can do most times and has been deceiving the public for decades. No need to buy anything else than what you recommend here, there is nothing better. Understand, I am what would be called an audiophile since I have a very hi-end system; however, I buy what I know as an engineer and as an industry insider that is the best quality.
As an audio engineer, I find that Star Quad cable is not necessary unless you are in a space with a ton of RFI. Star Quad increases the capacitance by 2x. Standard Mogami mic cable is fine and most records are made with standard mic cable. I do location recording and have never needed Star Quad (although I made up a bunch of them about 15 years ago).
How do these compare with WBC Mogami versions? DO you really need Quad?
@@edwinhurwitz6792 If you are in any urban or even suburban environment, these days, you are in an area with high RFI. If RFI makes an audible difference it's extreme, and actual measurement of ambient RFI/EMI is truly needed to know for sure if additional noise presents. If the fields are measured, you can calculate the additional noise with a given cable. I don't like to guess or use anecdotal evidence when doing mission critical work. I would rather use StarQuad (as many of us do) to have the tools on hand and not find out I have noise issues later. Nor just make a predetermination that such tools are "not necessary" based on anecdotal thinking.
I say that because you mention the capacitance being "2x" larger. And that means ......? The question I ask is, is that capacitance within a range that has a negative impact on actual performance? Not even close, if you do the math for practical lengths of cable. With StarQuad the amount of high frequency roll-off is about -0.02 dB at 20 kHz for a 25ft mic cable (for low impedance source). This rises to about -0.2 dB at 20 kHz at 260'. So the effects are marginal to the extreme in the audio bandwidth for common cable lengths. The benefits are where interference becomes a virtually perfect common mode signal presented to the connected devices differential amplifiers and is easily removed. This far outweighs any concerns of additional capacitance or R/C filtering that may exist since it mostly exists above 20kHz to any significant amount. Using StarQuad is just a form of best practice ... you know ... engineering.
@@Espiritiv I am assuming you mean the distributor WBC. Mogami also has a "Quad" configuration called Neglex. It is equivalent to Canare StarQuad. The important factor is the wire configuration and how it is connected to the connectors, not really the manufacturer or distributor. Canare has always been predominant in the industry for higher quality cables, but Mogami is, as I say, its equivalent. Even Belden makes a fairly decent performing quad; however, its handling noise is higher as well as it not being as mechanically durable as the Japanese brands. It's the physics of the configuration that makes it "better". Canare and Mogami just tick all the boxes, and not just in regard to the issues of using a quad configuration. If WBC is where you'd like to get it, Mogami "Neglex" 2534 quad is the one to use for best practice.
Well if you want to compare between balanced and unbalanced performance...I spy a sweet little Marantz preamp box behind you ;)
One thing I agree on is that XLR cables work amazing for long runs in excess of 10'. RCA cables work great for short runs(SVS RCA cables are awesome). Please share your comment about this.
Thanks for your reviews on Home Theatre.
i used the svs cables for my subs. They were well built and distortion free
So...you are saying short RCAs can't pick up noise?
@@46wireboy What we are saying is XLR balanced lines will have less noise in all circumstances, just by their inherent nature. Either works, one is better. Even more so if you have AC cables in close proximity or high RFI. If you have numerous Wifi devices, smart TV's, computers, cellphones, LED lights, dimmers and other such things in your home ... you are in a high RFI environment. That just turns into common mode noise in unbalanced cable, even "the best" unbalanced line. It's unavoidable. With balanced lines (especially using a Quad core cable) this is almost completely eliminated. We are talking about a difference of anywhere between 20-40 dB in noise floor in reality. It's just physics.
I use custom length Belden Ten White, Belden 1694A, and Belden LC-1 cables, with ultrasonically welded Canare connectors, from Blue Jeans Cable. 👍
You look positively miniature behind those boxes and at that angle. 😂
When possible try compare ballanced vs unbalanced, some people say of in short distance dont matter XLR or RCA.
can do. I'll make it a blind test
My system volume with rca cables -15 to -10...with xlr cables -20 to -17 . not even a 5db difference using xlr and the sound is tighter for me atleast.
I always loved how you can say "it's that home theater dude" so fast! 😄
Thanx for the video bro 👍
i realize I am pretty off topic but do anybody know a good site to stream newly released series online?
@Axton Payton Flixportal =)
@Josue Conner thank you, I signed up and it seems to work :D Appreciate it!!
@Axton Payton Glad I could help =)
Pro brands ... the best choice for audio cables. not expensive but good build quality and well designed.
I only use Canare L-4E6S XLRs myself. No need to ever spend more on quality cables.
"I highly recommend them but I haven't used them yet." LOL. I was dying when that came out of your mouth.
So? I stand to make $.30 on Amazon if someone uses my link. I think it’s a cool product to save money on xlr versus buying bulk cable. So what? Still use them 4 years later. No complaints.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Well that's some useful feedback that I and others can use now. I recommend you always use the products your talking about before giving them a high recommendation. Otherwise your just giving a high assumption and I wouldn't feel confident taking action on an assumption without having to do more research. Thanks for getting back to me. I do appreciate it. Best wishes my dude.
I was kind of hoping that you will use it to connect to your audio equipment and have a quick test by recording ur voice... the only way to know if it's genuine Neutrik connector is to see how easy for the cable to connect and disconnect...
Using Canare.. STAR Quads for studio.. amazing quality for the price
I think you mean star; not start. Yeah, I have "STAR" quad connections exclusively.
To hook up my CD player which has balanced out to my integrated amp, should I be using a
AES/EBU cable or does it matter?
thats a digital connection.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Thanks.
If avr out is rca and amp side is xlr is this still an improvement?
Excellent video! I use XLR wherever I can. I bought the Monoprice cables. They are nicely made and havent had a minutes problem out of any of them. Dude, thats some very nice equipment you have.
Thanks man
Excellent and informative video. Thanks HTD!
Did you ever review how the cables performed? Are they still working?
Have you ever gotten a loud popping or cracking noise through your whole system lost all sound but yet everything still working? Then had to stop it restart it all to get sound back?
Although the science is sound with XLRs I've never had an issue with noise floor with RCAs.
An xlr should give you around a 3db bump up in signal and that in it's self is worth using to me. Besides I've had rca cables that when near power cords turned on my sub1
that may speak to the level of equipment youre using.
What XLR to RCA adapter would/do you use for an LFE connection on the back of a Subwoofer plate? Most don't have XLR on the back unless you have the SVS 4000 or higher series.
i dont think it matters when it comes to adapters of xlr to rca. monoprice makes some great products
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude ok great Thanks for the tip. Really appreciate you making this video. Im now aware of his brand that uses Canare. I was really frustrated with too many options out there.
A consideration you must make is in terms of impedance. The audio standards dictate that RCA interconnects are to be used for high-impedance connections, where XLR balanced line level are generally for low-impedance connections. Simply wiring a balanced line to an RCA may not be sufficient dependent on the actual impedance of the subs input. While electrically speaking going from low-impedance output to high-impedance input is not a bad thing. The opposite can be harmful to audio quality and increase noise. Many manufacturers do not adhere to standards unfortunately. So knowing what the actual impedances are (if you can get that information) is good to know. Depending on what you have, some form of transformation may be required, not just simple wiring.
Hope they are good... I just bought 11 Canare sets for my 11.2 system...
awesome! i had alot of sleepless nights trying to find the right ones on short notice. i didnt want to spend 600+ on 15 3 foot cables. I found a reasonable solution
That Home Theater Dude yeah I hear you... I am replacing the Colored GLS Chinese brand I bought on Amazon... will see if I hear any difference... check out the GLS brand though... great reviews on Amazon...
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude tell me what you think th-cam.com/video/pu4uJQ1qYLw/w-d-xo.html
@@johnf517 did you feel they were the same, better or worse than the GLS cables?
@@Sparkyc511 definitely better... still going strong...
THTD: What do you think the difference between these canere cables and lets say GLS and Audioquest mackenzie XLR' cables. I've tried cable matters, monoprice and now on GLS. I was told that Audioquest is best for HT equipment and all others are more for pro mic studio type setups.
Your Thoughts.
PM
i dont have experience with those brands. I use the WBC Canare star quad cables. They work great and are nice and clear. If you want to bump up from there go with tributary/ clarus. Those are high quality too and made is the usa
Thanks
What are some affordable RCA cable? I have a Outlaw 7000x coming in next week and would like to hear your opinion on some RCA cables. Thanks
Monoprice has some real high quality RCA cables on the cheap
@@ryanschipp8513 i got my rca and xlr from Monoprice.... very happy
would it be any different if you went with a subwoofer RCA or regular RCA. Cuz you know the subwoofer comes with one cable and the regular RCA come to the left and right Channel so really it's a better deal. I just didn't know if they was better for some reason
Bluejeanscable
@@odeooo16 honestly bluejeans is a ripoff.... you're not getting better quality audio from them
Actually only a couple of companies carry that kind of hookup so it’s not that easy
Since balanced is the industry standard, what's best for the pros is good for me..company cant funge numbers on pro audio equipmentment. Nice video bro.keep up the good work.
Thanks man. When you coming back to TX
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude I'm not really sure ...need to go to Vegas first to look at propertie and the Vegas terminal for work...but plan to come back..will hit you up when I do.
If you are going to explain the difference between the 2 types ..1: slow down, 2: EXPLAIN.
what do you want to know?
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Hi, I just want to understand the electrical process involved in "balanced" cables . Thanks for question. it's not easy imparting info to newbees, I know this.
balanced cables are for balanced outputs on processors / preamps. The cable has 3 prongs. 1 ground, 1 hot 1 cold. the hot carries a sine wave. the Cold carries the same signal as the hot just 180 degrees out of phase. this is whats called an inverted signal. Any interference (electromagnetic/ radio) is picked up on the cold lead or inverted signal. In your amp the cold lead/ inverted signal gets flipped 180 degrees and in phase with the hot lead. the same signal is original strength and interference free. If you need more in depth then i can point you to a video explaining it
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Thank you, I appreciate your time and explanation .
Too many so called reviewers don't heed the warning to burn it for 175 hours (directional Mogami wire). That's all I use, and they have always given me excellent performance. However, during the burn it period they are average sounding, therefore the average rating. I'm glad you understand what professional means. Since most studios use Mogami to wire it, you listen to it whether you know it.
Good insight. i have used mine for several months now and they still sound great
As a professional audio engineer let me just clarify a few things for you. First audio is not directional. It is AC by nature, technically bi-directional. (This is unrelated with grounding issues). Second, "burn-in" in cables is not a real thing. There is nothing going on either mechanically or electrically that changes the characteristics of wire/dielectrics and the conduction occuring in wire. Molecules do not "align" nor do "charges build up" in dielectrics. The cable at a molecular level does not change in any way over time. The only way a cables electrical characteristics change is when voltages and/or current exceed the nominal ratings (causing molecular breakdown) which is not achievable with cables used in typical audio applications and the signal levels involved. It's bunk. They are myths created by the companies who make expensive cables, dating back to the 80's.
Most apparent audible changes in cabling occur due to contacts in connectors 99.99% of the time. This can occur over very short periods of time after a cable is connected and left to sit. Plugging in a cable scratches off corrosion at the point of contact, but in short order that corrosion will return. Corrosion (even if you cannot see it) can cause added resistance or capacitance (reactance) which interacts with the audio circuits connected and can cause filtering effects. This is more prevalent in high impedance interconnections. This is most likely the change most people report over a "burn-in" period. Most people report "warming", which is most likely high-frequency filtering from corrosion in the connectors. Using some sort of corrosion inhibitor is good practice to help mitigate this negative change in amplitude response.
Let's get it all hooked up, I'm looking forward to how it sounds. 👍
i did. and re did it. I am pooped. I should film tomorrow to get that video out for you guys
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude 😉👍
I have been using WBC for a while and I really rate them.
BUT what about the plugs?
Seriously, the plugs make the connections.
I have, over a few years, come down in favour of KLEI plugs. You can look up Keith Eichmman and his bullet plug and what he had done since.
Also being in Australia I have had exposure to his products.
There it is, love the cables and the plugs are available from WBC.
Great work on the video man! Very helpful, and useful info. Great XLR explanation.
I suggest you re-watch all of your videos (which I love btw) and count the number of times you say the word "ACTUAL." Just a tip!
I am who I am.
Actually good point
As an audio engineer, I... I just remembered, I'm not an audio engineer, and thank god for that. If I was one, apparently, I would have missed the most important part of the equation. The equipment. A balanced cable guarantees you absolutely nothing. XLR connectors on audio components also guaranteed you absolutely nothing. For a balanced connection, you need 3 things. 1. The upstream component has to put out a balanced signal, not just have an XLR jack. 2. The downstream component has to accept a balanced signal, not just have an XLR jack. 3. The cable has to be balanced and have a matching pin configuration for the components you're connecting. It looks like they got this right in the video. Just keep in mind not all cables with XLR connectors are meant to be used as a balanced interconnect. They have other applications, as well.
Since it wasn't mentioned in the video, the components you are connecting must be balanced. There's more than one way to balance a component, but as long as the pin configuration is the same for both pieces, it shouldn't matter. It may matter for sound quality purposes, but not for a connection. If you have a component with XLR connectors, you still have to check to see if its balanced. If they label the connection balanced, you can't trust it because there's ways of getting around it. The best place to start is your owners manual. Look at the specs. If the component is really balanced, it will have 2 sets of specs. One for balanced operation, and one for single ended operation. Look for the output spec and it should be 6db higher for balanced. Some gear, mostly pro audio, will list balanced as 4db higher than the single ended connection. Also, balanced operation is not compatible with single ended operation, and there's usually a way to switch back and forth between the 2.
Here's the part where most people get screwed over. As I said earlier, not all balancing is the same, and there's several variations as to how things get wired. Most of the time, your 2 components have XLR jacks, but either one or both are not balanced, and when you connect them with XLR cables, everything works and sounds fine. But its not balanced. Simply put, only 2 of the 3 pins on the XLR cables are being used, and that makes it electrically identical to using a regular RCA cable. There is no difference.
One final thing to note is in some situations, you can damage your components when you connect them using XLR cables. A single ended connection has one hot (+) and one ground (-). A balanced connection has 2 hots (++), and one ground (-). Some cables and adaptors, or even the input or output of a component that has XLR jacks, and is not balanced, will shunt or connect one of the signal conductors to ground. If you then take this cable or adaptor and plug it into a balanced connection, you will immediately create a short circuit, hear a noise and know something is wrong. If you catch it right when it happens, most of the time you won't do damage, but its possible. This will only happen under certain circumstances, but I say always treat it like it will happen so damage can be avoided.
This is a big topic, and I had to skip a huge amount of details to keep a short post. If anyone is interested, there's plenty of info to be found with a simple search. An actual expert on the topic can explain it far better than I can. The pro audio company Rane has been very vocal about cleaning this whole mess up so customers don't keep getting screwed. They have several good papers on the topic. I believe PreSonus does as well.
im confused. are you an audio engineer or not. It's ambiguous
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude If you read through the posts, some of them claim to be audio engineers. I find that hard to believe because what was presented in the video was only a small portion of what needed to be said about balanced connections. Its not the cable that makes the connection balanced, its the components themselves. The cable just links the 2 pieces of gear together. A real audio engineer would immediately pick up on that. Read through my post again, and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.
Yes Top Gun " we were inverted "
hahaha. i didnt think anyone would notice
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude , #metoo
Hey I have a sony reciever 5.2 channel . 90w 2 channel into 8ohm . my surround is in the living room and wife won't let me put anymore speakers in it lol . my speakers are 150w rms are there any 5.2 channel recievers that will get me anywhere close to 150w
marantz? macintosh? anthem?
Iv tried bad cables and better ones also.
The only thing that matters to me is to balance your components.
What I mean if you have a high end system you might just go for better quality cables in my opinion but not thousands of dollars cables , I think that is as you said "snake oil"
Yeah. some people will throw cash at their system when its just set up improper. I cant afford 1000 cables. So I use logic to get me though the struggle
Actually, actual. Couldn’t even count how many times they were actually used.
My first exposure with these connectors was when I was a musician in the 70s mostly on PA amps n cabs
Nice to see them used on HiFi systems
Thanks Bro 👍🏻
hell yeah brother
Balanced doesn't help unless it's balanced from source to amp. Also some amps are not true balanced and just have balanced connections.
If i have rca out on my avr and xlr on my amp, is that still balanced?
@@andramachespapa6143 No. It must be balanced from start to finish but as I stated just because a component has XLR connectors doesn't mean it is truly balanced. It must have balanced circuitry and not just the connectors which may be there just for convenience.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt so i got xlrs on my parasound a53 amp but not on my marrantz av6015, doesnt make sense to buy xlr?
Not actually true, it's a matter of impedances, not just simply being a balanced line. Most inputs on amplifiers are higher impedance than outputs from preamps. Going from a low-impedance output to a higher-impedance means the line impedance is low. A balanced line is inherently lower noise in this scenario, even if the amplifier simply makes a connection and does not use a balanced input amplifier buffer circuit. It is not required electrically to use a balanced circuit at an input, especially a higher impedance one. This only applies to the output as to prevent loading on the line, balanced or unbalanced.
Fially got to the point! Thanks.
You and the Youthman are talking about the same thing this week? Interesting video but for the rookies and the people new to this. Keep up the good work!
Spare change as well
In fairness to youthman i complained a bit about the SUPER basic content explaining how to hook up cable on a $5000 Processor so ill do the same here. All i ask for is a time stamp menu so i can skip to anything i might be interested in and skip the beginner content. Thx
i saw shanes video the day after i posted mine. We all get the same stuff at the same time
WORLDS BEST CABLE link says ... not currently available
yeah. check out the audioblast from WBC. they have great reviews too
But what about speaker wire itself. Thats just open wire with no shielding at all!!! So sure your have a great transport signal but that wire going from banana output post to speakers is a antenna. So wouldn’t u want xlr output to speakers also? Should be all the same from start to finish?
show me an xlr from the amp to the speakers. I have never seen that. They arent interchangeable
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude PA systems
i got monoprice xlr they good for the price
You should have mentioned the beats headphones of audio cables. Audioquest.
It used to be Monster cables. You know, the brand that originally made Beats headphones
there is one question I wanted to know did you ever ask emotiva why dont they have auro 3d and the receiver that would be a major game-changer added that don't you agree anyways I guess one of your upcoming video you will be describing the difference between it can't wait to see that video also it's good that you're explaining XLR cables 👍
i know! i love auro 3d
I don't care a thing about cables, but that beard is sick.
haha, my man
Proclamation: This is the final conversation about cables we are going to have on the internet.
BUY what you like and can afford.
good idea.
Your outro music is so Dope!! What track is that?
th-cam.com/video/N1Wx2SVlgfU/w-d-xo.html
can't find your videos about cables comparaison...mogami vs worlds best cable etc
I've taken your advice and purchased these cables from Amazon still waiting for them to arrive in the post living in Australia they cost a little more due to the currency conversion.
The reason for the purchase I've just bought the Parasound a51 five channel amp and here in Australia it has a hefty price tag of $9,500 but i got it for $8,500.
Just wondering if you have done the review on those XLR cables.
I enjoy your channel immensely.
daaaaang parasound from USA to Down unda. The cables are great and havent steered me wrong. Really affordable
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Worlds best cables arrived yesterday will be installing the Parasound a51 on the weekend i have a 5.2 set up thats all the space i have the .2 is dual SVS PB 2000.
The XLR cables look high quality with nickel Amphenol connectors and Canare star quad core. Thank you very much for the heads up.
So what do you think is better the A51 or 52+
equal. I like the 51cmore right now. more power and less heat. Zero distortion with either
I wanted to buy XLR cables for my subs. I need two 35’ runs. I’m finding that they all state microphone cable or ‘analog cable’ on monoprice. Are they all the same when it comes to the subwoofer?
yes they are all the same. do not get the digital one. thats for studio prodessors and they dont perform right even though they look the same
That Home Theater Dude Thank you. I kept researching and also noticed monoprice sold 16awg versions with gold plated ends. I wonder if these are any good compared to worlds best cables canare or with the better ends?
Even marantz don’t have that
Back home after a couple of weeks away and woho do i have som catching up to do. Will be interesting to see the reviews of these! ;)
well.. hell yeah brother
Um most avrs don’t have those cables
How do you feel about these cables now?
Still use them to this day on my Trinnov :)
Awesome.
Actual, actually, actual, actual...
HTD... Your explanation about XLR and noise cancellation is a bit way too simplified. If the equipment does not have a truly balanced circuity, you can still get noise in your system. The RMC-1 thankfully is fully balanced from input to output. The older Xmc-1 was only fully balanced on the L/R channels.
Processors like the Marantz 8805/7705, Yamaha CX-A5200/A5100 have Xlr but a not Fully balanced.
NewYorkBlack 8805 isn’t fully balanced? That’s bs for their top model.
I have the Marantz av7705 and 2 amps running 13 speakers and 4 subwoofers..... of those 17 channels i think 11 are XLR . I dont hear a difference and the best reason i had for going xlr was how pliable/flexible they are compared to RCA. So I would endorse XLR for that reason alone.
I was keeping the information superficial to not confuse the masses. You and i know the deep and dirty, but i didnt want to go balls deep and have to answer a million questions. I can dive deeper in the next video
Are you Jimmy Fallon in disguise?
i just might be
Who in the hell can afford that type of equipment?
i dont think I can to be honest
You don't need to say actual or actually two or three times per sentence, it
sounds so stupid and you are not stupid.
Bill if ur so perfect why don't you start an actual channel called "actually"...lol. This info helps people spend wisely and gives them options on how they wanna spend their money. Don't know about you but, I would rather spend 30, 40 or any% less for near or equal quality products!!!
Have not heard them but recommend them??!!!! Ridiculous
Common mode rejection
"so your the one"
heh?
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude top gun scene reference
Emotiva has their XLR cables on sale right now. $24 for a seven line snake. 3 meters I believe.
I saw that. I almost bought those
I bought the emotiva 7 channel snake xlr cables. I will say I bought the canare's and you get what u pay for ! Let's just say emotiva should stick to processors!!!
advertises product, admits to never using it... can anybody scream paid promo??
get out of here with this BS. You watch one of my videos and you think you know everything? Im not paid to endorse anything. All my videos are my ideas. The purpose of this vid was to explain what xlr cables are and how to get them cheaper than the big companies. If you have some sort of problem with that then thats all on you my friend.
Feedback to you as a creator: I counted you saying a word containing "actual" 30 times in this 7 min clip. It makes you sound repetitive and boring to listen to. Please stop using the word "actual" all the time and your production quality will increase.
Was checking the comments for this😂
No
I keep checking to see if anyone complains about how many times "you guys" is said. Seems like every youtuber has to say it 100 times in their video. Love That Home Theater Dude videos so dont let my peeve change anything. Hopefully just constructive feedback for you.
Jimmy Fallon is selling cables now?
YOUR MOM IS JIMMY FALLON
So 90 % are using unbalanced
Bro, you are recommending a cable you have not tried? C'mon man, just lie. Jesus. Why recommend it then?
have the best equipment, but wait you need the best cables to enjoy them. bunch of hogwash
you are one of the dudes that buy a mercedes and put walmart tires on it huh?