I may not buy the high and cable butI could tell the noticeable difference. I play poorly enough as it is without any extra noise added in.I think will upgrade my cable
I have a bunch of those fender cables I bought maybe 15 years ago. Been thru a bunch of other expensive, guaranteed cables that have all failed. The Fenders are still going strong. And no, I've never heard noticiple differences in any decent cables.
Nice shoot out Darrell. Id say some expensive cables do sound better. I’ve tested the planet waves. Mogami: silver/gold/Platnium. Guitar center brand: livewire standard/elite. Overall I stuck with the $100 mogami platinum. To my ears, they sound crisp,full,and less static’s versus all the others. I didn’t like the mogami gold or silver, they sound like a small blanket covering the tone. Planet waves were ok. As for the livewire, the cheap $15 livewire sound a bit bright and a bit of static. The livewire elite $50 were ok, but I felt it just lacked a bit of clarity, otherwise I would’ve kept it over the mogami platinum. Cheers!
I was actually surprised at how much difference there was. Would I spend that much money on a cable? No, I would probably get a good wireless setup. Oh wait, I have a wireless setup. :)
@Dexter Moser I just watched that video (all 30 seconds of it) based on your comment. No. That is just about the worst music based video I have ever seen. It is immensely embarrassing just to watch. If you like it, cool. But its not for me.
I honestly extremely appreciate a shootout like this. We are all about strings, amps, guitars, and woods that cables are usually not consider as much, so it is definitely helpful to learn more about their importance. Cheers for this one man!
$250 Transit Lab DPA (Don't Pay Anymore) Cable.. I always make my own (HAND MADE) with Neutrik ends and Mogami Bulk Cable.. Never had an issue after many years.. It is the way to go.. Could hear the difference with the Fender, The rest were too close to call through my headphones. In a mix, you would never hear the difference. You may want to use them in a Recording Studio, but that is probably the only place they would make an audible difference?
The same here: Brand bulk cable and Neutrik connectors. A 250 USD cable that doesn't even have Neutrik connectors seems outrageous. Gold plated connectors don't matter, strain relief is what does. The cable should be double shielded and have proper electrical specifications - once you have that there shouldn't be any noticeable improvements over that. Oh wait, did Jimi Hendrix use a high end cable for his desired tones?
Same here. I have even very cheap very very old cables retrofitted by myself with neutriks ages ago, they still work like on the first day. The jack is the most important thing in a cable its THE stress point. The better you go there the longer it will last.
You call THAT cheap? I bought some 6m DAP cables for €3.- each. But if you compare their resistance to that of a 6m Cordial Peak, you'll measure a value 3x as high. They're good enough as a spare for rehearsals... NOT for the stage.
What was so amazing about the Transit Labs cable @9:11 is that it not only best reduced the high-frequency buzz, but it also virtually **eliminated the low-frequency hum** which was equally present and bad in all of the other three cables.
I started buying Mogami Platinum cables after trashing so many others by standing all over them etc. Since buying a few Mogami cables I've stood on them, run over them many times with chairs and box wheels. And after three years I still haven't managed to destroy one. IMHO the Mogami cables with the Neutrik silent plugs are more then enough.
Darrel, I've followed your channel for over a year and let me tell you. Your reviews are really fun to watch (that's why I subscribed). But when you do stuff like this is really something else. Other youtubers do similar test but when I'm about to make a choice about gear, videos like this is what really helps me.
Apart from mechanical strength, here is what you want in any signal cable: - Good sheilding - Low resistance - Low capacitance That's it. Better sheilding of course means lower noise. You want low capacitance and resistance, because all signal cables act as a low pass filter, and those two values determine the frequency. If you like a cable with high resistance and capacitance, in my opinion, you are better off adding a capacitor and resistor in your signal path. Edit: Also, oxygen free cobber is nothing but a marketing term.
Cable length can be an issue - I use the shortest possible in my studio. Also crossing cables cancels hum whereas running them together lengthways can cause more 👍😊
Exactly. I think audiophiles and over the top cable buyers tell themselves that they hear a difference, so that they have a reason for buying a 250$ cable.
I'm glad you made this video. I got every comparison 'guess' correct, because you can truly hear the difference of tone/frequency balance and delivery. This helped me confirm that I need a better cable. Mine is literally having aggressive static breaks while playing.
Cable capacitance is dependent on length. So were all the cables the same length ? Also, it would have been great if you unscrewed each connector to show the differences in construction of the core, insulation, and shielding - it would be good to know where these differences are coming from, especially for people who might want to make their own cables.
Here is my sceptic take on this. Definitely the noise part is solid. Quality of the wire, shielding, length does make a difference for noise. Now about the tone that cable transfers, I'm not convinced. Every time you play, even if the volume levels are untouched, it can not be 100% identical. Starting with, the velocity of hitting the string ( in MIDI terms 1-127, but in reality much more finer), Exact position where the string was hit Angle of the pick contacting the string All of this, of top of my head, can contribute to a little difference in tone. What I would like to see is a single take recorded (to eliminate variances), taken direct out of the DAW and then using the 4 cables to compare. I wonder if we can actually hear a difference in tone.
I truly believe those frequencies he's hearing were influenced by the price tag. I literally chose the cable that wasn't the high end one almost every time.
Expensive cables don't improve your tone. I've been hearing this argument since the early 1970s. I've made my own, bought $60 setups, used speaker cables when I was in a jam, etc. Maybe if I owned studio that had high level players recording, I'd go for the $$$ cables. For me, as a gigging guitarist I go for the medium price cables. Not the cheapest, but $250 for a handmade cable? No way. My guitar and amp are the main components of my sound.
The most critical issue are the quality of the (double!) shielding, the thickness of the signal wire (which determines among other factors the electrical behavior and therefore the tone) and the craftmanship - meaning the quality of solderings/crimping/insulation at the connectors and the cable reliefs. The point where the cable meets the connectors cable reliefs are the most stressed ones. A 250$ cable where you cannot even repair a potential wire break due to factory sealing of the entire connector is not worth the money. I would also expect to get some information about the electrical characteristics for a high-end cable. Due to the capacity increase with longer cables the impact on tone can be massive on passive guitars.
I could easily got them all correct i here. But I admit this is cork sniffing🤣🤣🤣 the differences are so little that in a band context no one will ever hear it. And for the fender cable it might even cut through a bit more in the mix. I think what makes the expensive cables more expensive is their durability and the quality of building. Tone wise, it really doesn’t matter tbh
A guitar cable is a low pass filter, not a high pass filer...it`s a capacitor shunting highs...meaning the low and mid frequencies are 100% unaffected. The reason the Fender cable was noisier is because it had the least capacitance, giving the most faithful representation of the guitar. It's a trade off when a cable is "warmer" or less noisy, it's shunting more highs to ground. What you were hearing is placebo and variations in your own picking. Durability is an entirely different subject.
Ho god stepping into snake oil land. Copper is copper, inductances is inductance, capacitance is capacitance, if the mfg can't state those, anything else they try to pour at you is bs.
So nice to see someone is awake, but you can hear the difference right? If people pay 10-30 times the price for the best tubes, 6x more for having the right vintage amps and speakers in their cabs and infinitely more for the right guitars, even buy vintage Neumann mics and Neve mic preamps, then why not get the best cables? Its not snake oil. You could buy 50 Citroen C1s for a Rolls Royce, but if you want the Rolls and money is no object, thats what you do. But it would be rather stupid to put some cheap tires on the Rolls, just to save some money, or?
@@Heatfarmer depends on which monitors headphones you are hearing... if they aren´t capable of reproducing the frequencies, how are you going to notice them? And I think it really has to be a weird cable to kill so much of the frequencies...
I never used to believe it and had the cheapest cables money could buy. But it started to sound clearly bad and dull; so I upgraded everything, all my patch cables and long cables. I even got a gold tipped curly cable, and I got a wireless system. And I'm glad I did all this. My tone feels open and fuller and crisper; and the wireless system?? The best! It sounds great (even less impedence) but the freedom of being able to sit on the couch without getting tangled, or go to the kitchen, or just roam wherever inside or outside, it's amazing!! But even when just sitting there (which comprises the majority of time) it's just great to not feel tethered to this thing that every time you move you feel Its' weight and the feeling that you're tangling. And the price is about equal to an fx pedal. It might not be as exciting to shop for, but I assure you , it's better to have! I honestly don't know why I'm not seeing everyone use them all the time! You really don't have to be jumping around on stages like Angus Young or CC DeVille to justify a wireless system - they're for you Bro, do yourself a favor and break the leash now! (that'd be a great Ad line! 😆)
I switch from the fender cable which was like €10 and it was turquoise to a mogami premium gold cable. And changes the sound quite a lot. It’s so much more clear I love it
willyburger OFC wire will not sound any different when new. The reason for OFC is that it will not oxidize as quickly. Oxidization will increase resistance so it is not a good thing. OFC cable is not that expensive so spend the $5 and enjoy.
@@kirarittberg5088 Given that it would take a decade or so before any difference was noticeable, another option is to save the money now and buy a new cable in 2030. It might be a "legit" feature, but it's one that almost no one will need unless maybe they live in a swamp in the Philippines or a Louisiana bayou.
yup... the Transitlabs has a higher capacitance and causes loss of high end but leaves the lower frequencies relatively untouched... ending up with a warmer bassier sound...
As is usually the case, as soon as you throw dirt onto the guitar, much of the difference goes away. The clean tests were much more revealing. The noise test had a very clear winner, though... that Transit Labs was remarkably quiet. Is it worth the money? No, of course not. But the Fender, on the other of the scale, is definitely not a cable you want to use if you have anything better. Somewhere, I have a bag of unused and mostly unpackaged cables that come with instruments. Most of my XLRs and the majority of my 1/4" cables are Canadian-made Digiflex. A couple I've had and used for well over 30 years, and they're still going strong.
I've run over my DiMarzio cable at least 100 times with my computer chair and and it doesn't have any problems, so I'm happy. I also have some old Beldin cables that sound surprisingly good. Both boutique cables and tone woods are a ripoff in my opinion.
Hey Darrell, I think this was an excellent demo. I like how you consistently cover the instrument info from beginner to intermediate to weekend player to full-time pro in your videos. That's important. Based on comments and questions here, I think a number of people didn't actually understand the gist of this unfortunately. Not your fault. It would probably serve them well to listen again with a different mindset going in. Thanks!
If I played on stage and had he money, of course I'd spend some serious money for my accessories, but being I just play near my home. my stuff is just fine and I saved all that money.
I'm the opposite. Quality more expensive stuff for the house. Inexpensive stuff for going out. Stuff gets damaged, stolen, or left behind when you take it out.
Mogami works for me. I use their Ultimate “Cable For Life” and have no complaints. The Neutrik Silent Jack makes life a great deal easier and it added a degree of top end detail and depth of soundstage when compared to my 7yr/1000 gig old Van Damme cable that I was using previously. Will be interesting to see if the Mogami lasts as well.
What the hell did you get me to watch this time Darrell!I I cudn't hear any difference between cables And they are all noisy! just different noise! None are silent!
I like neutrik connectors, particularly the ones with the auto cutoff switch, it makes for easy instrument changes without having to remember to stand on the tuner.
No, I don't believe they sound better, but I would expect the durability to improve as the price goes up. IF there is an improvement in sound I imagine it would be very very marginal, and if you play high gain/distortion you'll never know.
Being a amp repair tech and understanding the effect of capacitance of a guitar lead on tone ( particularly when the guitar volume is reduced as this can act as a low pass filter), I decided to ask my local guitar shop if I could check the capacitance of their range of guitar leads. Not naming any particular lead, the main result was the sheer range of capacitance (from 50pf Good to 250pf Bad) and, the leads with a highest capacitance were all those leads quoting "oxygen free" cable, which surprised me. Maybe your subscriber would be interested in a video that also tests lead capacitance.
EMI shielding is going to be a big reason why people will reach for expensive cables. Especially in a home studio setting where you’re recording, this becomes important because your average persons home studio has a bunch of signal cables in close proximity to power wires, power adapters and other power sources. I know you did the buzz test but I didn’t really find it all that informative about EMI shielding because it isn’t clear that the buzz is caused by external EMI.
The only difference in cable quality is build quality. Sure, low cost cables degrade quicker and lose sonic quality as they break. But they pretty much sound the same to me. I have a couple higher end Monster cables I’ve been using for a very long time and still sound great. I also have some Sound Gear cables that I’ve been using for a long time and they still sound great. Same with Mogami cables. I’m confident if you take care of equipment it’ll last and sound great.
I am expecting audio recording frequency graph.. so we can see which one have unnecessary frequency response in.. and also spectrum graph so we can see which cable have the thicker sound
I believe the ONLY way to effectively make that comparison would be to test a traditional routed Strat, and then rout THAT Strat to a swimming pool, using all the same parts of course. There is too much variance between any two given Strats to fairly judge between them based solely on the routing. Just my take on it, but it’s the closest solution to the “Scientific Method” that I can think of.
I think an important question is what length were the cables? Parasitic capacitance is a major noticeable cable impairment, which gets more dominant with cable length..
An idea, Darrell: Post the audio results of A/B tests like this in one video, get us to vote, and then reveal the "answers" a week later in another video.
Yes! For sure. I experienced beginning with a poor cable and I swapped to a cordialcableusa-like and it changed drastically. I can hear a big difference even with a low quality transistor amp.
Cables do make a difference. I have been using the same 15ft Dimarizo Steve Vai signature cable for the last 30 years. I had to resolder one of the end once about two years ago. Great even tone. However this test needed a little rest between comparisons to allow your hearing a chance to reset for reference. Like stated he was able to really hear the difference through his studio monitors (think recording).
The one with the plastic netting I have and I can say it has onedisadvantage just to be aware of. If you step on it on say a wooden floor watch out it may slide and your leg going with it.
Things like high-end cables, exotic conductive materials in components and such are really only worth it if you regularly play over large PAs where the complete signal path will provide a fair amount of net resistance and reducing that can get a bit of extra clarity for a better mix. Bar gigs and home playing hardly call for that. Just my opinion.
agreed...it also depends on the quality of the sound system...a higher end system will pick up a lot more details from your sound (noise, eq structures, etc)...most local gigs don't warrant a $250 cable...
I wish you had included a coilly cable. I just saw Josh Scott and Paul Gilbert say they’re darker sounding. This was a great idea for a comparison video.
I can't speak for everyone, but I dare say that most of us Darrel Braun Guitar subscribers would much prefer to put $250 toward a great amp or guitar or even a stomp-box, versus a guitar cable. But if I was a pro, I might think differently. As always, I love when you do comparison breakdowns like this, even when the cheapest item is barely within my budget.
I like the way you coat the plugs with skin oil before the test. And as you talk about the cables you whip them around in your hand. I can can almost hear the tiny little shielding wires breaking. Great video!
oxygen free copper is marketing invention. All copper is oxygen-free! Exception is rusted copper - it's the copper oxide. It looks different. It is black and fragile. So if you see just a red copper - it is oxygen-free
No, it's not! There are grades of Cu that are refined to have a lower oxygen content. If the oxygen content is below 0.001%, it's labeled OF or OFHC. For example, C10100 has an oxygen content of 0.0005%, and it's graded OFE - Oxygen Free Electronic grade. The OF coppers are generally higher in both thermal and electrical conductivity than the less expensive alloys that have more oxygen content. For thermal applications, OF copper is generally preferred since thermal conductivity improves markedly. It makes no difference in a guitar cable though, because for a cable there is no thermal conduction to speak of, and not much electrical effect either since the cable is conducting very little current. Don't believe me? Look it up.
@@bahhumbucker woah, I didn't know that. Thank you for this info, I learned something new about metals. But in terms of electric conductivity these alloys are almost the same, aren't they?
The material exists because there are cases where the difference matters. I don't think you're going to hear much if any difference in a guitar cable due to the conductivity of the wire. I've got a lot of different cables and never noticed a difference, other than cheap cables die sooner. The thing to understand is that in an audio application, it's not really about resistance of the wire - it's about the overall impedance over the audible frequency range. Whether you hear a difference, and whether you like what you hear, depends on the input impedance of the amp and the amplifier's damping factor. As Darrell said, "it's cork sniffing"... not really something to drop serious money on. I get decent cables (never spent more than $50, if that) strictly because cheap ones don't last.
@@bahhumbucker I got a pair of Pete Cornish 6m guitar cables 10 years ago. Because i wanted to check out if there were any difference. Cost me the same as a medium priced fx-pedal Did they sound different from my normal cables, yes. No question. Better clarity, which to me translates to lower capacitance or better connectors or better assembly. I don't care. Did they last forever, as promised? No. Did i buy another pair? No. They were nice, but its a matter trying to accept that since the voltage out of your socket change and you don't play in humidity controlled environments, there are simply factors that change your sound, no matter what you do. I only take a minor tweak on the tone controls to correct that.
Take it from a hifi nut: Depending on the impedance match of your instrument and amp, the capacitance of the cable may make a difference in frequency response. The geometry and shielding may make a difference in noise, though not likely much compared to single coil noise. Neutrik make durable and reliable connectors. And of course, the mechanical quality of the insulation and soldering, and strain relief in the connectors make a difference in terms of durability.
The capacity of the cable lowers the resonance frequency of the pickup. But it is not the case, that the more expensive cable has the lower capacity...
Thanks for doing this. Good to know. I found the tonal differences negligible but the noise reduction of TL was impressive. Also durability is a big one for me. I've used PW for years and haven't changed them for more than a decade.
Thank you! I love ALL of your videos and have made many decisions based on your advice. I really appreciate that you actually test these and don't just talk about them.
Tight, open, boomy, more clarity, smooth, full, flabby, milky, glassy, and etc are not measurable qualities and are terms that demand double blind evaluation. If there is a true sound difference, there has to be a way to measure something that can quantify that difference. One could probably just measure capacitance with all cables the same length.
Cables for me must meet these criteria: 1. Does it pass my signal from point A to point B without a noticeable degradation of tone and without any noticeable noise under “normal gig environmental parameters”. 2. Is it solidly built to the point that when I use it in a normal fashion I don’t have to worry about how I’m handling it. 3. Can I roll it “over-under” style, where we when I throw it across the floor it lays flat. 4. Did it cost less than $50 and meet all the above criteria. Anything beyond the above seems crazy to me as a working professional musician, but after years of live gigs I think the difference between a $50 cable and a $250 is well beyond anything I could discern. Great video!
Also, the results depend highly on the lengths of the cables tested, as well on the output impedance of the guitar used. An active guitar has a very low output resistance, compared to one with a passive pickup. Low resistance, in combination with the parallel capacitance of a cable, gives a much brighter tone. Cable capacitance plus instrument impedance form a low pass filter. The higher the impedance, the lower the cut off frequency. 😉
@@ThunderBassistJay Thats really interesting, because I thought that the difference was much less than I would have expected when he played higher output guitar. Didn't know that, but makes perfectly sense
Rule of thumb, no, the cheapest cable will sound the same as the most expensive, durability will be very different and noise shielding will also however. Many cheap cable will break fast or have imperfect oxygen composition in the wire which induces resistance in the signal. You get what you pay for to a certain extent, buy a cable that is flexible at a decent price so that the construction will insure that it will last. Sound difference if we don't talk about shielding is snake oil, except for the cheapest cables.
i have a pretty good hear and on good headphones i hear 0 difference... save your money folks get a decent (affordable) cable and be done. no need for all that nonsense
Either your headphones or your hearing aren't as good as you think. There is absolutely a difference there, it's just very small and could probably be corrected quite easily with a slight EQ tweak. The TL cable sounds slightly better, just not $100+ better.
I usually make my own. Canare cable and Switchcraft ends. Switchcraft is the only brand I have never had to tarnish over the years. They are the best hands down. I have had one cable short in 40 years and that was because I kept pulling it out of my volume pedal by the cord.
Cool video, I would love to see a comparison between the quality of cables regarding humidity. I live in the second most humid city of the world and I was told to put my cables and equipment in a non humid palce like a box with news papers and sawdust to keep stuff dry.
Did that Fender cable come from a Custom Shop guitar? I bought an American Elite Strat and Tele last year, and all I got in my locking hard cases were a small leather or vinyl zip bag, the instruction sheet, and a little certificate of authenticity that they were made in Corona, California.
I have heard in another channel that the most important cable to be the good one is the first plugged from guitar to the pedals/amp. The guy said the weak signal of the pick ups needs it, and afterwards the other cables between pedals can be maybe worse because the signal is usually already buffered or amplificated. What do you think about that?
@@gingerbeer914 It may not seem like a lot but IT'S A CABLE. You shouldn't hear any extra buzz LET ALONE sound difference. I also hear they break often.
I used a Mogami Gold and it made the hum on my Strat way louder, tried some cheap light blue one from Sweetwater and it sounded clearer and lessened the hum.
Darrell as a noob guitar player i can't hear any difference at all and this is an amazing thing cause i won't feel bad to buy cheap cables along with the cheap guitars and cheap amps hahahahahah . The buzz i can fear it! but i guess that goes away with a noise gate right?
You want to know an interesting thing?.?. Technically speaking, a cable with a higher capacitance will have a more muted/softer high end. It creates an R/C circuit and the capacitance of the cable coupled with the resistance of the preceding device creates said R/C circuit. This is why higher impedance inputs on guitar amps or DI boxes sound brighter. The higher impedance input is elevated above ground that much more and this reduces the amount of highs lost. A cable with a lower capacitance will sound brighter than a cable with higher capacitance. The interesting thing is that lower capacitance cable is considered superior to that of cable that has a high capacitance. You can hear this and experience it yourself with different lengths of the same cable. The shorter the cable the brighter it will be, while the longer it is the softer the high end will be. UNLESS..... I find that more expensive brands have come to realize that bright cables are not as desired. The noise injected on them is more prominent ( you can hear the buzz clearer ) and it makes single-coil guitars that much brighter. I think some companies are designing the cables to be of higher capacitance ( technically lower quality ) in order to create a cable that sounds more rounded and natural. Some brands go as far as making their shorter cables have the same sound as the longer version of it ( which I think is smart ), meaning that the shorter cables have a really high capacitance in order to have a similar high end roll-off. I for one prefer the more rounded sound and tend to use longer cables in order to get that sound. Anything lower than 10' with standard cables is too bright for me with single coils. I don't mind having a little extra brightness from the cable. Where it really makes a difference is when you roll the volume back a little. I find that the tailored cables ( ones that sound darker ) lose too much high end when you roll the volume back, hence why I like 20' long standard quality cables. They are brighter and work well with my style of playing. As with anything YMMV and it is players choice. If you like duller/darker sounding cables then cough up a few Benji's and get er done. I own some like the Transit Labs and I also own several $14 cables that sold at Sam Goody's many years ago; guess which ones I use most often? The $14 ones from Sam Goody's.
A/Tech nice explanation! I like the sound of cheap cables sometimes. I tested patch wires with my pedal setup, although the more expensive sounded clearer and brighter, i tend to like the cheaper ones that sounded darker and not as clear, especially when I play distortion, it sounds really good at high volumes. The more expensive patch sound clearer but was a bit harsh at high volumes, which could be equalized. But out of the box, I like the darker sound coming from the cheap $2 patches.
i expected there to be no difference at all, great to know you heard a difference. i do think it depends on what you play as a heavy band played live will never be able to tell any differences. probably the noise and durability are way more of a difference than sound quality. tests like these are why i subscribe.
I've been searching for a price list for Wreck Guitars. I love the show that you did where you demonstrated one of their guitars,"but I can't find a price for it!"
Problem is that the test wasn't blind to Darrell. So, like most people he heard what he expected to hear -- e.g. the most expensive cable was slightly "better."
Exactly why I can't put any stock in his opinion on this. On top of that, I'm sitting here with monitors and while I know youtube audio can be pretty compressed...I'm just not hearing these differences he's picking out! So even if there is a noticeable difference on his side it has to be totally minute. Just get a pedal or an amp instead of spending 250 dollars on a piece of wire.
He's just another snake oil affiliate link/marketing salesman. Yea, suddenly we all *hear* these "magic" frequencies with expensive cables. Give me a break
Could you guys hear a difference? Would you ever spend the money for a high-end cable?
In the end, which one was your favourite?
I may not buy the high and cable butI could tell the noticeable difference. I play poorly enough as it is without any extra noise added in.I think will upgrade my cable
I have a bunch of those fender cables I bought maybe 15 years ago. Been thru a bunch of other expensive, guaranteed cables that have all failed. The Fenders are still going strong. And no, I've never heard noticiple differences in any decent cables.
Darrell Braun Guitar i would buy a high end cable for gigs
Nice shoot out Darrell. Id say some expensive cables do sound better. I’ve tested the planet waves. Mogami: silver/gold/Platnium. Guitar center brand: livewire standard/elite. Overall I stuck with the $100 mogami platinum. To my ears, they sound crisp,full,and less static’s versus all the others. I didn’t like the mogami gold or silver, they sound like a small blanket covering the tone. Planet waves were ok. As for the livewire, the cheap $15 livewire sound a bit bright and a bit of static. The livewire elite $50 were ok, but I felt it just lacked a bit of clarity, otherwise I would’ve kept it over the mogami platinum. Cheers!
I was actually surprised at how much difference there was. Would I spend that much money on a cable? No, I would probably get a good wireless setup. Oh wait, I have a wireless setup. :)
When your guitar cable has its own case, you've gone too far.
Lmao
What's next, naming them? "Bertha sounded much more saucy and free, while Gretchen had a more in-your-face, raw carnality to her tone."
@@grayaj23 Well, now it's time to write a song about guitar cables I've named.
No one needs a $250 cable unless maybe you own a high end studio like Capitol records or something
So true 🤣
You dont need a super expensive cable but avoid ultra cheap ones.
I concur.
endrizo agree, unless lack of money isn’t a problem for you
Agree
If you're a gigging musician and it's your job you absolutely need good cables, but yeah no need to spend 250 dollars! Just not 20 dollars either...
Yep
If I would've bought the Transit Lab, my gear would be:
Guitar - $200
Amplifier - $50
Cable - $250
Using a Gorilla amp, are we?
@@sohamsengupta6470 as long as he loves his tone...
@@jerkforsure8387 If he loves that tone he is a God
@@sohamsengupta6470 Totally Not Gorilla Amp
Same mine would've been
Guitar: $250
Amp: $110
Cable: $250
Twenty years later, I never knew my first Fender was supposed to include a free cable.
Same lol
Only USA ones and you get a strap too
ive bought 2 new USA fenders and never got a strap or a cable haha
Ill bet you threw it away with your box lol
@@kingcatnip2614 i think he meant the beginner bundle, every bundle includes a cable an amp a guitar and a strap
I've been playing electric guitar for over 50 years. I'm lucky I can hear anything now. Any cable sounds good now.
I like that outlook.
Exactly, cheap cables sounds better anyway.
William Percival
New Zealand 🇳🇿
@@williampercival7662What cables do you like?
Do a “wireless vs cable” video.
Up!!!!!
Ελληνας?
@Kurt Cobain no thanks with that cringey ass guy
Yes.
@Dexter Moser I just watched that video (all 30 seconds of it) based on your comment. No. That is just about the worst music based video I have ever seen. It is immensely embarrassing just to watch. If you like it, cool. But its not for me.
I honestly extremely appreciate a shootout like this. We are all about strings, amps, guitars, and woods that cables are usually not consider as much, so it is definitely helpful to learn more about their importance. Cheers for this one man!
The cable ends / plugs are the most important thing to look at! G&H last forever, best quality and best tone...
@@jimi272 actually the length of the cable is the more important. For practical reasons, just buy a wireless system
All of these had a high pitched whistle. Oh that’s my tinnitus.
😭😭
Lol!
$250 Transit Lab DPA (Don't Pay Anymore) Cable..
I always make my own (HAND MADE) with Neutrik ends and Mogami Bulk Cable.. Never had an issue after many years.. It is the way to go..
Could hear the difference with the Fender,
The rest were too close to call through my headphones.
In a mix, you would never hear the difference. You may want to use them in a Recording Studio, but that is probably the only place they would make an audible difference?
"Neutrik ends and Mogami Bulk Cable..." my thoughts EXACTLY!!!
The same here: Brand bulk cable and Neutrik connectors.
A 250 USD cable that doesn't even have Neutrik connectors seems outrageous. Gold plated connectors don't matter, strain relief is what does. The cable should be double shielded and have proper electrical specifications - once you have that there shouldn't be any noticeable improvements over that.
Oh wait, did Jimi Hendrix use a high end cable for his desired tones?
Same here. I have even very cheap very very old cables retrofitted by myself with neutriks ages ago, they still work like on the first day. The jack is the most important thing in a cable its THE stress point. The better you go there the longer it will last.
The shielding in a mogami cable really makes one drool....so perfect and beautiful inside an otherwise ordinary looking cable.
Same here. Do mine my self and never ever hade any problems yet more then some usuall were when i make some in tweed.
Cables are like wine: $3 bottles make you sick, but $830 bottles make you poor
And a 10 euro bottle would be fine !
But, a 16 dollar cable can be a great deal
10 bucks for a cable? Nah I just use an aux cord with 2 quarter inch adapter
😂😅
You call THAT cheap? I bought some 6m DAP cables for €3.- each. But if you compare their resistance to that of a 6m Cordial Peak, you'll measure a value 3x as high. They're good enough as a spare for rehearsals... NOT for the stage.
Please don’t
😭
mine is 8$ lol.
its ok
What was so amazing about the Transit Labs cable @9:11 is that it not only best reduced the high-frequency buzz, but it also virtually **eliminated the low-frequency hum** which was equally present and bad in all of the other three cables.
250 for a cable.......I COULD LITERALLY BUY A NEW GUITAR WITH THAT 😂
or awesome pickups!
Or a nice pedal
I would buy two new guitars with that.
@@kevin7rxxx346 or get a digital pedal with 100 pedals in it for like £50
Or a Squier with mods...
The fender cable has a relic buzz included,, its part of the vintage tone/experience.
i thought mine was broken cause of how bent it was
@@christopherrivera6474they used to be better they started making the tips hollow sheet metal now
I love how he throws the cables away at the start hahaha
Yeah, come on Darrell. I wanna see you chuck that $200 cable onto the floor.
Ron Ramsay 😆
I started buying Mogami Platinum cables after trashing so many others by standing all over them etc. Since buying a few Mogami cables I've stood on them, run over them many times with chairs and box wheels. And after three years I still haven't managed to destroy one. IMHO the Mogami cables with the Neutrik silent plugs are more then enough.
I totally agree! I used to make my own cables using exactly those brands of components. 😎
250 for a cable...no f***ing way !!!...Like someone said...just stay away from super cheap cables and you're fine..
Yeah better off spending $50 on a cable and the $200 on a hooker.
@@homers7777 🤣🤣🤣
Monster Prolink Cables - they're worth it
@@homers7777 lmao what the hell
@@dixienormous6969 If the hooker has cable, gold
Darrel, I've followed your channel for over a year and let me tell you. Your reviews are really fun to watch (that's why I subscribed). But when you do stuff like this is really something else. Other youtubers do similar test but when I'm about to make a choice about gear, videos like this is what really helps me.
Apart from mechanical strength, here is what you want in any signal cable:
- Good sheilding
- Low resistance
- Low capacitance
That's it.
Better sheilding of course means lower noise.
You want low capacitance and resistance, because all signal cables act as a low pass filter, and those two values determine the frequency.
If you like a cable with high resistance and capacitance, in my opinion, you are better off adding a capacitor and resistor in your signal path.
Edit:
Also, oxygen free cobber is nothing but a marketing term.
So which one do you recommend ?
Cable length can be an issue - I use the shortest possible in my studio. Also crossing cables cancels hum whereas running them together lengthways can cause more 👍😊
Crossing cables as in just arrange it in an x?
@@ValWillKay yes
Yes 👍
That figures, I always knew they were out to trip me, especially after a few beers.
Good to know, I'll keep that in mind
I also think you should be testing these blindfolded to ensure you don't impart any bias from the price tag.
I can hear the difference but truthfully it's because I'm listening for a difference. If I was casually listening I'd never notice the difference.
Exactly. I think audiophiles and over the top cable buyers tell themselves that they hear a difference, so that they have a reason for buying a 250$ cable.
I'm glad you made this video. I got every comparison 'guess' correct, because you can truly hear the difference of tone/frequency balance and delivery. This helped me confirm that I need a better cable. Mine is literally having aggressive static breaks while playing.
Cheap cable: YEET
High end cable: YEET
Really appreciate your fairness Darrell!
Cable capacitance is dependent on length. So were all the cables the same length ? Also, it would have been great if you unscrewed each connector to show the differences in construction of the core, insulation, and shielding - it would be good to know where these differences are coming from, especially for people who might want to make their own cables.
Here is my sceptic take on this.
Definitely the noise part is solid. Quality of the wire, shielding, length does make a difference for noise.
Now about the tone that cable transfers, I'm not convinced.
Every time you play, even if the volume levels are untouched, it can not be 100% identical.
Starting with, the velocity of hitting the string ( in MIDI terms 1-127, but in reality much more finer),
Exact position where the string was hit
Angle of the pick contacting the string
All of this, of top of my head, can contribute to a little difference in tone.
What I would like to see is a single take recorded (to eliminate variances), taken direct out of the DAW and then using the 4 cables to compare.
I wonder if we can actually hear a difference in tone.
I truly believe those frequencies he's hearing were influenced by the price tag. I literally chose the cable that wasn't the high end one almost every time.
correct
Same. When you are a paid shill for the industry, of course price=better.
Expensive cables don't improve your tone. I've been hearing this argument since the early 1970s. I've made my own, bought $60 setups, used speaker cables when I was in a jam, etc. Maybe if I owned studio that had high level players recording, I'd go for the $$$ cables. For me, as a gigging guitarist I go for the medium price cables. Not the cheapest, but $250 for a handmade cable? No way. My guitar and amp are the main components of my sound.
The most critical issue are the quality of the (double!) shielding, the thickness of the signal wire (which determines among other factors the electrical behavior and therefore the tone) and the craftmanship - meaning the quality of solderings/crimping/insulation at the connectors and the cable reliefs. The point where the cable meets the connectors cable reliefs are the most stressed ones. A 250$ cable where you cannot even repair a potential wire break due to factory sealing of the entire connector is not worth the money. I would also expect to get some information about the electrical characteristics for a high-end cable. Due to the capacity increase with longer cables the impact on tone can be massive on passive guitars.
I could easily got them all correct i here. But I admit this is cork sniffing🤣🤣🤣 the differences are so little that in a band context no one will ever hear it. And for the fender cable it might even cut through a bit more in the mix. I think what makes the expensive cables more expensive is their durability and the quality of building. Tone wise, it really doesn’t matter tbh
A guitar cable is a low pass filter, not a high pass filer...it`s a capacitor shunting highs...meaning the low and mid frequencies are 100% unaffected. The reason the Fender cable was noisier is because it had the least capacitance, giving the most faithful representation of the guitar. It's a trade off when a cable is "warmer" or less noisy, it's shunting more highs to ground. What you were hearing is placebo and variations in your own picking. Durability is an entirely different subject.
Ho god stepping into snake oil land. Copper is copper, inductances is inductance, capacitance is capacitance, if the mfg can't state those, anything else they try to pour at you is bs.
So nice to see someone is awake, but you can hear the difference right? If people pay 10-30 times the price for the best tubes, 6x more for having the right vintage amps and speakers in their cabs and infinitely more for the right guitars, even buy vintage Neumann mics and Neve mic preamps, then why not get the best cables? Its not snake oil. You could buy 50 Citroen C1s for a Rolls Royce, but if you want the Rolls and money is no object, thats what you do. But it would be rather stupid to put some cheap tires on the Rolls, just to save some money, or?
@@Heatfarmer depends on which monitors headphones you are hearing... if they aren´t capable of reproducing the frequencies, how are you going to notice them? And I think it really has to be a weird cable to kill so much of the frequencies...
@@Heatfarmer use shorter cables, not even high ones can compete on distance. Or just use a good wireless system...
@@josearaujo8616 Just use a buffer amp before any long cables
@@josearaujo8616 I heard the major difference through Apple headphones, not exactly monitors
I never used to believe it and had the cheapest cables money could buy. But it started to sound clearly bad and dull; so I upgraded everything, all my patch cables and long cables. I even got a gold tipped curly cable, and I got a wireless system.
And I'm glad I did all this. My tone feels open and fuller and crisper; and the wireless system?? The best! It sounds great (even less impedence) but the freedom of being able to sit on the couch without getting tangled, or go to the kitchen, or just roam wherever inside or outside, it's amazing!! But even when just sitting there (which comprises the majority of time) it's just great to not feel tethered to this thing that every time you move you feel Its' weight and the feeling that you're tangling. And the price is about equal to an fx pedal. It might not be as exciting to shop for, but I assure you , it's better to have!
I honestly don't know why I'm not seeing everyone use them all the time! You really don't have to be jumping around on stages like Angus Young or CC DeVille to justify a wireless system - they're for you Bro, do yourself a favor and break the leash now! (that'd be a great Ad line! 😆)
I switch from the fender cable which was like €10 and it was turquoise to a mogami premium gold cable. And changes the sound quite a lot. It’s so much more clear I love it
Great comparison.Been using Mogami cables for years and never had an issue. They also have a lifetime warranty.
Would have been nice to see some EQ Spectra too. Just to "see" the change in frequency that you are talking about
Gongrats Darrell for over 500k subs! You have a fantastic channel!
Oxygen-free copper = snake oil at audio frequencies.
Snake oil taste like chicken
willyburger OFC wire will not sound any different when new. The reason for OFC is that it will not oxidize as quickly. Oxidization will increase resistance so it is not a good thing. OFC cable is not that expensive so spend the $5 and enjoy.
@@kirarittberg5088 Given that it would take a decade or so before any difference was noticeable, another option is to save the money now and buy a new cable in 2030. It might be a "legit" feature, but it's one that almost no one will need unless maybe they live in a swamp in the Philippines or a Louisiana bayou.
@@Lord_Stinkfoot just enjoy the gritty crunch
@@Lord_Stinkfoot snake oil. my fav salad dressing.
These are the kind of videos that keep me coming back to your channel. Stuff like this that we normally don’t consider but can still affect our tone.
The difference is down to the capacitance of the cable, it'll affect the resonant peak of the pickups.
yup... the Transitlabs has a higher capacitance and causes loss of high end but leaves the lower frequencies relatively untouched... ending up with a warmer bassier sound...
@@quikie2211 and noisier signal.
As is usually the case, as soon as you throw dirt onto the guitar, much of the difference goes away. The clean tests were much more revealing. The noise test had a very clear winner, though... that Transit Labs was remarkably quiet. Is it worth the money? No, of course not. But the Fender, on the other of the scale, is definitely not a cable you want to use if you have anything better.
Somewhere, I have a bag of unused and mostly unpackaged cables that come with instruments. Most of my XLRs and the majority of my 1/4" cables are Canadian-made Digiflex. A couple I've had and used for well over 30 years, and they're still going strong.
I've run over my DiMarzio cable at least 100 times with my computer chair and and it doesn't have any problems, so I'm happy. I also have some old Beldin cables that sound surprisingly good. Both boutique cables and tone woods are a ripoff in my opinion.
Hey Darrell, I think this was an excellent demo. I like how you consistently cover the instrument info from beginner to intermediate to weekend player to full-time pro in your videos. That's important. Based on comments and questions here, I think a number of people didn't actually understand the gist of this unfortunately. Not your fault. It would probably serve them well to listen again with a different mindset going in. Thanks!
If I played on stage and had he money, of course I'd spend some serious money for my accessories, but being I just play near my home. my stuff is just fine and I saved all that money.
I'm the opposite. Quality more expensive stuff for the house. Inexpensive stuff for going out. Stuff gets damaged, stolen, or left behind when you take it out.
Mogami works for me. I use their Ultimate “Cable For Life” and have no complaints. The Neutrik Silent Jack makes life a great deal easier and it added a degree of top end detail and depth of soundstage when compared to my 7yr/1000 gig old Van Damme cable that I was using previously. Will be interesting to see if the Mogami lasts as well.
What the hell did you get me to watch this time Darrell!I
I cudn't hear any difference between cables
And they are all noisy! just different noise! None are silent!
I like neutrik connectors, particularly the ones with the auto cutoff switch, it makes for easy instrument changes without having to remember to stand on the tuner.
No, I don't believe they sound better, but I would expect the durability to improve as the price goes up. IF there is an improvement in sound I imagine it would be very very marginal, and if you play high gain/distortion you'll never know.
Being a amp repair tech and understanding the effect of capacitance of a guitar lead on tone ( particularly when the guitar volume is reduced as this can act as a low pass filter), I decided to ask my local guitar shop if I could check the capacitance of their range of guitar leads. Not naming any particular lead, the main result was the sheer range of capacitance (from 50pf Good to 250pf Bad) and, the leads with a highest capacitance were all those leads quoting "oxygen free" cable, which surprised me. Maybe your subscriber would be interested in a video that also tests lead capacitance.
When your cable costs more than your guitar
EMI shielding is going to be a big reason why people will reach for expensive cables. Especially in a home studio setting where you’re recording, this becomes important because your average persons home studio has a bunch of signal cables in close proximity to power wires, power adapters and other power sources.
I know you did the buzz test but I didn’t really find it all that informative about EMI shielding because it isn’t clear that the buzz is caused by external EMI.
The only difference in cable quality is build quality. Sure, low cost cables degrade quicker and lose sonic quality as they break. But they pretty much sound the same to me.
I have a couple higher end Monster cables I’ve been using for a very long time and still sound great. I also have some Sound Gear cables that I’ve been using for a long time and they still sound great. Same with Mogami cables.
I’m confident if you take care of equipment it’ll last and sound great.
I am expecting audio recording frequency graph.. so we can see which one have unnecessary frequency response in.. and also spectrum graph so we can see which cable have the thicker sound
What I would Love love to see is a sound comparison of a pool routed strat verses traditional- Please!!!
Kevin you will find there is no difference, I own both
I believe the ONLY way to effectively make that comparison would be to test a traditional routed Strat, and then rout THAT Strat to a swimming pool, using all the same parts of course. There is too much variance between any two given Strats to fairly judge between them based solely on the routing. Just my take on it, but it’s the closest solution to the “Scientific Method” that I can think of.
I think an important question is what length were the cables? Parasitic capacitance is a major noticeable cable impairment, which gets more dominant with cable length..
I'll take the machine made cable please. As also called a consistent quality.
Im Sorry for watching your videos for over 2 Years now without subscribing your channel!!! Love your videos
An idea, Darrell: Post the audio results of A/B tests like this in one video, get us to vote, and then reveal the "answers" a week later in another video.
I think it’s better when you play the guitar and TH-cam compression does not help
Yes! For sure. I experienced beginning with a poor cable and I swapped to a cordialcableusa-like and it changed drastically. I can hear a big difference even with a low quality transistor amp.
Cables do make a difference. I have been using the same 15ft Dimarizo Steve Vai signature cable for the last 30 years. I had to resolder one of the end once about two years ago. Great even tone. However this test needed a little rest between comparisons to allow your hearing a chance to reset for reference. Like stated he was able to really hear the difference through his studio monitors (think recording).
The one with the plastic netting I have and I can say it has onedisadvantage just to be aware of.
If you step on it on say a wooden floor watch out it may slide and your leg going with it.
Things like high-end cables, exotic conductive materials in components and such are really only worth it if you regularly play over large PAs where the complete signal path will provide a fair amount of net resistance and reducing that can get a bit of extra clarity for a better mix. Bar gigs and home playing hardly call for that. Just my opinion.
agreed...it also depends on the quality of the sound system...a higher end system will pick up a lot more details from your sound (noise, eq structures, etc)...most local gigs don't warrant a $250 cable...
I wish you had included a coilly cable. I just saw Josh Scott and Paul Gilbert say they’re darker sounding. This was a great idea for a comparison video.
I can't speak for everyone, but I dare say that most of us Darrel Braun Guitar subscribers would much prefer to put $250 toward a great amp or guitar or even a stomp-box, versus a guitar cable. But if I was a pro, I might think differently. As always, I love when you do comparison breakdowns like this, even when the cheapest item is barely within my budget.
I like the way you coat the plugs with skin oil before the test. And as you talk about the cables you whip them around in your hand. I can can almost hear the tiny little shielding wires breaking. Great video!
oxygen free copper is marketing invention. All copper is oxygen-free! Exception is rusted copper - it's the copper oxide. It looks different. It is black and fragile. So if you see just a red copper - it is oxygen-free
No, it's not! There are grades of Cu that are refined to have a lower oxygen content. If the oxygen content is below 0.001%, it's labeled OF or OFHC. For example, C10100 has an oxygen content of 0.0005%, and it's graded OFE - Oxygen Free Electronic grade. The OF coppers are generally higher in both thermal and electrical conductivity than the less expensive alloys that have more oxygen content. For thermal applications, OF copper is generally preferred since thermal conductivity improves markedly. It makes no difference in a guitar cable though, because for a cable there is no thermal conduction to speak of, and not much electrical effect either since the cable is conducting very little current. Don't believe me? Look it up.
@@bahhumbucker woah, I didn't know that. Thank you for this info, I learned something new about metals. But in terms of electric conductivity these alloys are almost the same, aren't they?
The material exists because there are cases where the difference matters. I don't think you're going to hear much if any difference in a guitar cable due to the conductivity of the wire. I've got a lot of different cables and never noticed a difference, other than cheap cables die sooner. The thing to understand is that in an audio application, it's not really about resistance of the wire - it's about the overall impedance over the audible frequency range. Whether you hear a difference, and whether you like what you hear, depends on the input impedance of the amp and the amplifier's damping factor. As Darrell said, "it's cork sniffing"... not really something to drop serious money on. I get decent cables (never spent more than $50, if that) strictly because cheap ones don't last.
@@bahhumbucker I got a pair of Pete Cornish 6m guitar cables 10 years ago. Because i wanted to check out if there were any difference. Cost me the same as a medium priced fx-pedal Did they sound different from my normal cables, yes. No question. Better clarity, which to me translates to lower capacitance or better connectors or better assembly. I don't care. Did they last forever, as promised? No. Did i buy another pair? No. They were nice, but its a matter trying to accept that since the voltage out of your socket change and you don't play in humidity controlled environments, there are simply factors that change your sound, no matter what you do. I only take a minor tweak on the tone controls to correct that.
Take it from a hifi nut: Depending on the impedance match of your instrument and amp, the capacitance of the cable may make a difference in frequency response. The geometry and shielding may make a difference in noise, though not likely much compared to single coil noise. Neutrik make durable and reliable connectors. And of course, the mechanical quality of the insulation and soldering, and strain relief in the connectors make a difference in terms of durability.
Imagine someone sees one of those expensive cables laying on the floor and they're like "must be trash"
The capacity of the cable lowers the resonance frequency of the pickup.
But it is not the case, that the more expensive cable has the lower capacity...
Thanks for doing this. Good to know. I found the tonal differences negligible but the noise reduction of TL was impressive. Also durability is a big one for me. I've used PW for years and haven't changed them for more than a decade.
Thank you! I love ALL of your videos and have made many decisions based on your advice. I really appreciate that you actually test these and don't just talk about them.
Tight, open, boomy, more clarity, smooth, full, flabby, milky, glassy, and etc are not measurable qualities and are terms that demand double blind evaluation. If there is a true sound difference, there has to be a way to measure something that can quantify that difference.
One could probably just measure capacitance with all cables the same length.
Cables for me must meet these criteria:
1. Does it pass my signal from point A to point B without a noticeable degradation of tone and without any noticeable noise under “normal gig environmental parameters”.
2. Is it solidly built to the point that when I use it in a normal fashion I don’t have to worry about how I’m handling it.
3. Can I roll it “over-under” style, where we when I throw it across the floor it lays flat.
4. Did it cost less than $50 and meet all the above criteria.
Anything beyond the above seems crazy to me as a working professional musician, but after years of live gigs I think the difference between a $50 cable and a $250 is well beyond anything I could discern. Great video!
Repeat the same test with the spectrograph. Then we could visibly identify more highs less lows etc.
Darrel I freakin love the new intro! You rock brother!
I'd test these cables with a calibrated tone generator, set to an output impedance similar to a pickup. 😉
Also, the results depend highly on the lengths of the cables tested, as well on the output impedance of the guitar used. An active guitar has a very low output resistance, compared to one with a passive pickup. Low resistance, in combination with the parallel capacitance of a cable, gives a much brighter tone. Cable capacitance plus instrument impedance form a low pass filter. The higher the impedance, the lower the cut off frequency. 😉
ThunderBassist Jay DAMN that’s legitimate
@@ThunderBassistJay Thats really interesting, because I thought that the difference was much less than I would have expected when he played higher output guitar. Didn't know that, but makes perfectly sense
Rule of thumb, no, the cheapest cable will sound the same as the most expensive, durability will be very different and noise shielding will also however. Many cheap cable will break fast or have imperfect oxygen composition in the wire which induces resistance in the signal. You get what you pay for to a certain extent, buy a cable that is flexible at a decent price so that the construction will insure that it will last. Sound difference if we don't talk about shielding is snake oil, except for the cheapest cables.
i have a pretty good hear and on good headphones i hear 0 difference... save your money folks get a decent (affordable) cable and be done. no need for all that nonsense
Either your headphones or your hearing aren't as good as you think. There is absolutely a difference there, it's just very small and could probably be corrected quite easily with a slight EQ tweak. The TL cable sounds slightly better, just not $100+ better.
@@VoidSixx this
Either you have low quality DAC and or headphones or you need to get your ears checked.
I could hear the difference even through phone speakers, your hearing is trash
I usually make my own. Canare cable and Switchcraft ends. Switchcraft is the only brand I have never had to tarnish over the years. They are the best hands down. I have had one cable short in 40 years and that was because I kept pulling it out of my volume pedal by the cord.
Should have included Monoprice cables in the test. Great cables and you can't beat the price. Clearly I've become a Monoprice fanboy. 🤣
I got some speaker cables for my home theater from MP - they sound and function great. And yeah, I’m a bona fide cork sniffer.🤓
He has such a nice and kind smile and personality. Thanks mate
What we learned: YES! Better cable = better audio
But, the difference between the Fender and the Transit Labs is most definitely not worth $240
Cool video, I would love to see a comparison between the quality of cables regarding humidity. I live in the second most humid city of the world and I was told to put my cables and equipment in a non humid palce like a box with news papers and sawdust to keep stuff dry.
That cable is more expensive that my Guitar 😳
Did that Fender cable come from a Custom Shop guitar?
I bought an American Elite Strat and Tele last year, and all I got in my locking hard cases were a small leather or vinyl zip bag, the instruction sheet, and a little certificate of authenticity that they were made in Corona, California.
my cables don't make any sound at all.
Whatchoo talkin bout, Lando?!
Landon, plug them in and the power on ;) PS: I enjoy your channel.
@@chrisgrabowski2678 I just got electrocuted! 😁👍🎸
@@landonbailey LOL
I have heard in another channel that the most important cable to be the good one is the first plugged from guitar to the pedals/amp. The guy said the weak signal of the pick ups needs it, and afterwards the other cables between pedals can be maybe worse because the signal is usually already buffered or amplificated.
What do you think about that?
Correct output of pedal are usually low impedance and will not interact to much with the cable.
Other than the noise, I couldn't tell a difference between the 4.
I could hear a very slight flatness with the fender but the rest are great
Where you going to use taste to tell them apart?
HalcyonDraconis7 Agree
@@cydonia9342 Yeah, the Fender kinda sucks... Chinese budget junk...
@@gingerbeer914 It may not seem like a lot but IT'S A CABLE. You shouldn't hear any extra buzz LET ALONE sound difference. I also hear they break often.
I used a Mogami Gold and it made the hum on my Strat way louder, tried some cheap light blue one from Sweetwater and it sounded clearer and lessened the hum.
Hum not sure if I believe that one ☝️
Darrell as a noob guitar player i can't hear any difference at all and this is an amazing thing cause i won't feel bad to buy cheap cables along with the cheap guitars and cheap amps hahahahahah . The buzz i can fear it! but i guess that goes away with a noise gate right?
You want to know an interesting thing?.?. Technically speaking, a cable with a higher capacitance will have a more muted/softer high end. It creates an R/C circuit and the capacitance of the cable coupled with the resistance of the preceding device creates said R/C circuit. This is why higher impedance inputs on guitar amps or DI boxes sound brighter. The higher impedance input is elevated above ground that much more and this reduces the amount of highs lost. A cable with a lower capacitance will sound brighter than a cable with higher capacitance. The interesting thing is that lower capacitance cable is considered superior to that of cable that has a high capacitance.
You can hear this and experience it yourself with different lengths of the same cable. The shorter the cable the brighter it will be, while the longer it is the softer the high end will be. UNLESS..... I find that more expensive brands have come to realize that bright cables are not as desired. The noise injected on them is more prominent ( you can hear the buzz clearer ) and it makes single-coil guitars that much brighter. I think some companies are designing the cables to be of higher capacitance ( technically lower quality ) in order to create a cable that sounds more rounded and natural. Some brands go as far as making their shorter cables have the same sound as the longer version of it ( which I think is smart ), meaning that the shorter cables have a really high capacitance in order to have a similar high end roll-off. I for one prefer the more rounded sound and tend to use longer cables in order to get that sound. Anything lower than 10' with standard cables is too bright for me with single coils. I don't mind having a little extra brightness from the cable. Where it really makes a difference is when you roll the volume back a little. I find that the tailored cables ( ones that sound darker ) lose too much high end when you roll the volume back, hence why I like 20' long standard quality cables. They are brighter and work well with my style of playing. As with anything YMMV and it is players choice. If you like duller/darker sounding cables then cough up a few Benji's and get er done. I own some like the Transit Labs and I also own several $14 cables that sold at Sam Goody's many years ago; guess which ones I use most often? The $14 ones from Sam Goody's.
A/Tech nice explanation! I like the sound of cheap cables sometimes. I tested patch wires with my pedal setup, although the more expensive sounded clearer and brighter, i tend to like the cheaper ones that sounded darker and not as clear, especially when I play distortion, it sounds really good at high volumes. The more expensive patch sound clearer but was a bit harsh at high volumes, which could be equalized. But out of the box, I like the darker sound coming from the cheap $2 patches.
Very nice explained!
He should try to recognize his guitars blindfolded and their sound, that will be very interesting
That would be cool.
i expected there to be no difference at all, great to know you heard a difference. i do think it depends on what you play as a heavy band played live will never be able to tell any differences. probably the noise and durability are way more of a difference than sound quality. tests like these are why i subscribe.
Dude:
I got a new Epiphone for Christmas!
Other dude:
*Oh yeah cool but look at my new $250 cable*
I've been searching for a price list for Wreck Guitars. I love the show that you did where you demonstrated one of their guitars,"but I can't find a price for it!"
“Trasit lab” - wishing he had proof read the caption he had in every test.
I appreciate the content, the sound tests, I could not really tell much of a difference, but could tell a difference in the noise test
Problem is that the test wasn't blind to Darrell. So, like most people he heard what he expected to hear -- e.g. the most expensive cable was slightly "better."
Exactly why I can't put any stock in his opinion on this. On top of that, I'm sitting here with monitors and while I know youtube audio can be pretty compressed...I'm just not hearing these differences he's picking out! So even if there is a noticeable difference on his side it has to be totally minute. Just get a pedal or an amp instead of spending 250 dollars on a piece of wire.
He's just another snake oil affiliate link/marketing salesman. Yea, suddenly we all *hear* these "magic" frequencies with expensive cables. Give me a break
I did not think that stuff like this actually makes a difference before this test. Not corksniffing at all. :) Thanks for testing that, Darrel!