View Full Version : Recommended Active Speaker Cables (XLR)
Hi all,
I'm about to buy my first pair of active speakers from another AOS member. I've had a listen and v impressive they are too!
The current owner has explained to me that decent microphone cable between my preamp and the speakers will be perfectly adequate and I have no reason to doubt that. I am however a little puzzled at the difference between the cost of a pair of 5m microphone cables with neutrik xlr connectors (say around £30), and that of a pair of good quality 1m xlr interconnects between a preamp and power amp, (generally £100 or a LOT more). Is there any reason for this?
I would prefer not to have this thread branch out into a full discussion about whether expensive interconnects are just marketing 'snake oil' but I would be grateful if anyone could give me the benefit of their experiences with what they have tried together with recommendations.
FYI the cables will be connecting between a dCS classic stack with a built in preamp and a pair of Adam Tensor Gamma speakers. I am considering my options re a choice of preamp which will need to have balanced (or just XLR) connections.
Many thanks.
Steve.
I use 15m lengths of XLR terminated balanced cable between my preamp (which has true dual differential outputs) and the balanced-input monoblock power amplifiers located directly behind the speakers. I have two sets of cables, both terminated with Neutrik XLRs; one set uses Proel microphone cable, the other Chord cable. I can't hear any difference, and wouldn't expect to do so. Neither set cost more than £30.
Cannot comment on the advantages or otherwise of using expensive interconnects, as I tend to make up my own using either Van Damme, Gotham, Klotz or Sommer cable, precisely because I don't believe it is necessary to spend such amounts on interconnects.
That’s interesting Barry. Several people I know who’s interests lie in hifi and studio work express similar sentiments. It seems that provided you select one of the better known cable and termination manufacturers there is not a great deal of extra benefit to be had from spending vast sums on 5m interconnects to active speakers.
Long before the Klotz MC5000 mic cable became flavour of the year, I was recommended Klotz cables by a professional sound engineer specialising in location recording work. Seems fine to me, but it's more expensive than the usual stuff pros often buy. Loads to choose from and fortunately, proper balanced connections tend to absolutely minimise any subjective differences you may here between them. I also like Van Damme mic cables but they're not posh enough in price to make much impact...
walpurgis
21-10-2017, 22:57
The only Klotz cable I've had come my way was standard fitment to Rega tonearms.
Anybody looking for a good cable to make interconnects from could do worse than look at Audio Note AN-C. Not the cheapest around at circa £60 per metre unterminated, but very good considering it is one of their 'budget' cables. It does sound very nice and is what I'll buy again if I need more cables.
Rega used what's now the AC110 which is a low capacitance screened coax cable. Not the same at all, but good in it's slightly 'darker' sounding way.
walpurgis
21-10-2017, 23:09
When I make up cables, my inclination is generally to look at what Van Damme have on offer and sometimes Belden. I'm sure Klotz are good too.
I rather like Cardas, but not cheap. Straight Wire cables from the US are very impressive for the money, not available off the roll over here though. I have a few of their interconnects and some speaker cable, it works just fine!
Is the OP looking for balanced-line interconnects, or more conventional (coaxial) cables which happen to be terminated with XLR connectors?
If the latter, then I would suggest any good quality cable such as RG58, RG59, or RG223, as manufactured by Belden, Amphenol, Huber & Suhner, Times Wire, BICC [I]etc. All of them ought to cost no more than £1/metre (except perhaps RG223, which having a double screen of silver-plated copper will cost a little more).
To be honest Barry I'm not sure whether the latter type you mention would work correctly. I'm after a cable to link a preamp to active speakers both of which have balanced XLR connection sockets.
All of the advice provided is very helpful. I have no experience of making up cables, (I don't even possess a soldering iron), so I'll probably just buy a pair of Van Damme with Neutrik plugs to start with. With all of the advice and info available on here I may just buy some soldering equipment and try making up something of my own sometime though!
Many thanks all.
Is the OP looking for balanced-line interconnects, or more conventional (coaxial) cables which happen to be terminated with XLR connectors?
If the latter, then I would suggest any good quality cable such as RG58, RG59, or RG223, as manufactured by Belden, Amphenol, Huber & Suhner, Times Wire, BICC [I]etc. All of them ought to cost no more than £1/metre (except perhaps RG223, which having a double screen of silver-plated copper will cost a little more).
Sherwood
22-10-2017, 08:38
I bought this earlier in the year to connect two monoblock power amps to a Cambridge CXN music streamer. Highly recommended for sound quality and construction.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KWINLD8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
Geoff
I would go for some Belden 1800F from http://www.bluejeanscable.co.uk/store/balancedaudio/index.htm
No snake oil, just superior engineering made up at a fair price & will last forever, unlike weird and wonderful “Gucci” XLRs.
To be honest Barry I'm not sure whether the latter type you mention would work correctly. I'm after a cable to link a preamp to active speakers both of which have balanced XLR connection sockets.
All of the advice provided is very helpful. I have no experience of making up cables, (I don't even possess a soldering iron), so I'll probably just buy a pair of Van Damme with Neutrik plugs to start with. With all of the advice and info available on here I may just buy some soldering equipment and try making up something of my own sometime though!
Many thanks all.
In that case, it would be better to use one of the cables suggested by Geoff or Neil, or to have a look at professional audio equipment sites such as Studiospares.
Good luck.
Some of the Mic cables can have less copper than general line level cable, Klotz MC-5000 has one of the thickest conductors at 0.5mm sq. Many are less than 0.2mm sq.
If you use MC-5000 with Neutrik NC-XX (chuck type cable grip) XLR connectors, you need to make a slight mod to the chuck as the MC-5000 is slightly too big in jacket diameter.
As it's only line level we are talking about they should all work from a conductor standpoint. I prefer un-plated copper (NC-5000). Van Damme is Silver plated copper, the choice is yours.
Any of the main Pro Audio cables, Van Damme, Sommer, Klotz, would be fine, mogami are more expensive but have a following.
Depending on your cable run/preference, the shielding type may be as important, single/double, coax/spiral etc.
For short runs in a tidy domestic environment, they will all work fine.
Fitting the connectors to the cable yourself can save a bit of cash, the cheap ready made leads are just that, cheap and poor quality. :)
I would go for some Belden 1800F from http://www.bluejeanscable.co.uk/store/balancedaudio/index.htm
No snake oil, just superior engineering made up at a fair price & will last forever, unlike weird and wonderful “Gucci” XLRs.
That Belden cable is an AES (digital) cable of 110 ohm.
That Belden cable is an AES (digital) cable of 110 ohm.
Yes a good multipurpose pro audio cable, totally suitable for analogue purposes (including mic cable), but meet the spec for AES/EBU... the lower capacitance can only be a good thing for analogue, and the impedance is a non issue.[emoji4]
There are potential issues the other way around (using an analogue XLR for AES/EBU and producing impedance mismatches).
Blueflash
31-10-2017, 21:10
I have tried various cables as I make my own up and after quite a while tried Canare star quad, Klotz 5000, Van Damme Classic XKE which all sounded OK, but I tried the Van Damme starquad XKE and found them to be a nice open sounding cable. They captured the leading edge of transients better than the other cables.
I had the Klotz with Neutrik silver plated XLR`s for a while and it was my favoured cable, but the Van Damme Starquad XKE just gave that bit extra.
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