RG59 for interconnect ( disscusion )

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Screened star quad microphone cable is good for audio.
Good screening.
Good rejection due to 4core geometry.
Good resistance to microphony.

Size, not so good.
Flexibility, not so good.
Cost, not so good.
Capacitance, not so good.

Why can't an unshielded twisted pair do the job?
If you prove that UTP is not up to spec, then consider screened TP.

Both STP & UTP are great with balanced impedance connections.
 
Hi Sakis
I recommend you read Cyril Batemans articles from Electronics and Wireless World
December 1996, p. 925; January 1997, p.52 and February 1997, p.119.

that draws some surprising and nice conclusions about the use of coax in audio use

Your library may be able to source these for you.:)

Cheers / Chris
 
for single ended connections i favor either shielded TP, or Belden 1694A, if thinner is needed the belden digitruck brilliance line is nice. but as all my current gear is balanced i use twisted pair in just about everything, whether thats made by hand, or by pulling the pairs out of belden PTFE network cable depends on my mood.
 
On the noise from coaxial cable... A quote from a Belden technical paper.

"In broadcasting, there are mechanically-induced noise interference problems as well. Triboelectric noise is generated by movement in the cable's components, resulting in a static or piezoelectric effect. Mechanically-induced noise is a critical and frequent concern in the use of guitar cords, microphone cables, and other cables that may be flexed while in use."

;)
 
Cables and Buffers

As a follow up:

I built and tried a DCB1, Hypnotize (2 versions) and Mezmerize (1 version) in my system.

So many Members, that have built a DCB1, claim extraordinary improvements in the sound quality coming from their systems, that I cannot possibly go wrong by investing some time and some money in trying it for myself.

I was disappointed.

I could not hear any change in the sound quality between any of the 4 setups.
Admittedly this was/is with just two source components. A DVD player replaying genuine CDs and an FM only tuner replaying a wide variety of Radio music.

I guess that the reason for not hearing a change is because I don't have a misbehaving source/s. The Source component/s is/are designed to interface with the normal range of typical interconnects and receivers.

Inserting the buffer cannot correct misbehaviour, if it is not there to be corrected.

The cables did not cause the system to misbehave. The cables did not have a sound of their own. The buffer could not improve on the equipment to cable interface. I could not hear the resultant change in sound quality performance.
 
guitar pickup cable is a special case as are several other raw transducer interface cables

the typical inductive guitar pickup resonates with its cable + preamp C at audio frequencies - the impedance is so high that MegOhm Z audibly changes the peaking


SS outputs, preamps, CD/SACD/DVD players will generally have low output Z, often ~ 100 Ohm resistor is used in series with the output to provide isolation of the feedback loop from cable C loading effects, and possibly short circuit protection
 
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the electronics at each end of the cable should already be designed and built to suit typical cable types.
If it's not, then it's incompetently designed/developed/productionised/retailed.
You were proposing Twisted Pair cables, Andrew. That would be a major rebuild in most devices which are supplied only with simple shielded leads terminated in RCA/CINCH connections.
 
As a follow up:

I built and tried a DCB1, Hypnotize (2 versions) and Mezmerize (1 version) in my system.

So many Members, that have built a DCB1, claim extraordinary improvements in the sound quality coming from their systems, that I cannot possibly go wrong by investing some time and some money in trying it for myself.

I was disappointed.

I could not hear any change in the sound quality between any of the 4 setups.
Admittedly this was/is with just two source components. A DVD player replaying genuine CDs and an FM only tuner replaying a wide variety of Radio music.

I guess that the reason for not hearing a change is because I don't have a misbehaving source/s. The Source component/s is/are designed to interface with the normal range of typical interconnects and receivers.

Inserting the buffer cannot correct misbehaviour, if it is not there to be corrected.

The cables did not cause the system to misbehave. The cables did not have a sound of their own. The buffer could not improve on the equipment to cable interface. I could not hear the resultant change in sound quality performance.

I support your observations 100%. It is placebo effecting those who hear magical improvements in their systems by changing the wire. Unless the previous wire was a string between two canned fruit tins.
 
here is the Belden point of view



For unbalanced analog audio, realistically the cable impedance doesn't
matter unless the cable is many miles long (based on the wavelength of a
22kHz signal). Coax is quite convenient because RCA connectors match
nicely.

For balanced analog audio, coax should not be used, but only because you
would lose the noise rejection properties that are an integral part of
balanced audio systems.

Another way to look at this is that output impedance of an analog audio
amplifier is designed to be many orders of magnitude larger than that of a
speaker. That huge disparity alone makes any impedance mismatch with the
cable inconsequential. Calculable difference of course, but
inconsequential by magnitude.

For the audiophile community, yes, on paper there is a calculable
difference. The question at that point is does it make a realistic
difference to the listener. To some yes, to some no. With exceptions only
amongst those that cater specifically to the audiophile community, the
overall professional broadcast industry tends to lean toward the latter
position.

Thanks,

David



From: Marilyn Field/Richmond/BeldenCDT

To: David Desmidt/Richmond/BeldenCDT@BeldenCDT

Date: 12/14/2011 12:56 PM

Subject: Fw: Belden.com Question/Comment Submitted
 
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