ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: [1] 2 3  All   Go Down

Author Topic: Good Quality XLR Cables  (Read 23007 times)

Dave Turner

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2
Good Quality XLR Cables
« on: November 17, 2012, 10:25:21 PM »

I'm Looking for a good set of xlr cables for my powered speakers... Pro's and Cons would be great on different brands...
Logged

Ivan Beaver

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9534
  • Atlanta GA
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2012, 08:04:34 PM »

I'm Looking for a good set of xlr cables for my powered speakers... Pro's and Cons would be great on different brands...
When you say "good set"-exactly what do you mean by that?  Low cost?  Long term durability? Best "sounding" (Oh no I didn't). etc.

Personally i would avoid cables that have non soldered connections and stick with Switchcraft or Neutrik connectors.

Belden 8412 cable is a long term favorite that is super durable-will last a long time-but is expensive.

Don't waste your money on quad cables.
Logged
A complex question is easily answered by a simple-easy to understand WRONG answer!

Ivan Beaver
Danley Sound Labs

PHYSICS- NOT FADS!

brian maddox

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3270
  • HeyYahWon! ttsss! ttsss!
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2012, 11:11:02 PM »

When you say "good set"-exactly what do you mean by that?  Low cost?  Long term durability? Best "sounding" (Oh no I didn't). etc.

Personally i would avoid cables that have non soldered connections and stick with Switchcraft or Neutrik connectors.

Belden 8412 cable is a long term favorite that is super durable-will last a long time-but is expensive.

Don't waste your money on quad cables.

Plus.  One. 
Logged
"It feels wrong to be in the audience.  And it's too peopley!" - Steve Smith

brian maddox
[email protected]
Savannah, GA

'...do not trifle with the affairs of dragons...

       ....for you are crunchy, and taste good with ketchup...'

g'bye, Dick Rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7424
  • Duluth
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2012, 11:27:30 PM »

When you say "good set"-exactly what do you mean by that?
« Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 11:59:52 PM by dick rees »
Logged
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

George Dougherty

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 725
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2012, 09:38:23 AM »

I'm Looking for a good set of xlr cables for my powered speakers... Pro's and Cons would be great on different brands...

I'm fond of the Audiopile premium mic cables with the Neutrik connectors. Its a well shielded 22ga cable that handles well at a wide range of temps and you can't go wrong with Neutrik. Not as much a fan of the jacketing on their starline cabling and the knock off connectors fit too tight in some jacks I've got. Not worth the lower cost in my book. At $20 for a 20ft cable the premium isn't too far off what I can build them for myself though I might choose the black xx series instead of the silver.
Logged

John Moore

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 223
  • "learning the hard way sucks donkey kong"
    • Trinity Productions
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #5 on: November 19, 2012, 11:57:48 PM »

We have consistently used the CBI ML Ultimates, which the wire is #20 ga and a somewhat knock off of the Belden cable, have only had a problem with one cable over the years. They are very rugged cables. Not the most flexible but good for day in day out use....
Logged
http://www.trinityprosound.com 209-832-8023
DEALER:Dealer for Yorkville, EV, QSC, RCF, Danley Sound Labs, VTC, Allen & Heath, Ashly, Denon,  Audix, One Systems, Beyerdynamic, Presonus, K&M, Ultimate,  Trusst, Road Ready, Gator, Radial Engineering, Turbosound, dB Technologies, RCF, American Audio,  Rapco, CBI Cables, ADJ, Chauvet, Blizzard, Furman, Shure, Tascam, Elite Screens,  BenQ, Midas, Digico,  and many many more...

Tim Padrick

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 927
  • Indianapolis
    • T.P. Audio
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2012, 10:57:18 PM »

DIY from Horizon LowZ1 or Wireworks MusiLux.
Logged

Sean Barry

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 52
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2013, 02:49:04 PM »

When you say "good set"-exactly what do you mean by that?  Low cost?  Long term durability? Best "sounding" (Oh no I didn't). etc.

Personally i would avoid cables that have non soldered connections and stick with Switchcraft or Neutrik connectors.

Belden 8412 cable is a long term favorite that is super durable-will last a long time-but is expensive.

Don't waste your money on quad cables.

What is wrong with quad cables? Years ago I had a bunch of (I think they were Whirlwind) Starquad cables and had zero failures for 100s of gigs. Do you mean they are too pricy?
Logged

Randall Hyde

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 597
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2013, 02:54:32 PM »

I'm Looking for a good set of xlr cables for my powered speakers... Pro's and Cons would be great on different brands...

All cables will break sooner or later, so just make sure you get ones that have a lifetime warranty.

May elicit some hisses around here, but I buy Guitar Centers "Livewire" brand because:
1) They're decent (Neutrik connector variants),
2) They're not too expensive when you get GC to price match them (I can usually find the cables for $1/ft on-line)
3) GC is everywhere so it's not hard to replace them when they break.

That said, after two years (since I switched to using Livewire cables) I've never had a single one go bad; and my crew tends to abuse cables so this is a good testimony.  Note, however, that I do put shrink-wrap tubing on both ends to provide strain relief, which probably aids the the cables' longevity.

If I weren't going with lifetime warranty cables, I'd probably just make them myself.

Cheers,
Randy Hyde
Logged

Mac Kerr

  • Old enough to know better
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7551
  • Audio Plumber
Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2013, 03:40:39 PM »

What is wrong with quad cables? Years ago I had a bunch of (I think they were Whirlwind) Starquad cables and had zero failures for 100s of gigs. Do you mean they are too pricy?

There is virtually no benefit, and there is some downside. Unless you generally run your single mic cables parallel to unbundled feeder cable the extra resistance to induced noise in of little value. They are more expensive, and they have higher capacitance, so they begin to act as a LP filter sooner, and they should never be used for digital audio.

The fact that there is no real benefit, and they cost more should be enough.

Belden 8412 has been the accepted heavy duty mic cable for as long as I have been in this business. Today, if I was starting a sound company I would want to use something that is good for digital audio as well like Belden 1800F, although the 1800F is 24GA conductors vs 20GA on 8412. They are about the same size, both have braided shield with drain wire. The very low capacitance of 1800F makes it an excellent analog cable as well.

Mac
Logged

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Good Quality XLR Cables
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2013, 03:40:39 PM »


Pages: [1] 2 3  All   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.034 seconds with 25 queries.