does subwoofer cable quality matter

[hgupta1]

I'm generally in the camp that can't tell the difference between $10 interconnect cables and $100 cables...so I get the $10 cables and enjoy the $90 saved. However, in a pinch I used two cheapo 12ft RCA cables coupled together to form a 24ft RCA cable to run from the receiver to the powered subwoofer. I think it sounds okay most of the time. Occasionally, when watching movies, the subwoofer does seem distorted.

Would upgrading cables help, or do I just need to move to a larger subwoofer?

 

[pete]

I'm generally in the camp that can't tell the difference between $10 interconnect cables and $100 cables...so I get the $10 cables and enjoy the $90 saved. However, in a pinch I used two cheapo 12ft RCA cables coupled together to form a 24ft RCA cable to run from the receiver to the powered subwoofer. I think it sounds okay most of the time. Occasionally, when watching movies, the subwoofer does seem distorted.

Would upgrading cables help, or do I just need to move to a larger subwoofer?

got any cables you could 'test' with?

I would at least suggest getting one 24ft cable, maybe go with a $20-30 cable, it'll have a heavier main conductor and better shielding..those 'cheapo' cables may have none..

 

[briankelly63]

I'm generally in the camp that can't tell the difference between $10 interconnect cables and $100 cables...so I get the $10 cables and enjoy the $90 saved. However, in a pinch I used two cheapo 12ft RCA cables coupled together to form a 24ft RCA cable to run from the receiver to the powered subwoofer. I think it sounds okay most of the time. Occasionally, when watching movies, the subwoofer does seem distorted.

Would upgrading cables help, or do I just need to move to a larger subwoofer?

got any cables you could 'test' with?

I would at least suggest getting one 24ft cable, maybe go with a $20-30 cable, it'll have a heavier main conductor and better shielding..those 'cheapo' cables may have none..

As a technical person I can assure you that any differences are very subtle... Most people make the mistake of choosing a cable that is not a low enough gauge (ie: thicker, heavier) so that the cable absorbs the music peaks vs. conducting them to the speaker or subwoffers...lampcord is not good for subwofers... Very long cables that develop a high resistance and or capacitance factor may influence your system..

 

[Lagerhead]

As a technical person I can assure you that any differences are very subtle... Most people make the mistake of choosing a cable that is not a low enough gauge (ie: thicker, heavier) so that the cable absorbs the music peaks vs. conducting them to the speaker or subwoffers...lampcord is not good for subwofers... Very long cables that develop a high resistance and or capacitance factor may influence your system..

Can you say more about this? There is a lot of superstition and lore around this topic. Some people claim to hear a difference between gold and copper contacts, for heaven's sake. This is too much mystery. For me, just ensuring a decent current-carrying capability (18-16 ga) has been good enough for my ears.

EDIT: Hmmm. Never mind. Missed the "powered" part.

 

[tmbrown97]

This has always been one of my favorite controversial topics, right after the OS wars.

I think it was summed up best in a magazine article I read years ago that was focusing on the CEO of MonsterCable... They attributed his massive wealth and success to "creating a cure for a disease that didn't exist". And of course, there's all the articles written by electrical engineers talking about how ridiculous it is to spend $100 on a cable that you plug into a $.06 connector on the back of the stereo.

I've always gone by the opinion that as long as you're not picking up excessive noise, running a recording studio, using too small of a gauge, using poor connectors, or anything weird like that - that you'll never know the difference between the $100 MonsterCable and the $7 RCA cable. Same goes 10-fold for these fancy ridiculous HDMI cables. You can get those online for $5 - and they work the same (beauty of digital - it works or it doesn't; there's not too much in-between - at least for short runs).

I think to most people, it's the placebo effect... and if that works, then by all means, spend the cash - and yes, connectors can matter (different metals, etc) - but hell, if you think that's the issue, there's those contact chemicals which you could lightly apply that would eliminate that issue (but you'd have to be pushing the limits of the connector for that to come up).

Given the prices of subwoofers though, I'd spend $20-$25 on a mediocre cable that has sufficient gauge and is one-piece back to the subwoofer... and if that doesn't solve it, step up to a better subwoofer. Also, in that particular case, you're extending the non-amplified signal a decent distance (assuming powered subwoofer), so any hint of noise would get amplified - therefor you'd want to minimize distance to noise sources, and in that case, maybe seek out something with a little bit of shielding.

 

[rrockoff]

I had a condition with my powered sub where it would sporadically produce a loud rumbling hum. I fixed it by replacing The RCA patch cord with a home made cable. I used RG6 quad with RCA connectors on each end. I'm guessing the shielding in the cable has fixed the issue. I haven't experienced the condition for months.

Rod

 

[dBeau]

I had a condition with my powered sub where it would sporadically produce a loud rumbling hum. I fixed it by replacing The RCA patch cord with a home made cable. I used RG6 quad with RCA connectors on each end. I'm guessing the shielding in the cable has fixed the issue. I haven't experienced the condition for months.

Rod

I make all my own cables. What rrockoff describes is just about what I do. Some folks dont mind spending money on a pretty looking cable. I do. After about $.50/ft and $3/end that's about all you are getting, pretty looks. So if you are not paying for good looks, what are you paying for? Mostly it's the physical properties of the cable and connectors. The electrical properties of cable or connectors costing more are well past the point of diminishing returns. If you want a very flexible cable with connectors that will stand up to the abuse of daily re-patching it's going to cost you more than $5 for a 3ft cable. Quad shield RG6 is nice for long runs as long as you dont have tight corners to go around, but try to connect a couple of components together with 7 3ft pieces of RG6 quad and you'll find it a bit difficult to work with. RG59 with a stranded core might be a better choice.

I bought a couple of cables from these guys: http://www.bluejeanscable.com Then I just bought the tools to do it myself. If you're not into building your own, take a look at Blue Jeans. You can find a cheaper cable, but I really dont think you can find a better one.

 

[Skibum]

Cables don't matter.. (With obvious exceptions of CRAP cables)
They matter even less at low frequencies.

 

[AnthonyZ]

I think that people are missing the most basic issue here. The OP mentioned distortion. Chances are, if distortion is the issue, that the cable has nothing to do with it. I'd be willing to bet my right nut that the sub is poorly setup and therefore he's probably just over driving the thing. Sure, a poor sub is a poor sub and lousy cables are lousy cables (despite what SkiBum thinks) but ultimately, distortion, as traditionally defined in the audio world, has nothing to do with the cable and everything to do with the breakup of the driver in the sub.

 

[Photon]

I'd temporarily move the sub close enough to the amp so just one of the two cables would reach. Then I'd play a DVD that causes the distortion. Switch the cables and try again. That should help find the problem.

I'm a believer in inexpensive cables, but even expensive ones can have problems that escape the QA process. Then again, after 20 years of working around jet engines, my ears are the weak link in my sound system.

 

[tmbrown97]

I think that people are missing the most basic issue here. The OP mentioned distortion. Chances are, if distortion is the issue, that the cable has nothing to do with it. I'd be willing to bet my right nut that the sub is poorly setup and therefore he's probably just over driving the thing. Sure, a poor sub is a poor sub and lousy cables are lousy cables (despite what SkiBum thinks) but ultimately, distortion, as traditionally defined in the audio world, has nothing to do with the cable and everything to do with the breakup of the driver in the sub.

That assumes that his idea of distortion is the same as yours... I agree with the next post tho - move the sub right next to the receiver and use your best cable and see if the distortion persists.