I have to add my fuel to the fire.

The cables do make a difference. As frequency changes, impedance changes, voltage changes, etc.... All the pieces of the pie are interconnected. Change one, and they all are effected. Some cables can add resistance at higher frequencies, and have high capacitance. All cables add some resistance. That is a fact. But the question is how much resistance and where? In some systems, you will be hard pressed to hear the difference between the cheap gimme cables, and the more expensive ones. In other systems it is easy discernable. We choose to err to the side of caution and always spec decent cables. $10-40 per cable for audio, $20-80 per cable for video(depending on length). Some clients choose more expensive cables, and we sell them. I have seen systems where changing out a low-grade S-Video cable made the picture better. Better to be safe than sorry.

On the fuel side.... Why is it that for a given length and quality(lets take 2 metre, analog audio, gamma geometry (or whatever your brand calls braided cable) that the same cable for a car costs 1/3-1/2 the price of the home audio version? Is it noise reduction? Cars are by far a noisier environment. Is it reliability? When was the last time your house made a sudden stop? Or, crossed a railroad track at 20 MPH? Car cables are engineered to have a better "grip". Is it the OFC content? Cars are exposed to a lot more moisture than a home(when was the last time you put your muddy feet on a piece of carpet on top of all your AV cables?. Is it the UL listing? The interconnect aren't run in the walls, and the home versions aren't rated for in-wall anyway. Is it the voltage? The gage is the same, the strand count is the same. The sources in cars are typically 1-5 volts on the pre-outs, similiar to home. So what is the difference in the home version that makes it twice as expensive?

Most expensive 6 foot car cable from Crutchfield:
[Link: crutchfield.com]

Most expensive 6 foot home cable from Crutchfield:
[Link: crutchfield.com]

6.6 foot car cable twisted pair, directional:
[Link: crutchfield.com]

6.6 foot home cable twisted pair, NOT directional:
[Link: crutchfield.com]



My theory: Cable manufacturers understand homeowners have deeper pockets.


Jason

This message was edited by PHSJason on 11/17/03 23:44.