Which balanced cables

[Viz]

Hello. I’m sure this has been done a million times before but never mind.

I’ve just received a Bryston preamp which has balanced XLR in and out, so at last I can use the balanced output of my phono stage, and the balanced inputs of my Bryston monoblocks and PMC sub.

So, what do you gurus recommend for each:

Phono stage > Preamp
Preamp > Monoblocks
Preamp > Sub

Cheers!

 

[MartinC]

What you might choose will vary wildly depending on your view on cables in general.

For sensibly priced and totally competent cables I would (and have) buy from the following site:

https://www.designacable.com/
I'd go for Van Damme Starquad cable myself, in part as they are a UK company.

Very different views are available .

 

[Beobloke]

The ones on eBay that use Van Damme cable and Neutrik connectors.

tou can even have the cable in different colours, and I can highly recommend purple.

 

[Viz]

That’s cool. I use Van Damme and Neutriks for all my guitar cables and patch cables. Cheers.

 

[ian917]

I use Belden 1800F from Blue Jeans Cables (http://www.bluejeanscable.co.uk/store/balancedaudio/index.htm). Despite the UK website, they are built and posted from USA. The delivery was faster than I've had from many UK sites. If you have noise problems, try a start quad like the Van Damme or Canare L-4E6S.

 

[Zermatt]

I too use the BlueJeansCable balanced. Good quality and I’m not feeling the urge to try anything else.

Their website has a nice write up about choosing balanced cables.

 

[stormyuklondon1]

I use Mogami 2459 between my Bryston bp25 and active loudspeakers which use bryston power amps inside.
Cheap, durable and let the sound through. Sounds good too.

 

[MartinC]

Is there a particular reason to consider buying from the American bluejeans site rather than the UK-based designacables?

 

[rabski]

Is there a particular reason to consider buying from the American bluejeans site rather than the UK-based designacables?

I can't imagine one.

I've used Designacable for various bits and never had a problem. Quick delivery and decent value.

 

[Zermatt]

Is there a particular reason to consider buying from the American bluejeans site rather than the UK-based designacables?

Not really... I may have gone for designacable if they were recommended to me first.

 

[antonio66]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14374677...id=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=20200
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203506584319?hash=item2f61f00aff:g:omEAAOSw9txg2IqK

 

[Lawrence001]

I used to use Van Damme XLRs as someone told me that balanced topology makes a system immune to cable differences.

Anyway I recently took a punt and splashed out on some Audioquest Mackenzie XLRs and I'm glad I did as the improvements in the sound were not slight.

 

[Miller-8]

I used to use Van Damme XLRs as someone told me that balanced topology makes a system immune to cable differences.

Anyway I recently took a punt and splashed out on some Audioquest Mackenzie XLRs and I'm glad I did as the improvements in the sound were not slight.

At the risk of sounding like a fanboi again I believe GoldenSound uses those. He certainly uses Mackenzie RCA cables.

 

[Viz]

Interesting, those Mackenzies.

What about the AES/EBU interconnect vs the phono stage > preamp? Are there special considerations for digital, or is that just unicorn toothpaste?

 

[Psilonaught]

I was able to do a quick A/B test of two different cables into the RCA inputs of my preamp by using both RCA and XLR outputs of my dac at the same time (and using XLR to RCA adapters).

This allowed me to instantly switch from one cable to another via remote control.

One was a solid silver expensive cable and one was an old cable I found in the cellar.

I'm afraid there was literally zero audible different between them.

I was somewhat gobsmacked....

 

[StingRay]

Is there a particular reason to consider buying from the American bluejeans site rather than the UK-based designacables?

With BJ site they are based in the US so you will be hit with VAT and custom fees, that why I never ordered from them as considerable increase in cost on low value items. Designacables are not cheap either compared to several other uk sites.

 

[StingRay]

Is there any point using XLR from a DAC into RCA on an amp?

 

[MartinC]

Designacables are not cheap either compared to several other uk sites.

I think designacables prices are very good personally. I thought about making up my own cables but the saving simply wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[Miller-8]

With BJ site they are based in the US so you will be hit with VAT and custom fees, that why I never ordered from them as considerable increase in cost on low value items. Designacables are not cheap either compared to several other uk sites.

Which sites are good value?

 

[Viz]

Is there any point using XLR from a DAC into RCA on an amp?

I wouldn’t think so, because as soon as you join cables together at the RCA you’ve lost the 3rd channel.

(Mine’s XLR from the CD transport into the XLR in the DAC/preamp combo, in case you were referring to my setup)