Another cheap RCA Interconnect question

[JoeESP9]

Seems to me that you're as hung up on made in Japan as the Japanese are on some made in America gear. I'll mention JBL and McIntosh as examples.

 

[Rob.]

I'll mention JBL and McIntosh as examples.

Many people all over the world are hung up on JBL and McIntosh ! Those are/were awesome brands !

 

[wa2ise]

I now have basically a vast collection of thriftstore cables (mostly~ $1 ea) working quite well here.

Interconnects are what they call overpriced RCA patch cords. For the lengths we use, all you need is decent shielding and a center conductor that is around 22 AWG wire. Hell, you could use CATV wire and change the connectors to RCA jacks bought at your local radio shack.

Drop by the thrift store, and get a fistfull of cables. Some were designed for video, which will be just fine for audio work. Try them, if you don't hear any hum, and (less likely to happen) a loss of treble, you are good to go. If the RCA shell is a little loose, just gently squeeze it a little to make it grip the female RCA shell better. And save the big money for a better amp, CD player or the mortgage or rent...

 

[Andyman]

I buy cables at garage and estate sales and find some nice stuff occasionally. I figure I can always chop them down and make some better short cables out of the longer ones. I've got 4 10' Can are Star Quads that may get the treatment someday.
Once I picked up some nice looking AR HT cables with gold ends and metal braided outers under clear plastic. Looked like they had some possibilities until I decided to cut one down. I was sorely disappointed to find STEEL wire inside.

Really. Steel.

FWIW, I'd make sure the wire was copper as I know some folks obviously like dressing up pigs in this biz....

 

[Silverman]

Cuz the U.S. isnt what it used to be like in the 50's and 60's. They used to take pride, not anymore. Just watch Ricks restoration tv show. His opening statement to his tv show is (remember when Americans took pride in what they built)

There are very many high quality products made in the US. We just don't make as much as the 50's and 60's.

I just do not have a need for a 1900 coffee grinder or a coke machine that despenses bottles or a gas pump from 1920.

 

[Rob.]

I just do not have a need for a 1900 coffee grinder or a coke machine that despenses bottles or a gas pump from 1920.

Well in that case, no one really needs anything except food.

 

[cratz2]

Sometimes threads like these make me chuckle. Folks that have stacks and stacks of gear, much of which needs repair work, but some of those same folks are unwilling to ante up $30 - or even $2 - to buy something that will likely last for decades and remove one layer of things about which to worry.

:tongue:

 

[Silverman]

Well in that case, no one really needs anything except food.

Nope I need a place for the waste from the food and you will not live long without water or shelter. The rest is stuff.

 

[jeremyjustic]

If that's what the goal was I'd have probably sent some free, just to clear a few things out of odds and ends drawer.

Perhaps the joke's been on us that tried to provide a suitable reply...

For real! I have a box full of gen-u-wine, made in japan freebe cables I would have been happy to donate to a needy system. Although none came with a certificate of authenticity so I cant be 100% sure they are not counterfeit.

 

[JoeESP9]

First time I've ever heard of anyone passing up higher quality something to acquire lower quality because it was made in Japan.

 

[atarione]

These cables must have been very ubiquitous at one point as I have found 1/2 dozen plus at thrift stores

but i love these connectors are nice (hold but don't hold so tight they won't let go and break rca jacks) signal (imho) is excellent.

picked this one up for $2 for this 6ft cable today...I like it..and I like $2 cost honestly =p





blah blah blah performance Plus - high performance digital audio cable E13134689

 

[jeremyjustic]

These cables must have been very ubiquitous at one point as I have found 1/2 dozen plus at thrift stores

but i love these connectors are nice (hold but don't hold so tight they won't let go and break rca jacks) signal (imho) is excellent.

picked this one up for $2 for this 6ft cable today...I like it..and I like $2 cost honestly =p





blah blah blah performance Plus - high performance digital audio cable E13134689

I don't know, those look counterfeit to me.

 

[atarione]

I don't know, those look counterfeit to me.

oh that is why it was so cheap

 

[goodolpg]

These cables must have been very ubiquitous at one point as I have found 1/2 dozen plus at thrift stores

but i love these connectors are nice (hold but don't hold so tight they won't let go and break rca jacks) signal (imho) is excellent.

picked this one up for $2 for this 6ft cable today...I like it..and I like $2 cost honestly =p





blah blah blah performance Plus - high performance digital audio cable E13134689

Could you post a larger, better focused picture cleary showing the made in japan labeling?

I shudder to think how many of those excellent made in Japan cheapie cables I either threw away or gave away.
I know better now.

And next time anyone posts a thread about anything "cheap" I will assume they mean free or no more than 50 cents.

I've truly learned a lot today.
I love AK.

 

[cratz2]

I smell sarcasm. :tongue:

I'm going to try to find someone that will pay me fifty cents to take away some cables so I can scoff at the idea of 'free' qualifying as 'cheap' and every time someone gets cables for free, I can tell them they were robbed!

 

[Rob.]

If someone gave me free cables all the time, Id be rich by selling off all that copper !!

 

[arcorob]

You would need

If someone gave me free cables all the time, Id be rich by selling off all that copper !!

a garage full on those cables...

This thread has been "cheap" from the git go...

 

[jeremyjustic]

Could you post a larger, better focused picture cleary showing the made in japan labeling?

you have to look under a black light for a hologram of Emperor Akihito or it is counterfeit.

 

[jeremyjustic]

If someone gave me free cables all the time, Id be rich by selling off all that copper !!

Dude you just got three cables for free! thats got to be 5 cents worth of copper right there! you are rich!!

 

[atarione]

Could you post a larger, better focused picture cleary showing the made in japan labeling?

I shudder to think how many of those excellent made in Japan cheapie cables I either threw away or gave away.
I know better now.

And next time anyone posts a thread about anything "cheap" I will assume they mean free or no more than 50 cents.

I've truly learned a lot today.
I love AK.

lol... sigh.. if i'm honest I doubt this one is from the magical land of Japan (country of origin not stated on cable any place I can find).

for me I haven't honestly been able to tell the difference between any 1/2 way decent rca cables, so for myself I just grab used cables for a buck or two whenever possible. But obviously if anyone can hear a difference because of the equipment they have or their ears or because they wish they could hear the difference so they do...whatever good on em' buy whatever cables you want.

i like these ones i find a lot of them a thriftstores so i mention them cause they are cheap and work as good as anything (near as I can tell).



oh also no luck finding the hologram these might be teh counterfeits lol