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Preamp to amp cables

minkybut

minkybut

AK Member
I don't seem to be able to get a pat answer on proper gauge interconnect RCA cables from my McIntosh C30 preamp to my Emotiva 300 per channel amp...4 ft length?
Is 16 ga ok , is 14 better?
I even saw that McIntosh sells them and they are $600 for a pair, that's insane!
 
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I've never seen a gauge spec on interconnect cables. You must be looking at "high-end" stuff. If 14 gauge costs more than 16 gauge, it must be better! I wonder how much better 12 gauge interconnect cables would be...

But seriously, thick cables that don't bend easily will act as a lever on the connectors of your equipment.

Interconnect cables between a preamp and amp are only carrying a couple volts at very low current, with power measured in milliwatts. Why would you need 14 or 16 gauge cables to do that?

I use cables like these (I think I have some of these, too).
 
Conductors thin as a hair are enough to carry the pre out/line level signal because there is just slightly more than no current.

For balanced connections Belden 1800F is one that works well. It it 24ga conductors. Another one, Mogami 2549, I believe, is 22ga.

For unbalanced cables I've used Mogami 2964 which is 24ga, and Belden 1505F which is 22ga.

I've also used plain old 24ga twisted pair harvested from Cat5 ethernet cable, and made some with really thin magnet wire (not quite small as a hair, but not far from it) layered in poly tape. Similar to these but with just one very thin conductor for signal and ground/return.

1736433125796.jpeg
 
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I find it baffling that everyone agrees that it takes extremely knowledgeable people applying science to create everything we have- amplifiers, CD players, streamers, DACs, etc., but for some reason, when it comes to cables, people choose to ignore those extremely knowledgeable people and science and put their faith in magic. Somehow, when it comes to cables, the marketing and sales guys know more than the engineers.
 
mrehorst said:
I find it baffling that everyone agrees that it takes extremely knowledgeable people applying science to create everything we have- amplifiers, CD players, streamers, DACs, etc., but for some reason, when it comes to cables, people choose to ignore those extremely knowledgeable people and science and put their faith in magic. Somehow, when it comes to cables, the marketing and sales guys know more than the engineers.
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It's not as much faith as money. When it's 2k to upgrade anything major, spending $300 on a minor component makes sense...

But, it still doesn't here. If there was quantified result from these wire "Gurus" we'd all be doing it on the cheap. Cuz it's just wire, so many types available that if one was truly superior we'd know. Which we sort of do, and it's probably made by belden in this case. I will however continue to note that wires generally don't last forever, and old wires may have been underperforming. All types will suffer some aging. Interconnects less than speaker, but all have a lifespan.

I think I'm hangry too so ymmv.
 
Currents are so tiny in RCA cables that wire gauge simply doesn't matter outside of mechanical durability. Thinner center conductors could be better in the sense that the capacitance between them and their shielding would be lower, and in some settings, that could be beneficial.
 
ive been using bjc lc1s for a few years. very well built. i particularly like the connectors. other than just wanting audiobling, mediabridge and even fospower make a nicely put together ic.
 
mrehorst said:
I've never seen a gauge spec on interconnect cables. You must be looking at "high-end" stuff. If 14 gauge costs more than 16 gauge, it must be better! I wonder how much better 12 gauge interconnect cables would be...

But seriously, thick cables that don't bend easily will act as a lever on the connectors of your equipment.

Interconnect cables between a preamp and amp are only carrying a couple volts at very low current, with power measured in milliwatts. Why would you need 14 or 16 gauge cables to do that?

I use cables like these (I think I have some of these, too).
Click to expand...
That makes sense, thank you
 
whoaru99 said:
Conductors thin as a hair are enough to carry the pre out/line level signal because there is just slightly more than no current.

For balanced connections Belden 1800F is one that works well. It it 24ga conductors. Another one, Mogami 2549, I believe, is 22ga.

For unbalanced cables I've used Mogami 2964 which is 24ga, and Belden 1505F which is 22ga.

I've also used plain old 24ga twisted pair harvested from Cat5 ethernet cable, and made some with really thin magnet wire (not quite small as a hair, but not far from it) layered in poly tape. Similar to these but with just one very thin conductor for signal and ground/return.

View attachment 3394424
Click to expand...
Hey that's pretty cool thank you
 
loudnoises said:
When it's 2k to upgrade anything major, spending $300 on a minor component makes sense...
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Interesting "logic". If the "upgrade" isn't going to have any effect on the sound (and it won't), it makes sense to spend nothing, or, if the money is burning a hole in your pocket, less, not more.

Moving your speakers 6" will have a greater effect on your system's sound than changing interconnect cables, no matter if they are cheap or expensive.

For the OP:

 
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If I had a preamp and amp, I would use WBCs RCAs with locking ends, will get a nice tight connection, regardless of the size of the female RCA connector (they can vary a little in OD from one mfg to another), that will not loosen. And they are relatively cheap, $30-40 for a short set.
 
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The wire in the ICs I've built using Belden cable is a single conductor and closer to a hair thickness than any speaker wire gauge.
 
Sandman1221 said:
If I had a preamp and amp, I would use WBCs RCAs with locking ends, will get a nice tight connection, regardless of the size of the female RCA connector (they can vary a little in OD from one mfg to another), that will not loosen. And they are relatively cheap, $30-40 for a short set.
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Mmmm, never heard of those, thank you
 
I had a Mustang that ran better on premium gas. I doubt my daily driver (a Prius) would have known the difference. Point being, one car was tuned enough to take advantage of the better fuel, one was not. Some audio systems can take advantage of better cables, some can not. There is a difference.
 
ibog1 said:
I had a Mustang that ran better on premium gas. I doubt my daily driver (a Prius) would have known the difference. Point being, one car was tuned enough to take advantage of the better fuel, one was not. Some audio systems can take advantage of better cables, some can not. There is a difference.
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Any audio system can take advantage of better cables.

But there's no cable that magically outperforms another. You either transfer signal cleanly or you don't. There's no above zero.
 
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