Part 1: Introduction

Loudspeaker cables and line-level interconnects are an important but often overlooked link in the music playback chain. The right choice of loudspeaker cables and interconnects can bring out the best performance from your system. Conversely, poor cables and interconnects-or those not suited to your system-will never let your system achieve its full musical potential. Knowing how to buy cables will provide the best possible performance at the least cost.

In this chapter we'll look at all aspects of loudspeaker cables and interconnects. We'll cover balanced and unbalanced lines, bi-wiring, matching cables to your system, and how to get the most cable for your money. Moreover, we'll see how the most expensive cables and interconnects aren't always the best.

But first, let's start with an overview of cable and interconnect terms.

Cable: Often used to describe any wire in an audio system, "cable" more properly refers to the conductors between a power amplifier and a loudspeaker. Loudspeaker cables carry a high-current signal from the power amplifier to the loudspeaker.

Interconnect: Interconnects are the conductors that connect line-level signals in an audio system. The connection between source components (turntable, CD player, tuner, tape deck) and the preamplifier, and between the preamplifier and power amplifier, are made by inter-connects.

Unbalanced Interconnect: An unbalanced interconnect has two conductors and is usually terminated with RCA plugs. Also called a single-ended interconnect.

Balanced Interconnect: A balanced interconnect has three conductors instead of two, and is terminated with 3-pin XLR connectors. Balanced interconnects are used only between components having balanced inputs and outputs.

Digital Interconnect: A single interconnect that carries a stereo digital audio signal, usually from a CD transport or other digital source to a digital processor.

Bi-wiring: Bi-wiring is a method of connecting a power amplifier to a loudspeaker with two runs of cable instead of one.

RCA Plug and Jack: RCA plugs and jacks are the most common connection termination for unbalanced signals. Virtually all audio equipment has RCA jacks to accept the RCA plugs on unbalanced interconnects. RCA jacks are mounted on the audio component's chassis; RCA plugs are the termination of unbalanced interconnects.

XLR Plug and Jack: XLR plugs are three-pin connectors terminating a balanced interconnect. XLR jacks are chassis-mounted connectors that accept XLR plugs.

Binding Post: Binding posts are terminations on power amplifiers and loudspeakers that provide connection points for loudspeaker cables.

Five-way Binding Post: A type of binding post that can accept bare wire, spade lugs, or banana plugs. Five-way posts are found on most power amplifiers and loudspeakers.

Spade Lug: A flat, pronged termination for loudspeaker cables. Spade lugs fit around power-amplifier and loudspeaker binding posts. The most popular kind of loudspeaker cable termination.

Banana Plug and Jack: Banana plugs are sometimes found on loudspeaker cables in place of spade lugs. Banana plugs will fit into five-way binding posts or banana jacks. Many European products use banana jacks on power amplifiers for loudspeaker connection.

AWG: American Wire Gauge: a measure of conductor thickness, usually in loudspeaker cables. The lower the AWG number, the thicker the wire. Lamp cord has an AWG of 18, usually referred to as "18 gauge."

<<back    next>>