Does dedicated subwoofer cord really make a difference?
05-28-04, 08:35 AM
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Does dedicated subwoofer cord really make a difference?
I recently outfitted a second room with a home theater in a box deal. I just used the cord that came with it for the subwoofer. I have a Monster sub cord on my main sub but I got it for $5 in a pawn shop, so I figured what the heck. Anyway, I was curious if dedicated sub cords really make a difference over properly contructed RCA cords. Thanks.
05-28-04, 10:10 AM
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I noticed a huge difference when I upgraded to a Monster sub cable a while ago. I was using a decent but not great RCA cable, and once I upgraded, I realized how obvious it used to be that the sub was to the left, and that I was sitting next to it. It wasn't so much that the sound was better, but that the bass mixed in more evenly, if that makes sense. Although, I think I might have noticed the same difference if I had simply upgraded to a really good RCA cable, but maybe not.
My $.02.
My $.02.
05-28-04, 11:36 AM
#3
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A good rca cable should be fine. The cable transmits line-level signals, so there isn't much voltage or current at all, the run tends to be short, and the frequency range is limited too. But, decent shielding is important because you don't want any possible interference from nearby power cords (which carry juice at 60hz, right in the subwoofer freq. range). Not a big issue, but decent shielding helps. If you have an extra a/v cable of decent quality, just tear off one wire or use the whole cable and just hook up one audio wire.
As for directionality, I dunno how a cheaper cable would make th eposition of the sub more obvious unless it was creating hiher-frequency harmonics. Anythng below 100hz or so should be quite nondirectional, and this depends on the freq. filtering (either by the receiver or in the sub itself). Don't see how cable quality would affect this.
As for directionality, I dunno how a cheaper cable would make th eposition of the sub more obvious unless it was creating hiher-frequency harmonics. Anythng below 100hz or so should be quite nondirectional, and this depends on the freq. filtering (either by the receiver or in the sub itself). Don't see how cable quality would affect this.
05-30-04, 06:47 PM
#4
DVD Talk Hero
Man, it seems I have read a dozen "do wires make a difference" threads in the last couple of weeks.
My suggestion? Go buy three or four different ones and try them for yourself. Any good dealer will allow you to return them if you don't like them. (Just make sure you can return them before you buy).
My suggestion? Go buy three or four different ones and try them for yourself. Any good dealer will allow you to return them if you don't like them. (Just make sure you can return them before you buy).
