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Is it common for "balanced XLR" cables to go bad?


TasDom

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One of my RS-7 surround speakers began emitting a horrible static noise yesterday.

 

Began troubleshooting by switching to a different input / output on the amp, issue continued. Hooked up a different speaker to the same signal flow, issue continued. That's good tho as crossover / speaker is ok. Swapped out the XLR cable before replacing the speaker cable and issue was gone.

 

Granted these are inexpensive Monoprice balanced cables but just curios if (and why) this is a common occurrence.

 

TIA for any input...

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Probably happens to one in a thousand?  Sometimes simply opening and re-closing the connection fixes it unless the compromised transition is between the wire and connector back side, or the wire itself.  Has it survived any warranty period?

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8 minutes ago, glens said:

Has it survived any warranty period?

That's one thing great about Monoprice, all of their cables have a lifetime warranty. Not really worth the cost of return freight and I had some spares from downsizing. Been a few years but I think they were under 6 bucks each.

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=4754

 

 

 

47501.jpg

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That's one thing great about Monoprice, all of their cables have a lifetime warranty. Not really worth the cost of return freight and I had some spares from downsizing. Been a few years but I think they were under 6 bucks each.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=4754
 
 
 
47501.jpg
I've had only one pair of balanced cables take a dump on me......and they were the ones you have pictured.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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In the recording industry, they are manhandled, stepped on, thrown around, had wine or sweat or worse spilled on them.  I saw Country Joe swing his mic around on a long cable, crashing it on what ever solid object was there in Provo Park (free concert, naturally) and the connection didn't come loose.

 

Now ... if it was wired in a sweat shop half way around the world, by people who are allowed only a very short amount of time to make each connection ...

 

I would like mine made by highly skilled, unhurried, caring techs who have OCD, and, of course, tested under wire & connection stress.

 

Do any of "our guys" supply personally wired ones?  Crites, Dean, Al,  Dave A, etc., etc.? 

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1 hour ago, garyrc said:

Do any of "our guys" supply personally wired ones?  Crites, Dean, Al,  Dave A, etc., etc.? 

One or two of those guys maybe unbalanced only?

 

1 hour ago, garyrc said:

I would like mine made by highly skilled, unhurried, caring techs who have OCD, and, of course, tested under wire & connection stress.

 

Wholeheartedly agree, of course you have to pay accordingly. When it comes to cables, I'm a cheapskate. :)

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On 8/11/2019 at 5:48 PM, garyrc said:

In the recording industry, they are manhandled, stepped on, thrown around, had wine or sweat or worse spilled on them.

 

I still have a couple I wired myself, over 40 years ago. Never failed, although I was the only one who handled them. Back then they were Switchcraft, and still made in the US. Don't know if they still are. The Neutrik connectors are good. I'm sure some of the other brands are as well.

 

I'll just make a guess it isn't the wire/cable, but the solder connections. We had some multi pin cables for a/v where I worked last. They were made in the US, but the solder connex on them was terrible and we had to switch to a different vendor.

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3 hours ago, Marvel said:

I'll just make a guess it isn't the wire/cable, but the solder connections. We had some multi pin cables for a/v where I worked last. They were made in the US, but the solder connex on them was terrible and we had to switch to a different vendor.

Took a look inside the housing. One of the wires has a split with a strand exposed and the heat shrink has expanded which is exposing bare wire. Solder joints seem ok from what I can see.

I see a cable upgrade in my near future.....:emotion-22:

thumbnail_IMG_0332.thumb.jpg.20493ce928f95747e0b4b9ec705e5fcf.jpgthumbnail_IMG_0333.thumb.jpg.0a3dd04f5d1813c7a21d500430f04921.jpg

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1 hour ago, Marvel said:

You might want to do that, but I would cut it back an inch and resolder everything. I certainly wouldn't toss them out.

@TasDom I absolutely concur with Marvel on this as long as you know how to solder. So neither end of the cable had hot glue all the F over it?  I have modified several of their cables and one end was completely sealed up with the sheet. Like they were daring you to try and fix or modify it.

Pin 1 Shield, pin 2 clear or natural insulated wire, pin 3 black insulated wire. The shield does not have to be attached to the shell.

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2 hours ago, TasDom said:

Took a look inside the housing. One of the wires has a split with a strand exposed and the heat shrink has expanded which is exposing bare wire. Solder joints seem ok from what I can see.

I see a cable upgrade in my near future.....:emotion-22:

thumbnail_IMG_0332.thumb.jpg.20493ce928f95747e0b4b9ec705e5fcf.jpgthumbnail_IMG_0333.thumb.jpg.0a3dd04f5d1813c7a21d500430f04921.jpg

Yes this is BAD.

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53 minutes ago, babadono said:

@TasDom I absolutely concur with Marvel on this as long as you know how to solder. So neither end of the cable had hot glue all the F over it?  I have modified several of their cables and one end was completely sealed up with the sheet. Like they were daring you to try and fix or modify it.

Pin 1 Shield, pin 2 clear or natural insulated wire, pin 3 black insulated wire. The shield does not have to be attached to the shell.

No hot melt glue on either end. I already trimmed back, re-soldered and re-assembled. I'll put it back in rotation should  another one fail.

 

Appreciate all the input from everyone!

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