Where to get a decent XLR cable??

[jzoz01]

I don't want to start another cable debate, but I'm currently shopping for some XLR interconnects and they all seem very very expensive. It would seem to me that since it is a balanced connection, any XLR cable of good construction quality should be fine. Anyone running XLR? Where did you buy cables?

[Cal Blacksmith]

Oh gosh, we just had this discussion. Do a search for XLR and you will find it.

Yes, any cable with good construction quality will work just fine. Try Blue Jeans cables if you don't want to make them yourself.

EDIT;

here are the links

http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/766747.aspx

http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/thread/764207.aspx

[jheis]

Try markertek.com

3' XLR cables are $12.95 ($11.95 for 5 or more).

James

[jzoz01]

With such a short cable run, will XLR even make a difference? Or at least enough of one to notice? Also, many amps with XLR inputs aren't truely balanced, as they connect pins 1 and 3. Anyone have any expirience with Sunfire gear?

[fletcherkane]

Any good pro audio shop should be able to provide you with cables that will do the trick. 3' to 6' xlr patch cables are less than 10 dollars for a decent one at my local gear shop (Firehouse Music in GR.)

[kaiser SET say]

You should hear from several Sunfire users around here!

I run balanced cable on most of my BAT gear, have you tried shopping some quality used ones out on www.audiogon.com/ ?

You have brought up some good points on the XLR cables that are really not balanced which should be a crime to sell or advertise otherwise[:@]

The only thing I know for a fact is XLR does present better current flow but not always are they better than RCA! (Boy that really helped[])

[Cal Blacksmith]

The only thing I know for a fact is XLR does present better current flow but not always are they better than RCA! (Boy that really helped[])

Uh, not to be argumentative but if both cables have the same size wire;

they will pass the same amount of current with the same resistive losses. The

only possible benefit in a home setup for XLR cables is the noise rejection and

for the vast majority of setups, RCA cables will do just fine as in the vast

majority of setups, there really isnt a problem with induced noise into the

signal.

[Kriton]

Huh?

Wow, your set-up is almost the exact same as mine! How did that happen?

I run XLR's in my Sunfire setup - bought them from Blue Jeans too -

good cables, pretty cheap...now can I tell you that in such a short run

I heard a difference from the RCA's that I started out with?

No...BUT all of the XLR's are bundled together and if they are better

at noise reduction, seems to me that they might be better off than

similarly bundled RCA's?

Who knows...I frankly like the way they lock in the connectors, no pulling these bad boys out.

Really just your preference....if you read the manual (or maybe I saw

it on the net) the XLR ports on the SUnfores are not *really* balanced

outputs- apparently the XPR and RCA jacks are internally connected, and

so the XLR jacks are not really balanced in the accpeted sense of the

word...so I don't know if you are getting the bang for the buck or not

- i think it is just a preferential thing at this point.

Hey, you want to trade your rs7's for a pair of refurbed Heresy's??

K

[DrWho]

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Musicians-Friend-Low-Z-Microphone-Cable-XLR?sku=361707http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Musicians-Friend-Low-Z-Microphone-Cable-XLR?sku=361707

[jzoz01]

...if you read the manual (or maybe I saw

it on the net) the XLR ports on the SUnfores are not *really* balanced

outputs- apparently the XPR and RCA jacks are internally connected, and

so the XLR jacks are not really balanced in the accpeted sense of the

word...

Where did you find that info? I suspected that may be the case, and if so, XLR would offer ZERO advantage.

[Kriton]

Of course, I found that little tidbit after I purchased the XLR cables

- and the TGIV - I tend to massively over research even after I buy the

items -

It was a review fo the TGIV that I read on an audio website, maybe

audioholics? Can't say right now, but I know I read it

somewhere...

But here is my deal...I would pay (on average at least with the Blue

Jeans XLR's) the same as some good RCA cables...and I don't know

about you, but not all RCA are made the same - have you ever had an RCA

male so tight that the female would just not fit on? I have been

afraid of pushing the male right through the back of the damned

amp! Some are tight fitting others are not - get out the needle

nose pliers and hope you can enlarge them to get them to fit with over

enlarging...etc. OR they are so loose that you are afraid you

will not get a good connection, and you do NOT want to have to crawl

back behind all of those snaking cables in the dark bowels of your

system to tinker with it, do you? I sure don't.

You get the picture - The XLR's on the other hand, fit like a glove

pretty much everytime and are held in by clips - I didn't have any

worries about seating them, damaging the back of the amps, or being

able to get them off without cracking my knuckles...

I remember seeing a TGIV for sale on Ebay a stretch back which had a

*bent* rca jack on one of the speaker outputs - it looked like someone

got overly frustrated and just bent the hell out it of trying to get it

on (and those RCA on the Sunfires are heavy duty too!) - none of the

others were bent or damaged at all - so I didn't think it was caused by

a careless foot or being dropped - you just don't see that with XLR's -

so...that is how *I* justify the cables...YMMV -

My 2c.

K