XLR Cable Quality

L

LarsN

Member
I am looking to buy a set of XLR cables, I looked around on Amazon but I do not know a lot about the quality or what company I should pick

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Designcable...UTF8&colid=QX7A8G24JR8D&coliid=I31TO18CQ049A6 I came across this one, it costs but if the quality is good I do not have a problem to pay a price.

The cable I now have is only used 2 times and it broke down the price was € 15 for a 10m cable (explains it I guess).

I do allot of live recording, the last 2 shows the people who did the music had some spare cables that I could use (Van Damme cable)
Suggestions are welcome

Thank you!
 
The one you linked to seems awfully pricey for a simple 10 meter cable! There's a lot of 'audiophool' nonsense surrounding expensive cables. Go with cables made by Belden, Mogami, or Canare with Neutrik or Switchcraft connectors and you'll be fine.
 
Learn basic soldering skills and make/maintain your own cables. It is usually a solder connection at the XLR that breaks loose, rarely damage to the cable itself. Also how you coil and store cables affects reliability. Coiling cables around your arm twists the cable and eventually will break a conductor. Coil them carefully on the ground or holding in one hand so the coils lay flat and the cable isn't twisted. For long cables a figure 8 lay is best.
 
Van Damme starquad cable is good, and, if you don't fancy making cables or aren't buying cable in bulk (with costs savings that brings), you can get a 10m one from the company (Designacable) you suggest rather cheaper than this OTT one - around £26. Cheers, Roland
 
Razz16mm said:
Learn basic soldering skills and make/maintain your own cables. It is usually a solder connection at the XLR that breaks loose, rarely damage to the cable itself. Also how you coil and store cables affects reliability. Coiling cables around your arm twists the cable and eventually will break a conductor. Coil them carefully on the ground or holding in one hand so the coils lay flat and the cable isn't twisted. For long cables a figure 8 lay is best.
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Ditto to all. I rarely get cable breaks with Neutrik connectors but regularly get them with old-style Switchcraft, etc. I'd say less that less than 10% of my failures are internal cable failures.
 
I prefer to make my own, but I am not that good at soldering, so if I have to buy, I'll usually get Planet Waves cables (guaranteed for life) or PSC cables.
 
I normally make my own micropphones cables, I like Canare L-4E6S Star Quad cable and Neutrik connectors.. goes for about $0.50 a foot and the connectors about $3 each. For other line level link and 'bag' cables, I use Canare L-2E5 Mini mic cable, @ $0.44 a ft.. I usually deal with Markertek.com in upstate NY who is a Canare distributor and sells the components. (and also builds custom and regular cables)
 
Never buy ultra price cables - just sensible ones from the audio specialist - NOT Hi-Fi dealers. Neutrik connectors are my favourite. If you really hate soldering - you can buy Neutriks that are IDC types - no soldering required. You simply cut to length, pop the conductors and screen in the holes, and screw the connector together. The pins get forced through the plastic insulation and that is that! You do need to use the right cable, but the ones I first tried ten years ago are still going strong. In the UK, I like Canford HST mic cable, tough, anti-kink and comes in lots of colours.
 
RyanB said:
You should buy brand new cables from the brand site. It's possible that the cables will have a shortage or will eventually get destroyed.
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eh? Why would you want to buy second hand? As for the 'Brand Site' - not ever manufacturer sells direct, do they? Shortage (as in length) or short as in short-circuit (or open circuit) and every cable gets destroyed, some by blowing on them, other only after run over by a tank!


I can solder. I still buy cables ready made simply to save time!

Seriously, though. Star Quad, is a pain to make up. It takes longer, is fiddly and although when you're perhaps making 20 or more you get speedier, I've never made them in quantity and have to re-learn the tricks every time. My own repeated fault being getting the pairs stripped back the same length, very often I mess up, and the cable ends up just a bit shorter than I intended. I use, when I have to, Canford SQ cable. Expensive, though.
 
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