# Speaker wire/ RCA's. Twisted pair vs normal...



## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

I'd like to find out if using twisted pair wiring will really yield much of a difference in noise rejection in both speaker wiring and rca wires in the car environment. I would think it would be more important in the RCA's since they are carrying a low voltage signal, and any noise introduced ithat makes it to the amplifier is a bad thing. But do they make an audible difference or am I paying for a gimmicky sales pitch...especially for speaker wire...?


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Twisted pair is designed for balanced audio transfer where each conductor carries signal and one is inverted in polarity. Unless you are running balanced then don't use it.

Twisted pair for speaker is not necessary at all, it's just a good way to get the conductors in a round jacket.


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

My personal opinion based on only my experience, it may make a slight difference in RCAs. I used a non-twisted pair that were very noisy, but this could also be due to otherwise crappy construction. 

I think it makes absolutely NO audible difference in speaker wiring.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Thats what I figured on the speaker wiring side. Thanks guys.


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## PSYKO_Inc (Dec 11, 2006)

I'm gonna echo what Chad said; twisted pair is only useful for balanced connections. For a standard unbalanced patch cable, shielded coax is king, as it offers protection against RF noise. Twisted pair RCA cables do not offer any RF noise shielding and are therefore succeptable to picking up noise.


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

PSYKO_Inc said:


> I'm gonna echo what Chad said; twisted pair is only useful for balanced connections. For a standard unbalanced patch cable, shielded coax is king, as it offers protection against RF noise. Twisted pair RCA cables do not offer any RF noise shielding and are therefore succeptable to picking up noise.


i guess this is why i suddenly got mega noise when i tried to mount my new linedriver at the END of the signal chain. at the front of the cab with 3 6' ratshack cables and silent. kick in the teeth but it worked:blush:


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## Abmolech (Nov 2, 2006)

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34162


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## txbonds (Mar 10, 2008)

PSYKO_Inc said:


> I'm gonna echo what Chad said; twisted pair is only useful for balanced connections. For a standard unbalanced patch cable, shielded coax is king, as it offers protection against RF noise. Twisted pair RCA cables do not offer any RF noise shielding and are therefore succeptable to picking up noise.



Says who........ the knukonceptz krystal cables are twisted pair with shielding. They claim 4 layers on their site, but the cable itself is printed saying 3 layers of shielding.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

txbonds said:


> Says who........ the knukonceptz krystal cables are twisted pair with shielding. They claim 4 layers on their site, but the cable itself is printed saying 3 layers of shielding.


most companies that tout twisted pair construct their cables in a way such that the twist is easily visible... without shielding. Mine are twisted and shielded too but on not one place on the jacket is it denoted that it is a twisted cable.


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## txbonds (Mar 10, 2008)

chad said:


> most companies that tout twisted pair construct their cables in a way such that the twist is easily visible... without shielding. Mine are twisted and shielded too but on not one place on the jacket is it denoted that it is a twisted cable.




I've seen a few, but not many. Basically trying to find out how good of a deal the krystal cable is, as hardly anyone claims twisted and 3 or 4 layers shielding. I've seen a few cables costing 4 to 6 times as much claiming twisted and 2 layers shielding though.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

Shielding is NORMALLY spec'd in percentage of coverage, they may have gotten the layers from the Coax RF market claiming quad shielding which is 1 layer of foil, one braid, foil again, then braid again.... and there's 100% coverage 

Regardless, shield is good 

Chad


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