# Any ole' RCA will do?



## peenemunde (Aug 31, 2013)

It's obvious to me the better the signal, the better your output but I'm weary before making any purchase. I have an Alpine CDA-105 I'll be using as my HU, and a Zapco Z8 I'll be use for processing. running 3way active from stage and 2 12" subwoofers means I'll be using LOTS of RCA's in my future. Does the brand really matter that much? Should I make sure they're all the same? I was thinking x3 15ft sections and x4 3ft sections if possible. HU(3x15ft)DSP(4x3ft)Amplifiers. Crutchfield has JL Audio Marine RCA's for decent price, everything I would need stated above would be roughly $120 before shipping. But if any ole Joe Blow RCA will do, I could potentially spend half that unless my signal will be degraded.


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

i like matching rca's just because it looks more polished when you are done. And the JL's look decent, and $120 is not a ridiculous amount to spend on that many wires. But shop around, you can probably find wire just as nice for much less. monoprice.com is a good start.


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## peenemunde (Aug 31, 2013)

miniSQ said:


> i like matching rca's just because it looks more polished when you are done. And the JL's look decent, and $120 is not a ridiculous amount to spend on that many wires. But shop around, you can probably find wire just as nice for much less. monoprice.com is a good start.


Disco!  I'll keep my eyes peeled for deals and stuff. Holiday season tends to bring out the best in online sales. I wont need my wire until spring for my install, anyway. Might as well plan ahead and start price surfing! Thanks


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Monoprice wire is really stiff and as such, hard to use in bundles in a car.

Stinger 4000 is all that you need, IMO.


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## peenemunde (Aug 31, 2013)

sirbOOm said:


> Monoprice wire is really stiff and as such, hard to use in bundles in a car.
> 
> Stinger 4000 is all that you need, IMO.


I've never used the Stinger RCA. It's quite a bit cheaper then JL and Stinger has a 6channel !!! Anyone else vouch for Stinger 4000 series RCAs?


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## Lorin (May 5, 2011)

I have and use a stinger 4 channel rca. No complaints, does what it is supposed to.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

I use the Stinger 4000 6-channel (17', I think) and four pairs of 3' Stinger 4000. Small RCA head connection so it actually fits behind a dash and in tight places, flat cable so it lays under carpet nicely (if necessary). Many high-end installations are done with Stinger 4000. I cannot figure out what difference Stinger 6000 has vs. 4000 other than color and thicker cable (maybe the shielding is better... I don't know). The Stinger 8000 is great wire but it's thick and its wrapping is like sandpaper... it's actually scratched paint if left to rub.

I did an install with Wal-Mart-bought Scosche twisted pair clear looking cables. Sounded fine. Wasn't your high-end SQ killer install from a parts perspective, just a guy who decided not to get on the expensive RCA bandwagon. If I replaced the RCAs with Stinger 8000, would I notice a difference? No freakin' idea. I don't need to - not my car.

So that said... it's your car. If you like the JL RCA's and it'll make you feel comfortable, get them. They have a nice look to them, too. T-Spec also has a white cable. Plus JL have a 2-year warranty and, yes, RCA cables do go bad from time to time due to vibration or whatever else.

Speaking of T-Spec... they have my favorite line of cable and cable accessories. No shiny stupid platinum or gold. Black-colored distribution blocks/fuse blocks. Numerous cable options. Good quality wire overall. Can be had cheap from time to time.


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## syc0path (Jan 23, 2013)

+1 for Stinger RCAs... that's what I run. U can waste a lot of $$ on high-end RCAs that really won't do anything to improve your sound. Just buy something decent and be done w/ it.


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## oldschoolbeats (Nov 29, 2013)

I just bought 13 stinger 4000 RCA's on eBay, a 20' 6 channel and a mix of 3 and 5 foot 2 channel new for less than $135...... say no to the $100 per set cables.....


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## oldschoolbeats (Nov 29, 2013)

The $100+ per set cables are for the sucker that walks into a stereo shop and wants to play they're iPod in they're car and knows nothing about car audio and somehow walks out with a $7000 install......


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## minbari (Mar 3, 2011)

:dead_horse::rifle:

:bash:

pretty much says it all.


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## peenemunde (Aug 31, 2013)

Sounds like Stinger 4000 series it is


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

That $7,000 install is also usually in a $7,000 car.


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## oldschoolbeats (Nov 29, 2013)

sirbOOm said:


> That $7,000 install is also usually in a $7,000 car.


Actually usually in a $2000 car(if you include the cost of the wheels)


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## FartinInTheTub (May 25, 2010)

I agree that this topic is like beating a dead horse. That being said, I replaced 3 cheap pairs of RCAs with top of the line stingers and I noticed a difference immediately. I had to adjust my gains after the switch. People are going to say that there's no difference in rcas... those are the same people who say all amps sound the same. Whatever makes them feel better.... I personally trust my ears, and that's all that matters to me.


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## oldschoolbeats (Nov 29, 2013)

Nobody's saying to go buy $3 RCA's from Walmart... who h you would be able to tell the difference but once you get to a certain point the difference is incoherent...... of course you'll notice a difference between absolute junk and a $100 set...


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## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

They don't have $3 RCA's at Walmart... gotta get them at Fry's!!


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## FartinInTheTub (May 25, 2010)

oldschoolbeats said:


> Nobody's saying to go buy $3 RCA's from Walmart... who h you would be able to tell the difference but once you get to a certain point the difference is incoherent...... of course you'll notice a difference between absolute junk and a $100 set...


I agree that once you get to a certain point the difference would be incoherent. The RCAs that I was using was from monoprice and they weren't their cheapest but they were inexpensive. I also think its funny when people buy 150 dollar rcas... what a waste.


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## mrpeabody (May 26, 2010)

FartinInTheTub said:


> I also think its funny when people buy 150 dollar rcas... what a waste.


Must check out an audiophile home audio show. 20k for some interconnects totally made a difference!


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## diy.phil (May 23, 2011)

oh yeah that reminds me of the infamous best buy audioquest hdmi cables...
AudioQuest Coffee 39.4' HDMI Cable 65-082-09 - Best Buy
don't buy - just read the reviews there for fun


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## peenemunde (Aug 31, 2013)

mrpeabody said:


> Must check out an audiophile home audio show. 20k for some interconnects totally made a difference!


Those types of cables will surely change the sound drastically, but for $20,000 I sure as hell hope they would. As for the question at hand, any normal Joe Blow won't spend that amount on RCA wire for their car audio setup. So if the average consumer product isn't identifiable as worse nor better then I think I'll be safe with the Stinger 4000 series. Not too cheap, not too expensive, just right


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

Some may disagree and that's fine but I definitely don't like the connectors that you can tighten. They seem to come loose over time in my experience. Could just be user error. There's one connector on the Stinger Expert Series 4ch cable I'm using that gets loose once or twice a year. I think I finally got it cinched down though. Good thing it was less than $20 new off egay to my door or I'd be pissed. The biggest thing I look for with wiring accessories is if they can be installed and forgotten about for several years. Usually the only time I touch my install is if a piece of equipment failed.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

I use Stinger HPM 3, I think the only difference is they look fancier and the connector's body is metal compared to plastic. Be careful because these Stinger RCA's or some are directional and may not be labeled, just a piece of paper in the package, I had to mark mine with a sharpie to know the right end, and the color coding is confusing, 4 different colors in a 4 ch set. I decided to go with a separate pair for the sub's amp.


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## knever3 (Mar 9, 2009)

Alrojoca said:


> I use Stinger HPM 3, I think the only difference is they look fancier and the connector's body is metal compared to plastic. Be careful because these Stinger RCA's or some are directional and may not be labeled, just a piece of paper in the package, I had to mark mine with a sharpie to know the right end, and the color coding is confusing, 4 different colors in a 4 ch set. I decided to go with a separate pair for the sub's amp.


I really don't get the directional part. It's AC, or alternating current, voltage is pushed in either direction so the whole directional only would matter in a DC line if say a diode was inline to block voltage. I have home audio Monster Cable directional cables, either way you wire them, sound comes through. Pure hype I say.


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## REGULARCAB (Sep 26, 2013)

knever3 said:


> I really don't get the directional part. It's AC, or alternating current, voltage is pushed in either direction so the whole directional only would matter in a DC line if say a diode was inline to block voltage. I have home audio Monster Cable directional cables, either way you wire them, sound comes through. Pure hype I say.


As I understand it the shielding is only grounded at one end. Hook her up wrong and u basically just have a big antenna.


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## fergsonfire (May 26, 2011)

Monster cable is awesome purely from the fact that if you got the high end connectors those things are NOT coming off... that is unless it is taking the terminal with it... HAHA, but in all seriousness from someone who has worked in car audio, military electronics, and commercial power doing instrumentation and control digital electronics. Copper is copper unless you are buying really low end, thin, flimsy crap that will break. Besides that resistance is the key and any cable over $10 is going to have little to no resistance.


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## ShaneInMN (Sep 27, 2013)

I've tried a few different brands of RCA's, I haven't noticed a difference. I didn't opt for the ultra cheap and went for more mid-grade. One was twisted/shielded, the other was parallel/shielded.

Absolutely no difference that I can tell.

Amazon.com: Scosche reVo17 Revo 17-Feet 2-Channel Audio Cable Twisted Pair with Molded Ends (Clear/Black): Car Electronics

Amazon.com: Rockford Fosgate RFI-10 Twisted Pair Signal Cable -10 feet: Car Electronics


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## oldschoolbeats (Nov 29, 2013)

peenemunde said:


> Those types of cables will surely change the sound drastically, but for $20,000 I sure as hell hope they would. As for the question at hand, any normal Joe Blow won't spend that amount on RCA wire for their car audio setup. So if the average consumer product isn't identifiable as worse nor better then I think I'll be safe with the Stinger 4000 series. Not too cheap, not too expensive, just right


$20,000 for interconnects is absolutely retarded, if people actually pay that they are just buying it because its expensive.... for $20,000 I will just hire the band I want to listen to and have them play right in my living room..... how stupid.... and then there's the $20,000 HDMI cables...... its a digital signal......


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Maybe times have changed and there are much better cables.

One thing I know is I made some RCA's for my home CD player from Canare GS6 Guitar cable, It blew away monster's in the $50.00 range all Radio Shack gold plated even video cables. The bass was so much stronger and deeper, I tried it as a subwoofer cable and the bass seem to play too fast for how deep it was.

For my home subwoofer I went with Canare L-4E6S professional studio microphone cable and I am still searching for something better, it sounds different, I can't explain it, it just does and if someone swaps it without me knowing it, and I play certain parts of some movies I am familiar with, I would be able to tell. Call me crazy but if they a do not sound better, they sound different enough, it was deeper and longer or slower, perfect for movies with bombs exploding and that type of bass.

I think professional studio grade cables do have an edge over regular home or retail cables, more conductors more copper, Japanese grade copper, who knows, there is a difference and it is cheap, not $20,000, maybe 10 years ago the difference was more significant than today or my ears are not as good as before.
I did not bother to try anything like that for the cars, although some members have made their own cables and have used Gepco for their RCA's and there might be a reason for it not being the cost simply getting the best cable money can buy, studio type pro quality, call it an overkill or whatever, it is not a cost issue, it is a preference. I am just too lazy now to build my own and only better more expensive systems may reveal a slight improvement over a $30-40 pair.


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## oldschoolbeats (Nov 29, 2013)

Japanese copper????


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

oldschoolbeats said:


> Japanese copper????


No clue! All I know is Canare wiring is made in Japan, no clue where the copper comes from.


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