Understanding the basics of audio and video cabling

When it comes to choosing cable for audio or video purposes, many people often go for the cheapest option, under the impression that the cable used will not affect the quality of the sound or picture. However, this is not the case at all. Poor quality cable can and does degrade the quality of your equipment. There is no point in paying for expensive audiovisual equipment if the cabling used isn’t good enough to accurately reproduce what your equipment is capable of. That’s why it’s crucially important to spend the time and the money to ensure that your cabling is compatible with your equipment and, that it is of comparable quality.

In many cases, the cabling that comes with a new entertainment system is not good enough to enable your system to produce the best audiovisual experience your system is capable of. That’s why, when you’re budgeting for a new system, you should always make an allowance for cabling. There is simply no point paying a lot of money for a good system if cheap cable is going to affect your viewing or listening pleasure. With high quality cabling, you will hear and see the difference. After all, you wouldn’t put a cheap door on a large, expensive house, so why would you use cheap cables on an expensive hi-fi.

So when it comes to buying cables for a new system, what should you be looking for? Firstly, you need to take into account the purpose of your cabling. There’s a wide choice of cabling out there and you need to make sure yours is right one for your components. Factors such as whether you’re installing your cabling in a wall will also affect your choice of cable. The cable should meet safety, as well as quality standards.

Of course, there are other factors to be considered, such as the room in which your equipment is located. This will obviously have a big impact on the length of your cabling. One of the great things about buying your own cable is the fact you can get custom lengths of cable according to your needs. It is worth remembering here, however, that the longer the cable, the more degradation will occur to the signal, so it makes sense to take accurate measurements and keep your cable as short as possible.

To find out what makes a good cable, we need to look at the components that make up your typical cable. There are five basic components to every cable: Firstly, there is the outer sleeve that protects the cable from damage. Under this, you’ll find a shielding material to prevent interference from external sources such as radio waves. Next, there is the dielectric, the insulating material between the conductor and the shielding. The conductor is the medium through which the signal runs, and finally, there is the connector which provides the interface to your equipment. The quality of all these components can greatly affect the sound and video quality and ultimately, the audiovisual experience.

When selecting cable, if your equipment supports it, you should always go for digital cabling. The main examples of this is HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), optical cabling and co-axial digital cabling. This will always produce the best results.

Fitting your cables is equally important. Always make sure your equipment is switched off and try to keep power cables away from signal cables to avoid interference. Finally, if you can, avoid bending the cable.

Now sit back and enjoy the difference that comes with superior quality cabling.