|   Can I use coaxial cable to make a long run to a subwoofer? | davio
Apr 18, 2001 9:59 PM | | I am waiting for my M&K 750THX system with a mx-700 subwoofer to arrive tomorrow! I will need to make a long run from the receiver sub output to the sub. Question is: do I have to use RCA cable for the entire run(aproximately 50 feet) or can I use coaxial cable with RCA connections? Are there any alternatives? I have heard different responses and would like your input. Your help is appreciated.
davio |
| Yes, you can | Eyespy
Apr 18, 2001 10:07 PM | | RG-6 is very inexpensive, as little as $0.12/foot, and will be fine as a line level sub interconnect. |
| sure can | Jason Monette
Apr 20, 2001 5:50 AM | | I make sub cables out of Canare RG6 Coax. No problem. If you want to check them out go to www.KustomKables.com
Just get some RG6, some good RCA connectors, and there you go. |
| Smarthome.com has coax-RCA converters | binkbr
Apr 20, 2001 9:00 PM | | If you don't want to make the connections yourself, Smarthome.com sells the converters...
http://www.smarthome.com/851103.html
Good Luck |
| re: Can I use coaxial cable to make a long run to a subwoofer? | Jon Risch
Apr 21, 2001 8:42 AM | | There are unseen problems with some of the advice that usually gets posted on this subject.
Just 'any' old coax may not work very well, or even become a danger to the sub, and cause damage.
Many coaxial cable sused for cable TV, or avaialble at RS, use aluminum braid for the shield, of an alumionum braid and foil. Neither of these will make a good connection to an RCA plug, and if the ground connection got lost, it could cause a massive hum burst in the sub, destroying it.
Use of such coaxial cable with F type connectors, and additional F to RCA adaptors is NOT optimal. Aside from the issues of the aluminum braid/foil not sounding very good, the F connectors are just crimped onto the coax, against a squishy insulation core, and this is NOT a solid cold-welded metal to meatl type of crimp that performs well, the aluminum often has an oxide layer that tends to act as an insualtor, and the end result is less than optimum.
IF the proper part number of caixial cable is used, those with copper braided shields, and copper center conductors, AND these have a decent center insulation, such as foamed PE or better, then such coaxial cables can be used to good effect.
However, use of just any coaxial cable will not assure good results.
Some good part numbers for this are:
Belden 89259, 1506A, 1695A, and not quite as optimum, but still good are: 9259, 1505A, 1694A.
For more information on audio cables, see:
http://www.AudioAsylum.com/audio/cables/messages/19902.html
Jon Risch |
| re: Can I use coaxial cable to make a long run to a subwoofer? | binkbr
Apr 21, 2001 4:07 PM | | Thanks for the info.... its always good to get an informed opinion! |
| re: Can I use coaxial cable to make a long run to a subwoofer? | mtrycrafts
Apr 21, 2001 6:06 PM | | >>>Aside from the issues of the aluminum braid/foil not sounding very good, <<<
Not sounding good? Where is your supporting data that one can even tell an audible difference? You made a testable claim without anything credible to support you, JOn. Never lear, do you.
>>>Just 'any' old coax may not work very well, or even become a danger to the sub, and cause damage.
Many coaxial cable sused for cable TV, or avaialble at RS, use aluminum braid for the shield, of an alumionum braid and foil. Neither of these will make a good connection to an RCA plug, and if the ground connection got lost, it could cause a massive hum burst in the sub, destroying it.<<<
Of course the groung cannot disconnect from expensive cables, right? You sure worry about the non events, don't you? |
| re: Can I use coaxial cable to make a long run to a subwoofer? | estan
Apr 22, 2001 11:25 AM | | also a lot of the center cores of CTV coax are very magnetic with just a copper coating...I don't know how this effects sound but it certainly would be a bit weird to me to use cable that can attach itself to a magnet.
Use any good Belden or Gotham Audio AG for an easy to construct audio cable. |
| re: Can I use coaxial cable to make a long run to a subwoofer? | mtrycrafts
Apr 22, 2001 8:41 PM | | CTV doesn't seem to have problems in the Mhz range. Curious. |
| re: Can I use coaxial cable to make a long run to a subwoofer? | estan
Apr 22, 2001 11:14 PM | | curious is ....
I just upgrade my cable boxes to digital...my incoming signal is supplying 2 TV's and a cable modem. The original wiring was standard issue RG8U solid copper with a copper braided shield from 15 years ago. All of the connectors have been replaced within the past 2 years...wires stripped back 6" and new crimpons
installed.
I was experiencing bandwidth problems with the cable modem and a lot of freeze frames with the digital TV boxes which even required frequent rebooting of the boxes.
We did some bandwidth tests and found that we were getting about 1/3 of the bandwidth that we should be getting. Called the cable company (Time Warner) and got to level 3 tech support and they sent out a tech with some pretty decent test gear. They came back with a report that stipulated that all of my problems were cable related and the RG8 that was ok for analog was not working for the digital signal. Had to rewire the whole place with 6U...
This is very interesting to me because now I get great performance from the cable boxes and especially from my cable modem. The cable modem is only 40 feet from the Time Warner junction box and a simple change from RG8U to RG6U has tripled my available bandwidth from the cable modem. This is substantiated with printouts from their test equipment and from our bandwidth tests done on our computers to our own UNIX servers which are co located a few miles from here. We were unable to get over 300kbs and now we are averaging 1.1mbs.
curious....? |
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