Bare wire is often the best choice electrically, but it's not as convenient as connectors and can be difficult for many people. That's why this videos is about connectors specifically.
Why don’t you guys also offer Belden 6000UH tinned copper which offers 0.14mH and lower resistance and capacitance to the ones you just measured? I love your guys cables and have a bunch.
So, what manufacturer of the us cable And such should we look 👀 for in the US stores that you are referring to. I have a set of your cables set to show up today
Tune by length? When I was a CBer way back in the day using RG8 to the antenna the big spec was SWR, Standing Wave Ratio. How much signal was reflected, bounced back by the load. Like a balanced audio with impedance the same on both sides, the cable needs to match that impedance at the operational frequencies. Such cables, like an RG8, are given specific impedance specs. But that is based on cable lengths related to frequency wavelength. You trimmed your RF cable to multiples of that wavelength. Because audio is such a relatively wide bandwidth, perhaps length is irrelevant? Other than random lengths would have random resonances.
Right idea, but the wrong frequency range. Look at the data presented, and pay attention to the impedance of the LOAD (speaker) and the open-short impedance of the cable. The impedance goes way up as frequency drops because the Vp isn't linear through audio and goes from the limiting dielectric Vp at RF to zero at DC (see the graph). You can't match that as the cable and speaker are moving targets across frequency where RF is a pure resistive "impedance" as the L and C cancels and leaves no reactance. This isn't the case in analog audio. We will always have reactace that the amplifier would rather not be driving.
@glenncurry3041 Doesn't matter. The analog cable impedance is STILL variable to frequency and is not linear. The load is now ~ 47Kohm which helps but you are REMOVING the load match by making the load "infinity". No cable will be inmfinity impedance to match to that load. Sure, we use 47K as an approximation for voltage divider properties but the cable's impedance is well lower than the load, always. We remove the current difficulties and concentrate on pure voltage transfer function to the load, and the higher the load impedance the better for analog. So no, impedance matching at analog isn't possible for the load and cable impedance variations as well as the wavelength (too long).
I've had a number of experiences with speaker cabling. I was a Rep when Kenwood introduced the LO-7M monoblock amp. It was the first to come with it's own very short massively parallel cable. A batch of 22Ga wires woven into a sheath. There were numerous reports of amps frying when someone used that cable on some other amp. Not sure why the Star Quad is so popular for speaker cable? Myself and two of my sons had to replace our BJ Star Quads. One found it first. (LO-7M, AR 91) Complained about smearing, loose bass. Bought your 10 Whites. Noticeable subjective improvement. So my other son (LO-7M, AR9) replaced his Star Quads with some old Monster Cable I had (was a Rep), shotgunned. He said sounded subjectively better. So I replaced my Star Quads with the shotgunned Monster Cable. With my desired volume level in a big room with Maggie 1.7i, my ADCOM GFA555 would over heat. So I monitored dbSPL (and heat sink temp) to get through sessions. Replacing the SQs I measured a 3db increase in dbSPL for a given volume control setting. And my amp ran cooler. While I did not set it up as a test initially, so the measurements were on the fly, they were objective measurements.
Star quad will LOWER the low frequency input impedance to closer match the load and that is an improvement. Neither star quad or a zip cord (two parallel wires) will address higher frequency Vp alignment so no better there by the design limits. You need insulated and high DCR wires to alter the Vp with frequency. One fat wire can't get it done. The capacitance change is within normal range for amplifiers (I also owned the Kenwood LO-7M mono blocks) and are fine. No change in cable will change the SPL by 3 dB, I wish that were so but 3 dB is double the dissipated power! If that "loss" is going into a cable and not the speaker to the tune of 3 dB something is really wrong somewhere. Attenuation isn't a problem with most reasonably AWG size cable. Cable problems are more L and C time domain distortions. But loop R used properly can impact the Vp time domain curve for the better.
@@Rower30-ye6qn I measured it. I was also showing a 2-3db lower noise floor/ average SPL. Measured. As I said, I did not set it up to be a lab test. But I had a years long base line for comparison.
@glenncurry3041 1313A is 23.2 Pf/foot. 1310A is 20.5 Pf/foot. Two 1313A zip cords in parallel is a HIGHER total capacitance than 1310A in parallel (~46.6 VS ~41), where 1310A star quad wired will have lower inductance and a lower open-short impedance (better) as it has phase cancellation in a star quad design. Some design amplifiers need to see more inductance to offset the capactive reactance as it is not mitigated in the amplifier design. That isn't the cable's fault but the design of the amplifier into typical loads. And yes, the damping factor and stability will be compromised with those amplifiers and not to forget, the amplifier sees the cable+speakers!
Since i have no understanding of this subject whatsoever, i would like to know what lengths of both speaker cables and interconnects is ideal. I am about to order, but i have been reading so many different opinions on forums, which confuse me quite a bit. Help will be appreciated.
Correct, shorter is better. The REASON is explained for those that want to know WHY this is so. Those that accept the answer as is...sure, move on. I have plenty of people that dig a little deeper so this is for them.
@@bluejeanscable7214 I understood the reason of why these two video's where uploaded and that i am not the target audience. I figured commenting here was a way for me to get an good answer. The fact you've answered clear and quickly is much appreciated. Thanks.
@@SlagroomenCornflakes We are happy to be a resource for you. Feel free to contact us at the shop via phone or email with any questions you might have!
This is a very valuable presentation for me. NOW I realize why BFA connnectors are the absolute wrong choice for my gear. In addition to the poor fit, they are prone to snapping with time. Likewise how to choose the proper sizes for spade connectors.
This is interesting based on mechanical principles to me. Compared to spring loaded bananas, say like ones provided with WBT cables, your locking bananas only expand at the tip so the whole post of the banana doesn’t have contact with the female connector. The principles of locking bananas are good, in practice tho your particular locking banana is flawed mechanically since theoretically only 10% of the banana post is contacting the terminal whereas a banana that expands all the way down the shaft has more surface area. Otherwise, what’s the point of 10g wire if you’re creating a bottleneck at the connector with the surface area equivalent of an 18g wire? This is where bare wire and spades would seem to have the advantage. Having said that, I have your cables with locking bananas and they are good connectors however the electromechanical field engineer/mechanic/electrician in me will probably not let me go along without getting different connectors or spades. (I realize that’s my problem) Have you guys considered other locking bananas that expand the entire post? I do like the idea of the sonic weld since solder is a mixing bowl of shit conductors.
Yes, I am referring to both the published specs and then testing the cables in the video. Is there a specific specification you are wondering about that I am not addressing in the video?
Good question- yes, I have measured Speakons. Whether solder or screw type, they have a high resistance compared to most any other connector. Very convenient for many applications but not ideal in a fixed system.
I have a question. This presentation is talking mainly about interconnects and speaker cables. Does the information in this video also apply to power cords?
I don't think so- power cables are carrying a 60Hz signal VP isn't really an issue. Galen does have a paper on power cables though, it's available to read on the Iconoclast website
thanks for this video. very interesting! would you prefer soldering with high quality silver solder or just screw the speaker cable in the banana? if soldering: the more solder the better? thanks again!
Soldering doesn't really work because you have to get the whole connector hot enough to accept solder, which will melt the surrounding insulation. Set screws would be my preferred DIY solution, but really our welding process can't be beat.
@@bluejeanscable7214 thanks for your reply. currently thinking about a multiple solid core cable. just screwing will presumably not work 100%. or should i crimp them all together? also this sound like a challenge…
I prefer to go solder less for the sake of being able to re use the connector if needed. Nothing is permanent. I also like not crimping as that further damages the plugs should a mistake be made or just wanting to re purpose the connector. Been doing this whole plug and jack for decades . Just a thought
2:11 why is your electrical outlet so close to the floor? Any risk of damage by flooding? Techflex wrap with split option looks great! Hope to find some in my area.
I have spare banana connectors. I inserted them into my power amp & they do not fit tight. There is a little bit of jiggle to them. Your locking banana plugs will not jiggle ?
I am in discussions with Alpha Audio in Quebec but so far they don't know if their customer base would want higher end stuff like this- perhaps if some potential customers were to encourage them they might choose to start carrying it!
Glad you feel that way! It's hard to find time most days, and there's not much support from management. Should be some good stuff coming soon though. Is there a particular topic you would like to see covered?
@bluejeanscable7214 mainly showing the cable options in applications such as home audio equipment, the difference of cable types. The beginner going to your page might feel a bit confused on why I'm ordering this vs that. People love videos and they love to talk about why they bought a certain brand.
The best part of this video for me is the fact that I work at Best Buy and all we sell is AudioQuest cables and they are junk. All of their cables use BFA connectors and every speaker in the premium audio room at my store is hooked up with them and the cables sometime just fall out of the speaker terminals because of how loosely the BFAs that have been plugged and unplugged fit. I wish they would go to a different style of connector because unless they are selling these in the European market it makes no sense to use those here in the US and even if that is the case they could still come up with a different connector for the US version.
Congrats, always great to see smart and passionate people building items for themeselves and others. Also, focusing on quality control and more is great adder. Am confused, are you BJC or a supplier to them? Looking for USA made copper speaker cable options and BJC site is confusing on where the cables are made, if any level of standards in terms of 99.xx level of copper, etc. Your videos also show 'better looking' hosings vs the BJC options that are no frills. Also, which stereo store is selling your product? I'm in Austin TX.
Thank you! This is the official BJC channel. We are launching a new service to try and get our product in stores. We can help with all of your questions if you contact us directly via phone or email- check the contact page on our website.
@@bluejeanscable7214I would love for you guys to get into making and selling power cables. Is that something that you would consider or thought about?
it would be beneficial to actually see you doing the connecting, rather than just seeing a static screen until you finish connecting the plug. It would give insight into how you made the connection watching you tighten the spades etc.
Thanks a lot, like your Videos! Would love to see your opinion on cable lifters, as well does putting a gounding cable making a real difference (what would be the best grounding option). Also the different technics (especially from Japan) for RCA cables usng multiple wires for plus/minus. Another question would be all about this helix style, like Inakustik did with their crazy expensive ones, really that much difference. So many questions, would love to see more from your expertise. BTW: also blue jeans cable here in Germany have very good Reputation 😊 Thanks so much!
I'm not sure there's one good answer- it depends on what the cable will be used for. The more current, the lower the resistance should be. So a good cable for rear surrounds might not be good enough for full range towers. Lower inductance seems to be more impactful on some speakers than others. The only meaningful thing you can do with these numbers is compare one cable against another objectively, but listening should be the final judgement.
@@bluejeanscable7214 thank you for your reply. The reason for my question is based on the following guidelines I saw mentioned by another person. DCR less than 35 Mili ohms Inductance less than 0.2 microhenry Capacitance less than 30 picofarad All the above are values per foot I question was also based mainly around in ear monitors I have noticed than multiple driver IEM , ones with dynamic drivers and balanced armatures seen more sensitive to cable choice than IEM that are.just single driver Also my personal experience with IEM cables has shown me that as long as a cable comes close to the above values especially the DCR the sonic results will be good and that a cable costing below 150usd does the job. There are cables Costing 1k....2k even and we talking 4 feet long cables
@@bluejeanscable7214 the extremes that some individuals will go to just blows my mind , especially when I have more than once put these cables to the test some of the owners and 9 times out of 10 they can differentiate between these mega expensive cables and cables I own coating 50....60....100 us
@@bluejeanscable7214 would be cool to have someone such as yourself talk in more detail about this. I agree that cables will affect the sound but there are so many variables that it makes me question how many people truly can hear the difference
Well I suppose you can just look at the spec sheet for the actual wire resistance, but again it depends on how well it engages the post. Doing quick comparisons like this really illustrates the convenience of connectors, as bare wire termination will take a bit more fiddling around. I would agree that, done correctly, bare wire is preferable- it's just easy to do wrong!
I bought a set of KLE BFA connectors. Made from silver, pulled them out after a couple of months. They take very little side pressure to distort them (just putting them in slightly out of square is enough), and then lose tension over time. The manual for my monoblocks is very clear, never unplug the speaker with the amp running or you will have to buy a very expensive output transformer. The brass ones might perform better, but avoid the silver ones like the plague
Connectors tend to be for units that get plugged and unplugged a lot. Simply not worth it imo for domestic users. I speak from a professional stance where we had to pull equipment out very fast during tight timeslots.
Is buying BJC cables through Amazon safe? I bought a 12ft speaker cable for $65 and when it arrived it looked like a return. The bag where the cable was in was already opened and resealed with tape. It looked so jank and had me wondering if I just got played and was given a used cable
Normally Amazon stuff from us should be just fine, but I have heard about things like this happening before. I would say that it is worth going direct for the simple reason that you get better customer support- you can always call us and talk to someone to make sure you are getting exactly what you want. We might not have as fancy of a web interface or all of the other bells and whistles as Amazon, but we are staffed with good folks who are personally invested in getting things right.
@@bluejeanscable7214 thanks! I ordered from Amazon just because it was offering same day delivery for the cable I needed. The cable itself was fine and didn’t see any damage. It was just the packaging that had me thinking maybe this was returned and just resealed with tape and sold again as new. I’ll definitely just buy directly from you guys next time for peace of mind.
@@Squishmallows24 I understand. they are supposed to return any used items to us, but I think that if someone returns something to Amazon and says it's new/sealed Amazon just takes their word for it and puts it back into new inventory. Glad to hear the cable is fine and will work for you.
@@bluejeanscable7214 yea I bought a used Audioquest hdmi from amazon warehouse. It was a 10ft cable, received it and inside was a 2.5ft cable lol wow. Btw I was looking for some cables to connect my amplifier to my receiver (pre-outs) which do you recommend? On your site I see come cables with a purple and orange boot. Would those work?
Kurt is a real bargain hunter, he bought most of the machines used at various auctions for a tiny fraction of the price of new. I would say the main cost component compared to a lot of the market is using mainly US made parts and paying our employees reasonable wages. Not many cable companies can say that!
