Which audio cable gives the best sound?
Professional audio cables play a crucial role in perfectly showcasing your sound. Whether you want to optimize your hi-fi system or are looking for high-quality connections for your home cinema, the right cables make all the difference. At in-akustik, you will find a wide selection of high-quality analog audio cables, especially RCA and XLR cables, which have been developed for a wide range of applications and guarantee an outstanding sound experience.
A good audio cable ensures that the signal is transmitted without any loss of quality – this is particularly important if you want to hear every detail of your favorite music. Whether you are looking for high-quality XLR cables for high-end hi-fi systems or classic RCA cables, the variety is huge and precisely tailored to give you the best possible sound. Not only functionality but also workmanship is crucial here. High-quality materials and precise manufacturing are the key to clean, interference-free sound.
A brief guide to materials
Our professional audio cables are made of various high-quality materials that significantly influence signal quality, provide better shielding and durability in any audio setup. The conductor material of many cables is high-purity copper, often referred to as OFC (Oxygen-Free Copper), which minimizes resistance and ensures a clean signal flow. For the AIR Pure Silver cables, we even use pure silver as the conductor material to further improve signal transmission.
The highlight of our cable design is the innovative AIR technology. This enables us to use air as a dielectric – alongside vacuum, the best insulating material in physical terms. This minimizes unwanted capacities and guarantees precise signal transmission.
The connectors of our AIR cables are made of rhodium-coated tellurium copper. Tellurium copper is a harder metal alloy with high conductivity, which has significantly better electrical properties than brass connectors. The rhodium coating ensures long-lasting contact and corrosion resistance, which guarantees stable conductivity even with frequent modifications.
Our XLR cables and RCA cables are equipped with a high-density shielding that effectively reduces electromagnetic interference.
Which connection is the right one?
Low-frequency cables are used to transmit analog audio signals between different hi-fi components. They are used in a variety of applications, such as:
- Connecting a CD player or network player to active speakers
- Connecting a CD player to a preamplifier or amplifier
- Connecting a preamplifier to a power amplifier
- Vonnecting DACs (digital-to-analog converters) to amplifiers
- Special phono cables are required to connect a turntable to a phono preamplifier
XLR cables, such as the NF-204 Micro AIR | XLR, offer balanced signal transmission with two signal conductors and a shielding, making them particularly resistant to interference. They are not only used in the professional sector, but increasingly also in the high-end hi-fi segment, where the highest sound quality is required. XLR plugs are lockable and, thanks to their three poles (pin 1 for shielding, pin 2 for hot signal, pin 3 for inverted signal), offer a secure fit and larger contact surfaces. They are particularly suitable for long cable lengths and environments with potential sources of interference
RCA cables, such as the NF-1205 AIR | RCA, on the other hand, are widely used in hi-fi systems and are suitable for unbalanced connections between components. They provide reliable signal transmission and can be found in many home audio systems. RCA plugs have two poles (inner pin for signal and outer ring for ground/shielding) and are not lockable. They are ideal for shorter connections in the home. For short distances and in low-interference environments, both cable types can deliver excellent sound quality.
The difference between analog and digital audio cables
Analog and digital audio cables differ fundamentally in the way they transmit signals.
Analog audio cables (such as RCA and XLR cables):
- Transmit continuous electrical signals that directly represent audio information
- Used to connect analog audio devices such as amplifiers, mixers, and speakers
- Are more susceptible to interference and quality loss over longer distances
- Transfer discrete digital data in the form of binary codes (zeros and ones)
- Are used for the connection between digital audio devices such as CD players, DACs and AV receivers
- They are less susceptible to interference and can transmit signals over longer distances without loss of quality.
This distinction is important because it determines the cable's range of application and properties. For the connection between a DAC and an amplifier, analog cables are usually used because the DAC has already converted the digital signal into an analog one. Digital cables, on the other hand, are used to transmit digital audio signals from a source to the DAC.
Here you can discover our wide selection of different professional audio cables in a range of quality levels – from classic entry-level cables to high-end solutions that will impress even the most demanding audiophiles. You are guaranteed to find the right cable for all of your audio components in order to take your music or home theater experience to the next level.