CableDirect – 3ft RCA/Phono Cable, 2 × 2 Plugs, Stereo Audio Cable, Practically Break-Proof & Flawless Sound Quality (coaxial, subwoofer/amp/HiFi & Home Cinema/Blu-ray, Analog & Digital)

Recently I re-tubed a vintage amp I've been restoring. I put it back in my entertainment center, turned it on, and sat back to listen.Everything was fine for about an hour or so, then a 60 Hz hum started. In just a few minutes the hum was the only thing that could be heard.My first thought was that one of the new tubes was bad. But because disconnecting the amp to remove it from the rack, then opening it up to replace a bad tube didn't appeal to me I decided to first recheck the connections to make certain nothing was loose (Good grounding is our friend).I found the hum was coming from a patch cord that had gone bad. It was an older cable and I guess something that got brittle with age snapped while it was being handled. I didn't have another RCA patch cable long enough, so time to buy a new cable.Normally my go to stereo patch cables would be Blue Jeans LC-1 interconnects, but there's a problem. Blue Jeans has fallen for the current fad of oversize moldings on their connectors. The RCA inputs on most vintage stereo equipment (Say 70's or earlier) is spaced more closely together than is common on modern gear. And I know from experience the the LC-1's won't fit on the inputs of this amplifier without the benefit of improvisational engineering. And most other brands of modern interconnect cables have "chunky plug" syndrome as well.While pondering this dilemma the light went off in my head. I bought a KabelDirekt headphone jack to RCA cord to connect the bedroom TV to an elderly Wave Radio I rescued from a yard sale. And the RCA connectors on that patch cord were much more reasonably sized. So I popped upstairs to get the cable and tried a test fitting on my old amp, and they fit perfectly with room to spare.So I ordered a KabelDirekt 6' stereo patch cable and through the magic of Amazon Prime a nice government employee deposited it in my mailbox two days later.ImpressionsIn addition to having reasonably sized connectors that will fit vintage gear they are well made and grip tightly, but not too tight (I hate connectors that have to be hammered on or pulled off with visegrips).Sound? They sound good. They add nothing to the audio and don't take anything away, which is what good cables should do. And the hum is gone.On the subject of channel markings on the plugs; I'm in my Fifties, and deep in the throes of presbyopia. Which means I'm not particularly flexible and I don't see tiny things in tight spaces very well. Much has been made in other reviews about the marking for the channels on these cables being the color of the printing on the plugs and how difficult it is to see.Blind, old, and cranky as I am I had no problems telling left from right while squatting down in the cramped, poorly lit space behind my entertainment center. Another reviewer recommended using a flashlight helps to see the colors more easily. I second his opinion.My only complaint really has nothing to do with the cables themselves. It has to do with the KabelDirekt's "Designed in Germany - Made in China" tag in their marketing.Designed does not mean engineered. In fact "Designed" in this context is extremely vague. It might mean engineered, but it might only mean "we told the Chinese factory what font to print on the plugs". It would be nice if they were to provide a bit more clarification on what is meant by "Designed".Bottom line; Good cables at a good price. They perform well and seem well made enough to last in home audio use.Update 7/31/2018: I've since ordered several more of these cables for various uses in sizes ranging from 3' to 20'. I've been satisfied with the performance, even the 20 foot cable used with my TV (dead quiet, no hum, despite being next to several power cords).I've only had one RCA Plug with a loose fit when new, and that was easily corrected with the judicious application of pliers.And apparently KabelDirekt does read these reviews because the newer cables come with easier to see color bands on the barrels of the plugs.

Length:Good length.Signal quality:The connection works great. I needed them for my mixer to my amp setup to replace old pair that was shorting out. sounds good & seems durable to last awhile.

I ordered these cables to attach a new CD player to my existing audio set up.The cables are made out of a high quality rubber and the sound quality is great for the price.They are the correct length and function just as well as I would want them toIt was very easy to attach them to my set up as they are very clearly labeled with their colors for Left and right.

Audio cables are probably the most misunderstood and misrepresented segment of the audio industry. You can pay $1 or $1000 for a 3 ft RCA cable, there is a supplier willing to provide you with a cable no matter what you want to pay.So how much do you NEED to pay? At what point do the diminishing returns kick in, and you only get small to no improvement in sound for the incremental dollars you spend? What is the sweet spot?Only you can answer that question…. Everyone’s needs are different, as are everyone’s ears. Plus, everyone’s gear is different, as everyone has a different budget and different level of audio gear.::::UPDATE: 4/25/2018Recently, I moved my Turntable to a new spot further from my receiver and was in need of a longer RCA cable to hook it up. I needed a 15ft cable, and with the longer run, I wanted to choose something with the lowest capacitance possible. I have been doing a lot of reading on the topic - and the Blue Jeans Cables kept coming up as the best choice for low capacitance. But they are expensive, I do own a few, but always looking for alternatives that won't break the bank of similar quality.Out of curiosity, I purchased a Capacitance meter - namely the Elenco cm-1555 which I reviewed here on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-CM1555-Digital-Capacitance-Meter/dp/B0002HDTDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524668515&sr=8-1&keywords=cm-1555. The Blue Jeans Cables can get capacitance as low as 12pf (pf = picofarads) per foot, which is outstanding. Their more common line is 18pf per foot. This is why people buy them - in the audio world, audiophiles try to minimize capacitance of a cable when using analog RCA connections.Next, I measure the Kabeldirekt cables I owned (I own a bunch), and guess what? They were measuring in the 19pf range --- a range that cables going for MUCH more were measuring. To contrast that further - the UGreen cables sold here on Amazon, which I own a few sets - they measured 53pf per ft!!! Wow, that is high. Then, the Amazon Basics Cables measured a respectable 29pf per ft. -- not as good as the Kabeldirekt but not bad. Then I measured some of the older Monster Cables I still own - you know, those cables you were overcharged for years ago --- well, no matter which one I measure, the capacitance was NOT good and extremely high - higher than any of the cables just mentioned.Anyway, what does this mean? It's just another reason to love these Kabeldirekt Cables for the price.END UPDATE::::I personally own and try cables of different levels – I own these Kabeldirekt, also own Monoprice, Blue Jeans, Monster, and other brands. There is a level of cost I won’t cross for my own personal budget, in fact the Blue Jeans cables I own are the upper end for me, and sometimes still feel I paid too much. Again, everyone's needs are different, some spend a lot more on cables than Blue Jeans, some think it is more than you need. After buying and trying Blue Jeans, I started looking for another brand to try that was well made, but cheaper. I was setting up an HT for my sons’ and for my woodshop, and needed something that struck the price to value ratio nicely. I did not want to pay a fortune, but wanted something a little better than the lower end Monoprice cables.For my money, these Kabeldirekt have hit the spot nicely. I have purchased varying lengths of these cables, and different types. I have the RCA in 3, 6 and 10 feet, plus different configurations of the 3.5mm cables. I like a lot of things about these cables – they have an oxygen free copper core, they are shielded, and they are flexible. They also have reinforced, well-constructed ends and connectors, and don’t fit so tight that you have to pull them off with excessive force. They just look and feel like a good cable.But the real test – how do they perform? Well, this is the subjective part of cable shopping, and where everyone has a different opinion. My opinion is these perform well for the money. My main theater room has a Denon 7200wa and a Parasound 2125 amp, with Klipsch RP center, mains and surrounds. My shop has a Denon 4806 with Definitive CLR 2002 center, and SM 450 mains and 350 surrounds. My sons’ HT has a Denon 3300W with Def Tech BP 8B, CLR 2002 center. In all cases, and all configurations, I am happy with the performance of these cables. In my main room, these cables are the connection from my Turntable to my Radial J33 phono stage, and on to my Denon 7200 / Parasound Amp. I am completely satisfied with the sound these deliver. I really can’t tell much if any difference compared to my Blue Jean cables….Bottom line is my system(s) / HT setups are of the “mid-fi” category, and these cables perform well in my opinion for this level. You could spend less, and you could spend more the choice is yours. For me, the $10 range for RCA cables is good enough, and these are a well made cable for that price.Recommended. Thanks for reading.