Different types of audio cables have their own characteristics in terms of sound quality, transmission distance, application scenarios and prices. High-end home theaters and recording studios generally choose coaxial audio cables or optical fiber audio cables, and general households choose coaxial audio cables or ordinary RCA audio cables. This article compares three common audio cables in detail to help you choose the appropriate audio cable according to your needs. Coaxial audio cable, optical fiber audio cable and ordinary RCA audio cable are three common audio transmission cables, and they have certain differences in sound quality and application fields.
coaxial audio cable
The central conductor of the coaxial audio cable is made of copper, and the outer layer has a wire braided shielding net to shield electromagnetic interference. It has the advantages of strong anti-interference ability and long transmission distance (up to 100 meters), and can support various audio formats. playback, suitable for home theater and recording studio. However, the coaxial cable is thick and rigid, and it is not convenient to lay it. Coaxial audio cables include digital coaxial cables and analog coaxial cables. Digital coaxial cables support higher bandwidth and can transmit audio formats such as Dolby Digital and DTS; analog coaxial cables only support traditional analog audio formats. The price of the coaxial audio cable is higher, but it is very durable. If the wire specification is higher, it can achieve long-distance transmission of more than 50 meters. The general coaxial audio cable is shown in the figure below:
The common fault of the coaxial audio cable is the signal attenuation caused by the aging of the shielding layer, which can be solved by replacing a new coaxial audio cable.
Optical audio cable
The optical fiber audio cable uses optical fiber to transmit digital audio signals with almost no loss and is not affected by external electromagnetic interference. The transmission distance can reach more than 500 meters and supports high-definition lossless audio formats. The optical fiber audio cable supports high-definition lossless audio formats such as LPCM, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD, and TrueHD, and is suitable for high-end audio systems, home theater systems, and professional audio equipment. The general optical fiber audio cable is shown in the figure below:
Ordinary RCA audio cable
Ordinary RCA audio cables are the simplest and cheapest. They are only suitable for short-distance analog audio transmission and do not have anti-interference ability. The length is generally about 3 meters. Only supports analog audio format, for simple home audio and headphone connection, the sound quality is average. Since there is no shielding layer, it is easily affected by external electromagnetic interference and noise occurs. This type of audio cable is simple to use, but not suitable for high-quality music listening. Common lotus audio cables mainly include: red and white double-headed lotus audio cable, 3.5mm to red and white lotus audio cable. The common fault is that the inner insulation layer of the line is damaged, which can be solved by replacing the new audio cable. The general ordinary RCA audio cable is shown in the figure below:
Summarize
Optical fiber audio cable: suitable for connecting high-end audio systems, home theater systems, digital TV set-top boxes, etc., to obtain better sound quality.
Coaxial audio cable: suitable for connecting Blu-ray players, digital TV set-top boxes, home theater audio systems, etc.
Ordinary RCA audio cable: suitable for connecting common audio and video equipment such as DVD players, TV sets, power amplifiers, and mobile phones to power amplifiers.
To sum up, when we buy audio cables, we need to choose different audio cables according to sound quality requirements, transmission distance, application scenarios and cost. You can choose a coaxial audio cable or an ordinary RCA audio cable for home use, and a coaxial or optical fiber audio cable for professional use. Each cable has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you need to choose the appropriate audio cable according to your actual needs.