2025 Guide to Understanding Audio Cables: Myths, Materials & Choosing the Right Ones

“There is no such thing as an accessory cable unless it's not being used. If it's plugged in and being used, it's playing a part. It's a component.”

It is not beyond me that we are talking about a taboo subject. Cables are such a hot topic. I would rather talk about the price of eggs or oil and stir that pot. But over time, one thing has been made clear to me, cables matter. Here I'm offering the lens that I’m looking through. More importantly I’m going to talk about the elephant in the room. The real issue that lies at the heart of the problem. The real issue that drives people away from our industry in droves the moment they dip their toes into hi-fi. The cost. And not just the price tag, but the cost in time, the steep learning curve, and the countless different opinions to try and decipher.

There is not another industry that asks of their clientele what the audio industry does right off the bat. The fact that this cable or “accessory” could cost the same as the component you're looking for while bringing wildly varying results. And oh, by the way, the number of differing opinions on the matter are equally varying (and oh, do they differ). I get it. I've been there. I live it.

The bottom line is that cables are components already. Whether you use the provided power cable and the cheapest interconnects you can find or spend everything you have, these cables are already in place. Without them, the rest of your system cannot function. Cables are components.

There’s plenty of debate around why and how much cables matter. In this article, we’ll break it down—how materials, construction, and choosing the right upgrades can impact your system. Plus, why keeping your cables consistent might make a bigger difference than you think.

Are Cables Really Components? Understanding Their Role in Your System

First, I'm going to go about this a little backwards. I'm going to talk about all the barriers that come up before you can understand cable engineering or make a good decision on the right fit.

Are expensive cables just audiophile snake oil? They are not. Keep reading or don't, but we are going to help answer some questions and change the conversation a bit.

Let’s say you are new to the world of Hi-Fi, or you grew up around it. But you're now getting into it yourself. You start exploring, and inevitably the same question comes up. Why am I seeing cables that cost a mortgage payment and some that don’t? A curious mind is something that all audiophiles share, and that leads to research, which of course leads to the internet.

One thing leads to another, and you inevitably end up on the forums. This usually devolves into something unreadable pretty quickly. There will be those that throw facts with actual data, metrics, etc. These are always fun, especially when they are unbiased. But for the most part it's an opinion contest. Read that again: opinion contest.

If you’re new to audio, this is often where you check out—and that’s a problem. Unfortunately, that usually leads to one of two outcomes: either you go down the path of never treating cables as actual components, or you end up making costly mistakes while trying to figure it out on your own, as I did. Let’s try to help with that.

Some opinions haven’t changed since Richard Nixon was in office. Here are some of the most common ones we hear:

Lamp cord works fine. I’ve been using it since 1879.
What is RFI? It’s not a new issue, and I've never had it before.
You cannot hear above 14k hertz. Why address it?
Why do the last three feet that the power travels matter when you can’t control the rest?
Copper is copper.
They’re not worth what they cost.
It's not possible that three feet of cable makes that big of a difference.

Yet, these arguments ignore a long list of real factors that affect cable performance. One of the most persistent myths is the idea that a lamp cord is just as good as dedicated speaker cables. I still see demonstrations—at trade shows and online—where people use a hardware-store lamp cord on high-end speakers to “prove” that it works. Sure, it works—but that says nothing about quality, performance, or long-term reliability.

Despite countless reviews from audiophiles and experts worldwide, some opinions refuse to evolve. And ironically, those voices often seem to be the loudest.

Take RFI (Radio Frequency Interference), for example. It’s a real and growing issue. As we add more wireless devices, smart appliances, and networked systems to our homes, the potential for interference increases. Yet, some still dismiss it as a non-issue. This is just one of many misunderstandings that continue to linger in the audio world.

Another common question is how only a few feet of cable can possibly matter. We get this a lot, specifically with power cables, but the answer applies to other cables as well. When the power has traveled countless miles to get to your outlet, why would the last three feet matter? If you can control what enters your component, it will perform better. Simple as that. Whether that is power or a signal

Now imagine power as a river, and it is running along, building mile by mile, and being added to by streams along the way. The river is running naturally wild and carving its own path. At the end of the river, you find a dam and lock system, which are not only controlling the flow of the river and guiding it downstream but calming the river as well. The water on the other side is flowing at a nice, even, controlled rate.

A good power cable acts in this same manner. The same can be said for other cables, with the difference that your gear is sending a cleaner signal through interconnects and speaker cables compared to what your power cables start with. Imagine if your gear was not performing optimally because the last three feet were not controlled (or the first three feet within the scope of your system). That would mean that everything else down the chain is also not performing optimally. That three feet is more important than we realize.

Even if you recognize the importance, knowing where to start with finding the right upgrade can be overwhelming. Whether you’re questioning copper purity, debating cost, or just trying to separate fact from marketing hype, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. So, let’s break down some of the most misunderstood aspects of cables and move past the buzzwords like “bright” or “warm” to focus on what really matters.

What Makes a High-End Audio Cable? Materials, Design & Performance

What’s really inside a high-end audio cable? Let’s break it down—from the metals used in the conductors to dielectrics and shielding to the outer coating. Many companies are proud to share what goes into their cables. In fact, cable manufacturers often provide some of the most detailed information in the audio industry. But beyond marketing, I want to take a deeper dive into the different types of cables you’ll use along with the materials and design factors that set them apart. Most importantly, we’ll help shed light on the “why” behind cable design and how it makes an audible difference.

Types of Audio Cables & What They’re Made Of

First, let's outline the different types of cables that you’ll find in a hi-fi system. There are countless cables that have been used over the years in audio, but these are the industry standard ones that we will be referring to in this article:

Power Cables
Speaker Cables
Digital Interconnects - Digital Coax, USB, Optical (becoming less and less common), HDMI, Ethernet
Analog interconnects - RCA, XLR, Phono Interconnects

These are the most common types of cables used at the moment, and other than optical cables, they all use very similar materials. Let's talk more about the conductors first. What types of metals are used in audio cables, and which is best?

Copper, Silver, and Gold: Which Metal is Best for Audio?

Copper is king! Copper is an incredible conductor of electrical signals and current. It’s relatively easy to manipulate and form for different uses. I could go on and on, but the key takeaway is that copper strikes a great balance between ease of engineering for audio, affordability, and all-around performance.

Copper comes in different purities and is processed using various methods, all of which can impact quality, cost, and performance. The purer the copper, the more expensive it is to produce. However, compared to some of its counterparts—like silver—copper is easier to purify and manipulate, making it a more practical choice for audio applications.

Another major advantage of copper is its widespread use across countless industries. From electrical wiring to telecommunications, copper is everywhere, which helps keep costs and availability in check. Simply put, it’s an incredibly effective conductor that balances performance, affordability, and accessibility, which is why it remains a top choice for audio cables.

Why Not Gold?

Gold is actually the best conductor of electricity, and it’s excellent for audio signals. Best of all, it doesn’t corrode, which is why you often see gold-plated connectors. The obvious downside? Cost. It’s simply too expensive to use in full-scale applications. It is also incredibly malleable, which has its downsides as well, oftentimes having to be blended with other metals to gain rigidity.

The most common application in audio is gold plating, usually for covering brass or copper connections. Its non-corrosive benefits and excellent conductivity make it ideal and cost-effective for plating.

Silver vs. Copper: When Does Silver Make a Difference?

Silver is incredible for both digital and analog signals. It measures well, has low distortion, and performs exceptionally across the board. Silver is also extremely fast, which affects both digital and analog performance. However, you’ll need to tread carefully. Silver can get pricey and may not always give you the sound you’re looking for.

To my ear—and for many audiophiles—pure silver tends to sound bright. Most high-end speaker designers likely aren’t tuning their speakers using silver cables. That said, silver can be a great option if you feel your system needs a bit more openness on the high end or if details seem slightly stifled. It also tends to keep bass tight and well-organized.

Digital cables usually benefit the most from silver. If I were investing in an all-silver cable, I’d prioritize something like a high-quality silver USB or coaxial cable—like the Audience Front Row Reserve.

Why Not Use Cheaper Metals in Hi-Fi Cables?

Cheaper metals tend to lack one or more of copper’s key attributes—conductivity, durability, or ease of use. For example, materials such as aluminum have been used in the distant past and still have a role in shielding. But it lacks the strength and conductivity of copper in use for cables. There’s really no good reason to look for a cheaper alternative unless copper prices skyrocket.

Design: What is Gauge in Cables, and How Does it Affect the Signal?

Now that you have the metal for the cable, how do you use it? Does the gauge/size matter? Should you have one large wire, or is it smarter to use multiple smaller strands? Let's dig into some of these topics a little deeper.

You will often hear gauge when referring to cables, specifically with power cables and speaker cables. Gauge refers to the size of the actual wire or conductor being used. The smaller the number the larger the wire. So, for example, a 24-gauge wire is much smaller than a 12-gauge wire. In general, the bigger the gauge, the more current can flow.

For example, with an amplifier, the current that is moving through the speaker cables can vary depending on what is going on with the music being played. Low current during quiet passages, which increases the more involved the music is.

On the back end, the amplifier will need to draw more power to produce more current during these more involved passages. Essentially, the busier the music and the louder you are pushing your amplifier, the more current needs to flow. Both from the outlet to your amp, and from your amp to your speakers.

Performance

An amplifier will pull the power it needs, while source components have a fixed current flow. A larger gauge cable allows more current to flow quickly, helping the amplifier perform more efficiently. A smaller gauge power cable can be sufficient for a source component, since it is drawing a fixed amount of power from the wall.

Bigger is not always better. Even the best cables in the world have impedance, meaning the signal is not going from point A to B without resistance. A larger gauge cable can be good especially where current is involved, such as a speaker cable. Let’s talk a little about standard vs. solid core conductors and see how surface area and gauge can go together.

Why do Some Cables Use Stranded Conductors Instead of a Solid Core?

It’s important to understand that signal and current predominantly travel over the surface of the conductor. (This concept will come up again).

Now, imagine cutting a cable in half and seeing one giant copper wire inside. In this example think of that wire as Jupiter, and you have to run around its entire circumference.

Now, take that same space and fill it with 11 smaller copper strands, each forming its own little circle. Instead of running around one Jupiter, you and ten friends must run the entire circumference of the Earth.

It takes 11 Earths to make up the circumference of Jupiter in distance. You start at the same time as your friend, and at the same time as the guy that has to run around Jupiter by himself.

Who finishes first?

Using multiple strands rather than one conductor allows for more surface area for the signal to travel over. Now let's make that even easier. You have a stranded 12-gauge cable, made up of 90 small conductors, compared to a 12-gauge solid core conductor. The stranded cable has the same gauge, but a much higher amount of surface area for the signal to travel over as compared to the single conductor.

Why Does That Matter?

Let’s use a power cable as an example. Your amplifier isn’t pulling power from the wall at a constant rate—it draws power as needed. When that moment in the music hits—a long, loud sweep of sound—your amp demands more power. Its only limitation? The power available and your power cable’s ability to deliver it efficiently.

The more surface area, the more current can flow freely.

Think of it like this:

If you had one big conductor, it’s like running the full circumference of the Earth alone.
If you had many smaller strands, it’s like having 299 equally fit friends—each running their own smaller circuit simultaneously.

More conductors = better efficiency, faster response, and greater current delivery when your system needs it.

Dielectrics and Shielding

What’s Between the Conductors? Understanding Dielectric Materials.

There are many materials used on the inside of cables, but before we dive into that, let's talk about the “dielectric materials”, and what that implies. This term has been used a lot over the past few years, and all it really refers to is the materials used on the inside of the cable surrounding the conductor.

A dielectric is a material that insulates different parts of a cable, preventing signals from touching each other. Why does that matter? As I mentioned earlier, the signal passes over the surface of the metal. Picking the right kind of “Dielectric” Material can have an impact on this process. There are many different types of dielectric materials, and designs out there.

Common Dielectric Materials Used in High-End Audio Cables (With Their Common Shorthand):

(PE) Polyethylene - Inexpensive, low impedance, mostly used in phone lines and data transmission
(PP) Polypropylene - Similar to PE, but made to be a stiffer, harder compound.
(PVC) Polyvinyl chloride - A cheap material. It works, but it's not ideal for high-quality audio systems. It's also the oldest game in town when it comes to dielectric materials. It's simple, inexpensive, and depending on the design of the overall cable, works great
(PTFE) Teflon - A high-performance material with excellent insulating properties, and is also used in other components such as power conditioners.
(FEP) Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene - Similar to Teflon/PTFE but less expensive and more flexible
Air and the use of air tubes - Air tubes have been increasingly used in cable designs over the past couple decades. Air is an incredible insulator. These are usually PVC or rubber, and the main idea is to act as an insulator between conductors rather than interact with them in any way. The goal is to ensure each conductor operates in its own space as much as possible.
Carbon - Carbon is a more recent addition to audio applications, though it has been used in other industries. It coats the signal cable but does not significantly impact its impedance. In fact, carbon can slightly accelerate signal transmission.

Different dielectric materials are chosen in cable design both for budget reasons and performance. Each material affects the signal in its own way, but the goal is always the same: to minimize harm to the signal and avoid unnecessary impedance.

At the lower end, PVC is one of the most common dielectric materials. It’s cheap, but it also makes it harder for the signal to pass through and does little to combat noise. When not employed well, it can actually harm the signal, leaving the sound slightly reserved, pulled back, and dampened. On the other end of the spectrum, one of the best options is employing air tubes—suspending the conductors as much as possible so that nothing is directly touching the signal-carrying wire. Air is a fantastic insulator, and cables designed this way tend to have very low impedance, allowing the signal to flow more effortlessly.

While overall sound characteristics may still depend on other design factors, air-tube construction has consistently been proven to let conductors perform with minimal interference, keeping the signal as pure as possible.

How Shielding Affects Audio Cables & Common Shielding Materials

In between the outer dielectric material and the outer jacket, some cables will have a layer of shielding. Shielding can have some great benefits when it comes to keeping out unwanted RFI (Radio Frequency Interference, i.e. Radio, Bluetooth, Cell signals). However, not all cables benefit from shielding, and therefore it’s not always employed. Let’s talk a little more about why shielding is used, and how this is achieved in cables.

Should Audio Cables Be Shielded?

Not all cables require shielding, and it's not always the best idea. You will see it on digital cables, sub cables, phono cables. As for interconnects and speaker cables, it's very dependent on the manufacturer and design choice. Shielding can have some great benefits but can also limit some cables. Some designers choose to leave it out altogether and address the noise issues by other means.

Shielding is traditionally thought of as a layer of copper, silver, or tin foil that helps keep ground and RFI noise away from the signal cable. This can also be achieved in other ways. For example, Kimber Cable chooses not to shield their cables as to not add to material cost and possibly take away from the cable’s performance. They address noise through using a braided design in the cables. Braiding a group of separate conductors creates a woven pattern that acts like a shell, or shield to block RFI noise from the conductors. Power cables tend to benefit from the same design, but this can also add to the cost and stiffness, as you have to have more cable to make a braided 1m cable than a typical 1m run of a cable.

Most Common Shielding Materials

Aluminum foil
Silver/Tinned foil
Braided copper - This really helps with the flexibility and placement factor.

When employed, silver or tinned foil tends to be the most effective material, with aluminum being a close second and the most common due to cost.

Braiding copper is an effective shielding method that uses fewer materials, making cables less costly to produce and easier to bend and route.

Outer Materials:

Now that we have the conductors, dielectric materials, and shielding covered, we are ready to hit play, right? Well, you can't go outside without a jacket.

Every cable will have some kind of material on the outside, to protect the inside material from everything outside. A lot of this can be aesthetic preference, but lets take a look at the outer materials used to jacket audio cables.

Jacket Required?

When it comes to the outer materials used, I tend to lean towards something that has some flexibility. Using designer jackets is purely visual, but like many people, I tend to like that as well. You will see many different approaches to this. AudioQuest and VIABLUE use a very nice outside coating to cover the rubber outer sleeve, while the simple blue rubber outer coating Cardas Cables uses has become iconic in the industry.

There are different ways to look at it, but it usually comes down to one of two things: is it durable, and how hard am I going to have to wrestle this thing to get it in place? That last one is important. I can't tell you how many times I have used a power cable so stiff that I had to move gear just to put it in place. Some of the cables out there today are absolute anacondas. By the time you start with a conductor, add dielectric materials, air tubes, a rubber outside, and then a jacket, it's like that kid from “A Christmas Story” who can't put his arms down.

Here are the most common outer materials used in cables today:

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) - Flexible, inexpensive, and resistant to impact and water
PE (Polyethylene) - Durable
Teflon (PTFE) - Pricier, but highly heat resistant, good internal and external material
Rubber - Flexible, easy to manipulate, and incredibly durable

There’s a good number of materials we did not have time to even cover here, but these are by far the most common. Rubber is inexpensive, reliable, holds up to significant abuse, and does not harm the signal overall. While materials, designs, and implementation may differ, all have a very real impact on the end result of what you hear.

From the conductors to dielectric materials, shielding, and outer jacket, every material makes an impact. Whether on the cost, sound, placement, or longevity, all of these add up.

Cables are treated as components by the manufacturers from inception, when they are being designed. Many factors go into the thought process to help your gear deliver the goods. All that to say, cables treated as an accessory won’t do much for your listening experience. There is no such thing as an “accessory” cable unless it's not being used.

If it's plugged in and being used, it's a component. It's playing a part. From the outlet to your speakers, you are building towards an end result: audio enjoyment, sonic truth, music—how it's supposed to sound. Cable designers take all the variables discussed above into consideration to help achieve that end result. Anything that doesn't support it won’t just sit there like an accessory, instead it takes away from your goal.

How To Make Smart, Impactful Cable Upgrades

We’ve covered a lot about cables so far—how signals flow, the materials used, and even a bit about the manufacturing process. But where do you go from here? The next step is figuring out the best approach to upgrading. Should you replace cables one at a time or overhaul everything at once? Where should you start? How much should you spend?

Let’s break it down and make the process easier.

Where to Upgrade First: Cable Types and How They Impact Your System

If I Start with One Cable, What do I Start With?

Choosing your first cable upgrade can be tricky, whether you’re new to cables or just looking to refine your system. If you want to test the waters—either with a particular brand or cables in general—I usually recommend starting with a high-quality power cable for your source. When your source gets clean, stable power, everything downstream benefits. It ensures that your CD player, turntable, or streamer has the best possible foundation to do its job well.

Cable Types How They Impact Your System

A power cable might not be the most exciting purchase, but it has a massive impact, especially on the source. Your ears will thank you. However, if you’re more interested in exploring the effects of cables and want a fun, interactive way to experiment, interconnects are another great place to start. A good pair of interconnects—whether digital or analog—can reveal differences in sound more immediately. Swapping them in and out is one of the easiest ways to hear how cables influence your system, making them a great learning tool for understanding both gear and cable characteristics.

Let’s talk about how to approach the order you should address the cables in your system. Now, we’re stepping into opinion territory—but I'll explain the thinking here. I always recommend working from the wall forward, starting with the source. That means upgrading the power cable to your CD player, turntable, or streamer first. Everything else downstream will benefit.

Whether you’re building a full cable loom or upgrading one piece at a time, here’s how I’d rank cables by their impact on your system:

Source power cable
Other power cables (amplification / preamp)
Digital interconnects
Analog interconnects
Speaker cables

There are plenty of ways to approach this—people have their own methods—but here’s why I always start from the wall forward beginning with the source. No matter how good your speakers are, they can only perform as well as the signal they receive. If that signal isn’t clean and well-supplied from the amplifier, you’re already at a disadvantage. And that amplifier? It depends on stable power and a clean signal from the source or preamp to do its job properly.

See where this is going? You can trace this all the way back to the power cable feeding your source.

If you start with speaker cables only your speakers benefit. They are also only transmitting what they are being fed by the rest of your chain. With a source power cable everything downstream improves, including your speakers. That’s why I always recommend addressing the source first. If you’re looking for a bigger upgrade, however, you can work toward upgrading to a full loom of cables instead.

What Is a “Loom” Of Cables?

Looms have become more and more common over the years. A loom is when you have one series of cables represented throughout your chain. For example, If you have a Nordost Frey 2 loom, that would be your interconnects, power, speaker, and digital cables, all being Nordost Frey 2.

There are sonic benefits. If you are fine tuning using cables that's one thing. If you like your gear, and you want to make sure the same sonic signature is implemented throughout, this can be a great way to achieve this. Without getting into the weeds, some companies will argue that your overall system synergy will be more inline, as the impedance of a particular series can help to level out impedance issues.

A loom is something that you can work towards. I have built several looms by buying one cable and then adding as my budget allows. Whether this is your approach, or you are buying a loom all at once, a loom is a great goal for sonic purity.

Either way, you have to eventually talk about the price. I want to get into the cost a bit, and talk about how to approach a budget for cables.

Why Do High-End Cables Cost So Much? Breaking Down Price & Budget

Cost is where newcomers to the hobby are the most put off. Those who have been audiophiles for decades will die on a hill in this argument. I have been there, I still remember the look on my wife's face the first time I showed her a USB cable that cost $1600. She without hesitation said, “For a ********* printer cable?”.

Breaking Down the Cost of High-End Audio Cables

Materials are a big part of the cost, but as a whole it is simply labor, materials, and design. But even when you don't account for materials and design, many of these cables take a good amount of time to manufacture with hands-on labor. The majority of the cable brands in audio are made to order or made in small batches. With that in mind, some of these cables can take upwards of 40-50 hours of skilled labor to build, prepare and then ship.

This is an industry full of very passionate people to say the least. They take this approach to avoid the pitfalls of bad manufacturing. Companies like Audience, Cardas, Nordost, Kimber, Kubala Sosna, to name a few, are putting more time and thought into cables that are actually impactful and designed to unleash your system’s full potential.

That can be a pricey endeavor, and it can also make it hard to nail down a budget. Where should you draw the line? Should you buy used, what kind of gains do you actually see? These are all questions that are legitimate, and most audiophiles will encounter them at some point in their journey.

Budget: How Much Should You Spend on Audio Cables?

Advice on what to budget can be all over the place, and I've heard anything from 15-50% of the cost of the system total. The honest answer is it's your budget, and you have to be comfortable. Those are simply the most common numbers for those who need something to go on, that I've worked with over the years.

With that in mind, I've seen a lot of gains using cables. After learning how much performance I was leaving on the table with lesser cables, it made sense to not only budget them in but treat them as a component rather than an accessory. If you are looking for an accessory, they generally include a power cable in the box as required by law, and it is definitely not doing anything to help you out. In fact, you usually get the same cable with a printer or monitor purchase. If you want a component level upgrade, replace that thing and help your gear sound like it's supposed to sound!

Cables are components, and they have a component-level impact. It’s actually pretty simple. If you’re upgrading from one amp to another and expecting a 10-15%, maybe even 25% increase in performance, my first question would be: what does that upgrade cost?

For easy math—if you’re moving from a $2K amp to a $5K amp, that’s a significant investment. But what if you could achieve a similar improvement, or even greater, by upgrading your cables with a smaller investment? If you’re chasing a 50-75% performance leap, that usually means a complete system overhaul or you are jumping up the ladder quite substantially with one component. Many people spend big money for a 10-25% improvement, upgrading from a $2k amplifier to a $5k amplifier for example. In many cases, the right cable upgrade can deliver those same performance gains—often for less.

Start by setting a budget at 25% of the total cost of your system, give or take your comfort level, and then really hone in on finding a good fit for your system. That sounds like a good chunk of money from your budget, but the gains you will see in overall performance are going to be incredibly impactful, and not possible without it. You can work with one of TMR’s HiFi guides to help find the right fit if you are still not sure. New and used are both good options, and many listeners will build entire systems using used cables. Others piece together using a mixture of both new and used.

Should I buy used cables?

Why not? I do, this is an incredible way to get to your goals and hear different options that are out there without spending as much time burning in cables, and spending a ton of money. TMR has the most aggressive cable trade program towards new cables out there as well, so you can always work out a nice trade on some new cables using your used cables.

Whether you are buying new or used, making sure that you have budgeted in your cabling will make sure that you are giving this vital part of your system the attention that it deserves. Components are what deliver the music to you, which includes cables. They don't require that the cables be good, in order to work, but if you treat cables like the components they are, then you will absolutely unleash the abilities of the other components in your system. Whether going after all new cables, or taking advantage of the vast used market out there, treating cables as components will make a vast difference, and improve your overall experience.

Closing Thoughts

It took me quite a while to navigate the muddy waters of cables while learning on my own. It also took quite a bit of money over the years. Hopefully we have helped clear up this controversial topic, and we will continue to put information out to dive a little deeper into these subjects. All that to say, one thing I learned without a doubt, the hard way, is that cables absolutely make a difference.

As I mentioned before, if it's plugged in, it's playing a part. Cables are components. They are such an important part of your system's overall sound that it's something you really should not shrug off. Your ears will thank you.

Call us. Do you find yourself researching cables in private, whispering questions over the interwebs, and getting your answer yelled back at you by the audio gatekeepers that guard that opinion with more gusto than they put into their actual jobs? Rest assured that you are not alone, and we are here to help navigate the overcrowded opinions, it is our actual job. And ……..please don't use Lampchord for speaker cables!

Top 5 Power Cables Under $1k -

Top 5 Interconnects Under $1k -

Top 5 Speaker Cables Under $1k -

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Make sure you are hearing everything your system has to offer, from the outlet to your speakers, we can help you make the changes needed. Whether you are looking to trade in for an upgrade, or want to explore our vast collection of used and new cables, we have you covered.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Audio Cables:

Do audio cables really make a difference in sound quality?

Yes. The goal should always be to preserve the signal without introducing harm. But cables can also be used to fine-tune a system. There are a lot of different approaches—conductor materials, shielding, and even dielectric choices all play a role in how a cable interacts with the system.

Are cables directional?

Yes, they are. If a cable isn’t designed to be directional from the start, it will become directional over time with use—it’s just the nature of current flowing over metal. Most of the signal and current travel along the surface of the conductor. In production, cable directionality is determined by how the metal is pulled or cast. However, like water over rock, it takes time and use, but they will become directional over time.

Are expensive audio cables worth it, or are they just audiophile snake oil?

That depends on your system and priorities. Your budget is your own, and how much you spend on cables should match where you feel your system should be—both in performance and investment. Cables can be a subtle tweak, or they can be treated as true components, unlocking more from your gear. Not every expensive cable is worth it, but well-designed ones can absolutely make a difference.

Why is there so much debate about high-end audio cables?

A lot of reasons—personal opinion, experience, and misinformation all play a role. Some say cables don’t matter, others say they should be cheaper, and there’s never a shortage of strong opinions in either direction. My advice? Trust your ears. Over time, audiophiles develop listening skills that help them pick up on what cables can (and can’t) do. The best way to know is to try for yourself. Buying used cables is a great way to experiment without breaking the bank.

What is cable burn-in, and does it actually improve sound?

Burn-in is just the break-in period for cables (and other gear). On the surface, it’s the time it takes for cables to settle and sound how they’re supposed to sound. On a deeper level, it’s about electrical signals finding their path over the metal and through the dielectric—like a river carving its course. Some people hear a difference, others don’t. Either way, letting cables settle in a system is common practice for a reason.

What do I expect to hear after the break in process?

The results depend on the cables. Not to get into cable flavors, but you should start to hear things loosen up overall, become less stifled and more open. This seems to be a common effect across the cable type, even power cables.

I have a pair of Cardas Clear Reflection RCA’s that I burned in the ole fashioned way a while back. Those cables are incredible. At first, these sounded very detailed, I could definitely tell the mids were more open and detailed, but overall, the sound was pulled back and restrained. After about 100 hours, they started to open up. Over the next couple days of listening, the soundstage started to expand and get deeper. The mids and high end sounded a little more open and the details started to sound more effortless. Bass became more organized, whereas it was a bit muddier before.

The main goal would be for your current gear to perform better. In the case of the Cardas Reflections, they were connecting a Modwright PH9.0X to my amp. I immediately noticed that this phono stage had been holding out on me. I was hearing more depth, clarity, and detail than I had before. I have had more expensive and detailed cables, as well as cheaper cables, in this particular spot, but the reflections just fit. These cables excel in detail, and midrange clarity, and really help the PH9.0X unleash all the sound it was trying to all along.

That is what you are after right there. A cable that is a good fit will unleash the performance of your gear.

Should I upgrade speaker cables, power cables, or interconnects first?

If you’re just starting out with cable upgrades, interconnects are usually a great first step. They tend to offer a clear, noticeable change and give you a taste of what cables can do. If you’re upgrading your whole setup one step at a time, I’d start at the wall with power cables, move to digital interconnects, then analog interconnects, and finally speaker cables.

Why do high-end audio cables cost so much?

Materials and build quality play a huge role in pricing. We’re not talking about the “pure copper” you find in cheap power strips. High-end cable manufacturers source their metals carefully, and whether the copper is drawn or cast, the process is long and meticulous. Beyond materials, most high-end cables are hand-built, precisely terminated, and tested, sometimes requiring hours of skilled labor per cable.

Is it okay to buy used audio cables, or should I always buy new?

Yes! Buying used audio cables is a great way to get high-end performance without spending full price. Many audiophiles swap cables just to experiment, not because anything is wrong with them. Take advantage of that—it saves money, and they’re already burned in. Just make sure they’re in good condition and buy from a trusted seller.

The Most Generous Cable Trade Program Ever

Make sure you are hearing everything your system has to offer. From the outlet to your speakers, we can help you make the changes needed while saving tons of money with our cable trade-in program. Trade in your used cables and get at least 65% of their original retail price as trade credit toward any new cable worth double the original price.

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