http://www.audioholics.comWhere audio and video equipment undergoes rigorous objective and subjective tests by our staff, ensuring that marketing slogans aren't the only guidelines for your home theater choices.Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:20:00 -0000http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/hdmi-1.4-and-through-the-agesKey Digital had an interesting newsletter that got sent out this week. In it they had a table which went through the various iterations of HDMI, from version 1.0 through the newest 1.4. We thought it was a good chart, though we disagreed (slightly) with some of their assessments on the importance of each of the versions. As I hinted at in my article on The Twelve Biggest Industry Mistakes of the Digital Age I believe that HDMI is really more of a stop-gap interface whereas it could have been a new standard. Instead, we have a largely "stupid" new cable system that merely carries data. HDMI 1.4 does little to change this reality.Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:20:00 -0000/education/cables/hdmi-1.4-and-through-the-agesCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/alternatives-for-av-home-networkingThe ongoing convergence of AV and computing is inevitable, rooted in the dawn of digital media with the advent of the CD, and nurtured by the Internet. Media servers, multimedia gaming consoles, HTPC, networked AV receivers, mp3 player docks, IPTV; digital entertainment is becoming as at home on computers as it is on traditional AV gear. However, all of this crosspollination between the two often leaves entertainment stored in disparate locations so a reliable connection is required to transfer the entertainment files between devices. For those who find the shortcomings of Wi-Fi make it less than an ideal solution, there are other methods available that are not as onerous as pulling Ethernet cable through walls and attics by making use of existing home wiring systems. These methods also provide connections that are more secure with better data throughput and reliability. There is a reason that mission critical business systems and servers are primarily hardwired and not connected by Wi-Fi.Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:05:00 -0000/education/cables/alternatives-for-av-home-networkingCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/crimping-and-solderingAudio and Video Cables are not just dependent on the wire or cable used, or the connectors used. The quality of the connection between the wire or cable and connector is just as important, if not more so. The biggest problem with the audio/video cable market is that marketing departments choose fads and fallacies, non-applicable specifications and pseudo science over real world objective measurements and tried and true methods of creating wire and cable assemblies that will last for many years with high quality results. Today we're going to look at those unsung heroes of our A/V world, the ones that hold it all together - the crimp and the solder joints.Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:42:46 -0000/education/cables/crimping-and-solderingCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/hdmi-versionsMany people are worried, when buying HDMI cable, about the spec version of the cable in question. Is it the latest spec version? Will it support all the features of the devices it's hooked to? Most of the fears and doubts associated with this question are unfounded, but there are some interesting issues with regard to HDMI spec version, and we'll sort those out in this article.Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:01:00 -0000/education/cables/hdmi-versionsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/120-hertz-hdmi-cablesOne of the most common sorts of questions from our customers these days is some variant on this: "Do I really need a 120Hz HDMI Cable?" In consumer electronics stores across the country, consumers are being told that their new 120 Hertz displays will not work properly, or will not work optimally, without a cable designed for 120 Hertz. We'll address this question two different ways, beginning with the short answer and following with the long answer/explanation.Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:39:30 -0000/education/cables/120-hertz-hdmi-cablesCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/myth-vs-reality-2013-putting-cat5e-based-a-v-structured-wiring-in-its-placeSending audio, video and control signals over twisted pair cables have become common practice in the contemporary marketplace. There is a good reason for this. Twisted pair cables are cheap, ubiquitous and comfortably familiar to anyone with any level of installation exposure to data networking and telephony. UTP-based A/V installations are appealing for their perceived low cost and performance advantages. Widely accepted as a panacea that banished the need for task-specific cables to the equipment closet of history, those who universally advocate the use of balun-based infrastructure would do well to remember the words of Plutarch; “To find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult.” Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:45:26 -0000/education/cables/myth-vs-reality-2013-putting-cat5e-based-a-v-structured-wiring-in-its-placeCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/wireless-hdmi-takes-flightWireless HDMI seems to be coming to a living room near you. While everyone pretty much agrees that HDMI is the most bitter-sweet invention to hit the consumer AV electronics industry in some time, there's no denying that most are trying to make end runs around the format. In some cases that is through the use of cable conversion, while others are looking to send HDMI through the ether.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:00:00 -0000/education/cables/wireless-hdmi-takes-flightCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/long-hdmi-cable-bench-testsI decided to write this article the first time I saw another writer say "HDMI is digital - it either works or it doesn't." Then I saw that statement get repeated over and over. The problem is that HDMI isn't like a digital coax audio cable - it can degrade partially and produce sparkles and snow. We'll illustrate some of this below. It took nearly 6 months to research and prepare for this experiment. I intended to acquire as many HDMI cables as possible and focus on empirical testing of mostly longer lengths to show the differences that abound when you exceed 5 meters. The exercise, I believed, would save many consumers from losing lots of money and time - on a number of levels.Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:50:10 -0000/education/cables/long-hdmi-cable-bench-testsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/pear-cable-scienceA Case Study in Applying an Audioholics A/V Education to Identify Marketing Drivel. In this follow-up to our initial article, we will look at Pear Cable as a case study in evaluating exaggerated marketing claims about the audio performance improvements attributed to cables. We will use known science, established engineering principles, and the educated opinions of well known audio engineering practitioners to look for contradictory statements, mistakes and misuse of engineering knowledge, and exaggeration of the audible significance to certain aspects of audio performance.Sun, 11 May 2008 04:20:00 -0000/education/cables/pear-cable-scienceCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/speaker-cable-gaugeLately we’ve been getting hit with the common question “what speaker wire gauge should I use”? More often than not, we’ve seen Audiophiles choose a higher gauge esoteric wire over a lower gauge generic zip cord cable simply because they were sold some marketing nonsense that these magic cables would improve your systems mojo. This guide cuts through the nonsense and gives some solid recommendations on selecting speaker wire gauge based on cable length and impedance of your loudspeakers. Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:32:47 -0000/education/cables/speaker-cable-gaugeCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/hdmi-1-3-cables-bitrateWith the advent of HDMI v1.3 and 1.3a, consumers are starting to really get confused about cables and what they need to worry about when selecting a product that's going to be compatible with the new specifications. We interviewed Steven Barlow from DVIGear to get a handle on why this is a more complex issue for some, and a non-issue for others. He allowed us to assimilate much of what we discussed into this article you are reading now.Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:57:21 -0000/education/cables/hdmi-1-3-cables-bitrateCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/whats-the-matter-with-hdmiHDMI, as we've pointed out elsewhere, is a format which was designed primarily to serve the interests of the content-provider industries, not to serve the interests of the consumer. The result is a mess, and in particular, the signal is quite hard to route and switch, cable assemblies are unnecessarily complicated, and distance runs are chancy. Why is this, and what did the designers of the standard do wrong? And what can we do about it? Check out this informative article from our friends at Bluejeans Cable. Thu, 17 May 2007 01:10:19 -0000/education/cables/whats-the-matter-with-hdmiCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/bi-wiring-part-2-the-cable-conundrumOne of the arguments presented in the web forum thread I’ve already examined on a previous article is that there is a difference between a bi-wired speaker system and conventional wiring due to a difference in their cable power dissipation behaviours. So let’s examine the systems described in the thread and see what difference there may be between them in practice.Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/bi-wiring-part-2-the-cable-conundrumCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/bi-wiring-from-amplifier-to-loudspeaker“Bi-wiring” is a controversial topic. Some people are quite certain it makes an audible difference. Some others are convinced that it can’t actually make any difference at all. The purpose of this analysis is to try and decide whether it is at least theoretically feasible that bi-wiring can make any difference. This is a tech article meant for propeller heads and not a general overview.Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/bi-wiring-from-amplifier-to-loudspeakerCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/thinking-in-isolation-2013-a-primer-on-ground-loopsThere is a humming sound coming from the speakers. A faint dark bar rolls from the bottom of the image to the top, changing colors and distorting the picture as it goes. What’s this? How is this possible? All this equipment is new and your home is only a few years old. Welcome to the nefarious neighborhood of the ground loop! This article details how to resolve a ground loop to help you achieve noise free connection of your equipment.Fri, 19 Jan 2007 03:25:31 -0000/education/cables/thinking-in-isolation-2013-a-primer-on-ground-loopsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/un-sound-advice-about-cablesOver the holiday break, I decided to peruse my local A/V retail shop for a new Plasma for my master bedroom system. While I was walking the floor, I couldn’t help but listen in on a salesman espousing cable nonsense to a customer in attempt to land a sale. This article editorializes this experience.Wed, 03 Jan 2007 16:51:48 -0000/education/cables/un-sound-advice-about-cablesCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/selecting-the-right-hdmi-solution-for-your-custom-installationDigital is everywhere in today's home theater environment. But, despite this proliferation of digital technologies and content, most digital devices still rely on analogue interfaces. The use of analog in this digital environment is the weak link in the chain affecting the ultimate quality of the content.Wed, 06 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/selecting-the-right-hdmi-solution-for-your-custom-installationCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/dielectric-absorption-in-cables-debunkedBefore we debate the relevancy of Dielectric Absorption relating to speaker cables, and commonly perpetuated by many exotic cable vendors and cable cult hobbyists, let us first define the roll of a dielectric.Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/dielectric-absorption-in-cables-debunkedCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/a-practical-hdmi-cable-solution-installation Every house I've ever purchased, built and lived in all had one thing in common. A room built for Home Theater. Regretfully I had to sacrifice that in this house and after a long debate with my wonderful wife, I had her agree to allow me to have a Home Theater System in our one and only living room. But there was a huge contingency attached to this contract. She did not want to see any wires. We'll, everyone knows the impossibility of this monumental task.Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/a-practical-hdmi-cable-solution-installationCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/hdmi-fiber-optics-copper-cable-considerations When it comes to HDMI / DVI connectivity, you have two choices: Copper or Fiber Optics. Which is right for you? As digital displays become more popular, and more people understand that a DVI or HDMI "pure digital" connection delivers the best HD picture quality available today, the decision of which type of cable to use is challenging and requires thoughtful consideration.Sun, 04 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/hdmi-fiber-optics-copper-cable-considerationsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/impact-acoustics-interview-on-the-rapidrun-cabling-system We were absolutely stunned by the very innovative and practical new cable product Impact Acoustics announced at CEDIA this year - the RapidRun. So much so in fact that they recently received our 2005 Product of the Year Award for the most innovative cable product. In order to learn more about this product in preparation for our formal review, we conducted a detailed interview with Joe Cornwall the Business Development Manager for Impact Acoustics.Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/impact-acoustics-interview-on-the-rapidrun-cabling-systemCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/apc-interview-on-power-conditioner-devices Over the past few years we have put forth our best effort to demystify the industry on cable snake oils and ficticious claims. While this battle isn't quite yet over, we are happy with the progress that is being made to educate consumers on sound engineering concepts about these products.Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/apc-interview-on-power-conditioner-devicesCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/debunking-the-myth-of-speaker-cable-resonanceIt has recently come to my attention that some exotic cable vendors (Transparent Cable immediately comes to mind) and esoteric audio magazines (Stereophile comes to mind) claim that speaker cables exhibit electrical resonance at audio frequencies and that the RLC nature of the cable drastically changes at these frequencies causing the alleged cable resonance.Sat, 24 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/debunking-the-myth-of-speaker-cable-resonanceCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/balanced-vs-unbalanced-interconnectsThis article is a primer for discussing the differences and applications for balanced vs unbalanced cables. When using unbalanced interconnections between audio equipment the primary noise-coupling mechanism is due to common-impedance coupling. We discuss noise methods of eliminating this as well as common causes of such phenomenon. Tue, 08 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/balanced-vs-unbalanced-interconnectsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/video-cables-from-the-inside-outWhen reading descriptions of home theater cable products off of packages in a big-box store, or off of websites online, it's sometimes hard to get a clear understanding of just what, exactly, is inside a length of cable. It often isn't clear where the engineering-speak ends and where the marketing-speak begins, and the marketing-speak certainly isn't usually designed to aid understanding.Mon, 24 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/video-cables-from-the-inside-outCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/understanding-in-wall-speaker-video-and-audio-cable-ratings We're often asked questions about the suitability of particular cables or speaker wires for in-wall installation, and it's not surprising; with surround speakers being wired all around home theater rooms, ceiling-mounted projectors being located across the room from their video sources, and video and audio being distributed all over the home, it's natural that people want a clean installation.Tue, 18 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/understanding-in-wall-speaker-video-and-audio-cable-ratingsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/understanding-digital-interconnects Keeping a signal in the digital domain until the very last instant before it is converted into the compressions and rarefactions that are sound - or the illumination of pixels or scanning lines that are images - is generally considered the best platform available to the contemporary audiophile. Regardless of the signal's origin we can all agree that multiple trips through analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters cannot do anything positive for the listening or viewing experience.Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/understanding-digital-interconnectsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/speaker-cable-length-differences-do-they-matterMore often than not, I see the common question pop up in our forums regarding speaker cable length differences between two or more speakers. Folks often wonder if the cable length between the main front channels need to be identical or close to identical. They are often misinformed by exotic cable vendors or cable forum cult hobbyists that cable lengths need to be kept identical to a void amplitude or phase/time delay differences between the two.Mon, 27 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/speaker-cable-length-differences-do-they-matterCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/video-cable-shieldingAll common video signal types--composite, RF, s-video, component, SDI, and the various flavors of RGB--are ordinarily run in coaxial cables, or, as the shorthand term goes, "coax." The features of coax which make it ideal for handling these multiple signal types are its excellent impedance tolerance and its shielding; here, we'll discuss what shielding is, why it's needed, and what the best types of shields for video cable are.Thu, 02 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/video-cable-shieldingCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/the-truth-about-interconnects-and-cablesI refuse to prove that my cables will make your system sound better", says the snake oil vendor, "for proof denies faith, and without faith, you will hear nothing.Tue, 16 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/the-truth-about-interconnects-and-cablesCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/audio-video-connections-guideFor both the newcomer and the old hand alike, connecting equipment in the most efficient and effective manner can be a painful chore. It is hoped this article will improve your background knowledge concerning potential A/V system connection schemes and where each is most appropriate. The next time you find yourself in a "connectivity quandary" perhaps the ideas shared here will help you to quickly solve the riddle of which wire goes where and why!Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/audio-video-connections-guideCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/signal-and-connector-typesThere was a time, not so long ago, when television hookups were pretty simple. There were two screws on the back of the set, which went to two spade lugs on a 300-ohm twinlead antenna line, and that was it. Apart from plugging the set into the wall and waiting for the tubes to light up, there wasn't a whole lot else to know about connections.Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/signal-and-connector-typesCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/exotic-materials-and-cable-constructionA lot of discussion of quality cables focuses on the materials used in cable construction. Just as with any physical product, the materials cables are made out of influence their performance characteristics, and so people want to know that the cables they're buying are made from the best possible materials.Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/exotic-materials-and-cable-constructionCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/silver-saboteurs-are-silver-audio-cables-betterCertainly silver has always had a place in the wire and cable industry. It's long been a fixture in military and high temperature applications. In the case of Teflon wire, you have always seen silver as either the sole metal present or at least as the plating. The silver is necessary to counteract the corrosive process for coating Teflon to the wire.Wed, 13 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/silver-saboteurs-are-silver-audio-cables-betterCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/dvi-and-hdmi-video-connections During the next few months, many manufactures will release new consumer electronic products with DVI (Digital Visual Interface) and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) connectors. DVD players, cable/satellite set-top boxes and High Definition televisions and projectors are the prime targets for these connections that provide superior digital picture quality and eliminate the need for unnecessary analog to digital conversions.Fri, 24 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/dvi-and-hdmi-video-connectionsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/toslink-interconnect-history-basics The transmission of signals using a beam of light was a topic for science fiction writers just a few short decades ago. The ability to harness the incredible speeds and data density capabilities of the optical medium was considered a "holy grail" for communications pioneers, who first began exploring this power of light in 1966. However, it took the digital revolution to bring fiber optic transmission to the mainstream.Tue, 21 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/toslink-interconnect-history-basicsCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/thiel-audio-interview-on-cablesDuring our review of the THIEL Audio SCS3 system, we pinged designer Jim Thiel on some technical questions regarding the loudspeaker designs and the choice of internal wiring and crossover topologies he employed in the speaker designs. With his permission, we captured the interview which oddly focused more on the topic of cables than it did loudspeakers as can be seen below.Sun, 12 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/thiel-audio-interview-on-cablesCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/bulletproofing-your-system-from-interferenceI PRESENTLY HAVE my listening space in the attic of my house and less than 100 yards from a rather large and reasonably powerful ham radio antenna that points in my direction. I don't enjoy listening to my neighbor's ham radio transmissions through my stereo system, so I decided to take whatever measures necessary to get rid of the problem.Fri, 03 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/bulletproofing-your-system-from-interferenceCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/connection-tips-101-cabling-your-systemI am often called on to provide calibration services for the budding audiophile and even the professional installer to try to maximize the performance of their systems. I am always shocked to see the mess behind their racks and built in cabinets. I find it humorous that we audiophiles debate the performance or the ability to hear differences in cables and then totally defeat and degrade performance of our systems by having our cables jumbled up like a tumble weed.Fri, 03 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/connection-tips-101-cabling-your-systemCables and InterconnectsAV Universityhttp://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/preparing-your-own-diy-speaker-cablesContrary to audio cable marketing; anyone can cut, strip, and install banana plugs on speaker wire. The following is a step-by-step guide on how to do exactly that.Fri, 03 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0000/education/cables/preparing-your-own-diy-speaker-cablesCables and InterconnectsAV University