Planet Waves DIY Cable Kit Conclusion
Recommendations
All of the
Planet Waves cables are intelligent solutions for the consumer DIY and Custom Installer
based marketplaces. The 6 leaf connectors
for the COAX cable make excellent contact with component equipment, as do the
other terminations (ie. F, BNC, female RCA).
Since these cables target DIY and
Custom Installers, and are an ideal solution for installation beyond the sheet
rock barrier, it was a good call to get CL2 approval from a safety concern. The Planet Waves COAX cable solutions are well-suited
for consumer audio and HD video applications.
The main benefits of using a 24AWG solution here are costs, and ease of
termination and insertion to already existing drywall.
However, if this cable is intended to be used for HD applications (720p or higher resolution) and/or SDI pro video transmission over long runs (greater than 50ft) such as the tests previously conducted, I would advise considering an alternative Coax cable of 18AWG and ensure the supplier can guarantee the characteristic impedance of the cable within 75Ω +- 2Ω to minimize return loss issues which can surface as ghosting and/or ringing in the video signal. In most applications such as 480i/p outputs of DVD players or set top boxes, this won’t be an issue.
Conclusion
The Planet Waves DIY Home Theater Kit proved to be a versatile product for the end user and custom installer alike. It’s probably the easiest self terminating system I have come across and the fact that you can pretty much utilize any conceivable analog termination on the market with a simple twist on connector and fastening screw is something every home theater aficionado and cable installer should have in their bag of tricks. While it didn’t score very high on value, it topped the charts for convenience and ease of use. I requested that Planet Waves should sell the cable and connectors in bulk to allow consumers to buy as much as they need. This should help provide better value to the end user.
Peering the Planet Waves website, I didn’t detect any snake oil literature pimping the wonders of this product so that scores a lot of points in my book since the product and company is snake oil free. This is a solid product that will work in virtually any installation (used within the guidelines of this review) requiring a precise cable length and termination. If you are looking to shorten your cable lengths behind your rack to reduce the cable spaghetti, and want a simple solution that even your grandmother could use, I highly recommend the Planet Waves DIY Home Theater family of products.
Planet Waves
D'Addario & CO Inc
595 Smith St.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
Phone: 631-439-3300
Test Equipment List
- · Modified Liteon LVD-2001 DVD upconverting player 480i NTSC and Pal 480p 720p 1080i
- · JVC GD 723 DVD player 480i,480p
- · Denon DVD-5910 Player 480p for Component, 1080i for HDMI/DVI
- · Yamaha RXV-2700 receiver
- · Denon AVR-5805mkii receiver
- · Sony VPL 400Q LCD projector
- · Hitachi 70 VS 810 LCD
- · Sharp XV-Z200U DLP
- · Syntax Olevia LT-30HV 30” LCD Display
- · Sony KP-51WS500 51” HDTV RPTV
- · Phillips HD-30" Direct View
- · High Definition Box from DISH Network
- · Standard Digital DVOM
- · Wayne Kerr 6420 Impedance/Magnetic Analyzer
- · Audio Precision SYS2722 Audio Analyzer
- · RBH Sound Signature T-30LSE Loudspeaker System
- · RBH Sound 66-LSE Signature speakers with Status Acoustics Upgrade
- · Axiom Audio EP500 Subwoofer
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:
Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.
Audioholics Rating Scale
— Excellent
- — Very Good
- — Good
- — Fair
- — Poor
| Metric | Rating |
|---|---|
| Performance | |
| Versatility | |
| Build Quality | |
| Ease of Setup/Programming/Integration | |
| Features | |
| Performance | |
| Value | |
My response is: Bluejeanscables.com
While I am huge fan of Bluejeans cable, the average end user cannot self terminate their own cables and you need expensive crimping tools and know how to do the job right with 1694 and canare connectors.
