Recent Home Theater Cable Articles
Should You Use Audio Cables as Tone Controls?
Some believe that different cables lend different sounds to your system. Does that mean that you could use cables as a sort of tone control, to tweak the sound of your system? Read on to find out.
HDMI 2.1 ‑ Everything You Need to Know Explained
HDMI 2.1 becomes a reality with the latest gaming platforms while also promising improve audio and video quality through eARC. Find out the new audio & video features and cable requirements for HDMI 2.1.
Is Synergy In Audio Cables Real or Snake Oil?
PS Audio recently announced a partnership with Audioquest cables citing that their products have a real "synergy" together. Is there any merit this synergistic effect claim or is it pure marketing BS?
Long vs Short Speaker Cables: Does it Really Matter?
This article explores if varying the length of speaker cables between speakers really makes a difference in audibility. Watch our related YouTube videos to see what truly matters in speaker cables.
Speaker Wire: How to Choose the Right Gauge Type for Best Performance
We discuss speaker wire gauge and how to choose the best audio cables based on your loudspeaker impedance and distance to your amplifier to achieve best performance.
How to Make Your Own DIY Speaker Cables
This article explains how to make your own DIY speaker cables to save money and create the exact cables for your needs. From low resistance zip cord to braided audio cables, make them for less.
The Truth vs Hype about Expensive HDMI Cables
Do expensive HDMI cables make a difference? What should you look for in an HDMI cable? We answer those questions in an easy to follow video, and we have the science to backup our claims.
Why Your Cat6/5e Network Cable is Slowing You Down: Interview with Blue Jeans Cable
Cat6/5e network or ethernet cable quality is a little understood but big problem. We dive into why 80% of cables fail to meet spec and what you can do you ensure you are buying good network cable.
Debunking the Myth of Speaker Cable Resonance
This article debunks the nonsense some exotic cable manufacturers like to spread about they have a solution to electrical or mechanical resonance in loudspeaker cables.
RedMere Active HDMI Technology Poised to Change Cabling
While active EQ on HDMI cables isn't new, possibly the most advanced use of it is coming out of RedMere, who has shrunken down the technology to a point that it's all but negligible.
Audiophile Power Cords ‑ Do they really make a difference?
This article explores the age old question whether or not exotic power cords make a difference over the stock OEM cables supplied with your AV gear. Get the truth about power cords & cables here.
Locking HDMI Cables and Connectors
How is a custom installer to deal with the loose HDMI connector? Several solutions provide a locking HDMI connection for HDMI - something the format surely lacks and which HDMI Licensing left open.
HDMI Cable Speed & Features Explained
Are you confused about HDMI cable speed and category ratings? Read this article to get the facts from the fiction about the relevence of HDMI cable ratings.
HDMI 1.4 and Through the Ages
Is HDMI more of a stop-gap interface instead of a new standard? We think so - and the new HDMI version 1.4 does little to assuage our hopes in that regard. HDMI, while convenient, isn't all that.
Alternatives for AV Home Networking
The ongoing convergence of Audio/Video and computing is inevitable, rooted in the dawn of digital media with the advent of the CD, and nurtured by such things as the the Internet and technology.
Crimping & Soldering ‑ Keys to Connection Performance and Longevity
Audio 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 …
What Do HDMI Spec Versions (1.2, 1.3, 1.3a, etc) Mean For Cable Choice?
Many 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 …
Do I Need 120 Hertz HDMI Cables?
One 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 …
Myth vs Reality – Putting Cat5E‑Based A/V Structured Wiring In Its Place
Sending 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, …
Wireless HDMI Takes Flight
Wireless 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, …
Long HDMI Cable Bench Tests ‑ Monster Cable Shootout
I 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 …
Pear Cable Redux: How to Combat Scam with Science
A 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 …
HDMI 1.3 and Cables Part 1: It's All in the Bitrate
With 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 …
What's the Matter with HDMI?
HDMI, 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 …
Bi‑wiring Part 2: The Cable Conundrum
One 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 …
Bi‑Wiring A Loudspeaker: Does it Make a Difference?
Bi-wiring a loudspeaker involves running two pairs of cables tied together on the amp side but separated on the loudspeaker side to the low and high crossover sections. But, does it make a difference?
Thinking in Isolation – A Primer on Ground Loops
There 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 …