{"id":5028,"date":"2023-04-11T11:07:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-11T11:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talkinmusic.com\/?p=5028"},"modified":"2023-04-11T11:07:52","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T11:07:52","slug":"coaxial-speaker-cables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talkinmusic.com\/coaxial-speaker-cables\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner’s Guide to Coaxial Speaker Cables"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"71uxvpb2hxl.<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Technology has constantly been evolving in order to bring us a better quality of sound, this includes anything from speakers, headphones, recording devices, and of course cables, and funny enough, one of the best options available for speakers has actually been around for more than 100 years, this is the coaxial speaker cable<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They say if it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it, and this definitely applies to this technology, as it has been used since the 19th century, more specifically since the 1880s, invented by Oliver Heaviside. However, it was used even earlier than that for transatlantic cable installations. This cabling technology would eventually open up incredible possibilities including TV, the telephone, and computer networks, so it\u2019s safe to say it was a marvelous invention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going back to audio, these coaxial speaker cables, or \u201ccoax cables\u201d, have always been able to give some of the best audio quality there is, this means that as the recording capabilities evolved, this cable was able to withstand better qualities with the passage of time, but how does this magical technology actually work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Coaxial Cable?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A coaxial cable is essentially an electrical cable that can transmit RF signals from one device to another. It can transmit analog and digital signals over radio frequencies (from 20kHz up to 300GHz) and they are shielded and insulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might actually know some of these cables as \u201cRCA\u201d or \u201cXLR\u201d, but those are connection types, which means that both of these cables are coaxial cables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Coaxial Cables Used For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Coax cables can make a connection between radio signals sent between the transmitter and the desired receiver. For example, when we used telegraphs, the cables that were used were coaxial cables, that way people could send telegraphs over large distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that they made their presence felt at home through HAM radio, television, and audio systems. We now use HDMI but before that, it was coaxial cables that allowed people to get video and audio signals to work with DVD players, VHS, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the Components of a Coaxial Cable?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Coaxial-cable-components\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There are several types of coaxial cables, but there are a few essential components that are present in every coaxial cable, so let\u2019s go over these parts so you know what exactly makes a coaxial cable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic Jacket for Protection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the exterior has no functions regarding the transference of information or any other use, there is an essential aspect of this protective jacket, which is mainly to protect every other part of the cable and not allow any sort of interference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copper Metallic Shield<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This protects the signal from the interference caused by the radio waves, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Coaxial Cables<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are various types of coaxial speaker cables and these vary depending on their structure, impedance as well as types of connectors, so in order to understand all the variations that are available for these cables, let\u2019s go over these types based on the different components and uses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impedance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to know what types of coaxial cables there are based on the impedance, it\u2019s simple enough since there are only two, 50\u03a9 and 75\u03a9 cables, the first is mostly for radio communications, while the latter is a lot more common nowadays and are used for TVs, video, and audio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also find other impedances but they\u2019re not as common as the ones we talked about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structure and Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A cable\u2019s design will affect its properties and uses, so it\u2019s another good way to differentiate between the types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexible Cable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the most common, and it\u2019s basically a cable with a braided exterior conductor made of fine wires. The best quality of this cable is that it\u2019s more flexible than others, however, it\u2019s less resistant to insulation and can also present a few issues when it comes to the signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Semirigid Cable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This type of cable is in many ways the opposite of the flexible cable since it trades its flexibility with resistance and protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These cables have a metallic coating that serves as a conductor and an extra layer of protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only downside is that it\u2019s not flexible at all, so if you need flexibility this won\u2019t work for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dual Coaxial Cable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This type of cable consists of two cables put together in the same insulating jacket and it\u2019s used to be able to transfer data with more bandwidth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twinaxial Cable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is similar to the previous one but it\u2019s not made out of two cables, instead, it has two conductors in the same exterior conductor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The function of this cable, however, is the same, more speed with data transfers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Triaxial Cable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A triaxial cable has two outer conductors separated by a dielectric layer, this way the output conductor can be a signal ground, and the other two function as earth ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to these alterations, this type provides a better signal as well as protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connectors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This will mostly define the function of a coaxial cable, and it\u2019s also the easiest way to tell them apart, so let\u2019s go over the most common coax cable connectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RCA 10(GHz)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You may be familiar with these types of cables, these are the ones we used to use for TVs in order to have video and audio transmission, they often came with colors in order to know where you should connect them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these are obsolete now in terms of technological advancement, they are still out there in the market for a low price if you ever want to enjoy the nostalgic feeling of a 90s TV or play with older videogame consoles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

F- Type (1GHz)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These are the most common connectors today, mostly because it\u2019s used for TV, and antenna cables, so almost everyone with a TV in their home, has one of these cables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BNC (10GHz)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These connectors are used for video and RF applications, and even though they can support up to 10GHz, the signal may become unstable after it goes beyond 4GHz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N-Type (18 GHz)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You will find this type of connector near communications and broadcast gear and equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SMA (24HGz)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SMA connectors are some of the most versatile, as they are used for radio antennas, phone antennas, microwave systems, wi-fi, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These used to support up to frequencies of 12GHz, but as the technology advanced, these connectors were able to get up to 24GHz as a limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the Difference Between Digital Optical and Coaxial Digital Audio Cable<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This might be one of the main reasons you are reading this article at all, maybe you heard from someone that coaxial ar superior, or maybe you want to make sure you don\u2019t spend more money than you have to for a very small improvement in audio quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to help you understand as much as you can about the difference between these two cables, let\u2019s go over the most important features and characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most obvious one is that they look very different, from the connectors to the cable, it\u2019s a whole different idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to optical cables, they don\u2019t have a solid copper core, it has optical fibers that transmit light instead of electrical signals, but why is this important? well, cables that transmit electrical signals are able to get a greater bandwidth, and in theory, get better quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However you should know that the difference in quality is not that big, so if you don\u2019t have a trained ear like someone that tends to work with music or the like, then maybe you won\u2019t even notice the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other clear difference is that optical cables tend to be a lot shorter, which may or may not be a problem depending on the space you are working with, that said they are also less resistant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can You Use a Coaxial Cable for Speakers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Short answer: Yes, you can use coaxial cables for speakers. There are even some brands that sell coaxial cables specifically for speakers, but you don\u2019t need coax cables to use your speakers; you can just use regular cables speaker wires and it will be mostly the same experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few differences though which can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Good<\/h3>\n\n\n\n