OneCall Cable Buying Guide

The question on everyone's lips when faced with the relatively high price tags of well-made audio/video interconnects and speaker cables is, ""Do I really need those?"" After all, most DVD players, digital video recorders, and surround speaker systems come with hookup cables.

Why spend more?

• The flimsy cables supplied with consumer electronics offer no protection against electromagnetic or radio-frequency interference
• Good cables and interconnects will reward an interest in or sensitivity to sound and image quality
• Your system and your desired hookups might require cable types or lengths that are not included with your components

All entertainment gear relies on countless electrical connections, both internal and external. High-quality components feature high-quality internal connections. Accordingly, the more you invest in your gear, the better sense it makes to hook it up with cables capable of maintaining the highest-possible AV signal strength and quality.

A Handy Rule of Thumb

Budget 10 percent of your total system cost for cables. This won't amount to much in an affordable system, and the benefits will be obvious enough in a high-end system that you'll be glad you took the time and care to do it right.

Cable Lengths

Many speaker/theater systems include the minimal cabling needed to connect speakers to a surround receiver. Some don't, however, and depending on your room you may need longer cables than those provided. We recommend 14-guage speaker cable, especially for runs over 30 feet (the smaller the gauge, the thicker the wire). The minimum you should consider for shorter runs is 16-gauge.

Terms to Know

• EMI: Electromagnetic interference, hum or static induced by the presence of power lines, computers, televisions, fluorescent lights, etc.
• RFI: Radio-frequency interference, noise resulting from detected (not to say received) broadcast signals
• Conductor: The primary signal conduits, usually copper or aluminum, but sometimes silver
• Dielectric: Material that insulates the conductors from interference
• Geometry: The precise configuration of the conductors and the dielectric (twisted conductors, for instance, retain high-frequency audio of long runs)
• Gauge: Describes the thickness of a cable (usually pertains to speaker cables); the smaller the number, the thicker the cable

Features to Look For

The connections you need will depend on your specific hardware, but the most common types are: