Long Monster Cables?

[poopchute]

Hey,
I recently purchased a set of Mackie HR824Mk2 monitors. I see that the monitors have RCA, XLR, and Phone jacks for inputs on the back.
My question is, what it the Best type of cable to use to hook them up. I would like to go with Monster RCA cables. But the problem is that I would like to use these monitors for both my computer in one room and the adjacent room I want to set up the monitors. Its a long complicated story but to sum it up. I want to use the monitors for Protools/computer and ask extra sound for my TV. The speakers are THX rated so I should be able to use them for movies/tv.
But in order to do this I need one RCA cable that is 29-30 feet long and one that is 19-20 feet long.
My problem is that I cant find any monster RCA cables that go longer than 20 feet. Do they even make them 30 feet?

 

[dintymoore]

I make my own cables with Mogami cable and Neutrik ends from Markertek. The cables I made in the laste 80's are still in use. You can get it in 100' rolls, and the cables end up being better than store bought, custom length and work great.

But for speaker wires:

I'll be frank - Monster cables are, always were, a sucker product. 100% hype for people who don't know better. There I said it. Save your money and put it towards Neumanns, there's no cheap way around them.

For speaker wire, go to the hardware store and by 14 or 12 gauge "zip" cable, lamp wire - 2 conductor non-coaxial cable and put either Neutrik, Canare or Switchcraft ends on it.

The cable is dirt cheap.

This advice came to me from an old timer who had spent his life doing sound for all the greats like Sammy Davis Jr. and Sinatra in Vegas. He retired and bought a music store in Hawaii and refused to sell me speaker cable because he knew it was a scam. He said "I can't do that to you - go to Ace Hardware and buy some lamp cable, it's all copper".

You could also make up a simple A/B switch with DPDT toggle switches from Ace Hardware with a few 8Ω resistors to be safe.

 

[Jeff_D]

I'm sure you can find a 30' rca. I typed "rca cable" into ebay and the first hit was a 50-footer.

The problem you *might* run into is that rca's are unbalanced- which maybe potentially introduce noise. Xlr and 1/4 (trs) are balanced (3 conductor) and equipment designed to use balanced connections do a good job of eliminating noise.

 

[dintymoore]

If the speakers are powered you need coaxial shielded cables.

I like the Mogami stereo wire if you use it with the red and white to the plus and minus and attach the braided shield to the ground ( - ) only on one side. On the other side you leave it disconnected and tuck it back inside. This makes a "round for the ground", and pretty much takes care of the hum as best as you can.

That's called lifting the ground on one end and it's an old studio method and it really, really works. I have never seen it available on store bought cables.