Cables and Connectors - Neutrik and Neutrik REAN?

[CoolCat]

Ive wasted some money the past 2 years on Amazon colored cool cable sets for $15 for 8 of them and found they didn't fit into the XLR very good, crackling etc... and so all removed.
I figured I could chop off the ends and solder some good XLR on the colored cables later.

Then I ordered some new Amazon no name cables, very cheap but being a believer, cables don't really matter Im not so sure.

Going down the Rabbit Hole I thought Id buy a couple good cables.
Then it seems my elder years, the big name brand was Switchcraft imo but today seems Neutrik is more popular.

Wondering about the XLR pin diameters and Male to Female hole size, I wondered "what gear am I plugging into?" "what connectors do the gear factory's use?"

per GoogleGemini search the Neutrik is used on my gear-

1)Antelope Audio Zen Go Interface (that seems to work when it wants to) uses gold pin, Neutrik.
2) Shure SM7 uses Neutrik as most Shure,
3)AKG is foggier but the C414 of today were stated as Neutrik in general.
4) Grace Design preamps use gold pin Neutrik.
5) Focusrite uses Neutrik on ISA series preamps.
6) KlarkTekni 1176 uses Neutrik

my old Line 6 and Aphex 207 doesn't list. the tank built old Joe Meeks use metal Switchcraft XLR and 1/4.
So Neutrik seems to be the connector brand for my gear.

Apparently Neutrik has their normal (metal cast) "pro-normal" and also the budget line REAN (plastic-HR?) series.
The Brass pins and females are coated silver or gold. I would think the pins are the same on both but not sure? Both owned by Neutrik I would think they are mirror image?

I splurged cash $35 for a Neutrik metal, gold pin with Canare cable already made 10ft 1 qty.

but ..Im not a touring machine and not even a commercial for hire studio, on do fine with one or three cables most times.
I do like the engineering rabbit hole to some degree. Is the Rabbit Hole in capacitance and well made cables to a point.
Cables can last years so isn't saving $20 over 10yrs maybe a good place to spend a little more?

To go cheaper Nuetrik REAN 2qty for $17 is tempting...but Ive wasted money on cheap no brand cables that didn't last a year too?

Long winded question!

Anyone experience with the NEUTRIK REAN? yeah nay crap or good enough for home gear?

 

[rob aylestone]

The problem is repeatability when you buy from other than Neutrik or Switchcraft. I've been buying Chinese ones for a long time, and my connector box has 3,4 and 5 pin XLRs - from Neutrik and 3 pin ones from Aliexpress, bought in 20's for cable connectors. These look similar to Neutrik and these ones have no issues fitting each other, Neutriks and all the mics I have with one exception - an Audio Technica from the 90s, whichis just too tight. They're no different top put on than the Neutriks and the plastic does not melt when you solder them. I would happily use one of these in place of the Neutriks. No issues at all.

 

[TalismanRich]

I've got a few cables, I think Guitar Center budget line, and I have a couple of mics where they are too loose. But I've used some of the Neutrik Rean connectors and not had any problem. I replaced the plugs that were loose. I also used them to make balanced monitor cables, and to convert a 25ft cable to 2 12.5 ft cables. I bought a pack of 10, and still have a few in the bag.

When I bought my Rode M5s, they came with a little rubber ring will snug up a loose cable. I haven't used them, though. I just swapped the cable if it was loose.

 

[Slouching Raymond]

I've spent probably £3,000 on cables for my studio.
Because I need so many, I stuck to budget brands.
They are a mixture of Stagg and Cordial.
Chances are they will outlive me.
I have wasted a few hundred £ buying the wrong thing, so I take that on the chin.
I had just one XLR connector with a bent pin, and another with a pin that was flat-ended rather than rounded.
Once connected, they won't move, and will have an easy life.

 

[rob aylestone]

I now use lots of BNC cables, and things there are a bit weird. Some cables have moulded on ends that are mechanically terrible and a sideways yank just snaps them off! We have crimped, clamped and moulded to cope with. The pins are different sizes on 75 and 50 Ohm versions but kind of fit. The Chinese ones that have crimped ends seem pretty decent. Cables are very different though. Stiff vs flexible, thin vs thick and frequency response/cable cables are a pain. I get some made up by Canford Audio - UK broadcast supplier, so I I want 40m of 12G capable cable, there is no way I can afford the tooling required to put the connectors on, so I pay them to make them up. 30m, another common length for me is from them too, but 12G will cope with my normal 20m cheaper cables. It makes all the people who wimp on about how audio cables sound better or worse than others look pretty silly. Squirt 12G video down a cable with high attenuation, questionable impedance and a poor frequency response and your kit looks at it and decides to not let you even try! I'm happy with dirt cheap XLRs, but grumble at spending huge amounts of money on a working and tough video one!

 

[Papanate]

Squirt 12G video down a cable with high attenuation, questionable impedance and a poor frequency response and your kit looks at it and decides to not let you even try! I

Side question - You Shoot video in 12G?

 

[CoolCat]

wow interesting response 3000!! in cables, I'm humbled in complaining about 8...lol
A friend of mine gave me a pile of guitar cables years ago and I didn't really hear much difference except in poorly made and it was 1 of 10 or so.
It was that test I decided "cables didn't matter" and his $150 cable didn't sound better to him either. However, there's a quality build and copper wire is expensive these days and theres a lot of problems caused by cables, so they do matter to some extent.

Ill probably grab some REAN, they are cheaper and Neutrik brand so the fit should be right. Im not a touring band so its as said, will be an easy life, and I don't need many.

off topic, but in cables!
I just read Toms Hardware site and his TypeC cable tale of problems with USB cheap cables, and I just had the same thing with Antelope Audio and whacko problems.
I think a large problem with my USBC Interface issues were clearly caused by
1.cheap USBC cable,
2.also adding a same cheap extension cable to make it worse, and
3. also using a old old USB2/3 B to C connector on my old cheap tower powering the Interface. low power.

Plan on getting a USBC tester to know the Volts/Amps. If the USBC is .9 amps or less and if the new USBC PD is 5A, also this tester can test cables for Volts and Amps from USB ports or maybe its fluctuating power?
I've had 2 years or more cussing this Antelope Audio USBC unit, because its worked so well and is really high quality hardware, but the software and connectivity HELL, then didn't work, then does work etc.
I learned its probably because its so dependent on USBC power and speed connectivity the USBC issues has ruined it as a working unit for me.
Removing the Extension cable, plugging in a different cable and using the Phone Charger 2A typeC has shown 2 weeks now no issues!

Numerous emails with AA Tech Support said its very power hungry unit, but also they state it can run on USB 2 ! which it cant.
They said they will be changing this in literature. (but already discontinued the Zen Go).

Anyway, USB tester seems a nice tool to buy. The old 2 at 500ma, isn't enough, 3 is 900ma which is better, but TypeC PD goes to 5amps, 100watt which is even better than C 3a/27 Watt or something like that. $25 or so...