Word Clock Cables...?

  • Thread starter Thread starter sunflute
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sunflute

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Is there any justification in buying expensive word clock cables?

Thank you
 
I use cables from Radio Shack with BNC ends for word clock distribution. No problems. The rationale for expensive cables is the integrity of the connectors, the quality of the shielding (if it's a shielded cable, of course) and general build quality. There ain't no such thing as metal that transfers data faster, or with smoother highs, or anything else. Unless you are running long cables, paying a premium gets you nothing.
 
The thing that would make one clock cable better or worse than another would be the quality of the BNC connectors and how well they were assembled. I make my own.
 
Wouldn't poorer cables be more susceptible to jitter on longer distances? I'm not sure how long the distance has to be, before jitter is a factor though. To be safe i'd pay a lil more for apogee cables so you know that isn't the problem.
 
Wouldn't poorer cables be more susceptible to jitter on longer distances?

How? the signal is a field that travels at the speed of light (or pretty close to it). This is independent of the physical makeup or type of metal used. Are parts of the signal going to stop along the way for a beer?
 
Could anyone recommend any wordclock cables specifically for Rock and/or Hip Hop music?

I heard that the Radio Shack kind weren't as warm or colored. And I need color out of my wordclock cables for my Rock and R&B vocals.
 
chessrock said:
Could anyone recommend any wordclock cables specifically for Rock and/or Hip Hop music?

I heard that the Radio Shack kind weren't as warm or colored. And I need color out of my wordclock cables for my Rock and R&B vocals.
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Ahhh, you're freakin killin me :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
Well, at the rate things have been going on this board, it was only a matter of time before someone asked. :D

Why not get it out of the way?
 
One of the best of these I ever heard was from my friend who went to Bjorn's Home Audio and Theater (a "home theater specialist" shop here in town) to get a DVI cable to go between his cable receiver and his TV. Note that DVI stands for Digital Video Interface. Digital. The salesman told my friend that he shouldn't go with anything other than a Monster DVI cable. My friend asked why. The salesman replied that the Monster cables would provide better picture quality, the image would be sharper, and would experience less signal loss. My friend stood there for 15 minutes and tried to explain to the salesman that with digital, pretty much the data either gets there or it doesn't. The salesman never got it. He kept on trying to argue the point about less signal loss, to which my friend responded "Signal loss? The cable is running 2 feet from my cable box to my TV. 'Loss" isn't an issue!" The salesman still never got it...
 
keep em under 10ft and all the same length. As far as quality/prices-let us know after you buy "better" cables. ;)
 
sunflute said:
I found these cables while searching for reasonably priced cables.

http://store.haveinc.com/Ebus30/Parts/Part.asp?Part=301L5CFB-BB-002BLA

What do you guys think?

Thank you
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Not sure if you've read the 11 post's previous to this but there is a general theme to them. You are wasting money buying expensive word clock cables. If you accept that, then that is the cable for you. I like their 'Specifications' for a $15 2' cable-
"Our flexible PROFlex™ Serial Digital RG6 single channel coax cables are handcrafted with Canare L-5CFB cable and Canare 75-ohm BNC Connectors and are great for the longest runs."


Here is a 3' cable for $3.79. Buy it, then send me $10, you'll still save money.
 
Thanks

Thank you for the post, by expensive I meant Apogee or Monster cable which goes for like $40 dollars or more for a 2 footer cable.

$15 dollars for a well made cable seems reasonable to me.... :)
 
lpdeluxe said:
How? the signal is a field that travels at the speed of light (or pretty close to it). This is independent of the physical makeup or type of metal used. Are parts of the signal going to stop along the way for a beer?
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I'm sorry but this is very ignorant statement. Jitter is a serious and real issue in digital audio conversion and transmission.

Signals do not travel the speed of light. Electrons do, but signals are subject to the characteristics of the medium over which they travel. Signals have a finite rise and fall time and are susceptible to inference. All of which create jitter. The effect of jitter is subtle modulation of the of the sample rate. The effects of modulation are modulation tones which are unpleasant to the ear.

Go to the Audio Precision web site and read the TECH Note:
Jitter Theory
This TECHNOTE by Julian dunn discusses the causes, results, measurement and analysis of jitter in a digital audio signal.

http://www.audioprecision.com

enjoy

Joe
 
eedude said:
I'm sorry but this is very ignorant statement. Jitter is a serious and real issue in digital audio conversion and transmission.

Signals do not travel the speed of light. Electrons do, but signals are subject to the characteristics of the medium over which they travel. Signals have a finite rise and fall time and are susceptible to inference. All of which create jitter. The effect of jitter is subtle modulation of the of the sample rate. The effects of modulation are modulation tones which are unpleasant to the ear.

Go to the Audio Precision web site and read the TECH Note:
Jitter Theory
This TECHNOTE by Julian dunn discusses the causes, results, measurement and analysis of jitter in a digital audio signal.

http://www.audioprecision.com

enjoy

Joe
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Good explanation. Cable capactitance - more important in long cable runs - can adversely affect clock rise time and affect word clock performance.

Termination of the cables you use is equally important; Don Lavy and Bob Katz have some interesting things to say about it:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/2133/0
 
Signals do not travel the speed of light. Electrons do.

Thank you for enlightening me by showing that a massless phenomenon doesn't travel at the speed of light while a particle with mass does. Gee, I feel so dumm.
 
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