RCA audio cables are the standard in home theater audio. These make for an easy way to convert traditional DVD and Blu-ray sound, into a readable format for any sound system. Although many people feel that the RCA audio cables method has been surpassed by other technologies, they are still a tried and true method for achieving high quality sound on a budget. That’s the truly nice thing about them, the technology has been around for some time, so you can still get great sound, without sacrificing a lot in your budget.
RCA audio cables are based off of the technology originally developed by Radio Corporation of America. Typically every cord features a red and a white plug, that can be used for a variety of different objects. Typically these are used to connect stereos to DVD and Blu-ray players, or even mp3 players. The connectors on both ends can be modified in a variety of different ways, to accommodate many different common uses. The real advantage of RCA audio cables is that they are a very cheap way to achieve truly high quality sound. Usually you can find a good set of RCA wires for only $5-10.
The only problem with RCA audio cables however, is that they are prone to breaking down fairly easily. Because of they way that they are manufactured, the wires can be damaged quite easily if the connectors are plugged into a device when the device’s power is already on. As a safety precaution, and to extend the life of your cables, you should always make sure power is off to both devices as you connect them. Otherwise the RCA audio cables connectors can be ruptured, and then will deliver scratchy and poppy sound, or no sound at all.
While RCA audio cables do provide fantastic sound at a cheap price, if you really want the best, there are a few options that will serve you much better. Digital coaxial cables for instance provide much better sound, and offer much more range. These are more ideal for expensive sound systems, as they will be able to deliver the full range of sound that you would expect from your speakers. Through RCA audio cables the sound suffers a little bit of distortion as it’s converted into the proper format to play through your speakers. But with digital coaxial cables the sound is smoothed out, and reconstructed as perfectly from the source material as possible. Leaving you with something much more crisp than you would find otherwise.
On average, digital coaxial cables are slightly more expensive than RCA audio cables, but in most cases they will be the same price. You can find a wide selection at any electronics store like Radioshack and Best Buy. Remember to measure exactly how much wire you’ll be needing, so that you can buy the right length at the store. Also if the RCA audio cables will be through a wall or floorboards, make sure to check that they have the proper safety precautions in place. Any wire that will be placed inside a wall needs to be UL approved for your safety.