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Multichannel Audio Cables
We offer all of our analog audio cables not only in stereo pairs, but also in five, six, seven or eight-channel sets for use with SACD or Dolby 5.1 or 7.1 surround-sound systems. Each cable is terminated with a different color boot, for ease of installation. We offer these cables in a wide variety of lengths and will cut to custom lengths also. Note: if you're looking not for a multichannel analog audio cable, but for a single digital audio cable, visit our Digital Audio Cable department.
Introducing Blue Jeans Cable LC-2 Low Capacitance Audio Cable
For years our principal unbalanced audio interconnect cable has been our proprietary LC-1, designed for low capacitance and high shield effectiveness. We've tweaked the design a bit, getting the cross-sectional profile more consistent, but keeping the cable size, conductor size and shield characteristics the same, dropping capacitance slightly and lowering the price to boot. The new cable, LC-2, is now our recommended cable for general audio interconnect use (barring special circumstances and requirements).
The most important attributes of a line-level unbalanced audio cable are (1) shielding, and (2) capacitance. Heavy shielding protects audio signals from interference from outside sources. LC-2 Audio Cable uses a heavy double-braid shield, with one bare copper braid laid directly over another for extreme high coverage and high conductivity to ground; this is the identical shield configuration to Canare LV-77S, which tested best in our review of audio cable hum rejection characteristics (LC-2 hadn't been designed yet so wasn't tested at that time). By shrinking the center conductor to 25 AWG and foaming the polyethylene dielectric, we were able to get capacitance down below 11 pF/ft, much better than LV-77S at 21 pF/ft. Capacitance can be important, particularly in long cable runs, because it contributes to rolloff of higher frequencies. The softer dielectric material and smaller center conductor, meanwhile, make the cable highly flexible and easy to route.
For In-Wall Installations: Blue Jeans Cable LC-1 Low Capacitance Audio Cable
Our original low-capacitance unbalanced interconnect, LC-1, isn't entirely superseded by the new LC-2. The one attribute LC-1 has which LC-2 lacks is an in-wall installation rating. If you need to run cable inside of walls or cable trays, LC-1 carries a CM rating (higher than the more common CL2 or CL3). LC-1's capacitance is a little higher than LC-2's, but still excellent, typically about 12.2 pF/ft. For more information and specs on LC-1, read our "LC-1 Design Notes" article.
The Connectors: Taversoe Crimp RCA Plugs
Connectors are a critical part of any audio cable, because if the cable isn't well-joined to the connectors, or if the connectors don't make firm electrical contact with the jacks, it doesn't much matter how good the cable is. Our LC-1 cables are terminated with the Taversoe RCA plug, a high-quality RCA plug with an all-metal body and shell specifically designed for the perfect dimensions for use with LC-1. Its all-metal body, crimped tightly to the shield braid, completes the shielding assembly from cable end to cable end, to ensure that the cables do not become an entry point for noise. These plugs are gold-plated on all jack-contact surfaces, and employ a set of leaf-spring style grippers on the outer RCA ring which apply just the right amount of force to the jack to grip it firmly without overtightening.
Built in Seattle by our Experienced Staff
These cables are all assembled here in our own shop in Seattle using precision stripping and crimping equipment, and are individually tested before they go out the door. We think you'll be impressed with their performance; but we also offer a simple and easy return policy. If for any reason you're not completely satisfied, just return the cables, undamaged, within 30 days and we'll refund your purchase price in full.
Other Alternatives:
Different Cables:
In addition to our standard LC-1/Taversoe RCA configuration, we can supply audio cables in any of a number of different cable types. Our other cables do not fit the Taversoe RCA body, so are each matched with an appropriately-sized, similarly-constructed Canare RCAP plug. For a complete list, click here to see all the cables we currently offer.
Belden 1505F:
Belden 1505F was our recommended audio cable prior to the introduction of LC-1. It also has double-braid shielding, and is a bit thinner and more flexible. If you will be wanting to have your audio cables bundled together in Techflex wrap (see below), we recommend 1505F because LC-1 becomes quite thick and heavy when bundled and can pull hard on equipment jacks. View the technical specs for Belden 1505F.
Belden 1694A:
Belden 1694A is also a superb choice for analog audio; its foil/braid shield, though slightly less effective at excluding low-frequency EMI than 1505F's double braid shield, provides better RFI rejection, so 1694A may provide better shielding performance if you are beset with RFI issues. 1694A is an RG-6 type solid-core cable, and so is somewhat thicker and stiffer than 1505F. View Belden's technical specs for 1694A.
Techflex Braided Cable Jacket:
All of our cable sets above will be delivered as separate cables of identical length. However, if you prefer cables which are grouped together in a common jacket, we also offer Techflex, a black plastic braided covering similar to a "finger trap," for cables up to 12 feet in length. Techflex adds one dollar per foot to the cost of any cable assembly above.
To Order:
Select the length you need and any applicable options below; hit the "calculate" button, and the price will appear to the right. To purchase, click "Add to Cart." PLEASE NOTE: the ".1" channel in a surround system is a full-fledged, albeit restricted bandwidth, channel; accordingly, if you need to carry all the channels for 5.1 audio, for example, that requires a six-channel, not a five-channel, cable set.
