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Subwoofer Cables
In some ways, the subwoofer cable interconnect is the least demanding application in home theater. While HD video demands cables able to carry high-bandwidth signals, at tight impedance tolerances, the subwoofer cable has the relatively easy job of carrying a very low-frequency, very low-bandwidth signal. But a subwoofer cable has a critical job to do, and needs to do it well: keep out hum. Hum can come from ground loops (cable won't help you if that's the case, but see our isolation transformer below) or, often, from EMI (electro-magnetic interference). High-energy, low-frequency noise, like the 60-cycle hum from nearby power cords, fluorescent lights, and other miscellaneous sources, is the hardest type of interference to shield against, and the best defense here is a dense and highly-conductive braid shield. Our recommended subwoofer interconnect cables have not one, but two, dense braid shields, and in our testing we've found this to be the best shield configuration, outperforming conventional single-braid, braid-and-foil, and unbalanced twisted-pair cables when it comes to hum rejection.
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 Analog 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.
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.
Questions? See our FAQ
We've compiled some of the most frequently-encountered questions about subwoofers in our FAQ. But should you find that you have a question not answered on our site, by all means give us a call; we'll be glad to help.
Alternatives and Add-ons:
In addition to our standard BJC LC-1/Taversoe RCA configuration, we can supply the following options:
Other cables:
In addition to our standard LC-1, we carry a variety of raw cables from which we can make subwoofer cables. A few are listed below; for a complete list, click here. Because these other cables do not fit the Taversoe RCA plug, we terminate them with Canare RCAP RCA plugs, sized for the particular cable in use.
Canare LV-77S:
Prior to the introduction of our LC-1 cable, Canare LV-77S was our recommended subwoofer cable; it has the same shielding as the LC-1, but a larger center conductor and solid dielectric, which gives it higher capacitance. LV-77S is not UL-listed or rated for in-wall use. View Canare's description and technical specs for LV-77S.
Belden 1505F:
Belden 1505F, also a double-braid shielded cable, is a bit more flexible than LC-1 or LV-77S; in many applications, where EMI noise is not extreme, it will work equally well. View the technical specs for Belden 1505F.
Belden 1695A Coax:
Belden 1695A is a Teflon-dielectric cable, fire-rated for use in a plenum (e.g., a dropped-ceiling space used as a ventilation return). Its braid/foil shielding provides excellent hum rejection, and 1695A is our best plenum cable for subwoofer use; if you don't need a plenum-rated cable, however, the hum rejection characteristics of both LV-77S and 1505F are superior. View Belden's specs for 1695A.
Y-adapters:
Some subwoofers function best with the signal fed not to one, but two, inputs--if you're in doubt about whether to feed signal to one or to two inputs, consult the manual for your subwoofer. We offer two different adapters to split the signal from a single output to more than one sub input; the most often-used type is our short Y cable, with one female end and two male ends, made for us by AVLink. This is a well-built, braid-and-foil shielded cable, about one foot long, and sells for $10.00. Alternatively, we also carry a small plastic hardshell adapter with one male and two female connections; this is useful if you're daisy-chaining subs together or jumpering from one sub input to another, but necessitates using another cable to make the jumper connection, and is $2.50.
To Order:
Just fill in your cable length in feet in the appropriate form below, select any applicable options, and the price will display to the right. To purchase, click "add to cart."
