CableDirect – 3ft RCA/Phono Cable, 2 × 2 Plugs, Stereo Audio Cable, Practically Break-Proof & Flawless Sound Quality (coaxial, subwoofer/amp/HiFi & Home Cinema/Blu-ray, Analog & Digital)

Recently I re-tubed a vintage amp I've been restoring. I put it back in my entertainment center, turned it on, and sat back to listen.Everything was fine for about an hour or so, then a 60 Hz hum started. In just a few minutes the hum was the only thing that could be heard.My first thought was that one of the new tubes was bad. But because disconnecting the amp to remove it from the rack, then opening it up to replace a bad tube didn't appeal to me I decided to first recheck the connections to make certain nothing was loose (Good grounding is our friend).I found the hum was coming from a patch cord that had gone bad. It was an older cable and I guess something that got brittle with age snapped while it was being handled. I didn't have another RCA patch cable long enough, so time to buy a new cable.Normally my go to stereo patch cables would be Blue Jeans LC-1 interconnects, but there's a problem. Blue Jeans has fallen for the current fad of oversize moldings on their connectors. The RCA inputs on most vintage stereo equipment (Say 70's or earlier) is spaced more closely together than is common on modern gear. And I know from experience the the LC-1's won't fit on the inputs of this amplifier without the benefit of improvisational engineering. And most other brands of modern interconnect cables have "chunky plug" syndrome as well.While pondering this dilemma the light went off in my head. I bought a KabelDirekt headphone jack to RCA cord to connect the bedroom TV to an elderly Wave Radio I rescued from a yard sale. And the RCA connectors on that patch cord were much more reasonably sized. So I popped upstairs to get the cable and tried a test fitting on my old amp, and they fit perfectly with room to spare.So I ordered a KabelDirekt 6' stereo patch cable and through the magic of Amazon Prime a nice government employee deposited it in my mailbox two days later.ImpressionsIn addition to having reasonably sized connectors that will fit vintage gear they are well made and grip tightly, but not too tight (I hate connectors that have to be hammered on or pulled off with visegrips).Sound? They sound good. They add nothing to the audio and don't take anything away, which is what good cables should do. And the hum is gone.On the subject of channel markings on the plugs; I'm in my Fifties, and deep in the throes of presbyopia. Which means I'm not particularly flexible and I don't see tiny things in tight spaces very well. Much has been made in other reviews about the marking for the channels on these cables being the color of the printing on the plugs and how difficult it is to see.Blind, old, and cranky as I am I had no problems telling left from right while squatting down in the cramped, poorly lit space behind my entertainment center. Another reviewer recommended using a flashlight helps to see the colors more easily. I second his opinion.My only complaint really has nothing to do with the cables themselves. It has to do with the KabelDirekt's "Designed in Germany - Made in China" tag in their marketing.Designed does not mean engineered. In fact "Designed" in this context is extremely vague. It might mean engineered, but it might only mean "we told the Chinese factory what font to print on the plugs". It would be nice if they were to provide a bit more clarification on what is meant by "Designed".Bottom line; Good cables at a good price. They perform well and seem well made enough to last in home audio use.Update 7/31/2018: I've since ordered several more of these cables for various uses in sizes ranging from 3' to 20'. I've been satisfied with the performance, even the 20 foot cable used with my TV (dead quiet, no hum, despite being next to several power cords).I've only had one RCA Plug with a loose fit when new, and that was easily corrected with the judicious application of pliers.And apparently KabelDirekt does read these reviews because the newer cables come with easier to see color bands on the barrels of the plugs.

I actually have no clue if these are better or worse than anything else on the market and I doubt most other people do either.Here is what I do know. Thicker wire is usually better than thin and copper is good. Yes I’m aware there is more to RCA cable but I’d bet these are as good as any, especially at this price to the average human ear attached to the average Mid-Fi stereo system.I own Blue Jeans cables to connect my turntable to and from the pre amp (I researched and felt comfortable that they are the absolute height of dollar to quality value on the market) but I needed a “good” not great and more cost effective cable to connect my Bluetooth receiver. It seemed overkill to buy another Blue Jeans to connect a Bluetooth that is suffering the limitations of my phones ability to stream music anyway.I chose the Kable Direkt as it seems to tic all the boxes.These seem to be made of quality materials and the RCA ends fit snugly on my equipment but aren’t too bulky to interfere with other cables in tight confines. They are also quite flexible and look very nice.I refuse to believe that spending outrageous money for cables does more than waste your money and these are at a very reasonable price point and if they are honest in their description are a great value on high quality cables. I have their speaker cable and banana ends and those were also very nice and priced fairly. I feel confident it can provide every ion of sound these worn out ears can discern.FWIW my new Auris receiver sounds fantastic, much better than the old 20.00 unit I had connected via the crappy cables that were included with that unit. 10.00 dollars for peace of mind that your equipment has a good cable connection seems more than fair.I do wish they came in a shorter length than 3’ so if there is any gripe that’s it.

I used this attach a mixing board to my AV receiver. The cables are nice quality, very firm and sturdy feel, and the quality of the sound they transmit is excellent. Even though they are pretty long, and quality does degrade a bit over long distances, the sound actually better than my previous shorter RCA cable. Highly recommend this brand and don't be afraid of the length.