# Need A Nice Pair Of RCA Interconnects That Won't Break The Bank!



## whirlwind

I am looking for a nice pair of interconnects to go from dac to amp that wont break the bank......what is the best I can get for $75


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## kenman345

I am looking for Silver RCA to Mini plug.....so I'll be looking out for responses.


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## Speedskater

As always, Blue Jeans Cable is at the sweet spot in price and performance.


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## crazychile

Signal Cable makes nice stuff that is very affordable.


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## Jozurr

I've been hearing really good things about ghentaudio.


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## Lenni

These seem nice for the price:
  
Signalcable Reference
  
Geortz Alphacore
  
Tara Labs Spectrum
  
Supra EFF-ISL


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## Noirkw91

Emotiva RCAs?


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## zilch0md (Sep 30, 2017)

A friend recently recommended I get the *Audioquest Diamondback* RCA interconnects ($70 for a 0.5m pair).







 When I went to Audioquest's web page, I couldn't find any mention of the Diamondback.

 I could find "Audioquest Diamondback" using Google - with a lot of hits at eBay and elsewhere, but I could not find any mention of the Diamondback at Audioquest's own web page for analog interconnects:

http://www.audioquest.com/analog-interconnects/

 Then I tried searching Google by specifying the site, as follows:

     "site:www.audioquest.com +diamondback"

 This is a very powerful way to filter out a lot of garbage, if you know the information you are seeking is at a specific site.  I use it a lot just to search Head-Fi, for example - it works better than using Head-Fi's built-in Search tool.

 That search lead me to this page:

http://www.audioquest.com/archives/interconnects/analog_interconnects/diamonback.html

 It's in the "Archive" section of Audioquest's site - revealing that the Diamondback has apparently been discontinued.

 I also found this (old) PDF on the Diamondback:

http://www.audioquest.com/pdfs/analog_interconnects/diamonback.pdf



*Studying and comparing the following September 30 2015 PDF to the older Diamondback PDF (above)...*

http://www.audioquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AQ_PB_US-Retail_15-09-30.pdf

*... check out what I've learned:  *

 In their current line-up, the least expensive RCA interconnects (with prices for 0.6m lengths) are the _*Tower* ($23),_ *Evergreen*_($32)_, *Golden Gate* _($65)_, and _*Big Sur*_ ($97), but the PDF makes it easy to compare their features.

_These first four interconnects all have Foamed Polyethylene as the dielectric insulator and Metal-Layer Noise Dissipation System (NDS)_.

 Going further up in price, we have the _*Sydney*_ ($155) and _*Victoria*_ ($265), _which both have Polyethylene Air Tube dielectrics and __Carbon-Based 3-Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS)_

 All six of the above, currently produced interconnects, have this geometry: _Asymmetrical Double-Balanced (Lower Impedance on Ground, Same Quality + & – Conductors)_

 The _*Golden Gate*_ ($65) and better cables have these conductors: _Solid Perfect-Surface Copper (PSC)_

 But again, only the _*Sydney*_ ($155) and *Victoria* ($265) have _Polyethylene Air Tube dielectrics and and __Carbon-Based 3-Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS)__._

 And lastly, only the *Sydney* ($155) and Victoria ($265) have _Cold-welded silver-plated connectors_ instead of _Cold-welded gold-plated connectors_, as seen in the less expensive cables.

 The only distinction between the the *Sydney* ($155) and *Victoria* ($265) is that the latter has Audioquest's 72V DBS feature.


 Guess what! The discontinued* Diamondback *($70) is _almost_ identical to the _*Sydney*_ ($155). They both have the following features:

_Solid Perfect-Surface Copper (PSC)_
_Polyethylene Air Tube dielectrics_
_Asymmetrical Double-Balanced (Lower Impedance on Ground, Same Quality + & – Conductors)_
_Cold-welded silver-plated connectors_

 But the* Sydney *($155) offers two improvements:

 1) It uses _purple copper_ (better?) in its connectors instead of _red copper_.

 2) It uses the _Carbon-Based 3-Layer Noise-Dissipation System (NDS)_* - *_Foil / Carbon-synthetic / Foil_ _-_ instead of the Diamondback's _Foil / Mylar / Foil_ shield.



 So, even though the 0.5m *Diamondback* appears to be discontinued - judging by its absence at their web site, it can still be purchased new at Amazon for *$70.00* + $5.99 shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Diamondback-audio-cable-stereo/dp/B0006DPOKC

 But the currently manufactured 0.6m _*Sydney*_ sells for *$154.75* at Amazon!:

http://www.amazon.com/Audioquest-SYD0-6R-AUDIOQUEST-SYDNEY-RCA-TO-RCA/dp/B005ZBSB5A

 And that's the price I found for the *Sydney*, everywhere - which is full retail, per the 2015 PDF.

*Decisions, decisions....*

*Should we pay $70.00 for a brand new Diamondback or $154.75 for the Sydney*, which distinguishes itself with _purple copper_ instead of _red copper_ silver-plated connectors and _foil / carbon / foil_ shields instead of _foil / mylar / foil_ shields?

 Gee, this was really tough. I thought about it for awhile, like...  maybe five seconds!   
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I ordered the Diamondback and I'm really pleased with how it sounds relative to the following, equally affordable (or more so) RCA interconnects that are in my current inventory:

_    Audioquest Golden Gate RCA_
_    Anti-Cables Level 1 RCA_
_    Emotiva RCA_


 The *Anti-Cables Level 1* ($100) was my favorite RCA interconnect prior to getting the _*Audioquest Diamondback*_.






 At this writing, they are currently available for 50% off their regular price of $100 for a 0.5m pair:

http://anticables.com/interconnects...ic-Series-RCA-Analog-Interconnects/p/30770083

_*Anti-Cables*_ uses a very thin but hard coating on the two conductors to act as a dielectric (to prevent shorts), where the conductors of the *Diamondback* (and *Sydney*) are inside polyethylene "Air Tubes" - with a similar, perhaps less effective strategy for avoiding issues associated with using foam dielectrics, as do most cables. One has to wonder, though, if the hard coating used by *Anti-Cables* will eventually wear thin at points where the center conductor rubs against the outer helical conductor.

 Another difference is that the *Anti-Cables Level 1* has no shielding whatsoever. Some people believe that foil shields can cause problems, even when not used as one of the signal conductors, so one could argue there is merit in not having either a substantial dielectric or a shield (a la *Anti-Cables*), but Audioquest combats this problem by shielding the shield, so to speak.  Both the_* Diamondback*_ ($70) and the very similar *Sydney* ($155) use 3-layer shielding, with Foil-Mylar-Foil or Foil-Carbon-Foil, respectively.  Audioquest's more expensive cables include up to six-layer and even 8-layer alternating carbon and foil shields.

 Read more about the Audioquest NDS system here:

http://www.audioquest.com/resource_tools/LearningMods/NoiseDis.pdf

 I can't say for sure if it's the 3-Layer shielding offered by the *Diamondback* or some other aspect of its design that gives it a lower noise floor than the unshielded *Anti-Cables Level 1*, but it's a distinct improvement, allowing me to hear more of those low-level signals that lie closest to (and hopefully never beneath) the noise floor - providing lots of information that helps to define timbre, soundstage, and imaging - making good, clean recordings sound more natural and realistic.

 There's something else I'm hearing with the *Diamondback *vs. the* Anti-Cables*, but I'm unable to put my finger on it other than to say that listening to a lot of music with it, I just find it to be better overall, in many ways. Going back to the _*Anti-Cables* _after a few hours of listening to the *Diamondback* is all it takes to know I'm happier with the Diamondback. It might be expectation bias interfering with my already subjective objectivity (is there such a thing?), but the lowered noise floor is a distinction I can detect with certainty and I'd be very happy with the *Diamondback* for that alone.

 The *Emotiva* and *Audioquest Golden Gate* aren't even in the running, but I would put the *Emotiva* ahead of the *Golden Gate*.

 I tested the four RCA interconnects using my primary desktop rig:

 iPad 3 > CCK > Entreq Discovery USB cable (with drain wire connected to mains ground) > UpTone Audio USB Regen (powered by a 9V battery pack) > USB 3 module (Anamero designed) of a Metrum Acoustics Octave MkII NOS DAC > _*RCA Interconnect*_ > Metrum Acoustics Aurix > HD 800.

Only my DAC and amp are powered by 110V AC, with my source (iPad 3), USB Regen, and USB 3 module all running on battery power, but I've gone to considerable lengths to reduce any common-mode and normal-mode noise coming in on the mains, as well as preventing any "backwash" of noise from the DAC back onto the mains where the amp might pick it up - using a cascade of isolation transformers, as shown in this (generic) graphic I created: 

[This graphic was updated on 30 Sept 2017]





My final configuration of affordable grounded-neutral and floating-neutral isolation transformers, fed by an equally affordable voltage regulator, is the result of several weeks of testing at my audio workbench dining table.  I'm crazy about eliminating and or reducing noise, so that my HD800 can hear only what they're supposed to hear.

 The discontinued _*Audioquest Diamondback* _(replaced by the *Sydney*) has pushed my system a little closer to that ceiling it seems we can never reach.






 Mike


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## mrinspire

That is a very detail one Mike. ​
  
 Me myself will just get the Diamondback or BlueJean.


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## jcn3

crazychile said:


> Signal Cable makes nice stuff that is very affordable.




Agreed. This is here I buy my cables.


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## jazzwave

I'm happy with Acoustic Zen WoW as interconnect RCA-RCA for DAC to Tube Amp
 and
 Mini to RCA I use cable from  this guy:
http://www.amplifiersurgery.com/category-s/1515.htm
  
  
  
 ~ron~


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## Dave Popovich

I personally am a huge fan of any RCA interconnect built with Belden 1505F cable. The second I started using the stuff, I was in another world. If you are able to make your own cables, you'll save yourself some money, especially since the cable can usually be found for under a dollar a foot. Definitely give it a try.


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## zilch0md

dave popovich said:


> I personally am a huge fan of any RCA interconnect built with Belden 1505F cable. The second I started using the stuff, I was in another world. If you are able to make your own cables, you'll save yourself some money, especially since the cable can usually be found for under a dollar a foot. Definitely give it a try.


 
  
 I should give it a try.
  
 Blue Jeans Cables will make a 1-foot pair of Belden 1505F RCA interconnects with Taversoe connectors for $35.75 (for those of us who don't have great soldering skill).
  
 http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/audio/index.htm
  
 http://www.bluejeanscable.com/pages/technicaldocs/1505Ftech.htm


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## Deftone

fisual havana XL


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