Which Cable KILLS The Tone? | Gear Corner
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2020
- #doescablematter #guitarcables
Please use headphones or a good pair of monitors to hear the differences.
What do you think? Are the differences worth talking about?
Here's something that I think is really important to say: what you hear when someone else is playing is of course important. What's way more important though, is how gear (in this case the cable) makes you feel whilst playing your guitar. I can't show you that part obviously, that's why I highly recommend trying out different cables to know what works best for you.
Check out the cables at Thomann:
Vovox Sonorus Protect: bit.ly/3dQOSkK
Cordial CRI 3: bit.ly/34k4aeI
Cordial CTI 3: bit.ly/31usAjH
Cordial CCFI 3: bit.ly/2TfDMMt
Timestamps:
Introduction
00:14 Intro playing + signal chain
00:40 What to expect in this video
01:28 The 4 cables I'll compare
02:33 Comparison 1 | Tele clean
02:55 Comparison 2 | Tele clean
03:20 We don't appreciate cables
03:43 Comparison 3 | Les Paul clean
04:59 Comparison 4 | Tele clean
05:22 Comparison 5 | Les Paul clean
05:49 ACTION REPLAY | Head to head
06:01 So which one is good enough?
06:44 Comparison 6 | Cranked amp w/ Les Paul
07:08 What if I just upgrade 1 cable?
08:51 Will there still be a difference when using an overdrive?
09:52 Can you hear any difference through all amps?
Gear used in this video:
-Fender Telecaster Custom Shop '53 reissue
(a similar custom shop tele: bit.ly/2KFVJld)
-Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop '58 reissue bit.ly/2FxKvek
-Honey Bee Clean Drive Plus: www.honeybeeamps.com/
-REVV Dynamis 7/40 head: bit.ly/2IxwoId
-Universal Audio OX BOX bit.ly/2IyOeuj
-One Control Agamidae switcher: bit.ly/2YZgiib
-Ernie Ball cables and strap: bit.ly/2Io0dfg
-Cordial CRI series cables: bit.ly/2XiVLBR
-Evidence Audio patch cables: bit.ly/2Ixylo1
Other gear I use in my videos:
-Harley Benton Fusion-II Roasted SSP bit.ly/31FVawf
-Gibson Les Paul CM 2015 - heavily modified (thin nitro refin; Lollar Dog Ear P90; Emerson electronics)
-Barocsi Troublecaster - Custom built T-style guitar with Gretsch Filtertrons
-Barocsi "Frankenstrat" (2000 Fender American Standard body + Warmoth neck)
-REVV G2: bit.ly/2NbpV9R
-Tate FX Antares overdrive www.tatefx.co.uk/
-Coppersound Foxcatcher: coppersoundpedals.com/
-Supro Tremolo bit.ly/2Zpxn75
-REVV G3: bit.ly/2FvuANy
-REVV G4: bit.ly/2ZhxX39
-Analogman King of Tone www.analogman.com/
-Tate FX Raise the Dead Germanium: www.tatefx.co.uk/
-Source Audio Nemesis delay: bit.ly/2Dft6Gd
-Dunlop Gypsy Fuzz pedal: bit.ly/2VKw4K0
-SIB Nick Nitro (discontinued, you'll find it used)
-ENGL Fuzzyhead Fuzz: bit.ly/2QrjmPU
-J Rockett Archer overdrive: bit.ly/2Ges1z8
-Morgan 1x12 cab Twilight: bit.ly/2KFihDq
-NUX SOS Looper bit.ly/31TMxPx
The speech mic:
-SENNHEISER MKH 416: bit.ly/2w1EAMP
Audio Interface:
-Audient iD44: bit.ly/2Jo73zN
These links are affiliate links; use them to support my channel. Thank you!
Check out the Thomann Music channel for some wicked guitar videos:
/ musikhausthomann
Follow me on instagram:
kris_barocs...
Cheers,
Kris Barocsi 
Видеоклипы
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Here’s an interesting add-on to the video: even though I still hear the difference between the cables when watching the finished video, the differences in the room were even more clear. I guess that’s because there’s an action-reaction effect whilst playing. These cables made me play differently and it was really hard to play everything four times the same way through the four cables.
Did you have any similar experience when comparing gear? This was super interesting for sure.
Cheers!
Hey Kristóf, you should use maybe a looper next time!
You are great anyway, I am so proud of you "testvér"
(a múltkori videóban nagyon jó volt hallani, hogy nem csak németül de magyarul is beszéltek a kislányoddal 🤗)
I had the looper thought too. I also use mine for fine tuning pedal settings. I’ll move it to the front of my board with a riff playing over and over while I tweak the pedals for the best sound. Is it really an amp comparison when the guy that loves Marshall will play better through it? Nope. Should use a looper for that too.
@@attilam7405 köszi Attila! Mellesleg kisfiú, nem kislány. Haha! (Julian, nem Julia)
I was thinking about a looper but it’s not possible to use it without any cable when recording the loop. And if you go for a certain cable, that (and it’s quality) will influence the comparison. Does that make any sense? Long story short, it would’ve been a “clean solution”.
Also, looper pedals have a low impedance output whilst guitars with passive pickups have a high impedance signal. That is also relevant if we’re talking about signal and treble loss. Csáo!
@@KrisBarocsi that impedance part makes a whole lot of sense. Good point.
I recently bought a Fender Coil Cable in beautiful red (eheh), super heavy, and I think that improve a lot my sound even compared to my Planet Waves best one. And it's a 20 € cable
120 euro??? thats two harley benton guitars :O
Or 3 kits!!!
*I've used both cheap and expensive cables in my small journey of being an artist, and to me the most difference comes in live gigs. All the R.Fs from all the lights and all fancy stuffs, gets in signal and makes it noisy. Currently I'm using Mogami and Fender's coiled one. To me these sounds fantastic, Yes folks cables do matter. Hey thanks for mentioning this brand Chris, adding in cart soon.*
Yup. Best 2 cables u mentioned.
I have Vovox sonorus on my active speakers.Very happy with the sound. Transparent,clean and balanced sound. Good comparison
I find that different pick materials make a big tonal difference. They are a cheap and easy way to find the tone I like. Though cables do make a difference, and the Vovox sounded the clearest, that is an expensive way to solve a problem. I'm a fan of using the guitar Tone knob and choosing the right Pot Capacitors, or an EQ pedal.
I love my vovox cables! They are pricey but for recording they do make a noticeable difference. But in different contexts any of those other Cordials could be a more fitting choice. Great demonstration of this!
Hi Kris! Very cool video. I'd be interested to hear the effect of a buffer on the cable between pedals and amp.
Great video. What i would like to know is: what exactly make a cable sound better? Maybe that would be the next step, would be great to exactly know our gear
Hi. Very interesting video. Thanks. You make an excellent point at the end about how amps can colour the overall sound and others more transparent. I can think of many examples. Gee if you’re going to that extent of tone glory when using the pedal board, what about all the patch leads between the pedals? Thanks and regards.
That Honey Bee Amp clean overdrive sounds great. The expensive cable is definitely the best but not really affordable. The CTI I thought was the next best cable. Thanks for doing the video comparison, I wondered how much better the more expensive cables could be
Hey Kris! Valid point and you can hear a difference and yes you should be consistent with the quality all through the chain. The best tone you get is limited to the least cable isn't it? Now of course that difference matters to the degree of your situation. Us players that are in front of the masses in my bedroom meh.... Recording for sure like you said. How much this matters in a live situation? I don't know that one, seems that bit of difference may not matter? Things that make you go hmmmmmm I will tell you this... I sound better without a cable! Another good one and thank you sir.
The Vovox had the most high treble (it probably had the least capacity value of the four, as expected for such an expensive cable) but oddly less bass than the CRI. The CRI was the cable that kept bass better, but oddly enough it had a little less clarity than the cheaper CTI. The CCFI really degraded the tone. In conclusion, the CTI and CRI were the real winners, the CTI in particular.
Buy cables with specified 90 +/- 10 pF capacitance per meter and you'll always be fine.
Interesting because someone else says its warmer, I don't think it makes a difference
As an amateur and new on guitar I can say this: yes we can invest in gear we like to have but we have to invest more in practice. For someone who is recording and searching for perfect sound including musicians is logical to try different types of gear, for the others including myself we have to keep training and be satisfied with the sound we approached.
I preferred the Cordial CTI, out of the four, in my first listen. I'll come back to this later on a better system and see what I think, then.
For about 25 years, I've used DiMarzio EP1700 cables, and have always been happy with the sound and durability.
I think what we are hearing are playing differences rather than cable sound differences, as in order to be a fair comparison, it would have to be the same exact signal through each cable. Also, in my experience the insulation quality accounts for the most variations in sound because electrical noise modifies the frequency balance, if there is noise in the bass range you will think the treble is less audible. I would recommand buying cables by the meter and neutrick jacks if you need a lot of cables and don't mind doing a bit of soldering, you can get really high quality cables (like the "spirit LLX" by sommer cable, you can find that on thomann for example) way cheaper than buying standard retail cables.
good video man, thank you a lot :-)
Fun Generation is my cable! No noise and sounds great in my opinion! Will never change for any other brand unless they disappear as a brand.
Great examination, Kris! I hear a stark difference. But it comes down to taste and purpose, yeah? For studio work, signal is key. For practice, mileage varies. For gigging? When we aim for top quality performance/signal/output, our prospects improve. Some in the audience won't know they hear a difference. Others won't know how to articulate it. But everybody will hear it, and it leaves an impression. Cheers! --K
Wise words Kurtis! I care most about the details in tone when I practice and record. If it doesn’t feel right, I play worse. On stage? Hmm. That’s more about good vibes, volume and reliability. That’s why I went for the thirtysomething Euro cable (CRI series). Good balance of great tone and well built too. Cheers
@@KrisBarocsi Right on, I feel you. By the by: I get a particular charge out of pieces like this one, the deep dives into the nooks and crannies of musicianship, gear, etc. The neck swap piece is excellent. Also, my wife and kids loved your son's cameo in the Give-a-caster build. Such a familiar moment. Peace!
If you have a buffer on your board, the cable that goes from guitar to buffer is the one that really matters
Hey Kris, first thanks for the effort making all those great videos. My question ist maybe a stupid one but if i run a wah pedal and lets say i prefer a cable that cost a lot like the vovox one, am i forced to get two of them before/after the pedal, to contain the "good" signal? Danke im voraus 😁🤟
Few years ago I've heard two bass players talking about some high end cables. They described difference as "like you'd pull out wool out of your ears"
I get it now. Luckily my daily rig is worth approx 40€ so I won't buy this cable soon
I had to watch this video in headphones, that's why it took me so long. It definitely was worth the wait
Ich benutze auch mehrere von den CRI 3 PP. Das ist wirklich das beste!
Ich hab viele wesentliche teurere. Keins kommt da ran.
30-40 Gigs im Jahr plus manche Probe.
Null Probleme und lässt sich immer super aufwickeln. Auch der integrierte Velcrokabelbinder funktioniert perfekt. Grüße Chris.
I usually use mid price range cables and look for gold tips or "zero carbon" (usually Mogami) not for tonal purpose, for build quality and endurance. Could hear the difference with the Vovox one, Cordials not so much. The really cheap cables tend to hum and static, cut out easily and drive me bonkers! That Clean Drive is sick! 😎👍
Lifetime warranty
(is important as an immortal just remember some companies don’t last as long as we do, and others are very apprehensive when your signature matches the 1200 year old receipt for a cello bow 😳)
I heard definitely a difference here with good headphones. The difference was not huge but it was there. Maybe in the room it might be even bigger than after the RUclips sound processing.
In my ears the vovox and the medium priced cordial had both more top end than the higher and lower priced cordial cables.
I think when playing live you should use not the most cheap. Simply because of the physical force it will have to deal with.
During recording the sound plays a bigger role, but I would also not choose a cable in the price range of the vovox.
The mid priced Cordial or a similar cable from another brand is fine.
The cordial and the vovox sound great.
Wow, I actually not expecting huge difference in tone but I was wrong 😂. I was comparing just the CTI since that’s my budget, but that Vovox sounds a lot clearer. Maybe I will get a Cordial CTI and just add tone buffer in the chain.. maybe that can help boost clarity, that’s my poor man’s Vovox solution 😝 Thanks for the good review!
Hi, very interesting vídeo. I rather like to see some other brands like Fender, Monster Cable, Ernie Ball, Planet Waves, and others. Vovox is the top of the line and i think that most of us use medium price cables. Thanks
Through my computer etc, etc I thought the really cheap cable sounded a little thin and this ties in with my own experience to date. To me, the build quality is one of the most important things - cheap cables break WAY to often. Personally, I have used higher end Planet Wave cables for years and they have been durable and always sound good. Horses for courses I guess.
What about comparing the sound waves visually? Like, we can see if any cable or cable combination is generating noise or wave altering when we see the recording on a daw.
I buy a 100m drum of decent quality mic cable and solder plugs on as required.
Neutrik for work, cheapos for the home studio.
I've always meant to do a test between using the cores together or connecting just one hot and the other with the screen ...
I'd expect some slight difference in capacitance.
Never got around to doing it though.
I made a mic cable with both cores soldered to the tip (neutrik) and it has a treble loss that can be fixed using a buffer. The cable is very reliable, I made it 12 years ago and it still works fine, but I wouldn't use mic cable again.
Can you compensate for the lack of brightness by changing the tone or guitar eq? That could help some of the perceived muddiness.
Big difference the silver cable had more sound especially on the low strings then the mid grade cable. You get what you pay for. Great video
I have one vovox guitar cable which I don’t use! But do use 2 vovox speaker cables for my amp head and tone king Ironman ii 🤘🏻
Mind-blowing! I did not expect such an audible difference... What about using buffers? Do you think the cable will still matter that much if you have a buffer in your pedal board? For me, cables has been more of a reliability thing. As I beginner I bought so many cheap cables and after months or years they'll just die. At some point I got some medium-high priced ones and they've been going solid for several years now already.
Thanks man! Buffers are always good to use to prevent even more signal getting lost after it. But what got lost in the first cable (going to the buffer) cannot be magically recovered. At least that’s my experience. You’ll be fine with mid priced cables for shows and rehearsals and for recording you can check out Evidence, Vovox and similar cables. That makes the most sense to me. Cheers
As a man running a fridge rack with at least 50 cables, patches etc....I can testify that every little and big cable makes a change in the tone. And frustratingly enough, sometimes... a "bad" cable that cuts a bit of high end and harsh might actually be more useful than a "good" cable retaining the signal....just because it gets you closer to the sound you want...And these minor differences..you can't get with EQ-ing. So, there...find the ones which work for your ears and use those.
I use Lava cables primarily. Good quality cable for reasonable price. Durable and sound fine to me.
I noticed the tone difference on the Les Paul!
I'm really impressed by the Cordial CTI! At some points it sounded even brighter and more open than the more expensive CRI.
Do you have a good multimeter, so you could measure the capacitance and resistance of each cable? Would be really helpful to analyse those numbers and maybe find out what to look for, for a good sounding cable
Hey, I only had these cable on loan, so I can't measure them. But I'm 100% sure you'll find all the details of them on their own website. Most cable manufacturers share technical information. Cheers!
If i remeber correct Dan and Mick from TPS allways talk about low capacity of the cable is better. Logger cable - More capacitance. From what i can find online after 5min the cordial cables are 140/130/ 88pf/m and the vovox is 75pf/m. May be the explanation. Capasitors in a circuit change the tone.
People always argue about this and that and they always overlook (insert something new every time) and it’s the most effective thing to your tone. Loved the comparison though, do a video on the honey bee pedal.
Haha! Fair enough with the “insert sg new every time”. You know how it is... you have to feed the RUclips beast a little. 😂 Other than that, it is true in this case. People seem to ignore the importance of using proper cables.
Cheers man
Kris Barocsi - No no, I understand, I just hear a lot of people saying it. Love your videos. Keep it up.
We can’t hear a difference but I have no doubt that you can, so well take your word for it. However that honeybee pedal was a huge upgrade! Do more honeybee demos , please!
Sonic comparisons on RUclips …. Recipe for understanding subtle cable variations on a super compressed medium! Let’s go … ! 🤷🏻♂️
Cables make a great difference imo!
cordial ccfi is drasticaly changing upper frequencys. the other are very close even through good headphones
I think this is as well subjective as all the other aspects of tone. It can get expensive, but I would suggest to buy the cable by meter with two plugs and do the homework with the soldering iron. Doesn't cost a fortune that way.
Hi Kris, I found the difference to be more recognizable when you were playing the les paul. Still, I think in my case it's a minor thing when I think about my small to medium priced and quality rig and this will certainly apply to a majority of guitar players, I guess. Nonetheless, I made very bad experiances when it comes to cheap cables regarding longevity. If you have to buy the cable twice or even more often, you would have better chosen better quality and you would have saved yourself the trouble...nothing is more annoying than wanting to play and the gear is not working properly
Thank you Kris, cheers!
Yes, me too man. Don’t know why it’s like that exactly. Might be the warmer tone or higher output of humbuckers. Or is it the 500k pots vs 250k?
@@KrisBarocsi this exceeds my knowledge of electronics by far, but I'm really interested to hear the reason. Maybe someone has a theory for this? What I could recognize, especially with the les paul, is missing low end and volume (in terms of fatness, not loudness) with the cheaper cables.
I thought vovox was the cheapest because it was the first and I didn't know the brand previously. On the other hand I like its sound the most. After checking your link I just did 😲😲😲
I saw an old video where Santana's guitar tech said he uses a 50 foot cable to reduce high frequency sounds.
I am still using my 20 foot Whirlwind cable from 15+ years ago. I have never heard any difference in any cable in all my years. Friends bought $50 Monster cables with gold plating and we couldn't tell the difference from my $10 cables.
Any slight difference someone could notice can be EQed out easily.
What was the measured capacitance of each cable in pF/metre ?
@Return of the Native have a burger and chill
For recording - unshielded VOVOX is cool, for live - some form of shielded high quality cable.
feels like the 30euro one the most ideal for any situation ... cheaper ones lossing harmonics... one that os expensive ... kinda cleaner... but maybe for a 10 % .... but Ihow about how it feels when you actually play? if there is not big difference in sound ... what do you feel? expensive one better? what if make a blind test for fun?)) cutting the psycological moment of a having cheap or expensive cable?)
bravo
Great video Kris, thanks very helpful. I have a another question/wish for you not regarding cables. Since i am almost a beginner electric guitar player and only use a combo amp i would like to learn more about going from a head and the torpedo into an interface to the computer but i dont get this at all. Since you have that lovely Revv Dynamis and the Torpedo can you do a video how you connect all this together with the interface (what kind) into the computer. You see a lot of videos out there about maybe the Revv and then the Torpedo etc. But you never seen anyone show how to connect this together with the interface and so on. Everyone out there asume that you already know this stuff but i do not and i am not afraid to ask. I dont get this with the interface at all. How do you link this all together, what do you use, recomend etc. You dont have to go in detail in the Revv or the Torpedo you have already done that but more how you connect/cables this up the whole way. Especially into the interface and then into the computer software etc. This might be a stupid question for many out there but every one out there that demos everything just sit around there stuff like a spaceship and just asume everyone out there already now this and never show this in detail just swithing some knobs and talking about the gear. Please help me and im sure many out there that are in the same situation like me and want to go outside your comfortzone. Thanks Kris, take care
So glad you were not afraid to ask buddy! There are no stupid questions around here. Let me get back to you in my next Comment Time video. Cool? :)
@@KrisBarocsi thanks Kris for your help that would be great. Take care
Cables that come with a Lifetime Warranty!!! Cool colors or gold jacks are secondary to flexibility, cause if it’s a stiff cable with memory and don’t like to roll up nice it’s not worth the fight! Life’s to short to take crap from inanimate objects!
Also don’t waste hard earned geld on stuff you’ll just throw away a week later ( like so many rotten vegetables in the bottom of the fridge 😮)
Well... this video made me buy Vovox Sonorus Protect cable. To be honest I could not hear tangible difference in your review although having a very good AVR setup (Denon AVC4700 preamp out -> main hi-fi amplifier -> hi-fi floorstanders plus two self powered subs) but had a trust in your honest review(s).
I am occasional and humble amateurish home guitar player coming from the hi-fi world so 120€ for this cable is peanuts comparing to the signal level cables (interconnects) in hi-fi industry.
I have been using Cordial CGK175 cable in last year or so and being able to directly compare them.
Actually, there is no comparison here at all. Vovox beats Cordial easily as soon as you start playing.
To my ears (I am 59) Vovox is sort of hi-fi guitar cable. It is neutral (does not introduce its own coloration like Cordial and other similar branded guitar cables) and very transparent. You can hear your smallest imperfections while playing. With Vovox you also like your setup (guitar, amplifier...) more comparing to the stock cable. Maybe, just maybe, I would prefer a bit more pronounced deep bass and high treble (speaking about electric guitar) in direct comparison to Cordial cable.
This sort of transparency cannot be compensated later on whatever you use in your further signal chain.
It is also easily flexible for the home use but cannot judge its adequacy for the stage usage.
My two cents.
Thank you Kris for your honest review!
Cheaper cables not really reliable, home players like me i stick with medium priced ones,interesting comparison Kris,btw love the look of the Les Paul ,is it a Standard?
I was so surprised at the "the difference is huge", I can't hear any difference! I think your brain played a trick on you my man! Ok the CCFI do sounds a tiny bit muffled compared to the others. But maybe that's youtube compression, I tried switching cables quite some times now and I can say there's a difference but in a mix it won't be noticeable!
btw before anyone tell me that I'm probably listening through my phone speakers, I am not! I'm listening to this through a Beyerdynamics DT1990, and I can assure you, there's barely any difference at all!
If you read the first comment here (it's pinned to the top) you'll know why I was reacting that way. RUclips compression and sound quality loss got rid of a big chunk of that difference. That being said, there is definitely still some of it left. This is what I hear, especially with the LP: Vovox - lots of headroom, more dynamics and top end; CRI - nearly the same just a little thicker midrange and rounder; CTI - less lower midrange, bit less dynamics but surprisingly nice and open; CCFI - way less dynamics, volume and high frequencies. I hear the same differences on a DT1990, DT880 pro, Genelecs at work and Eris 5 XT at home. Cheers
@@KrisBarocsi thanks for the response, maybe my ears are too damaged or I'm not used to listen to guitar sounds enough.
It just reminds me of that audiophile eternal debate on wether or not cables matter.
I don't know, at least to me there's not enough differences to be worth buying a cable for its "sound" rather than it's durability or build quality.
One thing I definitely understand is the struggle of buying cheap cables that break after a few months.
I also noticed a big difference between two cables that are not the same size, the longer, the more muffled it becomes.
very interesting it may be still night and day between vovox sonorus and the CRI3 (because of the shielding or lenght ?) i wouldnt go under the CRI3, too much high mid and highs lost with the last 2 models. i'm wondering why only one cable of that quality if all the others will downgrade your signal path, and considering all the pedals this will go tru will alterate it anyway (for the good ?), or may a good cable act like a pedal boost or passive eq running after the pedals ? so many questions but yes don't go cheap on cables ask the cable guy he knows !
ty kris for this video !
There are of course other higher-midrange cables, not only the CRI from Cordial. Sommer Cable, Klotz, Evidence, these are all really really good too. This was very interesting indeed, good to hear you liked it. And the experience in the room whilst playing was even more revealing. Cheers
@@KrisBarocsi thats what happens if you are choosing to go wireless !
ruclips.net/video/XNc9phYujWY/видео.html
Makes me feel if I want play bass I have to buy vovox because the low end is THE gap between cables
It's funny, I had this debate with people on reddit last year when I mentioned that one of the best things that you could do for your tone is to invest in good quality cables, patch cables and leads. Lots of people went ape saying that it doesn't matter if they are rated at the same capacitance. They said stuff like, there have been studies, blah blah blah...
It is pretty damn obvious from this video that cable quality absolutely has an effect on tone.
I knew it from my own experience. Now hopefully more people realize it...
For the vast majority of applications a mid range cable is more than adequate, in fact, I would go so far as saying anything more is just a waste if you are going through anything but an ultra high end amp. The reason I say this is because of the wiring in the amp itself, as Return of the Native mentioned in his comment, the weakest link rule applies. The vast majority of low to mid range amps use the same mid to low range cable between the input jacks and the circuit boards. While these cable runs are short and offer less resistance than a 3m+ length cable you will still have a portion of your sound filtered by the lower quality cable. I have worked in studios over the years, I am in IT and have built numerous PCs for studio use and the best studio I supplied would rewire all their amp's signal path with ultra high end cable/jacks and use cables like the 120 euro one here, if not more expensive. The difference in the recorded frequency range is huge. I was shown this by a sound engineer with over 5 decades of experience and it has stuck with me ever since.
The expensive cables are absolutely worth the money if, and only if, you are using them in a recording capacity while supporting them with a high quality overall signal chain. Otherwise, the 30 euro cables are more than adequate for most people, even for recording.
A man of understanding, experience and wisdom. I could have said it better. Thanks for your comment! Cheers
Meanwhile, Carlos Santana uses 50 ft. cable live to tame high frequencies... -Angus Young uses cordless live, his gear compresses and boosts a bit before amp(s.)
CTI sounds best to my ears. For the difference to the vovox you can buy a good buffer(ed pedal) for your board and you'll be fine.
Here's a suggestion: split the signal right after the guitar, and run one half through one cable, and the other half of the signal through a different cable. Record both, with matched gain (easiest way is probably to record them as a stereo signal, because of the shared/identical gain), and then play the two signals out of phase. Only the difference should be audible, since the exact same signal goes through both. That would be a truly unbiased and fair comparison. Physics and math don't lie. :)
You would need to solder your guitar pickups to several jacks outputs instead of one, I guess ? I don't think you would need to flip the phase, if there is no difference heard by comparing the two signals, what is the point ?
THE MOST IMPORTANT thing about a cable is to be able to open it up to fix it WHEN it goes bad. Second, capacitance. Third, who you want to support. I choose Lava Cable. Build quality is second to none. Owned and operated by an awesome American. Has affordable cables available.
that high end cable is warmer.
For me the Vovox has too much high frequencies and its too transparent so I return the cable and use regular ones. Especially with a strat. But it depends what kind of music you make and what guitar and Amp and so on. Hendrix used very cheep spiral cables and maybe that was a part of hes sound.
I aam listening through my blackstar V2 stereo40 qnd it even seems there is a difference in tone? Some give more midrange than others...possible kris? Cheers bro'
It is absolutely possible and I’m impressed by your hearing. These multi purpose amps are not the most ideal tools to hear subtle differences. Don’t get me wrong, they sound really nice. It’s just that they are not super detailed and the eq is often strongly pre-shaped. Cheers
@@KrisBarocsi l guess my samsung tablet has a good audiofile, lol. The differences are subtle indeed, but in the first strums l already heard stronger and fuller or weaker midrange tones, especially with your tele. The blackstar has a mp3/line in, volume control of the amp is out, only the speaker works. Combo of both audiofiles?
hello my friend. I love your channel. Is your telecaster used in this video ash wood body?
Thanks so much! Yes, it’s a 53 reissue, which is essentially the same as the beloved 52s. Ash body, maple neck (this one is a quarter sawn maple), brass bride saddles, etc. Cheers!
CTI sounds really wood!!!
Servus Kris,
vielleicht kannst du ja auch ein Video dazu machen, wie man sich Kabel selbst zusammenlötet. Da hat man für einen Bruchteil von 120 Euro die gleiche Qualität.
Hau rein!
I ended using two 30euros cable for before fx unit and after towards the stage DI or PA. I gotta say when playing outloud, cheap cables really kill your good chimey brightness. I experienced that several times and it is awful. A PRS sounded like budget guitar because of high freq cut is meh. really meh!
I think it is really important for gigs to have solid cables. They do not need to be super expansive, but they should be shielded well. It is my opinion for both roles on stage and in front of house mixing. In a studio it is a little different. Get the most transparent and isolated cable to keep a good signal. And keep the signal as short and pure as possible. A pedal you do not need is a pedal you do not need while recording. Nice video and a cool overdrive!
If you want a nice cable buy a vox and a fender coiled cable. The mid are so balanced and the treble is tight. If you want more relatively more bass then vox is the way to go.
To bypass the action-reaction effect. How about feeding one riff into a looper and just compare the playback of the one riff. BTW, with my miserable playing I would kill the tone even with the vovox cable ;-)
I was thinking about a looper. But. There is no way recording the loop without using a cable already. And that constant (= the cable I chose to record) would heavily influence the sound and the differences between the four cables, wouldn’t it? Yeah, long story short, I tried to ignore any change of feel or tone whilst playing as much as I could instead.
@@KrisBarocsi Yes the old question: What was first the hen or the egg? Well, there were differences in the sounds but with these four cables the only variable that really matters was the sound from your fingers - which was pro level of course. I think you can not make a failure using any of your presented cables. The only ones people should avoid are these which come with starter packages.
I love my vovox cables! They are pricey but for recording they do make a noticeable difference. But in different contexts any of those other Cordials could be a more fitting choice. Great demonstration of this!
better cables provides better sound/note clarity or being more transparent by least adding the cable's 'sound' into your signal chain. but it won't improve your sound if the guitar and amp settings sucks. i just stick with D'addario american stage - affordable and good clarity. keep your cables as short as possible.
€120 for a cable?! Fuck That! I could buy a cheap guitar for that kinda money! What I wanna know is NOT the tone, I wanna know which cable LASTS the longest? Also, Just subbed there too!
Chris what’s that ,alp your playing is it a traditional %#?
Hey Tim, it’s my 2016 R8. I absolutely adore that guitar. 😁
Hey Kris, do a blind test to really discover a difference between the cables.
Wow, it sounds like you turn your tone knob down on a guitar when you downscaled cables in front of the pedalboard. But when I was going to watch this video I was expecting a video like tons of other on this topic. They usually say that I should use the most expensive cable in the world and they can't show the difference. You can. It's really nice.
The question is can you tune your amp to equalize the difference?
Thanks man! You could probably make up for the lack of treble with the amp or an EQ pedal but you can’t get back the airiness and the clarity. The most important message here is to match the rig’s quality with the cable quality. I think that’s fair to say, right? Cheers!
@@KrisBarocsi sure it is. But cables actually work exactly like the tone knob. If a cable is thin, it has bigger capacity. Expensive one is thick and made of good quality materials. That's why it has lower capacity and does not drain high frequencies to the ground. Just didn't think that it's so obvious
By the way in the les paul case difference is more hearable than with the tele. Maybe because tele has a big amount of highs. At the same time cheap cable sucks all the highs out of the les paul
To my ears there was a noticeable difference with the cable direct into the amp. The more expensive the cable was, the more high frequencies it had. Which is kind of what I expected, because getting the electric capacitance down is something the makers of expensive cables are really working on. But in the end you might as well dial up the treble and/or presence on your amp a bit or use an EQ pedal.
With the signal going through the pedalboard, I could not notice any difference anymore. But honestly Kris, using cables that long with a pedalboard, you really should use at least one buffer. Anything else is like begging for the cables to dampen the treble.
I do use my Xotic Super Clean buffer in front of the board when I don't use a fuzz and behind the board when I do. It helps to maintain the sound indeed.
Thanks for the comment! Cheers
All I've noticed above real cheap cables like 5 euros for 3 meters = Monster is a bad cable, it does not sound good(To me at least), for the rest they're all really good. (Personally use Klotz)
Also Monster is typically the only cable I find sounds actually different.
At the beginning I thought "Hmm... honestly, they all sound excactly the same", but later I recognized at least one cable that's different. And that's the cheapest one. It is thinner sounding. The rest... hm... Maybe no need to invest so much money for a Vovox.
Exactly what I was hearing and even on my smartphone (have to re-watch on the big machine)
@@carlthegnarl I'm watching this with a Beyerdynamics DT1990, same conclusion, "ok, the last one sounds a tiny bit muffled compared to the others"
@@valendis I re-watched on my studio monitors and yes... cheapest one is muffled and second cheapest was fine almost every time. Since i have both the cheapest and second cheapest... I guess I'll order cables soon. Think I will make use of the 30d money-back-guarantuee of T* and order 4 cables of each series and try around. The first cable has got to be the most important one as that's when the signal is at its lowest. After the pedalboard (buffered) and after the preamp the signal is much louder. Maybe then the difference is not as noticable.
To me the difference is much more apparent when using an overdriven amp signal.
Hmm...
There are two factors make this comparsion problematic.
1. The plugs. I can´t say after your test if the cable make the difference or the different plugs.
A test with different cables with same plugs would make this more clear.
2. How u play. U can play ever the same riff after replaced the cables but u play them every time a tiny bit different, this is a not small factor. A test with a looper or so would be better when the signal is really ever the same and only the cables change.
With my studio Headphones i can hear for sure the cables sound different a bit. Problem is on youtube only mp3 quality so you hear more details as i can. I must say the Vovox and the CTI sound extreme close to eachother, the both other cordials sound darker.
I play guitar and other instruments since near 30 years and there is ever some mojo in "high end" gear. I bet when u compare a Vovox with a Sommer with same plugs and length u will not hear any differance. OK the resistance of the copper material can have a tiny effect on cables in general, so the diameter of the wire matters a bit same as length.
Vovox might be a good cable but 122 Euros is hard. As guitar player using pedals i need two of them so we are near 250 euros...and i don´own any patch cable in the same quality than. When using some pedals it can be an investment of 400+ Euros for the cables. This can not everybody affort. Same for Monster and all the other brands with this mojo prices.
Addition.
Cheap cables "can" sound cheaper but it is not a must. I ever want a good quality cable and not buy cheap ones. Sound at least is not everything. The handling is important too. Cheap cables often not nice to handle, they got a bigger memory effect so often its not possible to make nice round loops or it not lay straight on the floor, more easy to damage when walk over it or roll over it accidental with the office chair. The shielding of cheap cables is sometimes not good so they collect electrical noise more easy. I use a Sommer cable over 25 years now and i only needed to resolder the Neutrik plugs over the years. A cheap cable u not use over 20 years for sure.
When u play guitar and amp in a room than u might hear more difference in the sound but its still sadlle. In the studio on tape, specially in the full mix with a band, nobody can hear if u play a Vovox, Monster etc. cable or a cable in good quality like the CRI. Chris realized this and wrote about the effect in the his first comment.
I'm really annoyed that there is a difference... Vovox does sound much clearer. Damnit!
Haha! Sorry, but not sorry. It’s good to know these things even if you can’t justify go go full in yet. Luckily the 30€ Cordial is also really good.
ehhhh, on my end (headphones), there was nothing worth raising a eyebrow over. Dude must have mule ears to hear a "massive" difference. I did hear a difference between the lowest and the upper two though. Good test though. Makes a lot of sense not to run your favorite gear through a two-bit cord. Like pulling your Ferrari out of the driveway and driving down a cow path.
Cordial = best bang for the buck or Euro.
Aside from the cheap Cordial there was no significant audible difference to my ears.
I only heard difference with the cheapest one, less treble, but the others no. As usual, find the golden middle way.
At the point where one starts considering forking out that kind of money for a 3m cable, just go wireless lol
There’s a MASSIVE difference with vovox cable and the other three...between the others obviously the cri sound best
i could only hear a difference between the most expensive and the cheapest
Just look at his face while he’s playing vovox. That said it all.
Haha, true.
HoneyBee pedal average one , nothing special.... but you should try cables LaBoga TommyEmmanuel signature. There will be the difference you’ve never heard of ...
Remember if you go with some high priced $100 cable, Youll need to change out ALL your other cables to that same cable or else it will be pointless.. So you could be looking at A LOT of cash. I went thru this back in the day when Monster cable was big. I spent wayyy to much on cables.
meh. If you use pedals and the signal is buffered, the cable before buffering has more impact on tone. Also with line level signals in the loop I wonder if there is that much difference.
From Leo: Never buy the cheapest quality, they always disappoint, and then you have to buy a better one anyway.
Are we really comparing the sound of cables?! Wow, guitar RUclips has jumped the shark.
And yet you're here watching it and commenting on it, aren't you? :) Welcome by the way.
You see, there are enough guitar / pedal / amp demos on YT, why not digging a little deeper sometimes? Do you know how many guitarists spend fortunes on guitars and amps and have barely any understanding of the rest of their rigs? Quite a lot, unfortunately.
But hey, thanks for the comment dude!
@@KrisBarocsi don’t take the comment personally, it was a comment on the RUclips guitar community in general, not you personally (I like your channel). I understand you all need to keep creating content, but it’s getting a bit absurd. What’s next, are we going to compare 9 volt batteries and how they effect the sound of pedals? To be fair it’s not just guitar, i play guitar and ride dirt bikes and the bike Chanel’s have the same problem.. it’s the bell curve of content creation..we are past the the peak and on our way down. But as long as trivial subjects drive sales to the companies it’s all good I suppose.
If it's audible and "feel"able in the room, it's fair game. Nerds get OCD about pots and caps inside the guitar, why not explore the impact (if any) the cable has. It's all part of the signal chain. If it's audible, there's a difference (even if to my ears the cleaner treble might be just as easily compensated by twiddling the tone knob).
Funnily enough someone has compared 9v pedal batteries, but from the half/fully charged perspective ruclips.net/video/sJKNJHl-vm0/видео.html
If nobody tries these things, we'll never know.
@@PaulCooksStuff I get it, but let’s be real, SRV, EVH, Knofler etc etc all the greats last and present never worried about these trivial subjects.. and they are our heroes. It seems the less skill ppl have the more they care about the minutia of something. The difference between real players vs enthusiasts I guess 🤷♂️
@@marcb4788 fully agree with you.
I'm not an audiophile but heck, there's a noticeable difference. A really crappy cable will absolutely kill the tone. Plus, they're not reliable.
To be fair, this affordable Cordial is surprisingly reliable. It does lack some dynamics and clarity though, especially when compared to more expensive cables. Thanks for the comment! Cheers
@@KrisBarocsi Ikr, the affordable one looks pretty good quality. Just messing a bit with tone and dynamics. On a different note, please send your thoughts and prayers. Tomorrow I'm getting interviewed to work at Thomann. Gonna get destroyed lol.
@@pedroreyes4670 Haha, don't worry dude. They don't bite. :) Have fun and good luck man!
@@KrisBarocsi Thanks man, will try my best to get in. Kinda need it, the country where I live is falling to pieces.
Not a good comparison. One cannot simply play the same riff to test. Your playing of the riff will be slightly different each time considering dynamics. Why not record a loop and then play that same loop with each cable running from pedal to amp?
I have two reasons for not doing that. First, a looper is not a guitar -> it has a low impedance output whilst passive guitars (which are the ones I’m interested in) have a high impedance signal. That changes the „cable effect“ a lot. And second: sound is just one part of a test like this. How these make you play and feel is at least as relevant. If you feel better whilst playing, you will enjoy yourself more and that makes you play better. That’s why I wanted to share the experience too, not only show the sound you get with them.
You are right about a human not being a robot: so you play differently every time. That’s why I included so many short comparisons in the video. If you always hear the same difference between these cables, it’s not the player. For that make any sense? I hope. :)
Jimi Hendrix is laughing...a cable is capacitance only, adjust your amp controls