RCA Interconnect recommendations

With cables, once you get to a certain point, it  Becomes the law of diminishing returns. The crap that used to come with tape decks, turntables or tuners was terrible!  But even going with a larger gauge Monster interconnect made a huge difference.  After that, yes there were differences, but none as dramatic as replacing those super cheap IC’s that came in the box.

@sdberman On this, I have to disagree. I’m not a cable snob and definitely believe that the law of diminishing returns kicks in pretty quickly. But comparing three interconnects that I happen to have on hand (Cardas Ultralink 5C’s, AudioQuest Red River and Graham Slee CuSat50), there are very obvious differences in them. The AudioQuest is too bright and definitely fatiguing. The Cardas is not as transparent. Right now, the Slees clearly sound best.

Do you mean Quadlink or Hexlink instead?

If so I can share first hand most of the older QL/HL 5C cables from Cardas are nowhere near what any of the next iterations past few decades of Clear, Reference, Reflection, Beyond series. Cardas periodically shares there are fake counterfeits and junk copy Hexlink out there too. Buying authenticated and serial numbered Cardas with ID cards and validation is the way to go to ensure you are not hearing something else fwiw. I’ve seen posts like this before, people send them in to Cardas for verification and certification by Cardas and you never hear back on how it turned out for them.

 

roadcykler

160 posts

01-18-2025 at 01:56am 

Of all the cables that don't make an objective difference, interconnects are those but what absolutely does make a difference is expectation bias. 
 

Wiser words have never been spoken on these forums…

Of all the cables I have ever tried, Hapa Aero are by and far the best I have heard. Not cheap, but absolutely 100% worth it if you can.

Hapa Aero interconnect

"Do you mean Quadlink or Hexlink instead?" 

I meant Quadlink!   My bad

"If so I can share first hand most of the older QL/HL 5C cables from Cardas are nowhere near what any of the next iterations past few decades of Clear, Reference, Reflection, Beyond series. Cardas periodically shares there are fake counterfeits and junk copy Hexlink out there too."

Yes, these Quadlinks are about 30 years old.  My dad bought them after he retired when he was working at a high end stereo store, so they are legit. 

"With cables, once you get to a certain point, it  Becomes the law of diminishing returns."

Totally agree.  Maybe people with great ears can continue to hear significant sound improvements up the price chain, but for me, with somewhat diminished hearing, I can't justify spending more than $200 to $300 on interconnects.