Which brand do you guys like ? I have a set of stinger 6 channel twisted type, but not the ones with the real nice ends. I wanted the next level up when my install was done, but somehow they didn't end up in car...long story.... So now I will be pulling my center consule out and might as well run new rca's while it's off.

I need/want a nice set. Need atleast 6 channels. Not sure monster cables are worth the $$. Unless bought at good ebay type price.

So just wondering What do you guys like and where do you buy from ?
Not looking to spend a ton of money but want something better than the stingers with a nice and small rca connector.


thx for any advice

 

Whatever is the cheapest set I can get that looks like it's made with reasonable quality. I think the Vette has $12 rockford ones in it now.

 

Same here. Wire is wire.

 

I have the Stinger 4 channel RCA's and they work great. As long as it's Stinger, you are fine. They make good stuff.

 

I use Knukonceptz. A little more expensive , but I think they look better and they're shielded from noise like none other.

 

Making sure your signal wire isn't running near your power is the most important step, but you probably already knew that.

I'm a huge fanboi of Stinger products, because they are high quality (not the highest, but very reputable), and you can get all of their products for dirt cheap on ebay. I've been using their products for years, with no complaints.

Monster Cable is NEVER worth the $$, EVER. Also, I wouldn't put much stock in 4-channel and 6-channel wires. If you get a good deal on some, then by all means go for it, but they're normally very over priced. When I need more channels, I just buy as many 2-channel sets as needed.

One final note, and probably the most applicable, if it aint broke, don't fix it. You didn't mention in your post if you were replacing the RCA cable because there was a problem, or if you just wanted an upgrade. Do you have noise in your system? Alternator whine? Is there a problem at all? If there's no problem with your current setup, don't waste your money on an RCA upgrade.

 

I have a current issue, but it started after putting in a JL hd900 amp and a fan to keep it cool. I know the fan really isn't needed on a digital amp, but here in Az it gets really hot, and since the amp is mounted in the far back end of the car it gets heat transfered to it from the hatch area, I now have it double sheilded from the sun. I mounted a fan on a custom plate that the amp is mounted to. I used the remote turn on to power the fan when the amp comes on and have the fan grounded to the amps ground wire. I notice i get a slight whine in the tweeters since then.... i know it probally isn't the rca's, but could be since the rca's and power and ground are pretty close to each other now, I need to move and adjust some wires, since I didn't think the stingers where that good of a wire i thought I'd replace them, if they are good then just moving and disconnecting the fan might cure the issue. Not sure if the fan or rca is causing the sound i hear.

I wish I could post pics of my new system and sub box... it's shaped like the C6 vette logo. Also I always thought my sound wasn't as bright and natural as it should be so I thought a better wire might clean up the sound abit.

Since I'm having my center consule painted i thought i would replace wires while i could get to them on the HU. Does anyone like the Street Wires brand ? They have ZN7 and ZN9 wires that might be decent . ?? I could buy 3 sets of ZN9 2 channels off ebay pretty cheap.

I have alot more $$ in my system than I ever planned so I want to make sure something isn't holding back the sound.

thx for the advise and any suggestions

 

What Stinger line are you running right now? I wouldn't think that StreetWires would be any better, but I can't qualify that.

I highly doubt a better wire will make your system sound any different from a SQ standpoint. Buy better wire for better sheilding to get rid of noise and whine, sure, but for better sound in an automobile? Probably not. But, since you say you have noise in the system now, it might be worth it. Before spending the money on new wires, definitely play with wire placement. I've been installing systems for years now, and when I run into noise/whine issues, it's almost ALWAYS fixed by further separating signal from interference (usually the power wire), even when using cheap-o wires.

I see a potential issue with your current setup as well. What type of fan are you using? A typical 80mm fan can draw as much as 750mA or more to operate. You DO NOT want to draw that much current from your remote turn on wire. Most aftermarket head units are only rated at around 300mA max current draw from the remote wire. Most fans will have their current draw detailed on the sticker in the middle of the fan blades. If it's anything more than 200mA (remember your amp is also drawing from this line), you need to re-think how to power that fan, or you'll end up frying the remote turn on line from your head unit, which is not usually fixable.

A quick fix to this problem would be to install an in-line 250mA fuse on the remote turn on wire. That way, if you draw too much current, you'll just pop the fuse, and the head unit won't be damaged. If you pop it several times, you'll know that you need to rethink your setup. If you never pop the fuse, then all is well.

 

What happened to my last post ? I looked at the box and it says 0.1 amp... I believe thats 100mA correct ?

Thanks alot for that info... I dont want to hurt my HU !

 

Wow, either that fan has killer bearings, or it's not pushing much air. Any air is better than no air though, right?

Yep, 0.1A is 100mA, and 100mA is fine. Add the ~50-100mA that your amp is drawing and you're still well under dangerous levels. I would advise against adding much more to that line though. Maybe one more amp would be ok if you need one for some reason, but no more fans for sure.

 

First...cables and accessories have the highest profit margin in all of car audio and though the stuff is pretty the job can be done without the "high end" stuff all day long and achieve the same results.

High end car audio products are derived from Pro Audio components. Many people believe that a very high end cable needs to be used in their car or even their home because it is the same stuff used in Pro Audio. But what they fail to realize is the distance. A car on average needs no more then 17' of RCA cable...which is way too much for your standard Corvette installation. Pro Audio can used hundreds of feet of cable. Thus they need a much higher end cable to reduce signal loss. Shielded cables are nice but they are not necessary because the cables can be ran without getting them near a source of interference. ALSO how many people sit in their car listening to the stereo without the car running? A little background noise (floor noise) can be acceptable due to the fact the road, wind, engine, and exhaust noise will drown it out.

Now as far as getting rid of your noise. First remove the fan from the turn on wire. Your BEST solution is to use a standard 30amp DPDT or SPST relay. Run the turn wire to terminal 85, ground to terminal 86, constant 12v (like the power wire going to the amp) on terminal 87, and the fan power to terminal 30. This will isolate the fan from the turn on circuit.

You can test for RCA noise by using a known good pair of RCA and connecting them to the source unit and then to the amp outside of the car. Or even to home audio source unit and then to the amp in the car. If you have no noise then you have a problem with the RCA or source unit. I would bet you have a power and or ground problem and nothing wrong with your RCA cables. A good way to get rid or prevent noise during a fresh install is to provide power and ground to the source unit from the same location as the amp. I run a power and ground wire from the amp to the source unit. Then use a relay to turn on the head unit. Doing so removes the ignition circuit from the equation. The ignition circuit is nearly always the source of high pitch whine noise in a system.

 

I agree with the profit margin. Effin ridiculous. I wouldn't necessarily put a blanket statement on "low end stuff" achieving the same results though. Maybe I'm just unlucky, but only twice have I tried to use bargain basement RCA wires (by bargain basement I mean the RCA wires that are provided with the off-brand Walmart amp install kits, or the like), and both times, I had noise issues that were fixed by nothing more than replacing them with a "medium-grade" cable (still inexpensive, but reputable). Noise gone. Keep in mind that I always follow the rules of thumb, separating signal/power, ground from head unit to amp, etc. You never know what kind of emag interference a vehicle has going on. Like I said, maybe I'm just unlucky.


It's almost comical to go to a "high end" home audio store and listen to the salesman convincing the rich yuppie that he needs a $500 6ft RCA cable.


That would be true if we knew where all interference was coming from, but that's usually not the case. I think that buying an inexpensive reputable RCA cable that has been known to have good shielding (as tested by users, not the company selling you the product! ). Again, maybe I'm just unlucky. I'd only slightly amend your statement to say "you don't need expensive RCA cables that advertise superior shielding". Is that fair?

SPDTs FTW!! That's what I did. Not because of a fan, but because I needed to power 2 amps, an equalizer, and a crossover unit. Absolutely agree, this is the BEST solution. If OP is confused about wiring, just do a google search on "car amp SPDT" and you should find plenty of diagrams and explanation.

"EatRice" classic.

 

I should have been more clear on my "low end" comment. I meant inexpensive like entery level Stinger. Personally I have used everything under the sun and never have I been impressed to the point of saying "Damn I need those cables in my car!!" I too am a big fan of Stinger but I am biased lol. Stinger is a local company to me and I have known the starting family and been dealing with that company for over 20 years. My first choice is always Stinger.

My friend's cousin fell for that cable bs and spent a grand on a few cables. His home components were stacked on top of each other. I showed him how he wasted his money thru a test using my RTA, OHM meter, listening. He he could not hear the difference between his stuff and the cables provided with his equipment.

Power isolation and ground resistance is key to removing nearly all noise from a system. Yes you can pick up noise from outside interference from the car's electronics. But the majority of the time it is either from dirty power or poor ground. An easy test is to use a VOM meter with a long lead on it. Set the meter to continuity and zero the long lead...when I say long I mean around 20'. Then connect one lead to the neg terminal of the battery and the other lead to the amp ground. It should be 0 or very close. The higher the resistance the greater the chance for noise. If the resistance is high a new ground location for the amp should be used and/or upgrade the ground from battery to chassis. This can also be done to test for good ground locations when doing the install. I then ground all my components to one location including the source unit and anything in the front of the car like EQ's or processors or video components.

 

I agree completely. I'm biased to Stinger simply from a user standpoint. Their products, entry level on up, have never let me down.

This is the step that 99% of DIY installers don't do. Heck, even I usually test the system for noise without it, and then decide if I need it. It reminds me of a situation involving a local installer in my home town. A buddy of mine was totally sold on a local shop that I knew had less than awesome feedback, but one of the installers was my friend's mother's cousin's boyfriend's uncle (or something like that), and I couldnt convince him otherwise, so off he went. He came back to me a few days later complaining about a "high pitched squeal" coming from his speakers. I kind of laughed. I went with him back to the install shop, and told them to fix it. After a couple of hours, they said that they were going to upgrade all the wiring and charge my friend for it. I asked them if they "common grounded" the head unit. "Why would I do that?" was the response I got. Again I laughed. They agreed to give my friend a partial refund on the install cost, and we took the car to his garage, I installed a ground wire from head unit to common ground, noise gone. If I remember correctly, the cost of "wire upgrades" was quoted at somewhere around $200.

EatRice, do people normally "get" what your avatar is? I find it hillarious. "Supafly!!"

 

There used to be a local chain that did "custom installs". I had a customer bring his car to the shop I was working at. They charged him over 3k for wire and accessories in a BMW 3 series...early 90s. Car has small amps and is tight from the factory. They put in either 10 or 12 ga wire from Monster that was twisted and had a coating on it that made it almost 0ga size...that was for the mids and tweets in his doors. Stuff was so big his car didn't go back together correctly. I could go on and on with the stuff I have seen. One of the best though was three 1/2 farad caps that were stuff in the quarter panel of a Porsche and then held in place with Great Stuff expandable foam and four feet from the amplifiers.

The problem with car audio is there is no real governing body. Anyone can open a shop and call themselves a "professional". Even MECP is a joke. Read a book and get a certificate without ever touching a car.

 

Man, what I wouldn't give to have a picture of that... Wow...

 

I might actually have one. I have been going thru old photos...even have polaroids haha...I might come across one. I did find one of my old boss making a 6X9 fit in a Mustang vert using a small sledge hammer to bash in the side impact bar. That guy was awesome. He once told me he knew how to use fiberglass and proceeded to pour out some resin and then mix in bondo harder to it. Same guy also put a screw thru the roof of a Silverado and then thru saw dust on the roof to cover up the screw and sent the truck out the door. I didn't work there long lol

 

EatRice