2. cables
  3. 1251860540

Dumb Question about cables

Many cable manufacturers use heroic methods to shield from noise, EMI/RFI. The cables are large with all kinds of exotic insulation. But then they have long leads (from body of cable to the termination) with a thin layer of insulation. So what's the point of having the body of the cable so well insulated, but not the leads?
nyctc7
krell_man
827 posts
 
That's not a dumb question at all, in fact it makes a lot of sense to wonder about that. I don't know what the answer is, but have wondered about it the same as you.
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
can't wait to hear the reason. i only know purple cables sound better than red ones, which in turn sound better then black ones.
brf
1,699 posts
 
Cables act like antennas. The longer the antenna (Cable), the better they pick up signals. If you have an 8 foot unshielded cable, you in effect have an 8 foot antenna. By applying insulation, you reduce the effective length of the antenna i.e. cable from picking up EMI and RFI. You can never eliminate the effects of the cable from picking up EMI and RFI, but the application of insulation will reduce the effects substantially.
More to discover