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A simple, cost-effective way to give your hi-fi system a boost Din Male Connector
1. The list in brief 2. Best overall 3. Best budget 4. Best premium 5. Also consider 6. How to choose 7. How we test 8. FAQs 9. Recent updates 10. Today's best deals
The analogue information passing between your source (be it a CD player, turntable or music streamer) and your stereo amplifier is rather complex – and there is an awful lot of it. Because of that, the quality of audio cables – otherwise known as 'audio interconnects' or 'RCA cables' – that carry this information significantly affects your system's performance. Be under no illusion: cables matter, and they're often a major aspect of most hi-fi systems that gets overlooked time and time again. As with speaker cables, this is an area you don't want to overlook or scrimp on.
So where should your buying decision start? Well, you can skip down to our 'how to choose the right audio cables for you' section below, or you're only a short scroll away from the three cables we most recommend.
This trio represents the best-value audio cables our expert reviews team has tested – the ones that pass the performance of your source to your amplifier without degrading the signal. They span various budgets and suit most user needs, too. So whether you're after solid entry-level audio cables for your modest set-up, or your high-end system demands a little more investment, these RCA interconnects will be sure to make the most of your hi-fi's potential.
The sweet-spot combination of price and performance, Chord's C-line interconnect is sonically compatible with a wide range of hi-fi products.
Ideal for entry-level or modest systems, this long-proven audio interconnect remains a solid buy for replacing the cheap cables that come in the box.
Perfect for more demanding systems. If you have a higher budget, this updated Chord Company interconnect will bring out the best in your hi-fi system's performance.
Having written about hi-fi for over a decade and spent years of that time in our state-of-the-art testing facilities on a daily basis, reviewing everything from high-end stereo amplifiers to entry-level turntables, I've heard the difference poor (and quality) audio cables make to a system. I don't exaggerate when I say they can make or break one of any calibre, so I can't recommend you pay attention to your system's cabling (that includes speaker cables too) strongly enough. Having had a hand in testing all three cables on this page, I'm confident one will suit most people's needs and budgets. Still, before committing to a purchase, make sure you read our review to ensure its character will suit that of your system.
If you've ever wondered what difference a metre of cable can make to your system, we'd urge you to give the C-line a listen.
This is the venerable British cable company displaying once again an understanding of what makes hi-fi great, with the best-value audio cable we've heard at this affordable price point. It never loses sight of what matters – the musicality of your system – and is a deft hand at communicating your system's detail levels, making for an entertaining and informative listen.
Indeed, in terms of overall enjoyment, little at this level comes close to what the C-line can do for your system. And that's why this model has won nine What Hi-Fi? Best Buy Awards on the trot.
Read our full Chord Company C-line review
Despite the über-budget price tag, the Profile analogue interconnect punches above its weight, helping to deliver a tight sound that’s uncluttered and airy. Detail levels are surprisingly good for the money too, and the well-made Profile cables also show ability with their handling of dynamics.
These cables have been around for years now but remain a solid buy if you are looking to go one better than your typical cable supplied in the box. As a first upgrade for an entry-level system (where components are a couple of hundred pounds or dollars each), this QED interconnect is a great option.
Read our full QED Profile review
The original Clearway analogue interconnects were around for a good while but were finally revised in 2022 to introduce new plating to the plugs. The five-star cables deliver a significant step-up in quality from the cheaper Chord Company C-line listed above, but they do cost more and their talents will be heard more obviously in systems that are at mid-level price and above.
During testing, we found it quite unsatisfying to listen to the same songs with anything else of a similar price. They allow for our system to deliver an open, crisp and rhythmic sound and dynamics are communicated with confidence. The price tag might weigh heavy on many listeners’ wallets – and the cheaper C-line remains a class leader we can still get behind – but for those who can justify the outlay, the Clearway Analogue RCA (2022) is brilliantly capable of letting you hear where your money has gone.
Got an even bigger budget? Chord's next-model-up ClearwayX ARAY Analogue RCA (in our Also Consider section below) is actually the current What Hi-Fi? Award winner, offering the same character but able to eke out a greater degree of control, punch and musical expression from our system – but it does cost double the price.
Read our full Chord Company Clearway Analogue RCA (2022) review
A good starting point for choosing audio cables is to get in touch with the manufacturer of your stereo amplifier and ask if they recommend a particular brand or model of interconnect. After all, engineers will have spent hours experimenting during the development process and you might be told some valuable nuggets of information which might make your job of finding something suitable more simple.
You could also speak to your local dealer to see if they have tried different cables during demos and found any that work particularly well with your amplifier.
Otherwise, when it comes to picking the right audio interconnects, a lot of your decision-making will revolve around price and, of course, your system, whether you're putting one together or already have one set up.
As a general rule of thumb, we'd recommend setting aside 10 to 15 per cent of the total cost of your system for cables. In the case of a hi-fi set-up, you'll be looking at analogue interconnects, speaker cables and, potentially, a digital optical or coaxial cable depending on the sources you're using. So you'll want to dedicate a share of this to a pair of suitable analogue interconnects.
If you currently own an excellent entry-level set-up, you don't need to spend big on interconnects. However, at the same time, nothing is stopping you from trying more premium pairs to see how your system reacts. On the flip side, If you own a high-end set-up, we'd suggest looking at price-comparable interconnects, though you could also audition some cheaper interconnects too. As always, the best way to choose any component for your system is to listen.
You'll also want to decide whether you want an unbalanced RCA cable (which is the most typical, cost-effective analogue solution and the type pictured above) or the balanced XLR cable (which is pricier but for good reason: it better rejects the electrical interference and radio frequency noise it is subject to in a room, and is considered a better choice particularly for longer distances). Popular audio cables such as those above come in a choice of either.
One last piece of advice would be to avoid choosing audio cables purely on their What Hi-Fi? star rating. Read our reviews to help you understand the character of the cable and see if it matches the character of your system.
The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 150 years of combined experience in reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics. We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading, where our expert reviewers do all our in-house testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency across every product we review.
The first thing we do to a pair of analogue interconnects is run them in by connecting them to our reference system over at least a weekend. In our experience, their impact on a system can change over time so we make sure they have a couple of days with an audio signal running through them before we start listening.
When connecting them, we also pay attention to the cable's directionality, which is usually marked on the plugs' cable sheaths via arrows. These arrows reveal the direction of the signal from the source to your amplifier.
During testing, we start listening through our high-end reference system as its transparency allows us to hear exactly how the characteristics of the cable are affecting the sound. We also connect them to a more price-compatible system to hear how they work in a more typical scenario. As we keep stock of class leaders in every hi-fi category, we can compare each cable to its closest price-matching rival(s) to see how it fares in the market context. Naturally, this helps us reach a verdict and star rating.
All our review verdicts are agreed upon by the team rather than an individual reviewer, to eliminate any personal preference and ensure we're being as impartial and thorough as possible, too. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to our verdicts on audio cables, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.
That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any of our other Best Buy pages, you can be confident you're getting a What Hi-Fi?-approved product.
You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.
Audio cables (otherwise known as RCA cables or interconnects) connect your source, whether that be a music streamer or CD player, to your stereo amplifier or active speakers. In a hi-fi separates system like this, they are necessary to carry line-level audio signals from one component to another.
There are various types of audio cable, including the most traditional and prevalent RCA (unbalanced) as well as XLR (balanced) on the analogue side; on the digital side, the most common audio cable is S/PDIF coaxial RCA or optical.
Which type of audio cable you want will largely depend on the connections offered by both your source and stereo amp/active speakers, though other factors play a part too. For example, if your setup requires a long cable run, a balanced XLR cable might be preferable over an unbalanced RCA one due to its superior blocking of electrical and RF (radio frequency) noise that inherently gets picked up by all cables in domestic spaces.
There isn't a hard and fast rule here, but generally speaking, 10 to 15 per cent of your whole system cost should be dedicated to cabling. That includes speaker cables as well as audio cables.
When buying, be sure to measure the space your system is in so you know how many metres to buy, too – most specialist retailers sell speaker cables by the metre.
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Rf Cables And Connectors Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi magazine. During her 10+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.