10 Best Rca Cables 2024 in the US

The RCA connector was developed by the Radio Corporation of America, for connecting radio and phonographs to speakers. (It was introduced as a replacement for the phone connectors that were common at the time.) It was employed in video cassette recorders (=VCRs). Even though VCRs have become pretty much obsolete, you'll still see RCA cables used in high density TV, DVD and Blu-Ray players, speakers, amplifiers and sound systems (such as S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format audio). It takes the signal from your stereo to your amplifiers. The cables come in different colors, denoting whether it's meant to carry a video or audio signal. Here is a guide to the best RCA cables on the market. 

• Composite cables: This will have three separate wires: 1 video, and 2 audio signals for stereo. You'll typically see this connecting a VCR to a TV set:

  • Red jack: right channel audio

  • White jack: left channel audio

  • Yellow jack: video signal

• Component cables: This separates the video signal into three separate components, so that there is less loss of signal. Component cables are employed in High Density (=HD) Video. Therefore, this will consist of three video and two audio wires.

RCA cables are also employed in analog surround sound systems, with the following color code:

• Green –Center

• Blue – Left

• Gray – Right

• Brown- Left Rear

• Tan – Right Rear

• Purple - Subwoofer

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Snug fit: People are pleased with the snug fit of the Mediabridge stereo cable. There is a noise problem when connecting the cable at first, but at least there is no concern that the cable will be come disconnected.

• Good shielding: The cables are important, because whether there is loss or corruption of a signal depends on the quality of the cable. So look to see that the cables provide adequate shielding of the signal. One way to see this is if the wires inside the cable are twisted--this twisted cable reduces interference. Don't buy RCA cable that is not twisted—it's the basic way of shielding the signal. They cable should be made of copper wire, with an aluminum shield, then covered with rubber insulation. The thicker the shielding, the more the cable will cost.

• Directional RCAs: There are RCA cables that are meant to carry the signal only one direction. This reduces noise interference. You'll see that these cables have right-angle jacks on one end, and are straight on the other end. The right-angle end should be attached to the stereo, whereas the other straight end should go into the speakers.

• Noise: If you detect a lot of noise, it could be that the RCA cables are picking up a signal from the power cable. If there is noise, try to distance the RCA cable from the power cable.

• Cost: It is recommended that 30% of cost of the amplifier should be spent on the cables. It is not reasonable to spend a lot on cables for a cheap amplifier. It's also not right to use poor cables on a very expensive amplifier.

• Single, Dual, Triple RCA: You'll find a wide variety of RCA cables. Single RCA will have one RCA jack on each end of a coaxial cable. Dual RCA is for stereo, where there are two signals, for the right and left speaker. Triple RCA carries 1 video and two audio signals.

• Cable Splitter: This has two inputs and one output, to merge two audio channels.

• RGB Component Video Coaxial Cable: By having separate cables for Red, Green and Blue, you ensure that the video content remains high definition.

• Gender changers: These change a jack (male) to a female (outlet), or vice versa.

• Wall plates: Perhaps you'll want to plug a RCA cable into the wall for cable television. There are RCA Wall Plates for that purpose. They come in single and in component varieties.

Media Bridge—has been making cabling and connectivity products since 1988, but in 2008 they started marketing their own brand of cables. They are located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. They make cables and equipment for audio, video, mobile phones, and computers.

KabelDirekt—was founded in 2010, and their headquarters is in Schenefeld, Germany. They make cables for TV and HDTV, audio, and PCs, tablets, and smartphones.

Fosmon Technology—are makers of portable electronics for MP3 players, cellular phones, digital cameras, GPS, Pcs, and more. They are located in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Monoprice—was established in 2002, and have their headquarters in Cucamonga, California. They manufacture thousands of types of high-quality electronics and accessories. Their products include cables, computers, cameras, audio, video and mobile phone equipment, and more.