Today, I’ll be taking a look at XLR cables and which ones are the best. This is often a top question amongst novice engineers and producers who have little experience with gear and running cables.
There’s not so much information to parse through on this subject matter, but I’m here to talk about it anyway. Let’s get started.
Why you should trust me
I’ve spent over 15 years immersed in music and sound from front-of-house mixing in chaotic bar gigs to fine-tuning vocal chains in professional studios.
I’ve wrestled with tangled snakes of cheap cables that mysteriously introduced noise into an otherwise clean mix, and I’ve learned firsthand how the right XLR cable can quietly save the day.
My experience spans both the technical and creative sides of audio. Whether recording delicate vocals with a Neumann U 87 or micing up a kick drum for a metal band’s live set, I’ve worked with gear from industry giants like Shure, Mogami, and Pro Co.
I’ve tested, twisted, tripped over, and stress-tested more cables than I care to admit, and I’ve developed a clear sense of which ones hold up under pressure, and which ones don’t.
So when I make recommendations, they’re based not just on specs or brand names, but on lived experience – real-world use in real-world conditions.
Does the quality of a cable really matter?
While XLR cables may seem like a low man on the totem pole when it comes to audio equipment, having quality cables matters.
A signal chain is only as good as its weakest part, so if you’re going to spend thousands of dollars on gear, you might as well have some respect and invest into quality cables.
When it comes to choosing the best, durability is the most significant thing to look out for.
Shotty microphone cables are subject to the wires coming loose from their pins. While you can theoretically fix this yourself, why waste time on repairing poor-quality cables when you can simply invest in better ones?
What makes a good cable?
The main thing to look for in quality cables is shielding. Shielding protects your cables from radio interference, and there are three types of materials used regularly for this purpose: copper, tin plated copper, and aluminum laminate.
Aluminum laminate is most often used on cheaper cables, as it does an adequate job at rejecting interference without tacking on too much cost.
Obviously, durability is also a thing to look out for, but more often than not this can be spotted by the cost of the cables. You get what you pay for, so don’t skimp and buy cheap cables because you’ll probably end up replacing them after a few months.
The best XLR cables for your microphones
- Mogami Gold Studio. Mogami is one of the most trusted names out there when it comes to good cables. Every part of their cables are manufactured and assembled by hand in Japan. They are rugged, flexible, and superbly durable. While you might find them at most professional studios, they’re just as useful for live performances, as they can take a lot of abuse.
- Pig Hog 8 mm. Pig Hog makes extremely rugged cables, and these are no exception. The thick rubber coating is incredibly resistant to kinks and tangles. They might not be able to wrap them up as tightly as other cables due to this, but it’s a fair trade-off for how much abuse they can withstand.
- RapcoHorizon RoadHog. These cables are amazingly tough, reliable, and insanely roadworthy. These cables come in lengths from two to one hundred feet.
- Mogami Silver. Mogami Silver are just as good as Mogami Gold cables, although Gold uses quad cables which are better at rejecting radio frequency interference. Neither necessarily “sounds” better than the other, although if you live in a city, rejecting radio frequency interferences may be more important to you. However, if you live further out in the suburbs or rural areas, Silvers will suit you just as well.
- LyxPro Balanced. These cables might help to add a bit of color to your studio with their bright (blue/yellow/red – you can choose) exterior, and they run from 1.5 to 300 feet. These are one of the most affordable options here despite still upholding superb quality.
- Hosa Pro. Hosa is a very reliable company when it comes to finding budget-friendly cables. These cables come in sizes ranging from 3 to one 100 feet in length. The copper conductors employed in the Hosa cable also boast a fairly admirable signal-to-noise ratio for noiseless engineering.
- Monoprice Premier. Monoprice is one of the most trusted names when it comes to XLR cables, right alongside Shure and Mogami. The Premier Series runs in lengths from 1.5 ft to a whopping 150 ft, the latter of which remains oddly affordable for the quality of performance. In any case, these are some of the best cables you can find on a budget.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cables are a fairly straightforward subject matter when it comes to audio. Either you can buy the cheapest cables off the rack, or you can put a little bit more money forward and buy cables that will last you for years.
If there’s anything to learn from all of this, the best I can say is to buy the best your budget allows for even if you don’t think it’s important. Doing otherwise may cost you more in the end.
