Your home audio system is a living creature. When you sit down to watch a movie, the DVD player is the brain of the operation, responsible for drawing up data from a rapidly spinning disk. At the heart, you have a receiver that carefully sorts and pumps the data out to each extremity. Your surround sound speakers work the magic; they seize that endless binary stream and fashion it into rumbling explosions, sift it into the pattering of rain, or draw it across the strings of a hundred violins. The cables that link everything together are the veins – invisible, underappreciated and essential. The Accell UltraAudio digital coaxial cable is our TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award winner because it does this humble job with excellence. These cables are well crafted and trustworthy, with all the features we expect to see and a few that really go the extra mile.
This digital coaxial cable features a high-purity copper conductor at the core, which bears the chief responsibility of guiding the data to its destination. Copper is highly conductive but can deteriorate substantially if it contains too much oxygen. Accell uses copper that is more than 99% pure to ensure that your cables will not degrade with time.
Several additional layers surround the copper wire to protect data from outside interference and internal leakage. The first layer is a gas-injected dielectric spacer designed to keep the copper conductor appropriately spaced from the outer layers. If the dielectric is denatured and the spacing altered, data flow can be disrupted or even reflected, so while digital coaxial cables are made to flex and bend somewhat, it's important that you don't kink the cable intentionally. A thin layer of foil and a braided copper sheath come next, designed to repel electromagnetic and radio interference respectively.
The last layer is a PVC jacket that serves to protect and preserve the other components of the cable. Accell employs what they call "UltraFlex" material to provide durability without compromising flexibility.
UL certification really makes this audio cable stand above the crowd. UL denotes that they have passed the Underwriters Laboratories safety tests for in-wall installation. This is essential if you want to run the cables through the walls where they can remain hidden. Other cables are probably safe for in-wall use, but the Accell digital coaxial cables are one of the only products we found with the UL certification clearly marked. Cables running along walls or across floors are both hazardous and unattractive, so the UL certification is very welcome indeed.
Cable performance as a whole depends on the connectors. If the connectors don't make good electrical contact, data transmission will suffer. You've probably had a personal experience with this phenomenon trying to fix the reception on your television; the culprit is often nothing more than a loose cable. High contact pressure is the secret to keeping a cable plugged in tight with clean electrical contact. We especially like this digital coaxial cable because it features a split center pin to maximize contact pressure. The gold plating on the connecter is not merely cosmetic, either; it also maximizes conductivity. These features will ensure that your listening serendipity goes uninterrupted by loose cables.
Like most digital coaxial cables, this product is equipped at both ends with a male RCA adapter, which maximizes compatibility. RCA plugs are one of the most common audio/video connecters. They will work with virtually any piece of home audio equipment.
This digital coaxial cable comes in a wide array of available lengths, which will help you to optimize your audio system. Coaxial cables are notorious for data-quality deterioration over long distances, and although the problem is less acute with digital data than it is for analog, it is still a good idea to keep your cables as short as possible. Excess cable can be difficult to hide and poses a greater risk for performance-compromising kinks. Accell offers digital coaxial cable in the following lengths:
- 3.3 feet
- 6.6 feet
- 20 feet
- 35 feet
The only real drawback to this digital coaxial cable is the lack of an intermediate length between six and twenty feet. For most purposes, the six-foot cable should be perfect, but if you need something just a little bit longer than that, you'll have to purchase the 20-foot cable.
Accell provides a lifetime warranty on all cable products and backs it with good technical support. Plugging in a cable is simple, but if you do experience a problem you can't resolve, you can get technical support through the phone number and email provided on the manufacturer's website. If you are too proud to confess your ineptitude to the nice tech support lady, you can always take a peek at the FAQs. They are very simple and few in number, but so are the possible problems you could experience with a digital coaxial cable.
The lifetime warranty is excellent. If you drive your cable to exhaustion and it stops working, Accell will repair or replace the cable. There are a few important hang-ups to be aware of: First, you are going to need an RMA number (Return Merchandise Approval number), which comes on the original packaging. Do not throw it away if you plan to run your cables ragged. And second, you will also be responsible for the cost of shipping.
With such an important role to play in your home audio system, don't let the digital coaxial cable be the weak link in the chain. Accell UltraAudio will keep the bits flowing smoothly. Top-notch cable and connecters protect and preserve data from degradation and interference. The UL certification will allow you to run the cables through your walls with confidence. The lifetime warranty will keep your cables going for as long as you need them. All these features combined made this cable the best of all the products we reviewed. This is a product you can trust with the lifeblood of your home audio system.
