Being an audiophile is tough because you don’t want to compromise on the sound quality if you use a jack extension cable. If the cable of your music system isn’t long enough, or you want to plug it into a speaker, then, of course, you might be a bit skeptical about it. You may have a fear that the music quality won’t be as good as the original.
A lot of people ask whether an audio extension cable reduces the sound quality. So, if you want to know the details of an audio extension cable, then give this article a read.
An Overview Of Audio Jacks
Before we come to the answer to the question, let’s talk about audio cables a bit. So, the role of an audio cable is pretty simple and gives us clues about whether it affects the sound quality.
Basically, an audio jack cable acts as a medium through which the signals travel from one source to another. In other words, it travels to the output or the receiver. So, for example, if you are using an earphone with a 3.5mm jack, then the signals are traversed through the jack, and you get the sound from the earbuds.
On the other hand, if you are using a cable as an extension, the signals are transferred to another receiver, such as a soundbar or speaker. The source can be any audio component, like smartphone, television, caravan, radio, etc. An audio extension cable connects the source to the receiver and, therefore, performs its task.
Does It Affect The Sound Quality?
Well, there are a few instances where it does, but the effect is so minuscule that you won’t hear any of it. On a broader scale, it does not affect the sound quality, at least not enough to be discernible during your daily usage. However, there are others factors like shielding and conductor quality that affect the quality.
Theoretically, there is a bit of loss of quality due to impedance. But, despite that, people use the cables because the difference is not at all discernible. It happens because the original signals may get lost along the way as it moves from one source to another receiver. But as we said earlier, you won’t be able to differentiate it.
It’s also worth noting that an audio cable is made of copper. The signal of the source travels through these wires. So, there’s not any reason why the sound quality would be bad. Moreover, it’s also worth mentioning that Ibraonline keeps a good collection of jack cables for extension purposes. Since audio extension cables do not determine the poor sound quality, you can safely settle for one.
Factors That Affects The Quality
One of the main factors that affect the sound quality is not the cables but the conductor. So, if you buy one made of poor quality, you won’t have optimum sound quality. Therefore, it’s better to buy the best quality cables with a good conductor, and you will find a lot of them.
Moreover, the workmanship may affect the quality as well. For example, a cable made of proper quality materials and has been properly insulated will still perform sub-par if the workmanship is bad. So, if you have poor sound quality, then that may be a factor to consider.
Insulation is also another big factor that determines the quality of the sound. If you use the jack extension on the source device and plug it with a receiver, you may still find bad sound quality if the insulation isn’t done properly. Proper insulation prevents interference and keeps the signals intact.
Final Thoughts:
So, all in all, we can see that an audio extension cable doesn’t affect the quality as such. However, there are a few factors that can hamper the sound quality. Therefore, when you buy a jack cable, make sure to check everything before you pay.