Do you love listening to your favorite songs day in and day out? We bet that’s why you bought your super-expensive headset and didn’t compromise on its quality. That’s great. However, suppose you enjoy listening to fiery songs while roaming the house. In that case, it’s super necessary that you don’t buy a low-quality audio extension cable for headphones. With hundreds and thousands of audio extension cable options available, one would easily freak out about what kind of cable one should opt for. And that’s exactly what we would be discussing here.
Table of Contents
What are the qualities of the best headphone extension cable?
Audio cable extensions, whether cheap or expensive, can deliver audio signals from one end to another. The main thing that decides whether it is good or bad is the sound quality, which is influenced by the cable’s longevity, compatibility with dozens of devices, and the material it has been built from. Therefore, before buying a high-quality extension cable for your current headphones, you must consider these factors.
Caption: XLR cables
Internal Components and Materials
Internal components play a vital role in supporting the quality of sound that travels from one end of the wire to another. The inner components of a cheap cable might consist of fragile wiring, weak shielding, and insulation that offers no durability or protection. As a result, the sound might break in between, fade, or stop coming altogether once the inner circuitry is exposed or destroyed. And due to these reasons, you are subjected to spending your hard-earned cash buying another brand-new extension cable.
A good cable has oxygen-free copper because of its excellent conduction abilities. Not only that, but it is also available at reasonable rates. Silver, on the other end, is a notch above copper because of its powerful attributes of conduction and, similarly, is higher in cost and provides a different sound; however, unless you’re someone who’s a super audiophile, you can’t differentiate between the quality of the sound.
Gold-plated connectors play no role in upgrading the sound quality. They are a good choice in terms of the longevity of the cable life because of their corrosion-resistant ability. They are more useful in providing support to the cable externally.
Apart from the conduction, other elements such as low capacitance, high signal-to-noise ratio, and electromagnetic resistance also play a crucial role in amping up the sound quality.
Length
Length, by far, is the most important factor when it comes to high-quality headphones cable extensions. This is one of the reasons why you bought the extension cable. Many extension cables are present, ranging from 5 feet to 100 feet. A normal 5 feet cable will suffice if you’re fond of listening to music while keeping your mobile in your pocket.
However, suppose you own a giant music production center or prefer to listen to songs while doing house chores with a mobile on your counter. In that case, you’d need more length to move comfortably around.
Compatibility
Regarding the audio cable extension, it is important to determine whether your cable is compatible with your headphones. Buying an audio cable and learning it’s incompatible with your headphone’s mic and volume control can be disheartening. Most headphones have a 3.5 mm input/output jack; however, some do not possess the same.
If you have a 1/4” plug, don’t worry; several cable extensions feature a dual input/output for both types. Furthermore, a right-angled connecter protects the cable from wear and tear. Not only that, but it keeps it safe if accidentally pulled out.
External Materials
Now onto another important factor: the external material of the cable. You probably already know how cables tangle with each other when you put them in your pockets. Therefore, tangle-free cables are excellent for preventing the hassle mentioned above. Material like nylon braiding plays an important role in keeping the wire strong, stiff, water-resistant, and less prone to getting tangled up.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics are a dominating factor in how your device looks while you’re out there in public. It simply means that you’ll be wearing your device regularly. Therefore you must choose the device that matches your preferred color and style.
Caption: Basic audio cables
Conclusion
You see, when you buy an audio cable extension of lesser quality, the audio signals traveling from the sound player to your ears, are deteriorated due to several factors, such as:
- Bad wire
- Mediocre materials
- Poor physical construction
- And more.
Since we have shed light on the important factors that need consideration before buying extension cables, we hope it will guide you in making your final choice. Here at Cloom, we offer cable assemblies and wiring harness solutions so that you don’t have to worry about perfection.
