Every piece of equipment used to carry your signal will have some impact on the sound that comes out of your speakers, and while the difference is certainly more noticeable from upgrading your speakers or receivers, swapping out your cables can give your tone that final push from great to extraordinary—and is a lot less expensive than buying new equipment. If you think your cables might be holding your car’s system back, check out the options on the list that follows.
These are, in our humble opinion, the 4 best RCA cables for car audio on the market:
Rockford Fosgate RFI-10 RCA Cable
The RFI-10 from Rockford Fosgate uses a twisted pair design with a split center pin, the perfect arrangement for car audio use. The wire core of this cable uses oxygen free copper, which is both corrosive resistant and gives you transparent signal carriage. The ends are plated in platinum, which also helps to ward off corrosion, and the outer shielding is a frosted rubber that’s both flexible and tough, giving these cables the durability to serve you well for years. It also comes in a variety of lengths, from 3 feet up to 20 feet, making this one of the best car audio RCA cables for the money.
Stinger 2 Chanel RCA Cables
The Stinger mission with their cables is complete accuracy in sound reproduction, and they hold true to that mission with these split-top twisted-pair RCA cables. The 6 foot length is ideal for most car audio set-ups. The most unique feature of this cable—and the thing that makes it ideal for use in your car—is the twist-lock on the ends. This means you don’t have to worry about your cable coming loose over time from the natural vibrations of your car as you drive. When you do want to unplug it, the textured rubber grip (see full specs) makes that easier, too—an especially helpful detail if your connections are in hard to access areas of your car.
AudioQuest Tower 3M RCA Cable
If you’re a true audiophile, you’ll likely get a bit excited when you see these AudioQuest cables. They’re made using the most innovative techniques in signal carrying technology, designed plug to plug for absolute accuracy and minimal interference. The solid long-grain copper used for the wire gives you a noticeably smoother sound than the oxygen free copper used in most RCA cables.
They also have a unique insulation style (see full specs), using a Polyethylene foam. The foam reduces signal distortion and allows for the use of air as an insulator, perfect because it absorbs almost no energy. To top it off, the plugs are cold-welded, meaning they don’t use any solder—a common cause of distortion in other cables. If you’re looking for a car audio sound that’s as clear and pure as what you get in your home listening room, these cables can be a huge help in getting you there.
Krystal Kable 2 Channel 4M RCA Cable
Knu Konceptz is a relatively recent player in the audio equipment market, but they’ve already made a name for themselves as a manufacturer you can trust to fill your audio needs. The insulation is multi-layered, with Mylar foil around a jacket of PVC, and copper foil around the audio signal. The wire inside is a twisted pair of 22-gauge oxygen free copper. The Krystal Kable also has some unique plugs. They’re gold plated for corrosion resistance and use knurled metal rings machined with what they call their Diagonal Kut Konnection, giving you a more secure connection. Hands down, these are among the best RCA cables for car audio.
RCA Cables — Difference Between Coaxial & Twisted Pair Cables
These are the two main formats of cables you’ll find in use with car audio equipment, and choosing the right one for your system is key in getting the best sound. In a general sense, the wires in twisted pair cables are thinner. This gives them a higher rate of data transmission and also makes them less expensive to produce. Coaxial cables are thicker, which means the cables can be longer without losing quality. They’re also more durable and better-shielded.
Generally speaking, the best cables for car audio will be coaxial because of that improved shielding. A twisted pair may also be susceptible to noise because the signal will not be balanced between the wires. There are uses for both types of cable, however. If you’re only sending input from a single source, a simpler and twisted pair could work just as well as a more expensive coaxial cable. Consider the complexity of your set-up as the main factor in making this decision.
How Much Difference Does a RCA Cable Make?
A low-quality or damaged cable can negatively impact your signal, making it susceptible to extra noise. The most important feature in a cable for car audio is that it’s shielded. Modern cars use computerized parts, and shielding keeps that stray chatter from impacting your sound. It also protects the signal from vibrations and other mechanical disturbances.
The better a wire’s conductivity, the more pure the signal it carries will be. Copper is by and large the most popular metal used in conductive wires. Many wires use what is known as oxygen free copper, or OFC, because of its purity and the transparency of the signals it carries. Consider the material of the connections as well as the wires. Car audio equipment has to deal with shifts in temperature and humidity beyond what home audio equipment faces. The cables on this list—which, again, are the best RCA cables for car audio that we could find—stay in place once you’ve hooked them up. Good luck!
