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When it comes to audio cables, there are several brands and types available, with the choice depending on what you are trying to hook up and how concerned you are with the quality of the sound. In general 5-7% of total cost is adequate for investing in the cables for the system. If you are not terribly concerned with sound quality and are just listening to things like news and music in the background then you can use pretty much any cable, even the cheap one packaged with your system.

People who want improved sound quality for listening can find something in their price range from cable specialists. Specialized cables provide optimum sound quality and are very sturdy. These are a better alternative to generic speaker cables which offer lower sound quality and aren't as sturdy. Although the specialized cables may be affordable, the cost still could be several hundred dollars for the speaker cables or analog audio interconnects. Some people may find that the extra money spent is well worth the benefits of better sound and pride in owning the very best in audio equipment.

The four different types of cables are analog audio cables, audio video cables, audio speaker cable and digital cables. Their job is to move a signal from one point to another without unchanged. This is accomplished along with minimizeing losses, through control of the amount of Resistance, Inductance and Capacitance at audio frequencies.

RCA connections are utilized for passing analog line-level audio signals that go between components. RCA audio cables come grouped in stereo pairs, one connection is for the right channel and one for the left audio channel. A good idea for line level analog interconnects is the use of a cable with the following qualities: well shielded to eliminate interference and external noise sources, and low in capacitance.

Video Cables are possibly the most important as the signal that is passed through is at a very high frequency. As the frequency increases it becomes more critical to ensure adequate shielding, solid terminations and proper impedance that audio video cables provide. Therefore it is necessary for a video cable to be adequately shielded and maintain characteristic impedance.

Audio Speaker cables are generally quite thick, with two conductors, at the tip they may be tipped with metal pins, banana plugs, spade plugs, or even just bare wire. When connecting it is necessary to assure closest and tightest possible connection from cable to amp or loudspeaker in order to minimize contact resistance. It is also important to remember that the speaker cable runs should be kept as short as possible and not to loop excess cable as it can potentially increase cable inductance.

Digital audio cables are a special group of their own. Of these there are two types: coaxial and optical. Coaxial digitals look just like standard analogs, but transfer digital audio rather than analog, while optical cables use light as a transmission method for audio signals. These types are also usually a single cable, where analog types are generally double plugs to stereo sound.