this may be a stoopid question... but im wondering the main differences between a rca cable and a coaxial cable,, im no dummy when it comes to technology but ive never understood the difference,,,someone shed some light on this please

Co-axial cables are used to carry digital signal like the ones from your CD player's digital circuit to your amp if the amp has a built in D/A convertor for instance, RCA carry only analog signals.

Ok, I'll stick to descriptions here

I'm describing not knowing much about it other than coax has a center conductor with a sheath and a braided ground around that. It's efficient, low impedence (the one used in cable TV is supposed to be rated at 75 ohms) and designed for a much higher bandwidth. Speaker wire isn't good for much more than AF bandwidth, and RCA cables can pass low MHz signals well enough to use at video IF frequencies but NOT across the entire spectrum of 50 Hz to 1000 MHz (or 1 GHz), which coax does and some.

Coax is good for transmission needs too, and they are used in various forms from amateur and Part 15 to broadcasting (the conduits used in high-power transmission setups are a basically modified form of coax--albeit a little beserk from your cable TV model as we ARE talking up to a few megawatts here).

RCA cables are a center insulated wire with an unwrapped ground surrounding and sleeved and attached to the same thing if stereo. It's ground is not nearly as dense as a coaxial's, and therefore is not as efficient at carrying a large or high frequency signal. My guess is that the ground wire would not be as good returning such a signal to ground compared to the braided wire.

I don't think RCA cables can handle as much power as a coax. Even 24 ga. aka lamp cord can handle low-voltage AC! RCAs amount to glorified litz wires, I think.

I don't claim to know physics, but I play a physicist on AK.

Put adapters on the end and you can use it as an RCA, better shielding so better for long runs. I use a 50' coax with RCA adapters on the end as a digi coax cable to carry my MP3's from my bedroom to my stereo in the living room.

Cracks me up when I go to BB or Circuit City and see some sales guy telling the person they NEED to buy this $60 digi coax cable or component video cable, or the $80 HD cables, or their stuff aon't work, they are all the same thing as a $5 RCA cable just with different colored ends. Yes even the cheapies are 75 ohms.

I stood and watched a sales guy sell a guy about $200 worth of stuff, switch and cables, to hook up his cable, Xbox and DVD player to one TV. With just a little learning the guy could have figured out how to do it for about $20.

John Q public is just stoopid, that is why Bose sells, mechanics can rip off folks on car repairs, and a PC techs can charge $100 to install a HD or DVD burner ;)

Coaxial is a type of cable. "RCA" is one of several connectors that goes on the ends of cables.

A coaxial cable is one conductor inside of another connector around the outside which acts as a shield. Coaxial cables are generally used for RF, video, audio and digital signals. These can be any impedance the designer chooses but the ones we are generally concerned with are 75 ohms and others that are between 50 to 110 ohms.

Audio signals are happy with anywhere between 50 and 110 ohms (which includes 75 ohms) while the others want to see a 75 ohm impedance.

Coaxial cables can have, on the ends, RCA connectors, "F" connectors and even BNC connectors, depending on theit application and the designer's intent. RF signals use "F" connectors. Digital and audio signals use RCA connectors. BNC can be used for either but their use is generally reserved for professional equipment.

thanks for the quick reply gentleman..you have answered my question and them some,,sorry to be ignorant,,just not up on the newest trends anymore

thanks for the quick reply gentleman..you have answered my question and them some,,sorry to be ignorant,,just not up on the newest trends anymore

There are no stupid questions around here and your question based on the answers shows that somtimes the jargon and names of things are not always clear nor unambigious...

a Coax cable is any cable constructed with a insulated center conductor surrounded by a conducting braid or shield conductor. So an RCA cable is a type of coax cable.

However the term coax cable usually implies a cable designed to handle higher frequency signals, RF, radio frequencies or above. This includes the newer digital signals used in HT and other systems. The design of the cable, the gauge of the center wire and the diameter of the outer braid and the dialectric value of the inner insulating material determine the impedence value of the cable which should not be confused to mean the resistence value of the cable. Coax cable comes in overall diameters of 1/10" to 1" or more. High power transmting requires the thickest and the RF losses go down with the larger cables also.

Anyway just about any coax cable that can fit the connectors can be used for audio RCA cableing, It's only at higher frequency and power applications that matching the proper cabling becomes more important. One exception to this is the RCA cables used in Phono turntables. That usually requires low capacitance cable so as not to effect the phono cartridge loading requirement. This tends to make them coax cables with a very fine gauge center conductor that is easily damaged with too much flexure or strain of the connectors.

Have a nice Thanksgiving

Lefty

I like Markw's reply best.

:yes:

I understand that you guys are referring to audio use of either of these cables, but there IS a difference when it comes to video......coax connections use RF signals and are processed by the TV in a different manner than if you were to use RCA cables (they "speak" to a different circuit). Am not a tech so I'm sure I've cobbled up the language here, but am pretty sure that overall this is correct.

Anthony