What is the Best RCA Cable for Car Audio?

The RCA connector is used to carry audio and video signals. RCA, which means Radio Corporation of America, introduced this design in 1930. These cables are inexpensive components found in a car audio system. It has three colored plugs that extend from one end of the cable and connect to three outputs in a TV or other output devices.

RCA cable can also be used for car audio since it transmits both audio and video signals. The RCA technology is straightforward; hence it is widely supported. Two RCA cables correspond to the right and left channel to transmit the stereo audio.

There are several opportunities to use RCA cables. They can connect different audio and video devices, including your car audio. RCA cables connect amplifiers to all sorts of devices. However, several factors can affect the quality, price, and performance of RCA cables. Here’s what to look out for to get the best RCA cables for car audio.

●Materials
RCA cables often come in gold, silver, and copper connectors, and the gold connectors are the most expensive. They are excellent at preventing oxidation and do better than silver and copper connectors. However, the silver connectors are best for electrical conductivity, followed closely by copper. The gold connectors aren’t ideal for electrical connectivity.
●The cable length
The cable length can significantly impact the effect of your signal quality.
●Shielding
If you want to get the best of your RCA cables, ensure you get one with a well-shielded cable. This will deliver a better signal quality.

How do I connect RCA cables to car audio?

Most times, an expert technician’s attention will be needed to fix your car audio system. However, the process of connecting the RCA cables to your car audio is straightforward.

These cables often come as part of your car’s wiring kit. If it doesn’t, it’s easy to find a good one from a trusted spare parts dealer. The RCA cables can help you effectively receive and transfer sound signals from the car to its amplifier.

At first thought, you might be skeptical about your ability to connect the cables to your car speakers successfully. We have a simple step-by-step guide to help you.
Connect the car amplifier
The first thing you need to do is connect a car amplifier to your car. The amplifier helps to strengthen the signal from the stereo to the speaker. So, if you have an amplifier, you can move on to the next step.
Locate the best place to install the amp
Generally, the trunk of your car or the passenger’s side is the best place to keep the amplifier. However, you can place it anywhere you wish.
Connect a cable to the positive battery terminal and your amp
It is recommended that you use an in-line fuse holder even if your amp has a fuse. This is because the additional fuse protects the circuit.
Connect the ground wire to the amp
The next step is to attach the ground wire to the car chassis.
Connect the remote cable and RCA cables from your stereo to the amp
Some stereos may not use RCA cables. In that case, you need an output converter to convert the stereo wires to RCA. Once you have connected the amp, you can plug the speaker wires into the amp.
Connect the speaker wires to the amp
Check the specs to confirm you are using the correct gauge wires for your speakers and amp. You can also check the manufactures specs for the recommended wire gauge for the speaker.

Some car speakers already have wiring that you can use. But if the cable isn’t long enough to reach the amp, you will need to extend the wires. You can extend the wires by splicing them.
Connect the speaker wires to the car speakers
The speakers can be connected in three different ways depending on the amplifier.

1.In series
2.In parallel
3.Or a combination of both
●To connect the wires to the car speakers, first determine which of the wires from the amp is positive and negative. Although the wire color is a good guide, you shouldn’t rely solely on it.

●The negative wire is usually the smaller one in most cars. Feed the negative wire into the negative splice connector.

●Follow the same step to secure the larger positive connector and secure the connection using pliers.

●Lastly, plug the connectors into the corresponding ports on the car speakers.

●Check the wiring and test the speakers

●Double-check to ensure you did everything correctly before checking your wiring. The last thing you want is for the connection to loosen while the car is in motion.

●Extra attention should be paid to the car battery and wiring around it.

●Finally, you can start the car. Check the amp LED light if it has one to ensure it is powered and working correctly.

●You can turn your car’s audio system now and play some music. You can also fine-tune it a bit until the sound is clear and devoid of distortion.

Troubleshooting

Sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. If your car speakers and amp isn’t working well, you can check the following common issues ;

1.If the sound is unclear, recheck the rewiring.
2.If one or more speakers aren’t working, check that the wiring is as it should be and all connections are secure and tight.
3.The amp not coming on could mean the ground, remote, or battery wire wasn’t well fixed. Check each of them and rewire if necessary until the amp powers on.
4.You may be getting music, but it keeps breaking up could mean the amp used is not powerful enough for the speakers and subwoofers. Ensure the total RMS of your amplifier is 1.5x the speakers’ power.

To connect RCA cables to your car audio is easy once you get the wiring right. Follow this guide closely, and you won’t have any issues. For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.