Listening Notes

02 September 2026

Subwoofer with RCA Cable: The Complete Connection Guide

How to connect a subwoofer with an RCA cable: single RCA from the sub out, when a Y-cable helps, high level inputs, crossover settings and cable length.

02 September 2026

USB B to USB-C Cable for DACs: What to Buy

Why desktop DACs still use USB-B, when a USB-C to USB-B cable is the right answer for modern laptops and phones, and what matters inside the cable.

01 September 2026

Furutech FI-50 NCF Review: Flagship vs FI-11 Tier

Furutech FI-50 NCF review: what the NCF body and floating field damper actually do, how it compares with the affordable FI-11 tier, and who should spend what.

01 September 2026

Furutech FP-3TS762 Power Cable for DIY Mains Builds

The Furutech FP-3TS762 is a 10AWG bulk power cable for serious DIY mains leads. We look at what is inside it, who it suits, and how we terminate it.

01 September 2026

Short USB C Cable Guide: USB Length for DACs

Why a short USB C cable serves a DAC best, what actually goes wrong past 2m, USB-C vs USB-B shapes and specs, and what to buy for a desktop DAC.

31 August 2026

Furutech FI-11 Review: The DIY IEC Connector Upgrade

Furutech FI-11 review: the alpha cryo treated IEC connector for DIY power cable builds. Cu, G and R variants explained, and what it does for a cable.

31 August 2026

Power Cable Types: IEC C13, C7, C15, C19 for AU

Power cable types decoded for Australian buyers: IEC C13/C14, C7 figure 8, C5, C15 and C19, their ratings at 240V, and when an aftermarket cable matters.

31 August 2026

XLR to Jack 3.5 mm: Balanced to Unbalanced, Done Right

How to connect balanced XLR outputs to an unbalanced 3.5mm input: the correct wiring, what you lose in the conversion, level mismatches and how to fix hum.

30 August 2026

Headphone Adapter Jack Guide: 3.5mm, 6.35mm and Balanced

Which headphone adapter jack you actually need: 3.5mm to 6.35mm, 4.4mm balanced and 4-pin XLR explained, plus when a proper recable beats any adapter.

30 August 2026

RCA Cable for Sub and Turntable: Buyer's Guide

Buying an RCA cable for a sub or turntable? Single RCA vs Y-split cables, the phono vs line level trap, ground loop hum fixes, and what to spend.

30 August 2026

14 Gauge Speaker Wire vs 12 Gauge: Which to Buy

14 gauge speaker wire vs 12 gauge, settled with arithmetic: resistance budgets, damping factor, and a run length table for 8 ohm and 4 ohm speakers.

29 August 2026

12 Gauge Speaker Cable: When You Actually Need It

When 12AWG speaker cable is the right pick: long runs, 4 ohm speakers and big amplifiers, and what 12 gauge looks like across our Japanese cable range.

29 August 2026

Optical Cable for TV to Soundbar: Will It Work?

Will an optical cable for TV to soundbar work? How to check your ports, set the right output, why Atmos needs HDMI, and when a better Toslink is worth it.

29 August 2026

HDMI Cable Kmart vs Certified: A Sydney AV Guide

Does a Kmart HDMI cable do the job? Often, yes. Here is when certified HDMI 2.1 actually matters, when it does not, and where the real AV gains hide.

28 August 2026

IEC Power Cable Types and the Mains Plug in Australia

IEC C13, C7 figure 8, C5 cloverleaf, C15 and C19 explained for Australian systems, plus the AS/NZS 3112 mains plug and when an upgraded cable is worth it.

28 August 2026

USB B to USB-C Officeworks vs a Proper Audio Cable

Shopping USB B to USB-C at Officeworks? Here is what a proper USB audio cable does for a DAC, and where to buy one in Sydney with Bondi Junction pickup.

28 August 2026

What Is an RCA Cable? A Straight Buyer's Guide

What an RCA cable is, when to choose RCA over XLR, and what a good one costs. Subwoofer, turntable and DAC uses explained by our Sydney workshop.

24 August 2026

Bunnings vs Hi-Fi Speaker Cable: AU Guide

Is Bunnings speaker cable good enough for hi-fi? Sometimes. We compare hardware store, Jaycar and JB Hi-Fi wire with genuine hi-fi cable, with real AUD prices.

23 August 2026

3.5mm Aux to RCA Cable: Phone to Stereo, Done Properly

How to connect a phone or laptop to a stereo with a 3.5mm to RCA cable, why long unshielded runs hum, and when a custom length build is the right answer.

22 August 2026

HDMI 2.1 Cable Guide: What 48Gbps Actually Buys

What Ultra High Speed HDMI certification really means, why 48Gbps matters for 4K120, VRR and eARC, and why certified beats cheap 2.1-ready cables.

21 August 2026

Banana Plugs vs Spades: Speaker Cable Termination Guide

Banana plugs, spades or bare wire for your speaker cables? How the 4mm binding post standard works, and why rhodium plated pure copper connectors are worth it.

20 August 2026

USB Cable Types for DACs: USB-B, USB-C and USB4

USB-B vs USB-C vs USB4 for DACs, why full size DACs still use the big square plug, and why the printer cable under your desk is holding your DAC back.

19 August 2026

Japanese Audio Cables: A No-Nonsense Buyer's Guide

Speaker, interconnect, power, digital or phono: where should you start, which brand suits your taste, and how much should you actually spend? Our workshop guide to the Japanese cable wall.

18 August 2026

XLR Cables vs RCA: A Balanced Interconnect Guide

Balanced XLR vs RCA for hi-fi: what pin 2 hot really means, when balanced connections matter over long runs, and which XLR interconnects we build in Sydney.

17 August 2026

16 Gauge Speaker Cable: When It's Enough, When to Go Bigger

What 16AWG actually means, how OFC compares with CCA, and when to step up to 14 or 12 gauge for long runs and low impedance speakers. An honest guide.

16 August 2026

Digital Optical Cable Guide: Toslink Explained

Toslink vs coaxial vs USB explained, TV to DAC long runs, and whether glass optical fibre beats plastic. An honest guide from our Sydney workshop.

15 August 2026

RCA Adapters and Splitters: An Honest Guide

What RCA splitters, adapters and couplers actually do, why the RCA to HDMI adapter is a myth, and when a custom length cable beats a drawer of adapters.

14 August 2026

IEC Connector Types Explained: C13, C15, C19 and C7

IEC C13, C14, C15, C19 and the figure 8 C7 explained: what each connector is rated for, why the rating matters for safety and sound, and how to choose.

13 August 2026

Do Power Cables Matter? A Sydney Workshop's Guide

Do aftermarket power cables make a difference? We explain IEC C13, C15 and C19 at AU 240V, what the money buys, and the cables we build and rate.

12 August 2026

The Finishing Touches: Furutech NCF and Kojo Crystal E

Cable elevators, noise absorbing caps and virtual earths are the last ten percent of a system. We test the Furutech NCF family and Kojo's Crystal E and find they earn their keep.

05 August 2026

The Most Important Half Metre: Phono Cables from Phasemation and Oyaide

Between cartridge and phono stage, the signal is at its most fragile. We compare the Phasemation CC-1200 and the Oyaide PA-2075 V2 on two very different turntables.

29 July 2026

S/A Lab: The Underground Favourite

The HIGH END HOSE speaker cables and High End Line interconnects from S/A Lab have a word of mouth reputation that crosses oceans. We find out why.

22 July 2026

Acrolink and the Pursuit of 7N Copper

Acrolink's Leggenda and Purosangue cables use some of the purest copper ever drawn for audio. We audition the 7N-S1000, S1010, S1040 and the Purosangue power pair.

15 July 2026

SAEC and the PC-Triple C Difference

SAEC's speaker and power cables are built on PC-Triple C, a copper made by a process almost no one else uses. We listen to the SPC speaker range and the AC power range.

08 July 2026

Zonotone Beyond Speaker Wire: Shupreme TW-1, 6060meister and Grandio USB

A phono interconnect, a tonearm cable and a USB cable walk into the workshop. Zonotone's low level signal designs turn out to be as serious as its speaker wire.

01 July 2026

At the Top of Zonotone: Shupreme X, Grandio SP-07 and Granster SP-8800

Three flagship grade Zonotone speaker cables, including the 9.5sq Shupreme X, go head to head in a resolving system. Heavy wire, serious results.

24 June 2026

Zonotone's Sweet Spot: Granster and Meister Speaker Cables

Five Zonotone speaker cables from the 6NSP-Granster 2200a to the AVSP-1200Q Meister, auditioned and ranked by what they actually do to music.

17 June 2026

Bits Are Not Bits: Oyaide's Digital Cable Trio

Coaxial, BNC and AES digital cables from Oyaide, including the pure silver FTVS designs, prove that the last metre of a digital link is still analogue territory.

10 June 2026

Quiet by Design: Oyaide's Interconnect Range

From the PA-02 V2 to the TUNAMI TERZO V2, we listen to Oyaide's four interconnect wires and find a house sound built on silence rather than sparkle.

03 June 2026

Three Ways Oyaide Does a Speaker Cable

EXPLORER V2, ACROSS 3000 and TUNAMI NIGO V2 share the same 102SSC copper and almost nothing else. We listen to all three and explain who each one is for.

27 May 2026

The Oyaide Power Cable Range, Heard in a Real System

We spend an evening swapping Oyaide power cables through a reference system, from the budget friendly AXIS-303 to the mighty TUNAMI NIGO V2, and find out where the money actually goes.