CBI BL2A 1/4" TRS To 1/4" TRS Balanced Guitar Instrument Cable, 10 Feet

I have a home studio with some active monitors hooked up to a usb audio interface. I plugged in an extra visual monitor and was upset at the level of noise that appeared. Computer noises, high pitched whines, clicks, you name it. It wasn't enough to completely ruin my life hehe but it was very annoying! I looked at the possibility of there being a ground loop, and I was looking into power cleaners and hum filters and everything under the sun in that area. But before I spent a hundred bucks or more on some of this stuff, I decided to try balanced cables first. I plugged them in, and got silence... Until I played something, then it sounded great! So my set up is now noise free and I'm very happy. These are good quality cables, durable and well made. You can't go wrong here!

Good price for this kind of cable. Seems reasonably stout. Have used several times and no crackles or problems. I have tried it with a Zoom pedal foot controller and as a stereo audio cable for a guitar sharing a piezo and a magnetic pickup wired separately in stereo. No problems. I measured tip to ground and ring to ground both about 1160 pico Farads with a cheap meter. This is about 77 pF per foot, acceptable for this type of inexpensive cable. I didn't notice any loss of highs in my application.

I have a pair of 15' BL2A TRS-TRS (shown here), a pair of 6' BL2A TRS-TRS and a pair of 20' BLUC TRS-XLR (all balanced). All are kink free, route well, and lie flat. The shielding is superb - after replacing unbalanced cables with these, the 60 Hz hum that had been plaguing my setup disappeared.I'm using the cables with the following equipment: an M-Audio ProFire 610, four (4) M-audio BX5a's 5-inch studio reference monitors, and an M-Audio BX10s 10-inch sub. (The extra TRS-XLR cable allows me to switch from stereo to 5.1 surround production entirely within the ProFire without rewiring the speakers.)

Balanced cables appear to be the rage these days, with some Kurzweil inputs refusing to admit the old-fashioned still-popular, monaural jacks. So I've made it a point to go with these from CBI balanced cables for the past couple of years, if only to save a few bucks. The problem is the screw-down cap at the end of the cable: after only limited use it's reluctant to screw tightly into place (it just keeps turning and turning). I've been loathe to complain, since the cable still works (after some coaxing and anxious moments), but the business of playing professionally on an electric keyboard is rife with technological hazards without having to contend with a poorly manufactured cable.It probably won't hurt to try one to see if you like it. My musical insecurities are forcing me to look for a more secure replacement.

I have a pair of 6' BL2A TRS-TRS (shown here), a pair of 15' BL2A TRS-TRS and a pair of 20' BLUC TRS-XLR (all balanced). All are kink free, route well, and lie flat. The shielding is superb - after replacing unbalanced cables with these, the 60 Hz hum that had been plaguing my setup disappeared.I'm using the cables with the following equipment: an M-Audio ProFire 610, four (4) M-audio BX5a 5-inch studio reference monitors, and an M-Audio BX10s 10-inch sub. (The extra TRS-XLR cable allows me to switch from stereo to 5.1 surround production entirely within the ProFire without rewiring the speakers.)

It IS a balanced TRS cable. It's significantly less "durable" than I actually expected, i.e.: it's quite "lightweight" and the connectors have no type of strain relief. In use (recording connections), I have to repetitively check to insure the connectors are properly secured and the covers are tightened down.For the $, it's not a "bad" cable, and it does what it's supposed to do. One more time: "you get what you pay for"...

This cable seems cheapo and not very sturdy, but so far it has held up just fine. I don't tour with it, I just leave it at my practice space to simplify my setup. So far it is holding up just fine.

I have purchased a bunch of CBI cables in the past few years - patch cables, xlr cables, guitar cords, and most recently, two 15-foot MIDI cables -- and have never had a problem with any of them. They seem well-constructed, they're reasonably priced and they are my cable of choice. They get my definite seal of approval!