Impedance

Impedance is the resistance to the flow of electrical current.

The higher it is, the higher the resistance to the flow.

The lower it is, the lower the resistance to the flow.

Compatibility between Hi Z and Lo Z

Lo Z = low impedance

Hi Z= high impedance

A Lo Z output would cause problems if plugged in a Hi Z input. Only a limited amount of electricity could flow into the input even though there is a lot more electricity in the output.

Examples of Compatibility

Imagine a small pipe, the small pipe represents Hi Z because no matter how much water ( electrical current) is at the entrance (input) of the small pipe, only a limited amount of water can get through. Its physical size limits the amount of water that can pass through the pipe in a period of time.

Unbalanced

Unbalanced cables contain a hot lead the carries the signals surrounded by a braided wire shield.

The shield is keep out electrostatic noises and interference.

The limits to this is it cannot be used over 25 feet.

The two paths of an unbalanced cable are the Audio and Shield/Ground

Balanced

Balanced cables use 3 conductors,

2 of them are hot lead,

and the third is the shield connected to ground.

Also, balanced cables can be as long as you need without electrostatic interference.

Speaker cables

Contain two identical wires, does not need a braided shield.

Line-level cables

These cables keep signal strength below 5 volts, usually at 1.23 volts.

Microphone cables

Utilize two-conductor shielded cable with XLR connectors at each end.

Cable theory

Balance of amplitude across the full audio bandwidth and the time delays as different frequencies transmit throughout the cable length.

Balance of Amplitude

Certain conductor sizes more accurately transmit specific frequencies.

Timing considerations

Higher frequencies travel at a higher rate.

Low frequencies can’t be sped up, but higher frequencies can be slowed down.

Cables sound different

A narrow-bandwidth signal compared on two vastly different cables than the audible differences would be minimal.

But at full-bandwidth there could be a dramatic improvement in quality.

Digital-Interconnect Cables

Have an impact on the sound quality of digital masters and clones.