| ★★★★★ | Science speaks for itself | | Verified Purchase | I have compared a variety of cables from all kinds of manufacturers and have learned that only 3 things matter in an interconnect. The first is shielding this is used to stop hiss and hum from getting into your equipment. Any length of wire can become an antenna and cause noise issues. This is solved with what is called a faraday cage. This is the same principle for why you are safer in a car when lightning strikes electricity flows around but not through you. Electricity wants to find the quickest path to ground or the path of least resistance. This is done in a cable by putting a copper braid around the signal conductor so the noise is grounded out before it can reach the center conductor. The next is capacitance, capacitance occurs when you put two pieces of metal next to eachother separated by an insulator. Capacitance is the charge built up and released electrostatically, because this is an out of phase signal (speaker push in it push out or vice versa) that cancels out it will cause high frequency roll off meaning your speakers will be less bright or lose details in the high frequency range. The next is inductance, when a charge moves through a wire it generates a magnetic field. An audio signal is constantly changing therefore its intensity the magnetic field can change as well. The longer the wire the more magnetic field around it. when the signal changes the magnetic field tends to hang around for a small bit of time. because the magnetic field is created after the signal goes through it the current it induces back into the wire is out of phase also causing high frequency roll off. Inductance is lower in priority because it mostly effects current rather then voltage. The next is resistance which because RCA audio is a high impedance the resistance is irrelevant because the resistance of going through the equipment is so high it is literally thousands of time larger then in a cable. How are all these combatted? For capacitance you want to space the conductors away from one another but inductance you want them closer, for shielding you want a thick layer of copper braid or aluminum foil surrounding the center conductor. Ideally you want a precise balance of how close or far the conductors are so the only solution is shrinking the conductor. Decreasing the surface area therefore less capacitance and less inductance for more resistance you make the conductor thicker but with high impedance loads you can make it about as thin as you want with the exception of shielding. Because the shielding has less resistance then the center conductor so the faraday effect can take place which is also helped by the high impedance of the format. With all that said this is by far the best cable you can get all science included sturdy build, thick copper shielding, small center conductor, great connectors and of course USA made. With all that said here are some measurements i did with a DER EE DE-5000 LCR meter at 10khz where i found the best results i compared belkin, acoustic research, monster cable, wireworld audioquest and some DIY ones i had from mogami 2534 mic cable and a shortened monster component cable with new connectors. The lower the numbers here the better :
Cable Test 10khz
Interconnects
BJC LC-1 3ft
cap: 44pf
ind: 0.62uH
ohm: 0.589
AR master series 6ft
cap: 160pf
ind: 1.5uH
ohm: 0.15
AR performance series 3ft
cap: 90pf
Ind: 0.75uH
ohm: 0.117
AR master series comp 3ft
cap: 63pf
Ind: 0.4uH
ohm:0.030
AR master series comp 6ft
cap: 113pf
Ind: 0.7uH
ohm: 0.049
Wireworld Luna 1.5ft
cap: 145pF
ind: 0.3uH
ohm: 0.116
Wireworld solstice 1.5ft
cap:160pF
ind: 0.28uH
ohm: 0.107
Audioquest Chicago 1.5ft
cap: 64.5pF
ind: 0.46uH
ohm: 0.058
Monster 300mk2 3ft
cap: 114pF
ind: 0.86uH
ohm: 0.121
Belkin pureav blue 3ft
cap: 120pF
ind: 0.76uH
ohm: 0.16
Monster m1000comp DIY 1ft
cap: 30pf
ind: 0.26uH
ohm: 0.021
Monster m1000comp 4ft
cap: 71pf
ind: 0.56uH
ohm: 0.035
Mogamj 2534 2ft
cap: 110pF
ind: 0.29uH
ohm: 0.043 | | | | ★★★★★ | My gosh - where do I even begin - so many superlatives!!! | | Verified Purchase | As an aside, while writing this, I'm listening to Mozart's Piano Concerto 22 through a pair of Edifier R2000DB self-powered speakers. I'm running the Edifiers via a Schitt Modi 3 Digital to Analog converter (DAC) attached to my desktop PC. I'm using a custom Audioquest USB cable from the Modi 3 to the PC, and the BJC LC-1 Audio Cables from the Modi 3 to the Edifier Speakers.
As I'm listening I have goosebumps on my arms and at times, tears in my eyes. And why? Because one simple investment - the BJC audio cable - brought a world of difference to the audio quality of the combination mentioned above. Please read on...
Prior to investing in the BJC cables, I had been using a variety of Monster or Esoteric audio cables - all previously expensive versions left over from my die-hard audiophile days (when I almost went broke). Since that time I have been confining my audiophile endeavors to the immediate space by my desktop computer - because it is here that I spend a good 4-7 hours a day working, communicating, researching, and what have you. And during this process, I tend to listen to various classical, jazz, big band, Latin instrumentals, and other types of music. One thing is for certain and that is that although I've long since left my overly expensive audiophile tastes behind, my love for music and my discerning requirements haven't wavered.
Up until I received the BJC cables, I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the audio quality I was getting with the Edifier and Modi 3 combination. I began to wonder if the either the speakers or the DAC were at fault and it was getting a bit depressing. I tried everything to get the music to sound more open, to get more depth and imaging. Yet there still seemed to be a sonic veil in front of the music - a feeling that performances just couldn't break open. In other-words, that feeling of "you are there" when listening to great equipment and great performers was sorely absent. I was almost ready to start looking for other speakers and DAC's when I began reading about the BJC cables. Initially, I had assumed that any investment in great cables was nothing more than snake oil - as my previous audiophile experiences had taught me (up to a point of course).
So at the last minute I purchased a 3' pair of the BJC LC-1 audio cables off of Amazon. When they arrived I was immediately taken aback at their heft, size, and superior build quality. I wasted no time in getting them connected, that's for sure. When I began to listen to familiar pieces of various classical and jazz music, my jaw dropped, and I'll explain below:
Now my comments below are not based on false assumptions, nor did I imagine any of this. I have what some would call critical ears when it comes to sound reproduction (within reason and limited budget of course).
1. Build quality: Unbelievable for this price point. If you first saw these cables and were not aware of what they really cost, you would have assumed that they would have gone for well over $100 - up to $400 (not an exaggeration). They are substantially thicker than most other cables, and as mentioned, have some heft to them and superb connectors. Do note that because of their build qualities, if you have to get them into very tight spaces, they don't bend too freely, so you will have to do some adjustments here to be sure.
2. Sound-staging, depth, and instrumental separation.
The very first thing that struck me - like a slap in the face (in a positive way of course) - is how the sound staging opened up on the Edifiers. Music was much more open with plenty of air around the instruments. Imaging was superb - greatly improved over previous cables that I used. The depth was substantially improved with great instrumental recognition from front to rear. In other words, the speakers managed to disappear and only the performances were remaining.
3. Orchestral Timbre and tone:
Now look, I'm not a loud rock or heavy metal fan, so if that is what you're looking for, it won't really matter what cables you use. While listening, I had for the first time, heard tones and instruments that were previously hidden with other cables. Music sounded more alive - had more presence. Brass instruments now had a bite (yet with a rich, non-strident tone) that sounded as if you were there. High frequencies were exceptionally delineated without sounding harsh (unless of course, the music source material was bad to begin with). In particular, stringed instruments had a silky smooth sheen that was seductive.
4. Bass capabilities:
The bass tones improved dramatically, taking on a fuller (tighter with less bloat) than I had remembered with previous cables - and this was remarkable! When I played one of my favorite audio test pieces, "Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man," the visceral impact of both the kettle and bass drums were an eye opener.
In the end, I felt like I was listening to an entirely new system - and that is no exaggeration. While listening to various pieces of music, the speakers seemingly disappeared, leaving only a crystal clear performance. What else can I possibly add to relay my admiration (and gratitude) for these BJC cables.
So folks keep in mind that no one audio item within your music chain may is a "standard setter" per se. A truly great audio performance is the sum of all the other superb ancillary components and cables within the chain. Taken together - synergistically, that is - recorded music can come alive. All it needed in the particular setup I currently have was the inclusion of the BJC cables. Never before - in the 40+ years that I've enjoyed good audio - had any one cable contributed to so much of an improvement as what has occurred in my system. Thank you BJC - I'll definitely be buying more in the near future (and I've got your website bookmarked also).
EDITED COMMENTS AFTER USING THESE LC-1 CABLES FOR A MONTH:
My aforementioned comments stand about the Blue Jeans Cables in general. I've since (since the purchase of the LC-1's off of Amazon) approached Blue Jeans Cable (via their website) to ask about creating custom cables, or custom lengths. They were eager to oblige and we worked closely to devise the cables. For example, in one cas,e for anyone familiar with the excellent Edifier line of self-powered active speakers, you'll know that for many models, a unique proprietary type of speaker cable/plug assembly is included. The problem with these proprietary cables is that Edifier includes 11 - 16 long cables - not good if you want to space your near field monitors closely - let's say on a PC desktop.
When I approached Blue Jeans Cable about possibly creating a higher quality, custom - yet much shorter 6' length of this Edifier proprietary cable, they asked that I send them the stock cable so they can evaluate and map out all of the connections - which they did. Their efforts resulted in a gorgeous, custom constructed speaker cord (with XLR type connectors), superbly sheathed being delivered to my doorstep within a week and the fit and sound results were exemplary. Additionally, these new shorter (yet higher quality) cord resulted in more open music, better delineation of instruments, and so much more.
So as you can tell, I appreciate this company very much - they aim to please, but more so, their cable products are reasonably priced, yet allow you to achieve audiophile results.
Ben Herrmann
Fuquay Varina, NC | | | | ★★★★★ | Real Audiophile Cables At A Reasonable Price | | Verified Purchase | If you've ever wondered whether premium audio interconnect cables are really just snake oil products that cater to the insecurities of hardcore audiophiles, you're right! Most of the expensive cables sold in high-end audio stores market design features that are based on pseudo science. Audio engineers will readily admit this behind closed doors.
The BJC LC-1 is an utterly different kind of product that is still designed for the sound-conscious but objective audiophile. While other cable companies repeatedly use the same subjective terms to describe their products' sound qualities (tighter bass, sweeter highers, better focus, more spaciousness or openness, etc.) without any real proof, BJC is an honest product that delivers and proves it.
It is a low-capacitance design that comes with a capacitance spec. The lower the number (in this case, 12 picofarads per foot for 36 picofarads), the less the cables will impede high-end extension. If you value extreme high-end extension that comes from high resolution audio formats (SACD/DSD, DVD Audio, high-sampled PCM audio, high-end LP, high-end cassette, or open-reel), to say nothing of the need to coax the high-end carrier signal for your vintage quad LP setup (which requires a total of 100pf of cable capacitance or less), then this cable is a must.
The shielding from interference (EMI rejection/hum, etc.), the sturdy grip and insulation completes the package. Unlike most so-called audiophile cables that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars per meter, the BJC LC-1 is a little over $33 for 3 feet. For the average consumer, this may seem expensive but this product is a bargain for what you get. | | | | ★★★★★ | Blue Jean Cable is an excellent interconnect for a reasonable price | | Verified Purchase | I’ve been upgrading my cables on various systems in my house for more than a decade now. I thought I would share my 50 years of experience buying AV equipment and accessories. I don’t typically review AV products for a few reasons. Most importantly I am not an expert and certainly have no interest in getting measurements. I’m just a regular guy who loves music of all types who has budget constraints like most people. Although I have more than one system in the house, I’m sticking with my primary 2-channel music listening system for this review. If you are looking for my opinion of the Blue Jean Cable interconnects just jump to the final paragraph.
My system consists of Emotiva analog preamp, Emotiva XPA-2 (300 WPC, 2 channels driven to 8 Ohms), Martin Logan Electrostats, Martin Logan 12” sub, an ancient B & O turntable, Music Hall 7.1 turntable, Oppo UDP-105, Vincent PHO-701 phono pre-amp and a Bluesound Node 2.1 streamer. Everything is connected to APC power conditioners/surge protectors. So, as you can see this is not an ultra, high end set of components, although not budget grade either. I guess it’s all relative in any case.
For many years, Audioquest cables were my go-to brand. I found the basic Evergreen interconnects were better than the lower end generic stuff and they ran about $35/meter so didn’t break the bank either. The price is now $40/meter post pandemic. I first started upgrading with my speaker connections using Audioquest Rocket 33. Big difference over what I had before. You will find a common theme with each cable upgrade regardless of what component they were attached to. The first thing I would notice is an increase in the bass, not only a bit louder, but cleaner quicker responses. Sometimes I would actually lower the level on the sub. Then the detail would be more noticeable. Small noises stood out more. A bow across a cello, a guitar squeak as the musician’s hand moved across the neck, a piano floor pedal thump.
Next I tried changing out power cords, mostly Pangea branded including some very thick, if inflexible, ones for my amp and subwoofer. I used smaller versions of Pangea for the source items. I just added a Wire World power cord to the Node 2.1. Great value.
Over the years I’ve attended several audio shows. Recently it’s been the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver. I go for several reasons. I like seeing the expensive gear even if I’ll likely never own it. Some things make an impression and I have ended up buying including Morrow cables. I’ll get to those in a moment. I also try to evaluate how much better, if at all, these extremely high priced systems sound than my own. I was once at a presentation by a high priced cable manufacturer, Nordost I think. They were trying to show the difference in interconnects as the price went up. Their cables can get expensive. They used some high end electronics as well. The listening change was most noticeable when they went from their least expensive cable to the next most expensive. The change was noticeable but still quite subtle. After that, I couldn’t hear much difference.
I do think cables make a difference. How much difference depends on the quality of your components and especially your speakers. The reason people will buy interconnects for $5000 or more per meter is because they have gear that cost many thousands of dollars, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I mentioned Morrow earlier. I’ve found they are an excellent cable and use them with my Music Hall turntable and with my Node 2.1. They have a great trade up program and I’ve taken advantage. Their interconnects range from $70/meter to $3000/meter. It’s all based on how many wires they stuff into the sheathing. Morrow is also a proponent of connection direction, as is Audioquest. There is a specific way to connect the cables to your components. Follow the arrows as it were. Morrow also believes you should break in your cables for many hours before listening critically. Morrow cables are also flat and fairly flexible. I’m a fan.
Finally, BJC. One of the audio reviewers I pay attention to in print and on YouTube is Audioholics. Their owner doesn’t believe in paying huge sums of money for wire. He’s a fan of Blue Jean Cables so I tried out their basic interconnect, the LC-1 and like the Evergreen is about $40/meter. They are essentially a mom and pop operation out of Seattle who buy raw wire (silver, copper) from Belkin and assemble it in Seattle. It comes with a black rubbery jacket and a solid connector on each end. One word of warning. The connectors stick out several inches before meeting the rubbery jacket so make sure you have enough clearance behind your gear to hook up. That part won’t bend. I believe these are a modest improvement over the Evergreens.
In summary, I have a mix of Audioquest of various models, the same with Morrow and one BJC, the LC-1 which runs between my Oppo disc player and the Emotiva pre-amp. They all sound pretty good to my ears. I have no reservations recommending the BJC, an excellent cable for a reasonable price. For those who read this whole piece, thank you. | | | | ★★★★★ | Used to replace a bad phono cable on my turntable...The quality is impeccable! | | Verified Purchase | I am an emerging audiophile. To me 37$ on a 3ft rca cable is expensive, but relative to audiophile rca cable products that is a great price point. As soon as you get this product you immediately realize why it cost 37$. The quality is impeccable! It was like no other RCA cable I have ever purchased.
I used this product to replace a bad phono cable on my turntable. So basically I removed the old RCA cables from the turntable at the solder joint, then I cut the ends off this cable, and soldered them to my turntable. The Low Capacitance was very important, because this cable plugs into my phono preamp. When I clipped the ends off the cable, I had a chance to see the construction of the insides. It is thick and very well shielded...there is a ton of copper in this thing! The quality was impressive. The thickness of the cable made it difficult to position the cable in my turntable for my specific purpose, but I made it work. For my purpose It would have been easier to use a thinner cable, but I wanted a really low capacitance cable.
Nonetheless, after installing, my turntable has never sounded better! I can hear a difference in upper mid-range and high range audio frequencies...it is very apparent.
I will be buying more of these cables as I build out my new upcoming system for sure! | | | | ★★★★★ | What a difference | | Verified Purchase | | Lower capacitance is needed when using an interconnect for your turntable pre-amp to other devices. My REGA RP6 with EXACT, NOW SOUNDS 100% BETTER. I was using another major brand $200 interconnects that made the music sound muddy and flat. No high's and no lows. Sounded like Dolby was engaged.. for those who remember Dolby noise reduction in the 80's on cassette players. I checked the capacitance on these expensive cables and found that they measured between 150 - 200 pF (pico Farad) for a 3 ft length. These cables according to manufacturers website are.. "Its capacitance is extremely low, at 12.2 pF/ft, while its shielding is extremely effective at rejecting audio-frequency interference.) So for a 3ft length 36.6pF total Drastically lower than major brand cable. The music came to life. I can now hear treble and bass. I use two different pre-amps. One is the Schiit Mani, the other Project Tube Box DS different pre-amps. Both reproduce the music with clarity and depth that wasn't there before. For the price, what do you have to loose???? | | | | ★★★★★ | The only good low budget interconnects I have found | | Verified Purchase | I don't want to necessarily badmouth other products/companies here, but I'll just say I've been testing out many different analog interconnects on my Chord Hugo 2 + Mjolnir Audio KGSSHV Carbon + Stax SR-009 system. This system is a microscope of detail, it's only not capable of revealing sound staging and imaging capabilities of the equipment to its fullest since it is a headphone (though by headphone standards, its sound stage and imaging are top tier).
I've tried other popular interconnects in this price range, both popular "Audiophile" brands as well as top sellers on Amazon. All of those others in this price range ($50 and below) sound like garbage. They cause a huge loss of transparency, lack of refinement in upper mids and treble (including sibilance), softer and less full bodied bass with weaker sub-bass, blurrier attack. These other, similarly priced interconnects outright ruin my system.
But not these. While these are bested by higher end interconnects that cost many times more (Kimber Kable Hero and above, stupidly expensive Audience interconnects), it's still respectable in comparison and that's probably only really noticeable on a high end electrostatic headphone system and really high end speaker systems. Non-electrostatic headphones and speakers that aren't crazy high end don't need to go beyond this, the Blue Jeans LC-1 can be considered end game for those. | | | | ★★★★★ | Just fine. | | Verified Purchase | | My 2nd set of these. No complaints. I'm not a believer in so-called "audiophile cables" that cost more than your equipment. I've compared these to more expensive cables and honestly, any difference is either negligible or imagined. Think about it. If you actually paid $1500 or more for a set of interconnects, your mind will convince you that they sound better because you wasted your money if they didn't. I was fortunate enough to have a friend who used to work at a really high-end audio store who loaned me a few sets of cables, ranging in cost from $100 to $1200 and after hours of testing, I decided that the $100 cables sounded best to me. Had these been available at that time, I would have saved $60. | | | | ★★★★★ | Worth it | | Verified Purchase | | I own cables that costs thousands , and I am for the money very satisfied with these interconnects. I think one thing you need to consider is matching components with cables. I would not use these on a particularly expensive set-up, and I hope if you are seriously into audio you would not expect it for a $38 pair whether a half meter or a little less than a meter. But, I bought these for using on a cheap little set-up in my studio. I am using them on a Pro-ject rmp3 with sumiko blue point. I am using a shiit audio phono pre-amp, and I have them hooked-up to a cheap pair of Klipsch fives. I think they work well for this set-up. I was using the pro-ject interconnects and a pair of red&whites’ they sound a lot cleaner and clearer. Also, I noticed a lot more bass with better definition too. The connection on the rca’s is fine, but I would say if you are using higher quality components it might seem a little lose. I use all balanced with my higher-end two channel systems and home theater too. I am running all balanced Nordost cables and speaker cables. I also have a lot of other brands. I have reference Tara labs, straight wire, wire world, and I have a lot more but all reference quality. I would definitely give these cables a chance for $38 a meter pair. | | | | ★★★★★ | These are True 5 star cables! Do the research | | Verified Purchase | | I’ve done a lot of research on RCA cables suitable for CAR AUDIO applications that are high quality and have great noise resistance. So far I’ve tried several brands (won’t name them... pointless) including some CAR AUDIO brand cables. Most of them are cheaply made, super thin, connections are weak, noise reduction is crap..... I could keep going. Now saying that I will say there are good cables out there for decent prices. When I see expensive cables I always research cables before purchasing them. There are great cables out there but you will pay a good amount depending on and length of then cables. The BJC cables are excellent so far plus the sound quality is top notice! The connections are tight. They are huge in comparison to majority CAR AUDIO RCA cables I’ve seen and used. I’ve been a CAR AUDIO freak for over 20 years and through time I’ve learned what’s important for each aspect of sound quality. The RCA cables have a part in the sound quality for both high/low frequencies. So, you can’t get better than these BJC-LC1 cables for the price. I’d purchase these again and again if I needed another pair. I DEFINITIVELY recommend these to anyone looking for Great, not basic cables. These are Great cables!!! Again I always do plenty of research when purchasing anything to CAR AUDIO. Sorry for the Novel but they deserve an honest review. Hope this helps anyone needing above average set of RCA’s. | | | | See more reviews |
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