5 key Differences in Instrument Cables vs. Speaker Cables

We have created perfectly engineered instrument cables vs. speaker cables; with the high-end instrument and speaker cables by CLOOM Tech, the tensions of signal loss and other interruptions are no longer an issue.

If you want to brand your music gears with customized products, custom instruments and speaker cables are essential pieces of your setup. Our scope of custom cables assemblies and wiring harnesses for music bands and instrument manufacturers includes custom instrument cables and speaker cables.

Do your company need a trusted cable assembly manufacturer that can provide custom cables for the project? CLOOM Tech has an advanced manufacturing plant and testing labs for custom speaker and instrument cable assemblies.

Connecting a speaker to an amplifier

Instrument Cables vs. Speaker Cables

With limited space, music instrument manufacturers have to manage hundreds of wires and cables. No one wants to create a mess of wires on the stage while musicians are performing. Instead of choosing regular cables for the transmission, particular instrument and speaker cables are available in the market.

For the improvement of the stage aesthetics, we have created custom instrument cables and speaker cables. These cables come with custom designs and color codes, so you don’t need to worry about the wrong application of wires. Instrument cables and speaker cables look identical in shape and design. Most of the time, teams end up using speaker cables in instruments. This wrong application of lines can affect the performance and flow of the concert or any event.

As the music instrument manufacturers or the music band technical manager, you must know these five critical differences between speaker and instrument cables.

1. Cable Construction of the Instrument and Speaker Cables

The cable construction of both cables is the main reason you cannot use the instrument cable in a speaker. Both speaker and instrument cables have different structures. Speaker cables come without any shield as there is no issue with the signal losses. Most of the high-end instrument cables come with quality shielding to provide the same tone across distances.

CLOOM Tech has solved mixing speaker cables and instrument cables while setting up any musical arrangements. Our speaker cables and other cables for the music industry feature copper core and metal connectors. For proper protection of the wires, both lines use rubber coating to protect against any possible damage.

We can use custom materials if you have custom specifications for the speaker and instrument cable manufacturing. Some quality cables can also use oxygen-free copper for the best quality sound. For the connectors, we prefer to use gold connectors for custom and high-end lines. While manufacturing the speaker and instrument cables, we design assemblies intelligently that the sound quality remains the same over the distance.

audio speaker cable connector

2. instrument cables vs. speaker—Purpose of Speaker and Instrument Cables

Different instruments send weak signals to the amplifiers, so the shielding reduces the loss over the path. The shielded wires also minimize the interference of external electronic signals and sounds.

guitar instrument cable plug symbol

Amplifiers and audio devices are generally robust in signal strength, and the loss of quality is already minimal. So, unshielded wires can also do the job in the case of speakers and amp. High power signals of the speaker cables can stop the external interference on their own, so no extra shielding is there.

3. The Signal Carrying Capacity of Both Cables

Speaker cables and instrument cables are not the same. Although both lines look identical and their designs are similar, they are not the same cables. There are several differences between speaker cables and instrument cables based on internal working and functionality.

The primary application of the instrument cables is to carry the relatively weaker signals from the instrument to the amplifier. Instrument cables also use some extra shielding as resistance against external electronic waves and sound waves to maintain the excellent quality across the path.

There is also a tiny central conductor in the instrument cables. The conductor carries the signals from the guitar to the amp. The twisted wire strands protect the line against any airborne interference. The speaker cables are already taking the powerful sound signals, so these cables have a strong signal carrying capacity. As compared to the conductors of the instrument cables, speaker cables have more prominent conductors.

Picture of Stereo to Audio and video cable

4. Use Right Cable for the Correct Application

What are the consequences if you use the wrong cable for any function? Using the speaker cable in the instrument will cause a lot of noise in the recordings. Due to substantial interference in the external signals, speaker cables in the guitar or instrument will create a lot of noise that disturbs the sound quality.

If you want to use the guitar cable instead of a speaker cable, that is also not a good idea.

Interchanging both cables will do nothing well, and every your amplifier may not work correctly in these cases. The device may not show any unusual behavior in the initial phase, but you will start noticing the buzz and hum in the sound.

Due to the highly shielded instrument cables, the signals can damage the amplifier. Many advanced amplifiers can prevent damage in case of the use of the wrong wires. But the best strategy is to get custom speaker cables and instrument cables, so you get trouble while using lines.

Cable for connecting musical instruments–instrument cables vs. speaker

5. instrument cables vs. speaker—Are Both Cables Interchangeable?

As per the design and size, both speaker cables and instrument cables look identical, but these cables are not interchangeable. Using one line for another purpose can damage your devices, disturbing the sound quality of the instruments. Both cables are different from each other, so don’t mix things up. If you are tired of this issue, custom speaker cables and custom instrument cables can make things easier.

Using speaker cables in place of instrument cable will only affect the sound quality, but in other situations, instrument cable can also damage the amp’s hardware. Are you willing to destroy your expensive rig? If you don’t want to take this risk, you can get custom speaker cables and custom instrument cables for your music setup.

Close up of the rear end of the music amplifier

How to distinguish instrument cable from speaker cable?

Most of the custom speaker and instrument cables come with proper labeling to ensure the safe use of wires. If you need a better option, you can go for a custom speaker and instrument cables. The custom cables manufacturer can deliver the speaker and instrument cables in different colors as per your requirements.

Getting custom cables for your setup is the best investment in the safety of your equipment and the quality of music. All the custom cables at CLOOM Tech use high-end technologies and materials, so you don’t need to worry about the sound quality. Every custom cable from CLOOM Tech comes with the state of the art functionality so that your team can use the different wires in a complicated project without worrying about anything.

When you are dealing with our team, we try our best to make sure that you enjoy the smooth flow of your work with our custom services.

The internal connectors of both speaker cables and instrument cables can also help you distinguish both wires from each other. Instrument cables come with heavy shielding, while speaker cables don’t have shielding, and you can use this factor to identify both cables.

Consequences of using the wrong cable

There are specific reasons for not using the wrong cables in different devices. Both speaker and instrument cables have their pre-defined functions. If you use the speaker cable in the instrument, speaker cables will not damage the hardware of any device, but sound quality will be low with noise.

Details and connection of guitar and wire cable jack

Using an instrument cable in the speaker due to massive electromagnetic waves can destabilize the amplifier. So, the best strategy is to use custom cables for components. Custom cables for both parts reduce the risk factor. Custom services by CLOOM Tech can add precision to your work and organization.

instrument cables vs. speaker–Conclusion

CLOOM Tech is one of the leading custom speaker and instrument cable manufacturers in China. If you want better performance for your instruments without risking the safety of your setup, we can help you with custom cable services. CLOOM Tech has the most skilled experts to meet the needs and requirements of local and international clients. If you are willing to scale your business, CLOOM Tech will be your custom cable manufacturer.