I worked for RCA when it was a service company. When not installing crossbar PBX systems, I would work on sound and stage systems. Cannon connectors were all we used and cable from Belden or Alpha was the best. In the 70s, Switchcraft was the "best" XLR and that is all I used. When Neutrik first came out, I was not a fan of the plastic, but I have used their connectors and the newer style is just as good and even better, in some instances, than the Switchcraft. I do use both, depending on availability and the circumstance.
West Penn Wire is very good cable. I use it, almost exclusively, mainly because their distribution facility is local and they are priced very competitively. You-all may not remember "sweep tests" but that is the true test of a cable's worth. I have sweep tested Belden, Alpha and West Penn cables and they test out identical. A good audio technician is aware of ground loops and how to avoid them as well as how to avoid noise and hum by running cables away from potential electrical noise sources. I cringe when I get into some commercial ceilings and find a cable contractor ran audio wires parallel to high voltage electrical wiring, using the same holes in wood as the electrical wiring or, even worse, dragging cable through metal studs in the same space as the electrical cables and not using insulators or hangers. If one segregates the input from the output and keeps all of the audio wiring from laying across fluorescent ballasts and away from long parallel runs in close proximity to power cables, the audio install will work well for a long time.
Rcaman
