Now, I’d like to share some impressions of the cables I use to connect my HDD/DVD player to the monitor. Even though I’m still using a battered old Sony CRT television, I do care about cables… The first instalment of this review covers video cables. The first-generation WEGA naturally has no HDMI, which is now standard, so the only options are a standard composite connection or S-Video — this, then, is an impressions report on S-Video cables.
Ortofon 7N-STW10C
The S-Video cable I personally love most is Ortofon‘s 7N copper S-Video cable, the 7N-STW10C.
A long-selling model made with 7N high-purity copper, this really must be the only reference-grade S-Video cable worth considering. If you’re ever unsure which high-end S cable to choose, the 7N-STW10C is genuinely the safe bet. Accurate and rich colour rendition, low noise, transparency, tonal balance — everything is simply superb. The finish is beautifully precise, as befits a high-end cable, so it satisfies a little of that ownership pride as well.
Unlike certain imported cables that don’t actually measure 75Ω, or that exaggerate colours and go in for that kind of overdone presentation, this one stays strictly orthodox in character — and yet there’s something thrilling about its beauty, a quality where colour and movement seem to carry meaning as they register in the eye. Not “musical” exactly, but orthodox and refined in the best sense. Beyond ordinary use, it is particularly effective in situations where accurate transmission matters above all — such as analogue-to-analogue dubbing between video decks, where cheap black cables can cause murky or washed-out colours and poor S/N. Using the Ortofon STW-10C in such cases keeps image degradation during analogue dubbing to a minimum.
2015 addendum: Since around 2009, S-Video terminals have been dropped from virtually all AV equipment including Blu-ray recorders, and S-Video cables have now become little more than a legacy format kept alive by old S-VHS decks. That said — I can’t help thinking that if you were to lop off the connectors and rewire this as an XLR or RCA analogue/digital cable, the 7N copper and Ortofon’s shielding technology would make for a remarkably good-sounding audio cable.
Also from Ortofon but at a lower price point is the STW-3300SILVER. With its silver-coated conductors, it could be a good choice for those who can’t quite stretch to the 7N-STW10C… I haven’t used it myself so I can’t offer a proper review, but I’d trust Ortofon’s quality here.
Monster Cable M1000SV
The S-Video cable I use for the longer run between the DVD recorder and the television monitor is the Monster Cable M1000SV, from the American brand Monster Cable.
This one uses silver-coated conductors rather than 7N copper. It’s a discontinued older model, so only remaining shop stock is available — as of December 2005, e-onkyo’s Onkyo Cyber Shop appears to have a small amount of B-grade outlet stock (soiled packaging). Have a look in the outlet corner at the bottom right of the top page. 50% off while stocks last. Though by the time I checked again, it was already sold out.
Please take what I write below about the Monster Cable M1000SV’s picture quality with a pinch of salt, as I don’t own a proper large-screen monitor. The difference is quite subtle, but compared to the Ortofon 7N-STW10C, the whites (the luminance information) seem cleaner somehow. There’s a transparent, cool, crisp quality to the sense of air in the image. Though honestly, it’s such a faint difference that doing a static A/B comparison on the WEGA makes it hard to tell at all — and whether there’s any real difference in the impression after watching video for a long stretch is, well, maybe yes, maybe no. For what it’s worth, my own entirely subjective verdict is that the cool, grown-up atmosphere of the Monster Cable M1000SV might give it the edge for films, while the hot, richly saturated Ortofon 7N-STW10C would be my firm recommendation for animation.
Whichever of these two you choose, I don’t think you can go wrong in terms of quality. S-Video cables in particular have very fine conductors, and there is an insurmountable gap — chalk and cheese, really — in picture quality between a bundled cable and something at this level. So if you’re currently using S-Video to connect a video deck, DVD player, or HDD recorder to your television, I’d encourage you to swap in a decent-quality S-Video cable — it needn’t be Ortofon or Monster Cable specifically, but something of proper quality is well worth trying.
XLO Electric ER-1S
The last cable I’ll introduce is the ER-1S S-Video cable from American brand XLO Electric, which is well known among enthusiasts.
I only saw this at a friend’s place some years ago, so this isn’t a detailed comparison with other cables — but the effect is nothing short of flamboyant. Apparently the impedance doesn’t actually come out to a true 75Ω, which gives me some concern about longer runs, but if what you’re after is a cable that goes beyond the intrinsic character of your equipment and delivers a deliberately bold and seductive image — rather than strict accuracy — then this strikes me as a fine choice. Once you’ve been won over by the XLO ER-1S’s captivating effect, apparently no other cable will do.
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