Background:
High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the best audio / video (a/v) digital interface ever made. It achieves superb a/v performance at a reasonable cost compared with other digital cables such as Toslink (Toshiba Link) & S/PDIF (Sony / Philips Digital InterFace). The HDMI standard / version is also improving with time & this digital interface is here to stay for a very long time to come.
I'm tired of reading about 1's & 0's digital theory that's been beaten to death by consumers & critics alike. There are many things that may be theoretically correct but practically it proves out to be otherwise. In my experience, the quality of materials used / implemented does have an impact on performance with all digital cables & components. It comes down to one's budget, expectations & understanding of electronics.
Over the years, I have tried / used many branded & non-branded HDMI cables. The following are a few branded HDMI cables that I currently use in my a/v system:
1) Monster MC 1000HD, priced @ USD59/2m
Monster MC 1000HD-2M Ultra-High Speed HDTV HDMI Cable (2 meters)
,
2) Pangea Audio HD-24PC, priced @ USD70/2m
Pangea Audio HD-24PC HDMI Cable 4% Silver Plated (2 Meter)
,
3) AudioQuest X Cable, priced @ USD30/6.5ft
AudioQuest HDMI X cable - HDMI plugs 2m (6.56') braided cable
&
4) Mediabridge Ultra Series, priced @ USD10/6ft
Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel [Latest HDMI Version Available] - (6 Feet)
.
I've used the above V1.4 HDMI cables, of different lengths, with LaCie LaCinema Media Player, Pioneer DVD Player, Oppo Bluray Player, HD Cable Box along with a 17in Dell LCD TV, 32in Panasonic LCD TV, 42in Panasonic Plasma & a 50in Panasonic Plasma TV.
Performance & rating:
Here's my take on the HDMI cables listed above:
1) Pangea Audio HD-24PC priced @ USD70/2m:
Rating: 5 Stars.
The good: Build quality is second to none. The cable will surely outlive the components it's being used with. Impeccable black level performance & I'm truly floored using this HDMI on a 50in Panasonic Plasma TV. It truly stands out with it's price to performance ratio. It's a real bargain because of the good discount & free shipping in Amazon.
The not so good: Thick & a lil' stiff just like their power cables, so not very ideal for flush wall mounted displays. Needs ample space behind the TV for cable management.
2) AudioQuest X Cable priced @ USD30/6.5ft:
Rating: 5 Stars.
The good: Very good build quality. A lil' thinner & so easier to handle than the Pangea Audio HDMI. Great performance for large screen displays. Just a tad less impressive with black level performance than the Pangea Audio HDMI. It's a very good purchase especially at the heavily discounted price & free shipping in Amazon. It w'd be hard to find a HDMI cable at this price that can beat the X Cable for build quality & performance.
The not so good: Nothing at all. Really, it's that impressive for the current listed price.
3) Mediabridge Ultra Series priced @ USD10/6ft:
Rating: 4 Stars.
The good: For the price, one of the best budget HDMIs out there. Very good for small screen displays & surely an upgrade to really cheap freebies that we get with most Bluray players, DVD players, Cable box etc.
The not so good: Cheap build quality when compared to the other HDMI cables that I have. Not recommended with displays larger than 40in as picture quality is a tad less crisp when compared to the other HDMI cables that I have in my system.
4) Monster MC 1000HD, priced @ USD59/2m:
Rating: 3 Stars.
The good: Good build quality, better than the Mediabridge HDMI but falls short in aesthetics & build quality when compared with Pangea Audio & AudioQuest HDMI. Performance is just as good as the AudioQuest HDMI cable.
The not so good: At half the cost the AudioQuest HDMI, with the heavy discount & better build quality, is a better buy / bargain. It's time for Monster to offer better discount on all their cables.
Conclusion:
For display screen sizes below 40in, sources less than 1080p & cable lengths below 2m, a $10/m HDMI is just as good / effective as a $100/m & above HDMI cable. If U are unhappy with a $10/m HDMI only then sh'd U try something a lil' more expensive than that.
For display screen sizes above 40in, the more robustly made Pangea & AudioQuest HDMI cables did make a difference in my system. The blacks were a lil' more well defined. The overall picture quality was a tad smoother, deeper & clearer.
There are some brands of HDMI that are priced @ $100/m & above. At that level, one gets to buy exotic HDMI jewelry. It surely will have great build, finish, EMI / RFI shielding etc but it does not necessarily improve performance under the above conditions of screen size, source strength & cable length. It's surely not for everyone.
The savings made on a `value for money' HDMI cable can be used to buy something else in the a/v system that can actually make a visible & audible difference, such as power cords, power conditioners, interconnects etc, just to name a few components that truly matter to me.
In my experience, Silver is surely the best conductor for a/v, closely followed by Copper. I also prefer to use solid core cables over stranded cables & Silver plating over Gold plating wherever circumstance & budget permit. Gold & Platinum plating is used only because they are noble metals & do not easily corrode (oxidize) like Copper & Silver. Brass is cheap & is 360 percent less conductive than Copper. I'm surprised to see Gold plated Brass connectors still being used in most pro a/v systems & cables including HDMI. I'm sure the use of Brass is the most effective way to keep cable costs low.
The Pangea Audio HDMI uses the best materials amongst all the HDMIs I've used & listed above. It uses 24 AWG (American Wire Gauge) Silver plated solid Copper conductors. Unfortunately, it's terminated with Gold plated Brass connectors. I'm yet to get hold of a HDMI that meets all my expectations & yet be priced sensibly. In a/v U get what U pay for, even then, there is a level after which U reach a point of diminishing returns. That's were good homework / research really helps. Knowing were to draw that line is the key point in this hobby.
If the HDMI requirement is for a screen size above 40in, the source is full HD (1080p) & the cable length requirement is above 2m, then I'd recommend that one tries both - the cheap Mediabridge HDMI & a better grade HDMI from Pangea or Audioquest. Amazon has a very good return policy, so one c'd return the less impressive cable within 30 days of purchase. What more can one ask for?
Just my $0.02.
Brgds.
Additional Details
Small Business
Shop products from small business brands sold in Amazon’s store. Discover more about the small businesses partnering with Amazon and Amazon’s commitment to empowering them.
Small Business
This product is from a small business brand. Support small.
Similar item to consider
Amazon's Choice
More items to explore
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
|
|
|
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ULTRA Series HDMI Cable (3-25 FT) | ULTRA Series HDMI Cable (35-50 FT) | FLEX Series HDMI Cable (1-10 FT) | More From Mediabridge | |
| 4K@60 Hz, HDR & 4:4:4 Chroma | ✓ | ✓ | Subwoofer Cables, Coaxial Cables, Digital Audio/Video Cables, Toslink Cables & More. | |
| 4K@30 Hz | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Available in a variety of lengths & colors. |
| Supports Latest HDMI Versions Up To 2.0b | ✓ | ✓ | Mediabridge products have been used by millions of consumers nationwide since 1998. | |
| Safe For In-Wall Use | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Why Choose Mediabridge? Premium Quality, Lower Pricing & Superior Customer Service. |
| Wire Gauge Diameter (AWG) | 28 AWG | 26 AWG | 34 AWG | With years of experience under our belt, we can provide top quality products at much better pricing than global retail brands. |
| High-Speed 18 Gbps Transfer Rates | ✓ | ✓ | Friendly, USA-based customer support is also available...If you even need it! | |
| Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Unlike many global retail brands, we will never outsource our customer support. |
| 48-Bit Deep Color & 3D Compatibility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Audio Return Channel (ARC) & HDCP 2.2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Individually Hand-Tested | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for related products
0:31
Click to play video
Monoprice 8K Certified Braided Ultra High-Speed HDMI 2.1
Monoprice Inc.
Videos for related products
0:31
Click to play video
Monoprice 8K Certified Ultra High-Speed HDMI 2.1 Cable
Monoprice Inc.
Videos for related products
0:54
Click to play video
HDMI C3 Cables
BlueRigger Canada
Videos for related products
4:20
Click to play video
TV Buying Guide: everything you need to set-up your new TV
Digital Trends
Videos for related products
1:14
Click to play video
Excellent value HDMI for home or office use + inside walls
DcSoundOp
Videos for related products
1:26
Click to play video
An HDMI cable that works
Live Shopping Community
Don't work as advertised and company doesn't stand behind it's products....choose a different brand.
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2015
Do not buy if you want to use for HDMI 2.0 applications. I bought three of these cables based Mediabridges' claims that these were certified for HDMI 2.0. Their own product literature that comes in the box claims the following:- All refresh rates, including 60hz, 120hz, and 240hz.- Bandwidth up to 18Gbps.I tried to use this for my gaming rig with an GTX 970 outputting to a Vizio P-70. The GTX 970 is HDMI 2.0 and is able to output 4k at 60hz and 1080p at 120hz. The Vizio is also HDMI 2.0 and is able to accept those resolutions at those frequencies.Using these Mediabridge cables, I experienced severe screen tearing at 4k 60hz. At 1080p 120hz, I wasn't able to get a picture at all as it seemed to be having handshake issues (screen would flicker for a second then go black). I tried all three cables and the results were the same. I researched the net extensively trying to troubleshooting the video card and TV to no avail. Finally, I decided to try a different cable (link below):HDMI 2.0 Cable 6ft - (4K) Ready - Braided Cord - 28AWG High Speed 18Gbps - Gold Plated Connector Tip(s) - Ethernet / Audio Return - Video 4K 2160p, HD 1080p, 3D - Xbox PlayStation PS3 PS4 PC Apple TVThe new SecuroMax cable worked out of box perfectly. No screen tearing. No handshake issues. Even custom resolutions like 1440p at 120hz works perfectly.I called Mediabridge and they forwarded my information to their warranty department. They offered to test the cables for me if I shipped the cable back to them at my own expense and send me replacements if they find a defect. They also conceded that the likelihood of three separate cables having the same defect is next to impossible. I asked them if they would refund my purchase or send me out three new replacement cables. This was their reply:NOV 04, 2015 | 03:31PM ESTTim replied:The cable is certified by HDMI testing centers to be able to handle what you are describing. We know the design of the cable is not the problem and we know that the defect ratio on this product is extremely low. So the odds of you receiving 3 defective cables in one order are almost impossible. I cannot imagine what the problem might be but since this order was placed over 10 months ago, we would need you to send back any cables you'd like replaced under warranty so that we can test them. Unfortunately this is the best option we can provide at this time.Thanks,___________________________________________________________Tim MiaczynskiMediabridge Products, LLC • Medialink Products, LLC.1951 Old Cuthbert Rd., Ste 301 • Cherry Hill, NJ 08034(856) 216-8222 (local) • (800) 956- 8898 (toll free)Given the cost of these cables, it's not worth the hassle and cost to ship them back to Mediabridge. Chances are that even if I did, I would probably get three "new" cables back that don't work as advertised, as it's not likely that these cables are "defective". THEY SIMPLY DO NOT WORK AS ADVERTISED.Thus I conclude the following:1) Mediabridge clearly does not stand behind their products and their customer service reflects that.2) They should not advertise HDMI 2.0 for these cables as they clearly are not. Maybe they should test their own products before making such false claims instead of usiing customers as guinea pigs to test for them, then hanging them out to dry when it does work.3) Since I'm stuck with these cables, I'll use them for less intensive applications like 1080p at 30 or 60hz....they're fine for those, but then so is any cheap no name hdmi cable you can get for less than a dollar. At least they look nice, I guess....though I'll probably be cursing their name every time I look at them from now on...4) Get the other brand, they use better materials, look better, and work as advertised....unlike these....
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2015
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Top reviews from other countries
SASI KUMAR
great quality, built quality is good amazing
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on January 8, 2018Size: 6 footVerified Purchase
subramani simhachalam
Worth the price....
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on October 25, 2013Size: 6 footVerified Purchase
