Do you want to connect a sound source to a hi-fi system, car radio or mixer? You can buy the right AUX cable listed below. To connect your smartphone to a car radio with a 3.5 mm jack, you need a cable with two 3.5 mm jack plugs. An audio installation is usually equipped with two RCA connections. Choose the 3.5 mm stereo jack to double tulip cable. If you want to use the auxiliary input or output of a mixer, find out which connections are available on the device to be connected.
Best AUX Cables
What is an AUX cable?
An auxiliary input is a term that is often used with audio. In consumer electronics, this input is an additional analog multi-function stereo input. This name dates from the era of the analog hi-fi audio system that had a selector switch to choose from various sound sources such as a record player, tape deck, tuner or radio receiver.
In practice, the connection is often used to play the audio signal from a mobile device such as a walkman, an MP3 player or a smartphone via a stereo system. In sound technology, the AUX connection is an additional input or output on a mixer. This can serve different purposes. This output can be used to record the mixer output signal. This is often designed as two tulip connections. A mixer can also have an auxiliary input or output per channel. This is often designed as a 6.3 jack to save space. A two-pin plug is used for an asymmetrical mono signal and a three-pin plug for a symmetrical mono signal.
Additional input on the audio system
In many cases, an additional or auxiliary connection to an audio system is still available for connecting an additional device, despite the option of connecting wirelessly via Bluetooth. Think not only of the audio installation at home but also of the audio installation in the car, boat or caravan. With consumer electronics, this is a high-impedance input that has a maximum output level of approx. 1 volt. This input is originally intended for the line output of equipment but also works well with the headphone jack of an MP3 player or smartphone.
It is important that the sound level of the MP3 player or smartphone is set so that the AUX input is not over driven. If the sound level is set too high, this will result in a clear distortion of the track being played. To use this input, you must connect your device with an AUX cable. Then select the input with a button or the control menu of the installation and you can enjoy the music, podcast or other recordings that you play on the connected device.
An AUX cable for audio installation
The auxiliary input of an audio system at home and the living room often consists of two tulip connections. A red connection for the right channel and a white or black connection for the left channel. To connect an additional device to this, you need a cable with two RCA plugs on one side. The auxiliary input of a car radio is often located in the front panel. Because there is little space here, the manufacturer often does not opt for two tulip connections but for a single 3.5 mm stereo jack connection. To connect an additional device to this input you need a cable with a 3.5 millimeter plug. If you want to connect a smartphone or an MP3 player, a 3.5 millimeter output is almost always used. The other side of an AUX cable must then have a 3.5 millimeter jack plug. Because many earphones now have a mini connection, many covers are made in such a way that the mini jacket fits well here, but a standard 3.5 millimeter jack is too thick. That is why it is useful to order an AUX cable with a minijack.
AUX connection of a mixer
In audio technology, AUX inputs and outputs are used for various purposes. As a result, the diversity in connection plugs is also much greater than with a home or car audio installation. A stereo audio output for a recorder is often designed as a high-impedance double RCA connection. Preferably use a tulip AUX cable as short as possible for this output. This way you have the least chance of interference from other signals.
A 6.3 millimeter jack plug is often used on a mixer for connecting auxiliary input and output signals. The two-pole jack AUX cable is used for unbalanced connection of equipment and the three-pole jack AUX cable is used for balanced connection.
A jack audio cable has either the same type of jack plug on two sides or a jack plug on one side and the well-known XLR or Canon connector on the other side. This version is also known as the “guitar cable” because this cable is also suitable for connecting an electric guitar to a mixer or amplifier. Pay close attention to whether your mixer or amplifier has a male or female XLR connection and order the corresponding male or female XLR to jack AUX cable.
