# Analog to CD converter-which cable should be longer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003 "2007-05-22T01:12:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003/1 "2007-05-22T01:12:48Z")
I’m looking to use a [newly purchased device](http://www.xitel.com/USA/prod_inportdl.htm) which allows CD creation from old analog sources, such as LPs. Murphy being part of the equation, the whole ‘double RCA to interface to USB to PC’ cable arrangement runs about 5’ short. I’m not going to move either the PC or the stereo system, so the question becomes: do I extend the RCA cable end, or the USB end? Rationale? Danke ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003/2 "2007-05-22T02:04:03Z")
Probably won’t make a huge difference, but lengthening the USB cable is in theory better. There’ll be a little signal attenuation (loss) with either cable. With USB (or any digital signal), this makes no difference since it will still be close enough to read as a 0 or 1. If the analog signal is attenuated by the cable, it’ll be read by the ADC (that’s the device in the box) as a lower signal, not the closest to what comes out of the device. In actuality, the USB cable might have relatively worse attenuation since it transmits at much higher speeds, but as mentioned this loss isn’t so important. If you needed higher-speed USB transmission, you would need shorter cables, but for this device, you don’t need that much available bandwidth. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003/3 "2007-05-22T02:06:10Z")
You’ve got 5 meters [guaranteed with USB](http://www.usb.org/developers/usbfaq/#cab1), with a nice ~3.6 volt digital signal. On the analog end, you’ve got what for a voltage? How good is the shielding there? How small can the signal get before the A/D’s range is underutilized? I’d go with a longer USB. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003/4 "2007-05-22T03:11:45Z")
Thanks-I’ll get a longer USB and give it a shot. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003/5 "2007-05-22T04:14:45Z")
For five feet, you absolutely, positively will not be able to detect the slightest difference, no matter which you use, unless you use a defective cable. So it doesn’t really matter. But the [audio cable](http://www.worldofcables.com/oscatalog/CablesProduct/03172.htm)will probably be _slightly_ cheaper than the [USB cable.](http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F3U134-06-Extension-Cable-6-Feet/dp/B00000J1U8) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003/6 "2007-05-22T04:48:50Z")
BTW, **dwc** , thanks for tipping me off to the INport. I’ve just ordered one for myself. Maybe I should have waited to see how you liked yours, but I was sold by the pitch on that Web site. It looks pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/analog-to-cd-converter-which-cable-should-be-longer/405003/7 "2007-05-22T05:22:02Z")
[QUOTE=commasense] BTW, **dwc** , thanks for tipping me off to the INport. I’ve just ordered one for myself. Maybe I should have waited to see how you liked yours, but I was sold by the pitch on that Web site. It looks pretty cool. [/QUOTE] You’re welcome. One of my customers made me aware of it, but he hadn’t tried it, either. I’m gonna get a cable in the morning and turn some big band/jazz LPs into CDs by afternoon, if all goes well. 🆒