I have a 2022 car and I just installed a Rockford Fosgate amplifier. The problem is that when I run the RCA cables near the alternator, I get this weird buzzing noise coming through the speakers. Is there a specific brand that has better shielding, or do I need to do something different with the installation?
It's not so much the cable brand that's going to fix your problem, but how you install them. The hum you're hearing is electromagnetic interference from the alternator, and even if you buy super expensive RCA cables with decent shielding, if you run them next to the power cables or close to the motor, the noise is gonna stay there. What you need to do is physically separate the RCA cables from the amplifier's power cables: they should go on opposite sides of the car, preferably in different conduits or at least about 30 centimeters apart. If you can't avoid crossing them, do it at a 90-degree angle, not parallel.
As for brands, the ones with better shielding that work well are KnuKonceptz, Stinger, and Rockford Fosgate (same brand as your amplifier, so you're not mixing quality levels). But trust me, sometimes a cheap cable with proper installation works better than an expensive one installed wrong. Another thing you can do is check that the amplifier's ground connections are solid, because a bad ground amplifies the interference a ton. The ground wire should be as short as possible and connected directly to the car's chassis, clean and with no paint at the contact point. In my experience, most of those hums got fixed more by doing the installation right than by switching brands.
Actually, the problem is almost never the cable brand but how you install it, so before you spend money on expensive cables make sure your RCA cables run as far as possible from the alternator and power lines, ideally on the opposite side of the car or run through a protective conduit. If that doesn't work, then it's worth trying cables with better shielding like Monster or Rockford (the same brand as your amplifier), but most of the time correct routing will solve the buzzing for you.
Shielded RCA cables help, but what really kills the hum is keeping them physically separated from the alternator and power lines - run them on the other side of the engine or wrap them in foam insulation if you don't have a choice. One thing a lot of people overlook: make sure your amp's ground is connected to bare metal on the car (not plastic or wiring), because a bad ground amplifies any interference, no matter how much you spend on cables.
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