Best RCA Cables for Car Audio [2023]

Improving a car’s audio quality can make drives around town or longer road trips much more enjoyable. Many people find success in older cars by installing a car antenna extension cable to pick up higher quality radio signals. 

Another, more effective, way to improve car audio is to connect a high-quality RCA cable to your speakers. 

Best RCA Cable For Car Audio

Mediabridge ULTRA Series Subwoofer Cable
Mediabridge ULTRA Series Subwoofer Cable
Mediabridge ULTRA Series Subwoofer Cable

Mediabridge has a cost-effective, high-quality subwoofer cable in its ULTRA series. Turn up the volume because the bass is rocking with these subwoofer cables. It’s flexible as well, like its sister models. There’s a cable strap attached to the cord so you can store it away when you’re not using it. 

Due to the 25-foot length of this cable, you might experience some hum. Sometimes the plug can be a little tight. If you’re not pleased with the sound, never fear! Mediabridge’s ULTRA series comes with a limited 1-year warranty. 

Best Budget RCA Cable

Skar Audio 17-Foot 2-Channel Twisted Pair RCA Interconnect Cable
Skar Audio 17-Foot 2-Channel Twisted Pair RCA Interconnect Cable
Skar Audio 17-Foot 2-Channel Twisted Pair RCA Interconnect Cable

Skar Audio 17 Ft. 2-channel features twisted pair technology that makes for a more stable signal. It also utilizes the 99.99% oxygen-free multi-strand copper wire construction another thing that helps the signal transfer. The cable is flexible and the shielding is high quality. You get a 2-year limited warranty with the cable.

This cable doesn’t have the cleanest sound it is also a bit loud, some times it can whine. The sound issue might be connected to weak isolation. Also, the plugs look like they are on the weaker side.

Best Premium RCA Cable

Better Cables Silver Serpent RCA Cord
Better Cables Silver Serpent RCA Cord
Better Cables Silver Serpent RCA Cord

Better Cables uses a high-quality silver coating to conduct a better sound signal than gold or copper. The ends are not soldered but cold-welded to the cable. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all products.

 Sound depends mostly on your setup, these cables work with some devices better than others. If you have revealing speakers or a high-grade amp, you might find that the cords produce high frequencies that cause headaches in some people. Plus, the Ohms typically only go up to .25 when bent to 90 degrees.

Honorable mention

Blue Jeans Cable (BJC) LC-1 Stereo Audio Cables
Blue Jeans Cable (BJC) LC-1 Stereo Audio Cables
Blue Jeans Cable (BJC) LC-1 Stereo Audio Cables

Blue Jeans Cable has 3-foot, 6-foot, 10-foot, or 15-foot composite cables to choose from. The low capacitance feature of 12 pF for each foot of cable helps to lessen the chances of high-frequency roll-off. The double bare copper braid shielding lessens the chances of EMI rejection (negates interference from other cables).

 Even after grounding, there can still be a humming sound. So if you notice any interference like that, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee that comes with your Blue Jeans Cable purchase. Additionally, these cables are a bit stiff. If you are not happy with your cable, send it back for a full refund. 

How To Pick The Best RCA Cable For Car Audio?

There are a few things you have to look out for when choosing a new RCA cable. We wrote them down to help you pick the best cord.

Price

This might not seem important on a technical level, and it honestly isn’t. But it is worth noting you can get a worthy cable for your price range. Choose the one you can afford, not the one that cost more (quality isn’t always dependent on the price).

Quality

Now technically speaking, this is the most important thing to watch out for. Once you have a price range focus on the quality, go through the comments, and use others people’s experiences to form a rough idea of which cable has the edge above the other.

Specs

The last important, but not the least important thing to take note of is the specs. Is the cable you chose the one that can do what you need it to do. Check the specs and see, and if you don’t know enough about it there are plenty of places to learn from.

How to Use RCA Cable in your Car?

Use the RCA cord by following these steps:

  • Match the colors of the cords with the color plugs on your device
  • Put a yellow cord in the yellow slot
  • Place the red cord in the red slot
  • Install the white cord into the white slot
  • Reassure your device connects to a power source
  • Power up your device and enjoy

If you already have the cable that you want, look for an RCA extension cable to expand its length if needed.

Car Audio RCA Cable

RCA cords help many devices to work more so than just your car audio. Finding the best RCA cable for car audio means scouting out quality brands and not grabbing the first one that you see because it’s the cheapest. Find the best ratio of price to quality for the cable you need.

FAQ

If you have questions about this product check our Frequently Asked Questions page.


Updates

May 3, 2022: Article posted.

Nov 21, 2022: Article updated and restructured for easy navigation through the list. Added subcategories for every product.

Jan 18, 2023: Visual touchups and linking to FAQ page.