Belden AES EBU Cables meet the recent international standard developed by the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcast Union. The standard is simply known as AES/EBU and applies to digital audio cables.
AES/EBU specs for digital audio cable require a sampling rate from 32 kHz to 193 kHz, bandwidth from 4.096 MHz to 24.5 MHz, and an impedance of 110 ohms ± 20%. These are very broad specifications, allowing everything from 88-ohm cables to 132-ohm cables. However, standard analog audio cables have impedances ranging from 45 ohms to 70 ohms. There is a lot of room for the difference between the AES/EBU digital audio cable impedances and the standard analog audio range, which could cause jitter and signal reflection problems. Those problems could then lead to receiver bit errors. To avoid these issues, we recommend 100 to 120 ohm twisted pair cables.
AES/EBU-rated digital audio cables are available in a variety of styles to meet the needs of different applications. Allied Wire and Cable carries Belden single-pair and double-pair digital audio cables, multi-pair snake cables with individually shielded and jacketed pairs, multi-pair snake cables with individually shielded pairs, and plenum-rated multi-pair snake cables, all of which comply with AES/EBU standards.
Belden’s single and double-pair digital audio cables are rated to 100 ohms. They are available in several constructions, including plenum and high-flex versions. Non-plenum parts feature Datalene insulation, which features a low velocity of propagation and lower capacitance for pure signal transmission- even over long distances. It is also crush-resistant.
Our individually shielded and jacketed multi-pair snake cables meet the AES/EBU standard as well as NEC CMG and CEC CMG FT4 ratings. These digital audio cables are lightweight, crush-resistant, and feature insulation with a low dielectric constant. Multi-pair snake cables in this category feature stranded tinned copper conductors, Datalene insulation, pairs that are individually shielded with Beldfoil, overall Beldfoil shielding, a numbered and color-coded purple PVC jacket, and a nylon ripcord. The shields and jackets used on the individual pairs are bonded to facilitate stripping.
AES/EBU multi-pair snake cable with individually shielded pairs is also available. In addition to being AES cables, these cables are also CM-rated. These cables are built with tinned copper conductors, Datalene insulation, twisted pairs with individual Beldfoil shielding, and an overall chrome PVC jacket.
Plenum Snake Cables that meet AES/EBU specs for digital audio cables are also available. They meet NEC CMP and CEC CMP FT6 ratings and feature tinned copper conductors, FEP insulation, individually Beldfoil shielded twisted pairs, and an overall jacket made of either gray fluoropolymer or natural Flamarrest.
All of these high-quality Belden AES EBU cables specifically for digital audio applications. They are built for high-quality signal transmission that will not disappoint. To learn more about any of our Belden AES EBU digital audio cables, click on one of the product links listed above. Have questions? Call one of our Allied sales reps and we’ll get you the answers you need!