Are all HDMI cables cut from the same cloth? Most consumers would argue that they send a digital signal from your digital video sources to your television or soundbar and nothing could possibly differentiate one from the other.
But is that really the end of the story? Over the years, we’ve tried and purchased HDMI cables from a number of brands and there were some discernible differences when it came to construction quality, durability of the connectors, and stability of the signal over very long runs; in the range of 50 to 100 feet behind walls in your home and in close proximity to power cables.
Does it end there? Or is it all just marketing? What would you convince you?
Any cable that meets the HDMI 2.1 specification should deliver 48Gbps to 8K or 4K TVs (8K@60Hz or 4K@120Hz). Such cables are labeled Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables. However, we have learned THX has created its own cable certification program and the first THX certified HDMI cables are now available.
Little Cables Made of Ticky Tacky?
Designed in partnership with Pixelgen Design Inc., the THX HDMI Interconnect offers support for 4K/8K displays, HDCP 2.3, eARC, and CEC.
Gaming features such as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), QFT (Quick Frame Transport), and QMS (Quick Media Switching) are also supported through both cables; there is also the PXLGLASS 8 hybrid optical fiber/copper HDMI cable that is designed for long runs of up to 50 feet.
The THX HDMI Interconnect is a best-in-class family of Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables with full HDMI 2.1b functionality that ensures all home theater components will have the highest resolution at the highest bandwidths at all lengths up to 15m (~50ft).
The THX HDMI Interconnect cables crossover from 5m (16ft) total-copper construction to the 7.6m (25ft) PXLGLASS optical solution to maintain a thin outer diameter and flexible design, avoiding heavy inconvenient cabling which can cause unnecessary strain on HDMI equipment ports.
Blah, Blah, Blah.
Does this cable do anything different than any of the other HDMI cables in the collection; which includes some designs from Monster Cable, AudioQuest, Monoprice, and the generic brands sold at Best Buy and Target?
The Monoprice 4K High Speed HDMI and Monoprice 8K Certified Ultra High Speed HDMI Cables have been in my system for awhile and I have never had any issues with either one.
Both were easy to install in tight spots and the connectors have proven to be robust; reviewers tend to plug and unplug cables with greater frequency than the typical consumer and certainly notice when the durability can be called into question.
The AudioQuest Sky 48 have performed reasonably well and I really don’t see the point in spending more than $79 for a high-end video cable.
Not so with these new cables from THX.
$44.99 for 1 meter of the THX HDMI Interconnect ($74.99 for 3 meters) is actually a good deal based on how it has performed.
Clean Your Friggin Glasses
Sources included a Roku Ultra Streamer, Cambridge Audio Evo 150, Panasonic BD player, and Xbox Series X Gaming Console.
My last generation Panasonic ZT50 Plasma HDTV is still going strong (although I do have to recalibrate it at least once a year) after almost 13 years and because it qualifies as a “dinosaur” in the current 4K/8K TV ecosystem — it can only show off when used with 1080p content; even though almost everything connected to it at this point is a 4K source.
It can’t display 4K or 8K, but there is something about its image quality that has kept it attached to my office wall for over a decade.
The LG OLED in the living room gets a lot more use and does benefit from better quality sources — but I’m still a sucker for the Panasonic.
Our forthcoming reviews of the Hisense 75″ U8N and Samsung 55” Neo QLED QN90D Mini-LED TVs — both excellent TVs for the money — gave us the opportunity to test the THX HDMI Interconnects with the aforementioned source components as well.
Hype or Reality?
The Panasonic is plugged into a rather expensive power line conditioner, but the image still suffers from noise; sitting 10 feet from the TV makes it harder to notice, but I have always been bothered by it — and yes, I’m one of those who gets really close to look for issues. I have issues. More than you can possibly imagine.
The THX HDMI Interconnect didn’t turn the 1080p images into breathtakingly clear and vibrant 4K content, but there was certainly less noise.
Black levels (and remember the age of the TV) didn’t suddenly become state-of-the-art in their presentation, but I could discern slightly more detail when examining clothing and objects during dark scenes.
Having been away from home, I’ve had very limited time to watch anything new on TV; HBO’s The Penguin, starring Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti has been the surprise smash hit of Q4 and its portrayal of Gotham City offers a lot of dark city shots inside of bars, alleys, and Arkham Asylum.
Having had the opportunity to compare all three TVs (and also against my iPad Pro which is my battered travel entertainment hub these days), there are a few areas where I feel the THX HDMI has improved the image quality.
Is it groundbreaking? Not really.
What I can perceive is greater detail in clothing, furniture and design elements inside the Falcone mansion, and every last pore of Oz Cobb’s cratered face — the makeup crew on this show deserve the Emmy Award for their transformation of Farrell into one of Batman’s most hardened enemies.
Overall image noise has also been reduced — I even disconnected all 3 TVs from their hardwired connections to see if the wireless signal from the Roku Ultra would be impacted. It was rather consistent which tells me that the THX HDMI Interconnect is doing it job.
Black levels are also improved, but that was TV dependent. My older LG OLED still bests all 3 in that department and there was marginal improvement from my Panasonic 4K BD Player using the HDMI cable.
Overall build quality is excellent and the cable has proven easy to snake around equipment.
Well done THX. I would certainly buy these considering the rather affordable price.
The Bottom Line
With so much skepticism surrounding the value and advantages of high-end audio/video cables, it is understandable that some might read our review of the THX HDMI Interconnect and think we’re a collection of fools who believe that this cable could offer anything better or different than the products available from Monoprice or Staples for less money.
The reality is that the THX HDMI Interconnect is well made, has proven to be durable after being connected and disconnected more than 30 times over a period of two months from 4 different TVs and multiple sources, and we have observed positive changes to the image quality on all of the aforementioned high-end TVs at our disposal. Will it transform your viewing experience? Unlikely. Is it affordably priced and compatible with almost every format and device we tried? Without question.
THX has created a really solid product that won’t be coming out of my system anytime soon.
Pros:
- Solid build quality and robust connector
- Easy to install in tight spaces
- Reduces image noise
- Affordable
- Compatible with all 4K/8K sources and HDCP 2.3, eARC, and CEC
Cons:
- Does not magically transform 1080p content into breathtaking 4K content
Where to buy:
THX Interconnects are available in various sizes at pixelgendesign.com:
- 0.5m/1.6ft – $39.99
- 1.0m/3.3ft – $44.99
- 1.5m/4.9ft – $49.99
- 2.0m/6.6ft – $54.99
- 3.0m/9.8ft – $74.99
- 5.0m/16.4ft – $184.99
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