3rd part SNES/N64 A/V cable warning

[FABombjoy]

Not sure where to put this, so here it is!

I am currently having an infuriating experience with a few sellers of new, cheap A/V cables for SNES/N64/GameCube.

The OEM cables always seem to disappear and the aftermarket for reasonably priced cables is slim. Most of what you see seems to be made by a single supplier. The cables all look like the ones in this auction:

ebay Link

Anyway, the problem is that the LEFT/RIGHT channels are reversed. I've tried explaining this to the people that I've received my cables from and it is apparently a mind-blowingly difficult concept to comprehend. Flat out, none of them seem to care even a little. How you can do business like that is a little beyond me, especially when they know this is a B2B transaction as most people aren't buying 20 sets of cables for personal use.

So, if you've purchased anything like this in the past 1, 3, 6 months, or who knows how long, you might want to double check them. I used the stereo test on the NTF2.5 test cart rom.

I'm also taking recommendations for bulk A/V cables that don't suck

[Gameguy]

Is there a major problem with the channels being reversed? Besides having to switch the red and white plugs into the TV?

[BlastProcessing402]

Yeah, unless they were both wired to the same channel or something I wouldn't worry about it. Maybe cover the plugs with some pieces of colored tape or something so you don't forget if you unplug them for a long time.

[BetaWolf47]

Since GameCube uses the same one, you may want to edit that into the title.

Also, I've heard of 3rd-party Genesis model 2 AV cables having the same issue. I can't believe aftermarket companies find this so hard to grasp.

[FABombjoy]

Is there a major problem with the channels being reversed?

There is for me, as I'm not the kind of person that likes to tell my customers, "Sorry, these cables were made by idiots and the colors are wrong".

[Gameguy]

Personally I avoid 3rd party cables entirely, if I need a cable I'd rather pay $5 for a licensed one than $1 for a fake one. The only 3rd party cables I've used were RF switches for the N64, even then I try to avoid them unless they come with a system and I don't feel like tracking down an AV cable. It's been ages since I've sold a system with 3rd party cables, I don't even buy them anymore if the cables aren't original.

You could resolder the connections so they'd be the right colour, if you really wanted to.

[Tupin]

Hm, mine sounds fine. I bought it in a store, I believe it was made by Retro Bit. Is there any game where I can test it? It might have been made by Komodo...

[FABombjoy]

Personally I avoid 3rd party cables entirely, if I need a cable I'd rather pay $5 for a licensed one than $1 for a fake one.

If I could find OEM Nintendo cables for $5, I would be ecstatic. They're 15.95 each on Nintendo's website.

You could resolder the connections so they'd be the right colour, if you really wanted to.

It is possible, although not necessarily trivial to rearrange the pins in the headshell.

I've gotten one supplier to agree to refund, just waiting on the other.

It might have been made by Komodo...

The Komodo a/v (non s-video) cable on Amazon looks identical. I'm not sure what game would work for a good stereo test. I might not have caught the problem had I not loaded the NTF rom into my SNES powerpak.

[Ace]

Also, I've heard of 3rd-party Genesis model 2 AV cables having the same issue. I can't believe aftermarket companies find this so hard to grasp.

Never mind that, I've come across a Genesis Model 2/3 A/V cable which is supposed to be a Stereo A/V cable, but is in fact a DUAL MONO A/V cable with both the white and red plugs hooked up to the Mono audio out of the system's multi-A/V out. They'll even put out sound on a Genesis Model 1 if you use either a 32X or just plug the cables into the little converter included with the 32X.

WTF is with these companies? If they make Stereo A/V cables, they can't seem to get left and right correct. I've seen this on clones with Stereo sound as well. My first FC Twin had reversed Stereo and so does the RetroN3 on the Genesis side. Is it really that hard to wire up Stereo sound right for these people? Jeez!

[Tupin]

I forget the specific brand, they had a "Buy this and support education" sticker on it. Hopefully not technical schools.

I still can't hear a difference, but I'll consider the cables I have on my N64 now as temporary until I find an official Nintendo one.

[madman77]

No surprise with what is likely a cheap Chinese product costing nearly nothing to make and zero attention to quality.

[kedawa]

I wonder if the confusion is due to the baffling pinout labels.
I remember looking up the pinout one time and the audio pins are labelled 'L+R' and 'L-R'.
How does that work?

[FABombjoy]

I wonder if the confusion is due to the baffling pinout labels.
I remember looking up the pinout one time and the audio pins are labelled 'L+R' and 'L-R'.
How does that work?

I saw that pinout as well (on pinouts.ru) but have no idea what it's all about. The L & R audio, at least on the SNES, is conventional. Just plain old left & right, no decoding necessary.