DiMarzio Vs Horizon: Guitar Cable Comparison

DiMarzio cables are sturdy and attractive, but are also three times the price of the plain-but-reliable Horizon cables. Which one is best for you? It depends on your needs -- and your budget.

DiMarzio

Price: $20 (10ft)

Quality

After a few months of using this cable, I haven't had any issues with humming or buzzing. The sound from my bass improved noticeably after switching to this cable from a generic, low-quality piece: the highs were a bit more clear, and the lows had more boom to them.

DiMarzio cables come in several different shell colors, including red, tweed, green, checkerboard and, of course, black. Mine is the black-and-silver checkerboard, and it's the prettiest cable I've ever seen. The colors can no doubt serve practical purposes as well, including organization and keeping track of which cables belong to whom -- no more bandmates running off with your cables.

Their durability is the stuff of legend. These cables have been torture-tested for Guitar Player Magazine, surviving not only use as a jump rope, but even a "Zildjian cymbal guillotine" test.

The only downside, other than the price, is their tendency to coil up, no matter how hard the user tries to keep them straight. The problem is likely associated with the stiff, sturdy shells. It's not a critical issue, but it's enough to bother many players.

Horizon

Price: $6 (10ft)

Quality:

Horizon cables are not bad at all. The 24-gauge cable is shielded and has no unwanted hum or buzz. It's on equal footing with the DiMarzio cable in terms of sound quality at a third of the price.

The build quality could be better. Shelled in thin rubber, I don't know how durable these cables may be, but my limited testing has shown them to hold up well enough in controlled situations. The end pieces unscrew more easily than they do on DiMarzio cables, and they don't have the end jacketing featured on DiMarzios. Different colors aren't an option with Horizon cables -- it's all flat black rubber, with no pretty, protective shells.

Still, they more than hold their own on price and sound quality alone.

Final Verdict

It's hard to say which cable is better. Touring musicians should take the proven durability and lifetime warranty of DiMarzios -- Horizon cables will probably not withstand the same abuse that DiMarzio cables can handle. For just about every other situation -- in the studio, gigging, and jamming at home -- musicians can get an equal sound quality at a third of the price with Horizons. As with most things musical, it depends on your needs.