Do I need a better subwoofer cable?  

no

yes you will, NEVER use OEM cables that come with your stuff.

just buy any quality RCA Audio cable and it'll work fine, and you can tell a difference IMO, you can sometimes notice hum with a crap cable on a sub.

Hmmm. One "no" and one "yes". Just to round out the offering, I say, "maybe."

My recent experience ...

I bought a set of Onix Rockets, including the UFW-10 sub. I had an old crappy RCA sitting around for the sub cable and used it. Seemed to work well for music but when I turned on the TV and cranked the sound, the picture grossly distorted each time a bass hit happened.

Bought a good quality Acoustic Research cable (~$50 list, got mine for ~$30 from accessories4less.com) and the problem disappeared.

Seems that my low-quality sub cable was "leaking" RFI and messing with the TV.

So, if you are having a problem like mine or are getting hum (or other noise/distortion) in the subwoofer, a better sub cable may help. Otherwise, you may be wasting your money.

Of course, it is also possible that you are experiencing no obvious sonic/visual problems but the sub signal is being otherwise degraded in quantity or quality and a better sub cable would help. Before spending money on a better cable, try borrowing one from a friend.

Rule #1 for upgrading: If you can't tell the difference, don't spend the money.


Cheers,
Bill

Try this inexpensive one - it will sound a little better too. The stock is less than a dollar one. and you will be rewarded to upgrade - but don't spend over 5-7% on them. You can waste money on expensive cables.

www.accessories4less.com has Ixos cables.

http://www.accessories4less.com/Amazing/itemdesc.asp?CartId=1066580-EVEREST-1MXTFQ23&ic=IXOS%2DXFK01%2F300&tpc=

Many folks recommend using RG6 coax for subwoofer cables, especially if you have long runs. You can then get "F to RCA" adapter for the ends and you are set.

I myself bought some high quality flexible Belden coax and put a gold-plated compression RCA connector on each end. Cost me $14 for a 40' sub cable.

Here's a link to a connector you can use with the RG6 coax.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...1-1060&ctab=14