End A Connector
End A connector identifies the plug or termination at the source side of a cable: where the signal or power enters the connection.
Check End A together with End B. Matching the plug to a socket establishes physical fit; the signal format, wiring and electrical requirements must also agree. End labels do not by themselves mean a passive cable works in only one direction.
End A Connector — Ground Cable
At the source end of a ground cable, the termination must fit the grounding point on the equipment being linked. A ring lug usually needs the terminal opened sufficiently to fit around its post; a fork or hook can suit a different fastening arrangement. Check the opening size as well as the connector name.
Compare the documented grounding points and their intended function. A phono grounding lead links the relevant audio equipment; it is not a substitute for protective mains earth. A convenient-looking chassis screw does not establish a suitable terminal, and connector plating does not define the grounding arrangement.
End A Connector — HDMI Cable
End A normally connects to the HDMI source, such as a transport or player. Match the stated full-size or smaller HDMI connector to that output and allow room for the plug body. On directional active or optical assemblies, the source-labelled end must go at the source.
Compare supported cable functions and length separately from connector size. A passive size adapter changes fit, but cannot establish the bandwidth or features of the complete link. Also distinguish standard HDMI audio/video from an I²S connection using an HDMI-shaped socket; the same shell does not make those interfaces interchangeable.
End A Connector — Network Cable
For a copper Ethernet cable, the source-side connection commonly uses an RJ45 plug; optical assemblies may instead use LC connectors or integrated transceiver modules. Match the connection to the switch, streamer or other network port. Ethernet traffic travels both ways, so the End A label is an identification convention rather than a one-way audio path.
Compare the whole network link, including port type, cable category or fibre type and any required transceiver. An LC plug is not an RJ45 substitute, and a matching module shape does not establish compatible optical operation. The connector alone does not specify network speed.
End A Connector — I2S Cable
End A connects to the source's external I²S output, which sends digital audio and timing signals to the receiving component. Such links may use HDMI or other connector formats. Select the connector the source actually provides, rather than inferring compatibility from a familiar-looking socket.
Compare the pin assignment at both ends as well as the cable wiring. External I²S connections do not share one universal HDMI pinout, and ordinary HDMI audio/video support is a different function. A matching plug does not establish PCM or DSD compatibility, maximum rate or the correct clock and data assignments.
End A Connector — RCA Cable
On an analog RCA interconnect, End A plugs into the source's line output. A stereo connection normally uses separately identified left and right paths, so check the supplied cable arrangement as well as the plug type. The source output and receiving input should both be intended for the same analog signal level.
Compare connector fit and the required channel arrangement without assuming every RCA socket serves the same purpose. An RCA digital output carries a different signal from an analog line output, and a phono input expects a different level. The connector description alone does not identify these functions or guarantee a suitable connection.
End A Connector — AES/EBU Cable
For a conventional AES3 balanced digital connection, the source end of the cable uses a three-pin female XLR connector to mate with the source's male output. It carries encoded digital audio to a compatible receiver. Check the stated interface because AES3id uses a different coaxial connection arrangement.
Compare the cable's intended digital standard and impedance with both devices, rather than choosing solely by its XLR shell. An analog microphone cable may fit the same sockets without being specified for the required digital link. The plug gender describes connection direction; it does not specify sample-rate support or conversion between formats.
End A Connector — XLR Cable
The source end of a conventional balanced analog XLR interconnect is a three-pin female connector, mating with the equipment's male output. Check the pin count and the space needed to operate the latch. This end receives the analog output signal before the cable carries it to the input at the other end.
Compare the intended signal and pin wiring, not just the connector family. XLR sockets also serve digital audio and headphone connections, including other pin counts. A mechanically fitting plug does not convert between them, and the presence of XLR alone does not establish that the complete signal path is balanced.
End A Connector — Optical Cable
At the source end, an optical audio cable must match the transmitter's optical output. Full-size Toslink and mini-Toslink use different physical plugs; mini-Toslink may share the shape of a small electrical audio jack. The equipment must explicitly support optical output at that socket.
Compare both connector formats and the audio formats supported by the two devices. Changing between full-size and mini optical plugs does not convert the digital signal. A mini-Toslink plug in an ordinary headphone socket will not create optical audio. Connector shape also does not specify fibre construction, supported distance or the receiver's maximum sample rate.
Amp End — Speaker Cable
End A connects to the amplifier's speaker output. Banana plugs insert into suitable terminals, spades clamp beneath compatible posts, and bare wire requires the specified clamping arrangement. Match the termination to the amplifier's documented connections and keep positive and negative conductors correctly identified.
Compare the terminal opening, spacing and cable arrangement before choosing a connector. A spade's size matters as well as its name, and a bi-wire cable may divide differently at its two ends. Switch off the amplifier before changing connections and keep exposed conductors apart. The termination type does not establish the cable's conductor size or permissible speaker load.
Arm End — Phono Cable
At End A, a phono cable connects to the tonearm or turntable. The arrangement may use RCA plugs or a tonearm DIN connector, including straight and angled versions. Check the actual socket and the clearance beneath the turntable; an angled plug must point in a useful direction without straining the cable.
Compare pin assignments and any separate grounding connection with the tonearm's instructions. A DIN connector's pin count alone does not establish the right wiring. Connector choice also does not specify cartridge loading capacitance or prove balanced operation; those depend on the cable and the complete cartridge-to-phono-stage connection.
Wall Plug — Power Cable
For a mains power cable, End A is the wall or supply-side plug. Its format must match the intended outlet, including the required earth connection where applicable. The connector at the equipment end is a separate choice and may use an IEC appliance coupler.
Compare the complete cable's voltage and current ratings and the equipment's power requirements, not just the plug's country label. A shape-changing adapter does not convert mains voltage or supply a missing protective earth. A different wall plug also does not establish electrical approval for the cable assembly or make an unsuitable equipment voltage compatible.
End A Connector — Digital Coax Cable
End A connects to the digital source's coaxial audio output. RCA and BNC are common physical formats, but the cable and connection must suit the specified digital interface. For S/PDIF over coax, check the required 75-ohm connection rather than treating it as an ordinary analog interconnect.
Compare the source plug with the receiving end and confirm that both ports carry compatible audio. A BNC connector may instead belong to a clock connection, which cannot receive the music stream in the same way. A BNC-to-RCA cable changes the termination, not the digital protocol or the source's supported output rates.
Host End — USB Cable
End A is the host side of the USB connection, normally the computer or other device controlling the USB audio link. A conventional Type-A plug belongs at this end. With Type-C connections, identify the devices' roles from their documentation rather than assuming either port can act as the host.
Compare both ends, data support and power requirements. A Type-C connector alone does not guarantee that a cable carries the needed USB data or supports a particular charging level. A physical adapter cannot turn a peripheral-only port into a host. The connector description also does not establish the DAC's audio resolution.
Amp End — Headphone Cable
End A plugs into the amplifier or player's headphone output. It may be a conventional shared-return plug or a connector intended for separate left and right channel returns, often called balanced. Match the actual output wiring and connector type, rather than choosing solely by diameter or pin count.
Compare the amplifier end separately from the headphone's detachable connectors. A plug adapter does not automatically make balanced and shared-return outputs interchangeable: joining amplifier outputs together can be unsuitable. Use an arrangement explicitly supported by the equipment. The source plug also does not establish that the cable fits the headphone sockets.