What cable for Line level audio to outbuilding?

I have sent line level audio across telephone grade cabling for distances of 2500' or more. It does require some equalization to offset line losses at the higher frequencies, but at 175' it should not be an issue.

You will want transformers or balanced line drivers and recievers at the ends, assuming you want a clean signal, free of hum, buzz, and EMI.

Don't do this.. at 175', you definitely do not want to be running unbalanced audio, unless you like hum and buzz...

This is probably the easiest and cheapest to implement.

On 9 Sep 2006 21:08:47 -0700, "longwood" wrote (with possible editing):

The ideal cable would be flooded and shielded twisted pair. I believe Belden makes it, but you'll have to order it from Allied, Mouser, or one like those. ($expensive) 22 - 24 ga would be fine and only ONE end should be grounded. At the distance you're going you're likely to have different ground potentials, so if the wire you use is shielded, only ground ONE end. The reason for twisted pair is that you really need to use a balanced line which means transformers. However, you can try telephone wire or even regular shielded cable both of which are easily obtainable in buryable (flooded) form. If the hum isn't too bad, you're only risk is tying together different grounds. Ideally, you could use fiber, but the terminator boards would be quite expensive.