Accessory Reviews

The primary concern with any set of cables is their functionality. Do they meet the specific requirements of your setup? For 8K content, you need an HDMI cable capable of handling the increased bandwidth. The new THX 8K Certified HDMI cables promise that.

Developed in collaboration with Pixelgen Design Inc., these cables deliver uncompressed high-speed signals up to 48Gbps.

Reviewing cables isn’t my usual focus, but my home reveals a significant dependence on them, especially HDMI cables. Over the years, I’ve amassed hundreds of cables from various brands, quite a few of which didn’t perform as expected. Some were difficult to manage, too thick, rigid, or unreliable.

For complex systems, such as a rack full of sources with a distant display or a home theater with a projector, a reliable cable is essential. Installing a 50-foot cable only to find it unreliable is frustrating and costly.

When shopping for cables, my priorities are ease of handling and reliable performance, especially for ultra-high-resolution video and immersive audio formats. The cables must also be reasonably priced. Although THX cables are more expensive than generic alternatives, their quality is evident.They are available in the longer lengths crucial for many installations without compromising signal quality.

Features
With full HDMI 2.1b functionality, THX 8K Certified HDMI cables ensure all home theater components achieve the highest resolution and bandwidth. Their primary function is to transmit digital data without error, and they excel across a wide variety of devices.

THX achieves this reliability using a hybrid fiber-optic/copper design for longer lengths. Developed with Pixelgen, these cables use “PXLGLASS” modules for cables 25 feet and longer, with copper for critical low-speed communication like CEC and HDCP, and fiber-optic for the high-bandwidth AV signal. Cables less than 16 feet are entirely copper.

These cables are durable and flexible, with robust construction.

Unboxing and Installation
THX sent me two lengths of cable to try, a 5-foot and the 25-foot hybrid fiber-optic/copper cable. The longer cable came in a tin shaped like a film reel canister, featuring a THX logo—a nice touch. Both cables are thin and flexible, the copper slightly more so than the hybrid.

Installing cables is the very definition of “plug-and-play,” I plugged, and the content played. Success!

Performance and Reliability
In use, these cables consistently delivered a stable connection, supporting 8K resolution and 240 Hz 4K without issue. They were free from common problems such as intermittent snow or static and handled HDMI input switching seamlessly.

Whether connected to a Samsung S95D 4K TV, a Samsung G80SD monitor, or a Hisense C1 projector, the performance was flawless. The 25-foot hybrid cable, in particular, impressed me with its reliability over such a long distance—a challenge where many other cables have failed.

The Bottom Line
The THX 8K Certified HDMI cables distinguish themselves in a crowded market by guaranteeing the performance necessary for 8K content. In the realm of digital cables, where performance is binary—either it works, or it doesn’t—these cables deliver as promised. I can confidently state that these cables perform flawlessly and without compromise.