hi Don: In ADDITION to what Mike stated, I've also experienced, on several occasions, different Hosa cables flake out unexpectantly, and at the most inappropriate times (on a job). Hosas are economically priced, but I don't think they're built to handle a lot of plug in/out use. My experience is that the cable often easily shorts out intermittently, when the cable is touched or repositioned. For situations where the cable remains plugged in all the time, the Hosa may be a economical option, but for situations where frequent plug in/out and best audio quality is required, it's imho, too unreliable to trust. - Scott