Cables & Mounts

1. Budget · Short certified HDMI 2.1 run

• Certified Ultra High Speed (48 Gbps)
• 6.5 ft / 2 m
• 4K120, 8K60, eARC, VRR
• Hologram certification label

The Maya is the short HDMI 2.1 cable AVSForum members recommend most, and it carries the official hologram certification label rather than a vague 8K claim. At 6.5 ft it covers every rack hop between console, receiver, and TV.

Watch out: The jacket is stiff near the plugs, so allow room behind the TV for the bend.

2. Budget · In-wall surround runs

• 14 AWG, 2-conductor
• 99.9% oxygen-free bare copper (not CCA)
• CL2 in-wall rated
• 100 ft spool, color-coded jacket

Fourteen gauge pure copper covers every 8 ohm run under about 80 ft with less than 5 percent loss, which is nearly every surround and height run in a home theater. The CL2 jacket satisfies residential in-wall code, so one spool works inside and outside the wall.

Watch out: Monoprice also sells cheaper copper-clad aluminum wire; make sure the listing says pure bare copper.

3. Budget · Budget full-motion mount

• 42 to 90 in TVs, 132 lb rated
• VESA up to 600 x 400
• 18.3 in extension, swivel +/-45 deg
• Fits 16, 18, 24 in stud spacing

The MD2298 is the best-selling budget articulating mount, with dual arms, a 132 lb rating, and VESA 600 x 400 support that covers most 65 to 77 in TVs. It is the safe pick when the TV mostly stays flat and only needs to swing occasionally.

Watch out: Wood studs only; it is not rated for drywall anchors or metal studs.

4. Budget · Cabling a full rack with certified HDMI 2.1 in one order

• Certified Ultra High Speed (48 Gbps), 3-pack
• 6.6 ft / 2 m each
• Color-coded blue, red, and orange plugs
• 4K120, 8K60, eARC, VRR

Every cable in the pack carries the Ultra High Speed certification, so all three rack hops get the full 48 Gbps for 4K120 and eARC. The color-coded plugs are a small thing that saves real time when tracing cables later.

Watch out: Not in-wall rated; use the Monoprice CL2 cable for anything inside a wall.

5. Mid-range · 10 ft or in-wall certified run

• Certified Ultra High Speed (48 Gbps)
• 10 ft, CL2 in-wall rated
• 30 AWG copper
• Lifetime warranty

Ten feet is about as far as passive copper reliably carries 48 Gbps, and this Monoprice cable is certified at that length with a CL2 jacket for in-wall use. It solves the rack-to-wall-plate run without moving up to fiber.

Watch out: Do not daisy-chain it with a wall plate and a second long cable; at 48 Gbps the full path counts.

6. Mid-range · Best value full-motion mount

• 42 to 90 in TVs, 125 lb rated
• VESA 200 x 100 to 600 x 400
• 22 in extension, 130 deg swivel
• UL listed, 16 and 24 in studs

The EGLF2 gives you 22 in of extension and 130 degrees of swivel, which is enough to turn a wall-mounted TV toward a kitchen or second seating area. It is UL listed at four times its rated load, a certification most budget mounts skip.

Watch out: Installer reports mention slight arm sag on the heaviest 77 to 85 in panels; use a Sanus for those.

7. Mid-range · Certified long run to a projector

• Certified Ultra High Speed (48 Gbps)
• 32 ft active optical (fiber)
• 8K60, 4K120, HDR, VRR, eARC
• Directional: source to display

Fiber is the only reliable way to carry 48 Gbps past about 25 ft, and this Monoprice cable is one of the few active optical cables that actually carries the Ultra High Speed label. It is the run from the rack to a ceiling-mounted projector.

Watch out: It is directional and the fiber ends are fragile, so never pull it through conduit by the plug.

8. Mid-range · Long runs, 4 ohm speakers

• 12 AWG
• 99.9% OFC copper
• CL2 in-wall rated
• 100 ft

Twelve gauge keeps loss under 5 percent out to about 125 ft at 8 ohm, or about 60 ft at 4 ohm, so it covers long front runs and low-impedance towers. It is the same pure copper CL2 line as the 14 AWG spool, just heavier.

Watch out: Twelve gauge is stiff and thick; check that your speaker terminals and wall plates accept it.

9. Mid-range · Feeding two speakers per in-wall pull

• 14 AWG, 4-conductor (red, black, white, green)
• 99.95% oxygen-free bare copper
• CL2 in-wall rated
• 100 ft spool

Pulling one four-conductor cable to a pair of surrounds, or to a single speaker and a future height channel, halves the in-wall work and keeps the pull neat. The color-coded conductors make polarity easy across two channels.

Watch out: Many cheap four-conductor spools are copper-clad aluminum; this one is pure copper, so make sure any substitute says bare copper.