{"id":975,"date":"2026-10-14T11:07:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T11:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbscable.com\/en\/2026\/10\/14\/cable-jacket-and-insulation-materials\/"},"modified":"2026-10-16T10:02:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T10:02:47","slug":"cable-jacket-and-insulation-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/2026\/10\/14\/cable-jacket-and-insulation-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"Cable Jacket and Insulation Materials for Pro Audio Cable"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This guide is about the two polymer layers and nothing else: what each layer does, what the LBS product records state for the speaker, DMX512 signal, Ethernet and AV ranges, and how to specify them in an enquiry. Roll lengths, carton and pallet quantities are a separate purchasing question and are covered in the <a href=\"\/en\/2026\/08\/27\/speaker-cable-rolls-100m\/\">speaker cable rolls guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>The jacket and the conductor insulation are two different decisions<\/h2>\n<p>Cable data sheets are usually read for the conductor: cross-section, strand count, AWG. The two polymer layers around that conductor are treated as a footnote, even though they decide how the cable behaves in the hand, on the reel and on site.<\/p>\n<p>They are not the same layer and they do not do the same job:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Conductor insulation<\/strong> sits on each individual conductor. It is the dielectric that keeps adjacent conductors electrically separate and fixes the spacing between them. On an analogue pair it is also the first thing the signal sees, so it belongs to the electrical part of the specification.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The jacket<\/strong> is the outer sheath over the whole assembly. It carries the mechanical and environmental duty &mdash; abrasion at a cable clip, repeated handling, contact with a floor or a flight case &mdash; and it is where a construction gets its colour and its printed identification.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because the two layers are separate, a construction can combine them freely: the speaker cable range in the LBS catalogue is built with PVC conductor insulation under a PVC jacket, while the stage signal cables use a matt-surfaced elastic PVC jacket over a shielded pair. What follows is what the LBS product records actually state, range by range, and how to specify the layer you care about in an enquiry.<\/p>\n<h2>What the LBS product records show<\/h2>\n<p>The values below are taken from the published LBS product data for the constructions named. Where a field is not recorded on a product, the table says so rather than filling it in.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Range<\/th>\n<th>Jacket as recorded<\/th>\n<th>Conductor insulation as recorded<\/th>\n<th>Example construction<\/th>\n<th>Service temperature as recorded<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Speaker cable<\/td>\n<td>PVC on 50 constructions<\/td>\n<td>PVC on 42 constructions<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"\/en\/products\/lbsrvh-2x6-0-2-x-6-0-mm2-professional-main-speaker-cable\/\">Tour-Grade Reinforced Speaker Cable 2 &times; 6.0 mm&sup2;<\/a> &mdash; 12.5 mm jacket O.D., cotton thread and paper filling, black \/ royal blue \/ dark green<\/td>\n<td>not recorded on these products<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Audio signal (DMX512 stage lighting)<\/td>\n<td>EPVC MATT on 7 constructions<\/td>\n<td>not recorded on these products<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"\/en\/products\/lbsdmx128035-dmx512-lighting-control-cable\/\">DMX512 Stage Lighting Control Cable 128 \/ 2 &times; 0.35<\/a> &mdash; 6.3 mm jacket O.D., black \/ brown \/ dark green optional<\/td>\n<td>&minus;20 &deg;C to +70 &deg;C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ethernet \/ network<\/td>\n<td>PVC on 2 constructions, EPVC on 1<\/td>\n<td>not recorded on these products<\/td>\n<td><a href=\"\/en\/products\/lbsutp-cat6a-ethernet-cable\/\">Cat6A UTP Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable<\/a> &mdash; 6.2 \/ 6.4 \/ 7.2 mm jacket O.D., 23 AWG main conductor<\/td>\n<td>&minus;20 &deg;C to +70 &deg;C<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>AV cable and connectors<\/td>\n<td>not applicable<\/td>\n<td>not applicable<\/td>\n<td>Active optical HDMI cable and Speakon connectors are supplied as assemblies, so the record describes the assembly rather than a jacket compound<\/td>\n<td>not recorded on these products<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Two things are worth noting from that table. First, PVC is the working material of the range: it covers the speaker cable constructions and part of the network range. Second, the matt elastic PVC (recorded as EPVC MATT) is specific to the stage signal cables, not a general upgrade applied across the catalogue.<\/p>\n<h2>PVC and matt EPVC: what actually differs<\/h2>\n<p>Both are flexible PVC-based jackets and both are recorded on constructions that use stranded copper conductors. The difference the product data records is the surface finish: the speaker cable and part of the network range are listed with a plain PVC jacket, while the DMX512 signal cables are listed as <strong>EPVC MATT<\/strong> &mdash; an elastic PVC with a matt, non-glossy surface.<\/p>\n<p>That single difference is what a stage cable is judged on most often in the hand and on camera:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Surface<\/strong> &mdash; a matt jacket scatters light instead of reflecting it, which is why the finish is normally reserved for signal cable that stays visible on a stage or in a lit set.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Feel<\/strong> &mdash; an elastic PVC compound stays supple at small diameters, so a 6.3 mm signal cable coils and dresses without the jacket stiffening the run.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Colour<\/strong> &mdash; the stage signal constructions are recorded with black, brown or dark green jacket options, and the speaker constructions with black, royal blue or dark green, so a run can be identified at both ends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What it does not change is the electrical specification. Jacket compound is not a substitute for construction: shielding, conductor size and pair geometry set the electrical behaviour, and the shielding comparison for network cable is covered in the <a href=\"\/en\/2026\/08\/20\/utp-vs-ftp-vs-sftp-ethernet-cable\/\">UTP \/ FTP \/ SFTP Ethernet cable guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Service temperature and colour as recorded values<\/h2>\n<p>Where the LBS product data records a service temperature, the value is <strong>&minus;20 &deg;C to +70 &deg;C<\/strong> &mdash; stated on both the audio signal cable records and the Ethernet cable records. The speaker cable records in the range do not carry a temperature field, so no temperature is claimed for those constructions here.<\/p>\n<p>If a project imposes a temperature, a fire-performance requirement or an environmental restriction, that requirement has to be stated in the enquiry and confirmed against the construction that will actually be supplied. It is a project requirement, not a standing property of the range, and it should not be assumed from a compound name.<\/p>\n<h2>How to specify the jacket in an enquiry<\/h2>\n<p>A jacket and insulation requirement reaches a factory as a short list, and a complete list is what keeps a repeat order identical to the first one:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Which layer<\/strong> &mdash; conductor insulation, outer jacket, or both. They are separate materials and are quoted separately when they differ.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Material<\/strong> &mdash; PVC, or a matt elastic PVC finish where the cable stays visible on stage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Colour<\/strong> &mdash; the recorded options above, or a project colour, stated per conductor and per jacket.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Jacket O.D.<\/strong> &mdash; a target outer diameter, because it decides gland, clip and connector fit. The speaker construction above is 12.5 mm; the DMX512 signal cable 6.3 mm; the Cat6A UTP jacket 6.2, 6.4 or 7.2 mm depending on construction.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Printing<\/strong> &mdash; the text to be printed on the jacket, and whether it repeats along the length.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Environment and handling<\/strong> &mdash; fixed, portable, touring, or visible on stage, plus any project requirement that applies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The same list, in the order a factory actually needs it, is set out in the <a href=\"\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/oem-cable-specification-sheet\/\">cable specification sheet guide<\/a>. For an OEM or own-brand programme, the jacket is also the layer that carries the brand printing, which is handled as part of the <a href=\"\/en\/oem-audio-cable-manufacturer\/\">OEM and own-brand cable programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Is PVC or matt EPVC better for speaker cable?<\/h3>\n<p>The speaker cable constructions in the LBS range are recorded with a PVC jacket and PVC conductor insulation, so PVC is the specification those products are built to. Matt elastic PVC is recorded on the DMX512 stage lighting signal cables, where a non-reflective, supple jacket matters because the cable stays visible on stage. The choice follows the application and the layer, not a general ranking of the two materials.<\/p>\n<h3>Does the jacket material change the electrical performance of the cable?<\/h3>\n<p>No. The jacket is the outer sheath and carries the mechanical and environmental duty, while the conductor insulation is the dielectric on each conductor and the shielding controls interference. When a project changes the jacket compound, the conductor, the shielding and the pair geometry stay as specified.<\/p>\n<h3>What service temperature can I quote for LBS cable?<\/h3>\n<p>Where the product data records a service temperature, the value is &minus;20 &deg;C to +70 &deg;C, and it is recorded on the audio signal and Ethernet cable records. Those records do not carry a temperature field on the speaker cable constructions, so a specific temperature should be raised as a project requirement and confirmed against the construction to be supplied.<\/p>\n<h2>Next step<\/h2>\n<p>If you are specifying jacket or insulation material for a construction in the <a href=\"\/en\/product-category\/speaker-cable\/\">Speaker Cable range<\/a>, the <a href=\"\/en\/product-category\/audio-signal-cable\/\">Audio Signal Cable range<\/a> or the <a href=\"\/en\/product-category\/ethernet-cable\/\">Ethernet &amp; Network Cable range<\/a>, send the layer, material, colour, jacket O.D., printing and the environment the cable works in through the <a href=\"\/en\/contact\/#inquiry-form\">enquiry form<\/a> and LBS will confirm it against the range it manufactures.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Article\",\n      \"headline\": \"Cable Jacket and Insulation Materials for Pro Audio Cable\",\n      \"description\": \"How the jacket and the conductor insulation differ, what the LBS product records state for the speaker, DMX512 signal, Ethernet and AV ranges, and how to specify the layers in an enquiry.\",\n      \"author\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"LBS AudioCable Factory\"},\n      \"publisher\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"LBS AudioCable Factory\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/\"},\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/en\/2026\/10\/14\/cable-jacket-and-insulation-materials\/\"\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n      \"mainEntity\": [\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"Is PVC or matt EPVC better for speaker cable?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"The speaker cable constructions in the LBS range are recorded with a PVC jacket and PVC conductor insulation, so PVC is the specification those products are built to. 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Roll lengths, carton and pallet quantities are a separate purchasing question and are covered in the speaker [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technical-guides"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=975"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/975\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":978,"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/975\/revisions\/978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbscable.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}