i used monster xlr's when i first started taping and they lasted my quite a while, now arapahoe joe has them. they've got a lifetime unlimited warranty, which is nice. if you ever fuck up a cable, even if it's your own fault, you can take it to any shop that sells monster cables and exchange it for free, no questions asked. pretty nice to have that, if you ask me. but as others have said, there are probably better options out there for the same price.