Balanced TRS or XLR from the interface to each speaker, unless the monitors only offer RCA. Check the sockets on both ends before ordering, because monitor and interface makers do not agree on a standard.
Look at both ends
Interfaces usually offer balanced TRS or XLR outputs. Monitors vary: the Yamaha HS4 in our catalog takes XLR/TRS combo, RCA and stereo mini; the M-Audio BX4 takes 6.3 mm (0.25 in), 3.5 mm (0.14 in) and RCA. The cable follows the pair of sockets you actually have.
Why balanced matters here
Monitor cables run along a desk beside power leads and screens. A balanced connection rejects the interference that picks up; an unbalanced one collects it as hum.
Buy the length you need
Long enough to route tidily behind the desk, not so long that a coil sits behind the speaker collecting noise.
The questions players ask
Can I use instrument cables?
They will pass audio and lose the balanced connection, which is where hum comes from on longer runs. For a short desktop run it often works; it is not what the socket is for.
Do I need two cables?
Yes — one per speaker, from the left and right outputs of the interface. Only a few desktop pairs are linked by a single supplied cable.
Last reviewed 2026-08-18