Hosa CBT-500 Audio Cable Tester

Designed to quickly and easily check a variety of cable types, the new CBT-500 Cable Tester enables one to verify the integrity of a cable before interconnecting equipment. The CBT-500 makes an invaluable addition to one’s ‘tools of the trade’ and is ideal for use when preparing for a concert, a studio recording session, or an installation as well as checking cables afterwards in order to ensure working operation the next time.

The new CBT-500 Cable Tester makes testing a wide range of cables commonly encountered in the music / pro audio environment a snap. The compact, handheld unit is capable of testing the following cable terminations:

• XLR (3-pin and 5-pin)
• Balanced and unbalanced phone (standard guitar-type cable)
• Phono (RCA)
• speakON® (with support for 2-pole, 4-pole, and 8-pole connectors)
• DIN (multi-pin, including 5-pin DIN commonly used for MIDI equipment)
• Ethernet (RJ-45)
• USB Type A to Type B (standard USB to the square USB connector found on most audio interfaces)

In addition to providing the necessary connectors to test the various cable types, the Hosa CBT-500 Cable Tester is also easy to use, consisting of a front panel rotary knob and two rows of 8 LEDs-one row amber colored, the other row green. These LED’s facilitate easy checking of the individual pins found in any of the supported cable types. The rotary knob enables one to switch from one pin to the next. As an example, by connecting both ends of an XLR cable to the unit, one can systematically check pin 1 to pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2, and pin 3 to pin 3. If both LEDs illuminate, the connection is passing signal. If not, the connection is broken.

The new CBT-500 is also equipped with removable leads-commonly referred to as test probes-to verify the continuity of additional connectors and jacks. This capability is particularly convenient when making cable repairs, as it enables one to check the actual replacement connector.

The Hosa CBT-500 Cable Tester is constructed of metal to withstand field abuse and operates with a standard 9-volt battery (included). The device also provides a battery check function to ensure proper working condition prior to use.

Jose Gonzalez, Hosa Technology’s Product Manager, commented on the new CBT-500 Cable Tester, “The CBT-500 is an incredibly versatile and capable tool that no electronic musician or audio professional should be without. With support for most connector types that one is likely to encounter, this rugged, handheld tester makes it easy to know whether a particular cable or connector will pass signal-before it becomes a problem in the field. With the included test probes, continuity testing of additional connectors, jacks, or bare wire is equally quick and easy. I’m confident our new cable tester will help people avoid signal transmission failures in their work.”