SM Pro Audio CT2 Cable Tester

6-position rotary selector with individual LED's for up to five pins plus internal battery life check, Rugged construction, multiple connections

Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10

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"Quality product. Excellent value. Includes DMX (photo is older CT-1 model)."

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
 
 
 
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:
The CT-2 includes most of the connectors I commonly use for audio/video/lighting. It tests not only straight-thru cables but also adapters. Add 1/8" and 3/32" adapters to the kit and it's got quite a bit of the common stuff covered. Note that the photo is of the CT-1 unit (at least as of 2007/03/08). The CT-1 is silver; the CT-2 is black and adds the DMX connectors, necessitating relocation of some connectors: the banana jacks, phono, and BNC connectors are on the front of the CT-2. If you really study the photo at http://www.smproaudio.com/CT2.htm you will note that the left XLR connector is labeled "XLR/m". This label is incorrect (and actually appears on my unit) -- the left XLR connector is actually female.

Quality:
Rugged. Metal case. Good connectors. Rubber feet. Fit/finish are good. Looks good. I just received it today, but I expect that it will accept some abuse.

Value:
A bargain at $30. It even includes a pair of red/black test leads for continuity testing. No case is included (but it fits nicely in an old Sonicare tooth brush zippered travel case).

Ease of Use:
Testing straight-thru connectors is intuitive. Adapters, however, require some thought. Either (1) document your results with known-good adapters before you have to diagnose a problem or (2) download my cheat sheet which covers some common adapters.(http://www.tritel.net/~eelliott/CSC/Confidential/Download/SM_Pro_Audio_CT-2_connector_wiring.pdf). I rate it highly because it includes a lot of connectors for $30. There are probably testers that test multiple connections simultaneously (rather than one wire at a time) with more automation that cost a lot more. When researching testers, I finally identified one Italian unit with a similar connector complement that looked more sophisticated, but fortunately couldn't find a USA retailer -- which forced me keep looking until I found the CT-2.

Overall:
If you need DMX, this is the tester. Even if you don't need DMX, it's got the other connectors pretty well covered in a well built, competitively-priced unit.

3 of 3 people (100%) found this review helpful. Did you?

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"Great product @ an affordable price"

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
 
 
 
zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.
Feature:
Has all the inputs you need.. for the ones it doesn't have, it includes leads for continuity testing. It even has a battery check, so you can tell if your battery is dead.

Quality:
Heavy, feels sturdy. Has rubber feet. No case though, but you probably don't really need one. The only problem I had with quality is where the batter goes. Kind of annoying to have to stuff the 9 volt battery and the wires in the hole, and then screw the plate on. They should have given it just an extra 1/16 of an inch of space. Not really a big deal though.

Value:
Having a cable tester is invaluable. Especially when you use a bunch of different cables from many different sources. Not to mention this cable tester is very affordable.

Desirability:
Looks nice, seems sturdy, has everything you need.

Ease of Use:
Extremely easy to use. The one page instructions don't really explain what you're looking for, and I've never used a cable tester before, so I wasn't sure what exactly I was doing. But I plugged the cords in, and turned the knob.. and it's pretty easy to figure out by yourself.

Support:
I didn't have to contact support. But I gave it a 9 because of the not-so-detailed instructions. But very easy to use, so the instructions aren't all that important.

Overall:
Great piece of equipment. A cable tester is a must. I've had this tester for a few months, and have had no problems with it. This one is one of the cheapest ones available, and for all the features and the sturdy design.. I see no reason to buy anything else. Unless of course you need to test multiple cables at the same time, this cable tester, and no cable tester in this price range is capable of that.

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