What’s the difference between the series?
The three series meet three distinctly different needs.
The PCF-Deluxe (PCF-DL) is for the price-sensitive musician. If you need a quality flat patch cable, but are on a tight budget, the PCF-Deluxe is your cable.
If you value the space-saving feature the most, look no further than the Premium Gold (PG) cable! At this point, and as far as we know, it is the most compact patch cable on the market. The Premium Gold cables won the “Best Flat Patch Cable” title in Guitar World’s 2025 Buyer’s Guide and are the best-selling model online.
Suppose you like the concept of flat patch cables and are ready to pay a little extra for maximum durability, shielding, and signal quality. In that case, the High Performance (HP) cable is what you need, with its braided tin-plated copper shield adding protection and enhanced durability.
What’s up with the names? They all sound like they claim the premium position.
It would be much easier if the EBS flat patch cable series were called Great (PCF-DL), Better (PG), and Best (HP).
But the names of the flat patch cables at least make some sense if you know their history.
Flat patch cables were not available at all before EBS invented the original PCF cable (PCF as in Patch Cable, Flat). And even if we thought we had figured out something clever, we didn’t expect the way they would soon smash the market, which is why we didn’t bother giving it a sexier name than “PCF”.
Once we understood the potential, we kept thinking of the next step. We figured out a way to make them even more compact and added gold-plated contacts to introduce a more ‘premium’ option, which became the Premium Gold cable. At the same time, we kept the PCF model as the most affordable option. By this time, the PCF cables had begun to build a reputation, so we kept the name to maintain momentum.
Next up, we noticed a layer of musicians who were still not convinced about using flat patch cables. The category that always goes the extra mile and is willing to pay a little extra to achieve tonal nirvana. So we developed a new cable with a braided tin-plated copper shield and called it the High Performance series, which you see a cut-through illustration of below. 
Then we noticed that other companies were trying to copy the concept, so we kept working hard to stay ahead by continuing to develop the design. In 2021, we updated the PCF and HP models with more compact contact housings, almost the size of the Premium Gold, and added a gold-plated tip on the PCF model. We kept the name High Performance but added the word ‘Deluxe’ to the PCF model. And that’s where we are right now with PCF-Deluxe (great), Premium Gold (better), and High Performance (best).
So, what’s next?
EBS will always try to keep a distance from copycats by continuing to develop the cables. So, make no mistake, there is more to come.
Parallel to the development above, EBS has introduced space-saving cables to distribute power on your pedalboard, either from a single one-spot source like the EBS AD9 Pro power supply or the more recently introduced RUNSTEN multi-power supply. There is also a flat Midi Cable with a flexible contact housing, a DIY cable kit with a bulletproof design, and more length options to all kinds of cables added recently. Get a glimpse and a summary of the origins of EBS space-saving pedalboard accessories in this video.