my hk reciever is about 10ft away from my athena asb2 bookshelfs ...i bought some monster 16gauge speaker wire the other day and it sounds realy good ...but since i read in forums that monster wires are over-rated and over-priced....i went to home depot and bought there 16gauge speaker wire as suggested by these kinds of forums....i tried both wires at home and i can say for sure the monster gave better detail to the music and movies....so wats the prob u ask....the price i paid for the monster wires is the prob not the sound...so id like to know were i can buy the same quality sound wire like the monster gives but for cheaper....id also like to know would a 12 or 14 gauge give me better sound then the 16 gauge even though i only need 15ft of wire.....id also like to say i dont agree wat ppl say the monster brand is like the bose brand....cuz bose costs to much and doesnt deliver good sound....but monster delivers good sound but just costs too much......so bottom line is monster is over-priced not over-rated
Don't the two go hand-in-hand? If it's not over-rated in performance considering its price, then it's not over-priced, right?
I'd rather use "Home Depot style" oxygen-free 12 AWG than similarly priced big brand name 16 AWG. But my runs are a bit longer than 15 feet.
If you can hear a difference, that's all that matters. Two things to watch out for: (1) when you put in a new wire, it gets fresh non-oxydised connections. People about to replace a wire might want to go through the motion and pretend they are replacing it and simply disconnect it and re-connect it. That doesn't appear to be a problem in your case since you tried both wires new, and weren't replacing an older wire. (2) The placebo effect is strong. Try to do the test blind if you can get someone else to connect the wires for you and not tell you which is playing.
Personnally, I don't care whether Monster are good or not. I simply dislike the way they do business, aggressively defending the brand name and suing everyone that uses the word Monster in any commercial context, even unrelated to audio/video.
(Yet another content-free useless post by Peter!)
Fester
Unregistered guest
Posted on
I generally agree with Peter on this. Though I'm surpised that you can hear a difference. Two lots of 16 guage copper wire will usually sound the same, no matter who imports it.
I tried the blind tests, A and B tests......you name it with 2$-2000$ wires and never could hear anything different! I tried really hard but nothing changed to my ears. I now have made all my own cables with all the bells and whistles and they look like a million bucks far only about a hundred!
Anonymous
Posted on
Very useless indeed Peter. Wiring makes a huge difference! Jay even stated he heard the difference. I doubt he was expecting much since he does read forums like these where people like yourself bash fine brands like Monster. As a result, the placebo effect may not be a factor. And as you say, it was new cable versus new cable, so there are no excuses with oxidation.
I use high grade Kimber Kable for all of my connections and it is most certainly superior to regular 12 gauge wiring. Perhaps if you could afford better wiring....
What's with the attitude? Peter expressed an opinion. Fester and Danman expressed similar or differing opinions with no bombs tossed. Can't you do the same thing?
I, too, use Monster cable, it's 10 years old, I cut off a bit periodically to get rid of oxidation and I probably paid too much for it. But, it's 10 years old, it still sounds great and I like litigation that puts money in lawyer's pockets, so I'm helping Monster pay for it. BUT then, that's just my opinion. :-)
Anonymous
Posted on
Note the last line of Peter's post. Mind you I don't have anything against the man, but if he wants to put that in there, he's got to be prepared to be zinged here and there.
HUGE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!?? That is very debateable! If it made that much a difference, I would be selling my homemade stuff that looks more prefessional than most of the stuff sold in stores!
Anonymous
Posted on
Indeed it is a hot topic. Nonetheless the original poster listened to both and came to the conclusion that Monster sounded better. So why do you take it upon yourself to disprove his experience. I'm sure it won't change your mind, and I doubt you will change his. Leave it be.
Danman, You are mainly right, and anon is mainly wrong.
However, wiring can make a big difference - but only in certain cases. Naim amplifiers, for example, insist on you using their cables. That is for a good reason, in that they blow up if they don't have the right amount of inductance, IIRC. Many valve amps sound much better with thin wires, don't ask me why 'coz Ive forgotten, but I'm sure Jan will come along and explain when he's back from his hols. Most combinations of 'normal' amps and speakers will sound identical with any reasonable wire that is used. The effect which Peter mentioned - oxidation - is a very real one. It can lead otherwise sensible people to think that they have made a real improvement (which in a way they have), but all they really needed to do was to chop off the end of their existing wire.
Why am I wasting my time writing this, when I could be setting up an internet site which sells re-packaged wire to the gullible?
Regards, diablo
Anonymous
Posted on
Good for you. Your experience was not asked for. As a result, it seems like you wanted to go out and contradict the original posters claim.
If you want to take it upon yourself to take me on, then go ahead. As I said, wiring is a hot topic. No debate has ended up with a victory on either side, just endless bickering. If this interests you, then bring it, because I love Kimber Kable and it makes a huge difference with my Bose 901's.
Also, if you can make something that looks fancy and sell it for a profit, more power to you.
Anonymous
Posted on
Diablo: And yet the original poster heard a difference. Amazing, huh?
I am glad you are in love with KIMBER and I really hope she is good in bed but now I realize that you have BOSE and I think that tells me more than you will ever know!
By the way, the only one I am contradicting is you! You were the one that said "HUGE DIFFERENCE" but in my opinion...............Bose! I won't say anymore or I will break my own golden rule!
Anonymous
Posted on
You're missing out Danman. Kimber and Bose is a combo that is impossible to beat. Sure, Bose sounds like crap with other wiring, but you step up to some high grade stuff like Kimbler Monocle XL and they open right up. But, I suppose it is your loss.
Dear Anonymous, I experimented with bi-wiring my speakers a few months ago. I am a skeptical person and didn't expect there to be any difference. However, it seemed much better - the sound seemed much fuller.
However, being skeptic that I am, I rigged up a test environment which enabled me to disable the bi-wiring in a random manner and test my reactions.
The result was that I couldn't really tell the difference. This is the same result which you will get with anyone who submits to blind testing. The changing of the wiring has a psychological effect which is hard to overcome, especially if you have spent lots of time and money on it.
That's why cable companies always dismiss ABX testing as somehow faulty - they know that their most expensive cable would do little better than bell wire, even with experienced 'golden-eared' people like yourself.
Anonymous
Posted on
Ohh and BTW, if you really did audition $2000 cables and couldnt tell the difference between them and zip cord, you are truly deaf.
Hey, you have Bose speakers and tell other people that they are deaf. OMG!!!
Anonymous
Posted on
Ohh diablo, I'm sure you know from your experience on here why ABX testing is considered invalid. Critical listening takes complete concentration. Being "tested" will break the concentration of any individual. Also, testing must follow the usage of the system. You cant just switch every 5 minutes to see if there is a difference. Unfortunately the problem this brings up is that our audio memory is faulty too.
Hear Ye Hear Ye!!!!!!!! Kimber cable has finally solved all of Bose's problems.....let's have a party.........I did not know what I was missing!
Gosh after all those years of listening to great stuff.........there goes my theory about JMLab's Utopias.....I guess I will buy Bose as my dream speaker with cables that are more expensive than the speakers themselves!!!!!!! DOH!
Anonymous, The usual reasons for invalidity of tests are bogus. I have heard complaints that switching between two identical sets of outputs from a CD player to the same amp somehow invalidates the test of interconnects, though this takes about 30 milliseconds.
More importantly, I thought you said that there was a 'huge difference', a few posts ago. How has that vanished into the hardly audible difference you seem to be claiming now?
Danman and Diablo, No point in arguing with someone who spends more money on speaker wire than the speakers themselves. What logic! That says it all!
Anonymous
Posted on
Diablo: People claim "huge" differences between speakers; those differences require critical listening to realize, which in turn requires concentration.
Danman: Better recognize son.
Tawaun: Ya damn right.
Anonymous
Posted on
Boy Eric, you're really smart huh! I subscribe to the garbage in, garbage out theory. Look at yourself for example. Your dad went in your mom garbage, and you came out garbage.
Ok..........if you say so! I'll get on that right now. I have decided to sell my stuff and buy expensive Kimber cables and Bose speakers and maybe a Radio Shack amplifier and Sanyo CD player at Wal-Mart since I will no longer have to buy good source equipment with these new miracle cables!
Anonymous, There ARE big differences between SPEAKERS. No arguments about that from me. Wires are a different matter though. They have small amounts of resistance, capacitance and induction. When paired with normal speakers which have a crossover circuit which has HUGE amounts of all three, then the wiring is insignificant. Speaker drive units have lots of nasty inductance, uneven resistance with frequency, as well!
Eric, I think you are right. Those who have ears, let them hear. Those who have over-flowing wallets but are not good at hearing, let them spend needlessly.
Anonymous
Posted on
Ohh you still need a Mark Levinson source Danman.
Anonymous
Posted on
And yet diablo, the original poster heard a difference.
BTW thanks for the comment about my father Anon. He just passed in January from cancer. I imagine my hands chocking your fool neck at this point after beating your face to a liquid consistency.
Anonymous, Thank you for confirming to the world that you are a low-life nothing sort of person, who dare not even register. Kindest Regards, diablo LOL
Anonymous
Posted on
LOL, fortunately I'm Anonymous huh Eric. Well here is a hint for you, my first name is Peter and my last name starts with a G and ends in a albraith. I live in Canada. Come get me. Ohh and, no I don't give a crap about your dad. May he rot in hell for helping to bring your sorry a$$ into this world.
Eric, I hadn't noticed that particular posting which you refer to. I will hold Anon down while you are beating him to a pulp.
Anonymous
Posted on
Sticks and stones may break by bones, but your hateful words can never hurt me el diablo. You guys are so mean on here. You really need to take a chill pill.
Well we know one thing he has to be 12 if he is mentioning a Qaulity company like Kimber in the same breath with Bose the biggest scam in consumer history.Sorry about your dad Eric if I knew where he lived I would buy you a PLane ticket to go and choke his Go.Da. A..
I know your not the real silver member Peter Galbraith because he would have better sense than to pair fancy wire with hopelessly crappy speakers. Tawaun and Diablo thanks for the support!
I know me and Peter dont like each other,but I know that was not him.
Anonymous
Posted on
I confess. My name is Tawaun A. Williams. I live in Dayton, Ohio. Is there anyway you can find it in your hearts to forgive me? I really don't want you to come to my house and choke me to death!
I think the best plan is to stop responding to this weed. In England he would be called a 'lobster' or, more likely, a 'tosspot'. I'm sure you have similar names for 'the little (sh)it' in the US and Canada. diablo
I think you guys were in a good hot topic until that idiot screwed it up.
Anonymous
Posted on
Yeah. Some poor guy said he could hear a difference between cables. Then Peter and Danman jumped on him arguing that he was full of it and that he's a moron. It was great.
Anonymous, I'm sure that the smell of your pubes would make anyone within 15 feet puke up. Something about your personality tells me that you will never have a girlfriend - or a boyfriend either. But that's just my initial impression. I may get to loathe you more very soon. I will not respond to any more posts, and I recommend others to do likewise.
Anonymous
Posted on
There are lots of us. A lot of us like to cause trouble. It's pretty entertaining to watch you guys with sticks up your rear squirm a little.
Anonymous
Posted on
Hi Diablo I'm married, but thanks for inquiring You're still a little b1tch
Who am I? What a question. Im a Leo, born in mid August. I like computers, stereo equipment, cars, movies, and cheap vodka. I've been married for almost a year now. I have a bachelors degree in Business Administration. What else do you want to know?
He has been married to Kimber for almost a year, owns a Pentium1, drives a Lada, last movie he remembers is Top Gun, bought his degree and runs a pawn shop that deals with second hand Bose speakers.
Well dont you ever post your name,me Danman and Edster go on bashing idiot sprees all the time and we always reveal ourselves.Dont you think you owe Eric and apology?
One sick dude eh? We should get back on track however and get back to the topic.
Anonymous
Posted on
Dude. Damnman and Edster may as well be "Anonymous" too. Its not like you know their names or anything else about them, except that Damnman is a Canuck with a flappy head and beady little eyes.
Ohh and Eric, I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.
Better?
Anonymous
Posted on
Ohh well. I shall bid you gentlemen adieu for the evening.
Well I have Kimber to but good speaker wire alone isnt gonna make anything good thats already mediocore.Its still about synergy like with all components.I've got $750 W.B.T. biwire cable that only worked with my Totem Arros and the Unison gear so price is not the biggest issue its the compatibility that counts and that includes everything in your system.
Yeah DH Labs are some good stuff very laidback and mellow still with lots of detail and a Huge deep soundstage,real friendly to partnering gear.Real good wire one of the best.
