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New member Username: MizrachiBrooklyn, Ny Usa Post Number: 10 Registered: Apr-04 | Can someone recommend the best cable value. i've heard so many conflicting things regarding cables and interconnects, plugs, power, etc. i get the feeling my cables are going to cost more than my speakers! Help! |
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Peter M Unregistered guest | Before anything else your number 1 consideration with wire should be the gauge. The lower the number the thicker the wire. This means lower resistance. At 25 degrees Celsius, 100 feet of 16 gauge copper wire will have 0.4 Ohms of resistance. This means that if you use that wire with 4 Ohm speakers, 10% of your power will be lost in the wire. Also, because speaker impedance is nonlinear, that series resistance will negatively impact frequency response. 14 gauge wire will be 0.25 Ohms per 100 feet. 12 gauge will be .16 Ohms per 100 feet and 10 will be 0.10 Ohms. Shorter wires will have less resistance. The connections between the speakers and the amp must be clean and tight, or you will add unnecessary resistance there. Cheaper wire will oxidize faster, even under the insulation, but this is of secondary importance. The number of stands will affect mechanical flexibility. People say they can hear the difference in wire brands of the same gauge. I think it's because of all the marketing and hype that started with Monster about 15 years ago. Unless you are dealing with hundreds of feet of wire, the wire design will have an immeasurable impact. Moving the speakers a few inches after changing wires will have a bigger effect on the sound, so don't get talked into spending big bucks on wires. |
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Silver Member Username: Elitefan1Post Number: 354 Registered: Dec-03 | Shimon, Any good name brand 14 gauge speaker cable will work just fine. For good interconnects for a bargain price I like the Phoenix Gold brand that I bought from Crutchfield. A 3 ft analog interconnect is $12.99 I believe and I have used Monster and AR and have found the Phoenix to be the best buy of the three. I am also using Phoenix s-video and optical cables and like them very much. For around $20.00 or a bit less each I have not found any better. IMO spending hundreds of dollars on cable and interconnects is foolish in the extreme. I am not a fan of Crutchfield but these Phoenix products are a real bargain, even from them. |
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Anonymous | There is no doubt different audio interconnects have different sound quality and characteristics. Lord knows I've owned enough. I've found that even with inexpensive equipment, decent interconnects are important for quality sound reproduction. You do not need to spend a too much either. I like Signal Cable for individually well made cable. Very affordable. |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 16 Registered: Apr-04 | Years ago, I coughed up about $900 for state of the art Straight Wire Maestro Cables and interconnects. At the time, they were AS GOOD as anything else and I was completely satisfied. Over the years, technology "trickles down" to more affordable models. Now in reassembling a system, I bought some SWire Rhapsody interconnects from a friend in Florida for $80. They are 90% of the resolution of the previous $250 Maestro interconnects for $80 dollars ($150 new). I also bought an 8 food pair of SWire SEXTET cables. They are about 80% of the astonishing clarity of my Maestros ($600 pair) for $100. I then auditioned a pair of NEW SWire Symphony cables $150 and found the midrange resolution, the upper end clarity and the bass performance to be virtually the equal of my older Maestros. For certain, if you want some cables and want to try $100ish of upgrades, you can audition the SWire cables and I'm CERTAIN you'd be completely happy. Many audio dealers will let you demo a pair of cable/interconnects if you leave a deposit etc. Don't just cop-out and buy Monster cable. Audiogon.com has GREAT deals on used cables, which virtually NEVER wear out. |
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Silver Member Username: Disco_stanMinnesota Post Number: 118 Registered: Dec-03 | Shimon, Try this link http://www.impactacoustics.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=209&sku=29177 and see what you think. For speaker cables I think I might try a pair and I'm sure I'll be satitfied. For interconnects I would take Elite Fan's word and go with the Pheonix Gold cables, I also have a pair of those coming soon. |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 17 Registered: Apr-04 | Matt - after reviewing the Impact acoustics product via the URL you supplied, it appears as though those are just patch cords. Some of the Phoenix Gold interconnects do appear worthwhile as Phoenix has had a successful stay in car audio circles. |
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mab Unregistered guest | just get ones that are SHIELDED or DOUBLE SHIELDED and that are really THICk WRIER... |
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Silver Member Username: Lockaudio801Post Number: 114 Registered: Apr-04 | shimon ben david, The choice and recommendations on which cable gear to use for your systems is as vast as the Pacific Ocean! Lemme give you these few tips: 1.) When buying always make it a point to be cost conscious as possible. Have a good listen on the entry level gear preferably in the comforts of your system. There may still be audio dealers out there who may offer you a loaner or a money back option. 2.) Once you have hooked up the cables and wires give it a little time to stabilize well with the rest of your system before playing anything. Once done leave them as they are and try not to initiate any changes on it's position if you can. For if so you may need to re-orient them once more. 3.) Lastly if the sound you hear gives you the satisfaction you need you have now established a point of reference. This norm will be constantly tested and seek constant reaffirmation from you as you indulge yourself more and more to the audio bug which is a lifetime condition. The process will lead you to explore the unknown. Just as man now attempts to reach Mars so will you in your quest for high fidelity. At this stage and level you would have already matured to a higher level, of course your views and preferences would be totally different from when hence you began. There are only two things which will carry you through all this experience. and they are your EARS. |
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Silver Member Username: Disco_stanMinnesota Post Number: 120 Registered: Dec-03 | Chicobiker "Matt - after reviewing the Impact acoustics product via the URL you supplied, it appears as though those are just patch cords." Just patch cords? Where do you get that? Am I not understanding what you ment by patch cords, from what I read, they are speaker cords |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 18 Registered: Apr-04 | UPgraded speaker cable manufactureres and subsequently the wholesale advertisers and resale distributors usually give a glimpse, diagram or explanation of what wire windings, internal configurations, materiel selection, jacket type, termination options etc are featured in their cables as the means to better sound. If you just see an ad in a catalog, website, sidebar, etc, that gives no explanation of WHY that cable should sound better than OEM patch cords, then your're just getting dressed up patch cords which is a REAL waste of money. |
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Silver Member Username: Disco_stanMinnesota Post Number: 122 Registered: Dec-03 | Ah..All right, well...for for 20 bucks its worth a shot. And Chicobiker, where would you purchase a set of Swire cables? |
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Bronze Member Username: RobertinchicoPost Number: 19 Registered: Apr-04 | You can look at their website for phone #'s, e-mail and inquire about dealers that offer at-home auditions or look in your yellow pages. They have a friendly staff. http://www.straightwire.com. You'll find that any of their LEVEL 2 cables and interconnects will bring an amazing, affordable and welcome amount of detail, focus, and sonic accuracy to any system. The more you move up, the more you'll hear, but LEVEL 2 is just SO GOOD. If the stereo budget is tight, try level one. I have SWire on my DVD, TV, VCR, amp, CD and speakers. Try audiogon.com for used cables which work perfectly well at great prices. |
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Silver Member Username: Disco_stanMinnesota Post Number: 124 Registered: Dec-03 | Great! Well I'll look in to that for cable ups. |
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Unregistered guest | signal cable has a very good reputation for affordable high end cabling. Here's there web site http://www.signalcable.com |
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New member Username: MongoTucson, AZ USA Post Number: 6 Registered: Apr-04 | I think Peter M. had it right: wire gauge is the most important aspect of a speaker cable. I looked at Monster and others, then went to Home Depot and found 12 Gauge speaker wire for less. I paid $129 for a 250 foot spool ($0.516/foot) of 12 AWG 2-conductor clear-insulation Carol Brand "Command Series" "Premium Grade Speaker Cable" (UL Listed Type CL2). I got the full spool because I had to hook up 7 speakers, and 2 of those were in another room (Zone 2 on my Harmon/Kardon receiver). I don't claim to have "golden ears", I just know that my new system sounds really great to me. Carol is a brand of General Cable: http://www.generalcable.com/ In their eCatalog, there is one cable grade that looks definately better to me: "Studio Grade". The main difference from "Premium Grade" is that "Studio Grade" has silver plated conductors which will lower resistance. Gotta cost more, though. |
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New member Username: FeotHouston, TX USA Post Number: 6 Registered: Apr-04 | Tara Labs is the best cable for your buck. http://www.taralabs.com/ |