Bronze Member Username: Cobra11Post Number: 78 Registered: Oct-06 | While at my local audio / home theather shop, I noticed they carry a very expensive brand of speaker and video cables with the brand of MIT. These appear to be available in various grades (ie: Magnum, Shotgun, AVT etc) and lengths. Does anyone have any feedback as to the benefit of using these cables? A customer who was buying a set indicated that the cable needed to "charge" up for about two days and then the audio change in his speakers was incredible. I would assume there is some on board electronics / capacitor in the cables, as the end of the cable which is nearest the speaker had an inline black box (none powered). |
New member Username: KretonPost Number: 8 Registered: Nov-06 | I say total BS. I was lent those cables by my favorite audio shop and they did not make even a small difference. Last week I was talking to one of their new employees who accepted that it's just simple copper wrapped inside gorgeous looking silicon. The top price is 24K $ ?! Twentyfour grands ! Their web site states that many studios and this and that use those cables. I believe MIT Cables gives those cables for free or with enormous discount so as to put the names on the website. There is a looooong discussion somewhere in this site about speaker cables, I believe in the accessories section. You'll enjoy it. |
New member Username: KretonPost Number: 9 Registered: Nov-06 | If you are very very anxious about something, have very high expectations (i.e., after paying 24K for speaker cables) then you will obviously listen to hear a difference. I remember reading about many such stuff in my social psychology course. They can make a guy accept that 2+3=6 by putting him in difficult social setting...like a serious group of nerds. And there is the stanford prison experiment, one of the ultimate social psychology experiments ! http://www.prisonexp.org/ And when you listen so critical, you will hear things that you otherwise hear but do not care, minute details etc. These unimportant details may appear to the buyer as magnificant improvements. In essence, the critical listening turns into a make-believe world. |
New member Username: SpasticteapotPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-06 | I say "fugheddaboudit". High-grade CAT5e is cheap (3 feet for a buck!), and is supposed to match even the best in expensive cables. |
Silver Member Username: Rick_rossPost Number: 625 Registered: May-06 | yo |
Silver Member Username: StefanomSilver Spring, MD United States Post Number: 243 Registered: Apr-06 | "High-grade CAT5e is cheap (3 feet for a buck!), and is supposed to match even the best in expensive cables." Keep in mind that each length of CAT 5 is equivalent to a single 15 gauge or two 18 gauge conductors. Also, the capacitance of CAT 5 cabling is not all that low, meaning it could cause problems with some finicky amplifiers. However, audioholics found that 4 or 6 lengths of CAT 5 braided together in a certain way performed well in all aspects, and was still relatively cheap. It is ugly as sin though, and it takes some work to put together. PS: IF you wanted to go this route, you might as well get CAT 6, as it has tighter tolerances than CAT 5. |
Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 4602 Registered: Dec-04 | http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/ffrc_e.html |
Silver Member Username: GamerdudeOntario Canada Post Number: 259 Registered: Apr-06 | What about using eithernet cable for speaker cable? Link? |
Silver Member Username: StefanomSilver Spring, MD United States Post Number: 244 Registered: Apr-06 | CAT5/6 is ethernet cable. |
Silver Member Username: StefanomSilver Spring, MD United States Post Number: 245 Registered: Apr-06 | As for the link http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/interconnects/DIYSpeakerCablesp1.html Looks like a giant pain in the butt for marginal gains to me, but what do I know. Then again, I'm happy using my low end 12 gauge Audioquest wiring. |
Bronze Member Username: Cobra11Post Number: 82 Registered: Oct-06 | The anticable is getting pretty good reviews and is fairly inexpensive... www.anticables.com |
Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 4606 Registered: Dec-04 | Here is Frank Abela's take on the small wire twist... https://www.ecoustics.com/cgi-bin/bbs/board-profile.pl?action=view_profile&prof ile=frank_abela-users And a few reasons why. |
Platinum Member Username: Project6Post Number: 11479 Registered: Dec-03 | Nuck, Can you tell me about the speaker wires you are using? |
Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 4610 Registered: Dec-04 | Berny, presently I use Liberty 14g bi-wire. 4x6 strand, each in a poly vinyl jacket, no shield, with a simple poly vinyl white sheath. This is common comm wire, used in a zillion applications. Spades are 16g Rat Shack siler coated, crimped. I warmed them for a smooth of silver solder, each conn shrink wrapped in max wrap #14 tubing. The shrinks and solder were done under a cloud of argon (common welding gas). The gas thing was because I had it, and was tipsy, a friend was there, all for effect, you see. Are you home yet? |
Platinum Member Username: Project6Post Number: 11480 Registered: Dec-03 | Yes, thank you Nuck. Liberty wire....I am going to try it out. However, the SF is not bi-wire capable so that is out of the equation. |
Platinum Member Username: Project6Post Number: 11481 Registered: Dec-03 | Got home weekend before Hallow's Eve. |
Silver Member Username: Rick_rossPost Number: 695 Registered: May-06 | yo |
New member Username: Duong_danielSingapore Post Number: 5 Registered: Aug-06 | did any one use eithernet cable for speaker cable? any effect? please share |