Are expensive cables worth it ?
Discussion
T22AGA said:
I am thinking of upgrading my cables but where to start .. Some 1m interconnects cost more than my whole system . Has any one had similar experience and do you get what you pay for ..
Its been years since i built my Hifi (about 15!) but the rule of thumb was always "spend 10% of the cost of your kit on the cables"....Snake oil. As long as the connectors are good enough quality to make firm connections, and they are bonded well to the cables, and the cables are sufficiently sized for the few mA with decent braided/foil earth sleeving, then one interconnect will perform like any other.
I would urge a blind test with a few different ones. They buy the cheapest ones that your ears approve of.
I would urge a blind test with a few different ones. They buy the cheapest ones that your ears approve of.
Watchman said:
Snake oil. As long as the connectors are good enough quality to make firm connections, and they are bonded well to the cables, and the cables are sufficiently sized for the few mA with decent braided/foil earth sleeving, then one interconnect will perform like any other.
I would urge a blind test with a few different ones. They buy the cheapest ones that your ears approve of.
Agree totallyI would urge a blind test with a few different ones. They buy the cheapest ones that your ears approve of.
And AV is so much more than money, positioning, room, decor, choice of beverage - just to start.
My record deck is 'has' to be tucked away because of the Memsaab, however just using it, to me makes it sound better.
She hates it, therefore it'll never sound good to her ears
LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN
Brill..!! Never heard that before but it's so true. It's unlikely a cable will make any actual difference to how your system sounds, unless the cable is incredibly badly designed, or simply a mismatch for the components you're using. E.g. Naim amps like to see a particular spec. of speaker cable (low capacitance, certain inductance) or can become unstable.
There's no evidence from controlled testing that different, properly specified, cables are audible (although many people claim to hear differences in their totally uncontrolled comparisons). OTOH some people like having a nice looking cable, which is a perfectly valid reason to buy one.
I'm sometimes faintly embarrassed by the cheap plastic phono interconnects in my system, as it "feels" wrong, but I know there's really no point in spending any more...
There's no evidence from controlled testing that different, properly specified, cables are audible (although many people claim to hear differences in their totally uncontrolled comparisons). OTOH some people like having a nice looking cable, which is a perfectly valid reason to buy one.
I'm sometimes faintly embarrassed by the cheap plastic phono interconnects in my system, as it "feels" wrong, but I know there's really no point in spending any more...
wasn't there a long and acrimonious thread on this before? and before..and before...
Try this one for a read:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Try this one for a read:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
stuckinarut said:
Buy cables from Monster, Chord or Siltech.
Nothing else will do. Period.
Disagree.Nothing else will do. Period.
Hifi - Is still the realm of snake oil.
Oxygen free copper is oxygen free copper. Just get a decent gauge.
For 99% of us - look inside your amplifier - All those wonderful resistors, capacitors etc are made of cheap components with tin. Not silver, gold, copper etc. Cheap tin with cheap solder. Average resistor cost £0.02
If you know how - work out the signal path - and the components it goes through.
Add up how much those components are at Maplin, RS etc etc
I'd wager £100 to your favourite charity - no-one can accurately identify which speaker cable is being used in a double blind test. I'll chose the cable's including your favourite - and if you can identify yours - the charity benefits.
You lose - and you give £20 to Children in need.
Oh - And that nice CEO of Monster cable has a nasty habit of bullying anyone or anything that has the word monster in it - including charities.
If you can hear a difference - and can afford it - and it makes you happy. Go for it. I've never met anyone who can pass the double blind test though.
Me - I'd rather spend extra money on hand wound output transformers, chokes etc. Anything in the signal path - quality components shine through.
Even a cloth eared nincompoop like me ( I do not have golden ears ) can hear the difference.
What works for me is getting the best components you can as near the source as possible.
Me - I'd rather spend extra money on hand wound output transformers, chokes etc. Anything in the signal path - quality components shine through.
Even a cloth eared nincompoop like me ( I do not have golden ears ) can hear the difference.
What works for me is getting the best components you can as near the source as possible.
Troubleatmill said:
If you can hear a difference - and can afford it - and it makes you happy. Go for it. I've never met anyone who can pass the double blind test though.
Me - I'd rather spend extra money on hand wound output transformers, chokes etc. Anything in the signal path - quality components shine through.
Even a cloth eared nincompoop like me ( I do not have golden ears ) can hear the difference.
What works for me is getting the best components you can as near the source as possible.
I'm on the NVA boat. The best component you can add is no component at all - (Richard Dunn)Me - I'd rather spend extra money on hand wound output transformers, chokes etc. Anything in the signal path - quality components shine through.
Even a cloth eared nincompoop like me ( I do not have golden ears ) can hear the difference.
What works for me is getting the best components you can as near the source as possible.
daddy cool said:
T22AGA said:
I am thinking of upgrading my cables but where to start .. Some 1m interconnects cost more than my whole system . Has any one had similar experience and do you get what you pay for ..
Its been years since i built my Hifi (about 15!) but the rule of thumb was always "spend 10% of the cost of your kit on the cables"....Scientists would question the methodology used in the following link but the conclusion is interesting http://www.hifiwigwam.com/archive/index.php/t-1786... If I'd spent £750 ( 6.4% of system cost )on a pair of dogs danglies interconnects to carry the signal from my £5000 TEAC Esoteric CD player to my £6000 Karan amplifier I would hope that I, or possibly one of my 5 mates who were listening too, could hear some kind of change when swapping over to a set of 'freebie' cables that had been given away with a Sony cassette deck 25 years earlier.
I'll just go and get some popcorn.
Edited by Crackie on Thursday 3rd October 16:50
Gassing Station | Home Cinema & Hi-Fi | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff