Spearker cables..fact or fiction?
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bobt
Posts: 280
I don't under stand the price for speaker cables....some cost more then the equipment there hookup to....The price is insane. The Stereophile mags review these....of course there not going to say anything bad about them..they get paid to do this...then sit there and try to tell you....oh yes we hear this one gives you more highs, or this one is more clear.....BULL...
Sorry..it's a piece of wire...when you get to a certain point...thats about it.
I have a 12 gauge speaker cable, I will not say which kind. I went and spent $250 (on sale)...some supposed great cable......NO DAM DIFFERENCE.
No way you could tell the difference between the 2. Now OK...."MAYBE" if your playing some violin thing........MAYBE you could hear something different, but my guess would be NOT. If I changed cables on these "reviewers"...they would not have a clue............
OK, I play mostly rock and blues, but do throw in some classic music.
If Stravinsky, or Tchaikovsky..sound the same to me, over different cables..well I get the fact.....basically you have just been riiped off, because it's called "audiophile"....and no I'm not tone deaf...I've mixed CD's for people , run PA mixers...I know what good sound is.
It's like Boats...if it's marine..you pay a ton....same crap you can buy for cheap...Audiophile.....the price goes up.....
Most of this "sound" is precived..just because you spent..300 plus on a cable.
Sorry..it's a piece of wire...when you get to a certain point...thats about it.
I have a 12 gauge speaker cable, I will not say which kind. I went and spent $250 (on sale)...some supposed great cable......NO DAM DIFFERENCE.
No way you could tell the difference between the 2. Now OK...."MAYBE" if your playing some violin thing........MAYBE you could hear something different, but my guess would be NOT. If I changed cables on these "reviewers"...they would not have a clue............
OK, I play mostly rock and blues, but do throw in some classic music.
If Stravinsky, or Tchaikovsky..sound the same to me, over different cables..well I get the fact.....basically you have just been riiped off, because it's called "audiophile"....and no I'm not tone deaf...I've mixed CD's for people , run PA mixers...I know what good sound is.
It's like Boats...if it's marine..you pay a ton....same crap you can buy for cheap...Audiophile.....the price goes up.....
Most of this "sound" is precived..just because you spent..300 plus on a cable.
Post edited by bobt on
Comments
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This is kind of a divisive topic in these circles, you may want to search around a bit (and also, duck for cover).If you will it, dude, it is no dream.
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Oh Boy!!! I just put some popcorn on & chilled a few brewskies. Let the fun begin!!! :eek:"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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Well... now that this baby has finally been put to bed, I think I'll go back to feeding orphans and saving the planet. Thanks.I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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I guess Jesse's still sleeping!!!
"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Well the problem is...sorry..it's true.
Half of these supposed wonderfull cables are using Cat 5 or 6 cable..which i can buy for .50 cents a foot....It's just twisted pair cable used for computers.
So throw in some 20 dollor gold connectors..gee..you got the same crap they want 400 + for.
I design network layouts...i know all about cable...if you really think you can hear a difference...with your $400+ cables.....well good for you.
What I'm saying is..you can get great sound for cheap..If you know what to look for. A decent 12 gauge Beldon cable , stranded 99% copper...will give you as good a sound as some "Stereophile" cable at 4 times the price. -
I used to be a skeptic myself, a proudly proclaimed audio atheist...until I tried different interconnect cables for myself.
I swapped in some higher grade ICs and the first words out of my mouth were..."No way".
I still remain a skeptic, but I keep an open mind and my ears open - I try for myself and I trust my own ears. If I hear a difference and I like it as an improvement - I integrate into my own system.
And...I'm an engineer, too.
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
What you say may be true, or the problem might be your equipment is so lo-fi the cables do not make any differance. Then again, earwax buildup could also be an issue.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
Anyone need a drink. Pass the popcorn Phil.Michael
In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
NORTH of 60° -
OK..interconnet cables is NOT what i was talking about....speaker cables are.
I have SDA 1C's.....and don't have crap equipment.
Most of these insane dollor cables are made from type 5 or 6 cables....do you even know what they are??????
Do you even know what they were built for...my guess is NOT. Do you even know how thick they are? -
Ok, so what equipment do you have and what cables are you using?Michael
In the beginning, all knowledge was new!
NORTH of 60° -
I got a few questions for you since you know about cables....
1) What kind of system do you have?
2) Tell me about your speakers, Amps , sources , room etc.
3) Is your system properly calibrated?
4) Tell me about brand "Y" vs brand "X" and why they sound the same or different?
I would like to tell you about a thing I call Synergy in ones system.
DanDan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
It comes down to how revealing your system is, the better, the more revealing.
With my setup which is very modest compared to most here, I could tell an immediate difference going from Monoprice 12g to AQ type 4 I bought used here for a great deal ($80 total including shipping). They will not be coming out for a long time.
And for the price I paid, it was not the cost plasibal(sp?) effect.Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs -
Come to my house Bob with your inexpensive cables and we'll A/B them with my MITs and see if you can hear the difference.
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It's simple, Bob has absolutely no idea what he is talking about. If he did a search he'd have seen this has been discussed many times with the same outcome. Unless he's just trying to stir the pot!! Bob, do a search and do some reading so you can learn something before sounding off.
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Bob, if you don't think speaker cables make a difference, then don't buy expensive ones and the company you purchased the $250 ones from should be respectable enough to take them back since you are unhappy with them. Some people think they make a difference, and some people don't. If adding a $250 set of cables to ones system makes them happy, then isn't that their business?I don't under stand the price for speaker cables....some cost more then the equipment there hookup to....
I don't think this is true at all. Most members on here who have $250 speaker cables, probably have 5-10x dollar value worth of associated equipment, if not more. -
Higher price does not always mean better sound, I've been surprised by some lower priced cables, but do enjoy some pricier cables in my main rig. It mostly comes down to synergy.
Using a measuring microphone I have seen a differences in cables(over 3dB at certain freq). If you can't detect a difference of 3dB, you need to find another hobby."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
The posts here that make sense are all but Bob's
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Sorry..it's a piece of wire...when you get to a certain point...thats about it.
Not entirely. Some things that determine the effect speaker wires can have on sound are inductance, capacitance and resistance. You change these and you can alter the sound. How close the conductors are together, how far apart, passive network boxes, cable resistance, are factors that interact with speaker crossovers and amplifiers. Whether it is a positive or negative change is in the ears of the beholder. That is why speaker cables are referred to as tone controls.Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
OK..good lord..you people really don't get the fact of what these cables are made from.
Is my system calibrated?.....your jokeing right.
I have a set of SDA 1C's
Adcom 400 (not the best)
Sony XA3ES
Onkyo Intergra M-504
Plus other stuff..yes there set the right way off the wall.
Do i have aset seat from the speakers...NO..I move around the room.....I don't say that at 10 feet (or whatever)...this is the best...I tend to move as to what seems best for the recording..but the SDA handles that. But thats me. It depends on how loud i what to play it.
But dose the cable I'm using make a big difference......once you get to a certen level....NO -
But dose the cable I'm using make a big difference......once you get to a certen level....NO
Open mouth, insert foot.:D -
Enough said. :rolleyes:Do i have aset seat from the speakers...NO..I move around the room....."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
OK..good lord..you people really don't get the fact of what these cables are made from.
Is my system calibrated?.....your jokeing right.
I have a set of SDA 1C's
Adcom 400 (not the best)
Sony XA3ES
Onkyo Intergra M-504
Plus other stuff..yes there set the right way off the wall.
Do i have aset seat from the speakers...NO..I move around the room.....I don't say that at 10 feet (or whatever)...this is the best...I tend to move as to what seems best for the recording..but the SDA handles that. But thats me. It depends on how loud i what to play it.
But dose the cable I'm using make a big difference......once you get to a certen level....NO
Which old school Club Polk member are you under the secret name "bobt" trying to get the pot stirred up?;) -
You don't hear a difference...thousands of other people do. Congrats...you've saved yourself some money.;)
I myself, most definitely hear a difference...and will continue moving up the cable chain as time allows.
Like I said...if you really don't hear a difference, then congrats. You can put your money towards other things.The nirvana inducer-
APC H10 Power Conditioner
Marantz UD5005 universal player
Parasound Halo P5 preamp
Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's -
Half of these supposed wonderfull cables are using Cat 5 or 6 cable..which i can buy for .50 cents a foot....It's just twisted pair cable used for computers.
I've never seen a speaker cable that resembled Cat 5 in any way, shape or form. Not saying that one doesn't exist, but I've not seen one.Speakers: Polk LSi15
Pre: Adcom GFP-750 with HT Bypass
Amp: Pass Labs X-150
CD/DVD Player: Classe CDP-10
Interconnects: MIT Shortgun S3 Pro XLR
Speaker cables: MIT MH-750 bi-wire
TT:Micro Seiki DD-35
Cartridge:Denon DL-160
Phono Pre:PS Audio GCPH -
Well glad to think I have no idea about cable NJ...but sorry ..I do.
Do you even have a clue as to what these #5 cables are made from..that cost maga money???.......
Sorry but this is Telco cable used for computers ..it cost 50 cents per foot.
It is a twisted pair..do you know why???
Because they can slam more 0's and 1's down the line, without lossing transmition at high speed.
Basically the point is here......these high end cables..are far over priced for what you getting..and basically made for cheap!!!!!!! -
Then I would suggest that you use some Cat5 cable for your speakers, and if that's what makes your system sound good to you, sit back and enjoy the sound -- that's what it's all about anyway.Speakers: Polk LSi15
Pre: Adcom GFP-750 with HT Bypass
Amp: Pass Labs X-150
CD/DVD Player: Classe CDP-10
Interconnects: MIT Shortgun S3 Pro XLR
Speaker cables: MIT MH-750 bi-wire
TT:Micro Seiki DD-35
Cartridge:Denon DL-160
Phono Pre:PS Audio GCPH -
Well glad to think I have no idea about cable NJ...but sorry ..I do.
Do you even have a clue as to what these #5 cables are made from..that cost maga money???.......
Sorry but this is Telco cable used for computers ..it cost 50 cents per foot.
It is a twisted pair..do you know why???
Because they can slam more 0's and 1's down the line, without lossing transmition at high speed.
Basically the point is here......these high end cables..are far over priced for what you getting..and basically made for cheap!!!!!!!
This is your opinion. Thousands upon thousands of other people have heard very noticeable differences in cabling. I'm not sure why you're stirring the pot...do you think you're going to convince anyone that they're wasting their money? Cuz you're not. You're definitely not changing my mind on the subject.
Those who don't know...don't know, that they don't know.;)The nirvana inducer-
APC H10 Power Conditioner
Marantz UD5005 universal player
Parasound Halo P5 preamp
Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's -
Your kidding right...half of them are labeled #4 or #5....and even show the twisted pair.
Whatever..If you people think..the more you pay the better the sound.....fine.
I think a "good" 12 gauge 99% copper wire is going to do the same for you at a desent price!!!!!!!!!! -
You're right, they're all the same and sound the same too. How could I be so foolish?
"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
I wish speaker wire didn't matter. It would've saved me alot of time and money. You need to check out an RAS get together and you'd realize that there are huge differences in cabling. If you can't hear it then God bless.
This discussion has been closed.