Did I make a bad speaker cable purchase?

Quick background first: I've had my RTi A7s for a couple months and am finally getting around to upgrading the rest of my setup accordingly. I recently purchased a B&K EX-442 amp to go with my Denon x3300 (thanks for the help re: that forum post guys), which should improve the speakers dramatically while adding a bit warmer sound, which I tend to like (not that the A7s were too harsh). Along with the amp, I purchased a some BJC LC-1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OJLNEOU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) cables to run between the amp/receiver based on some budget conscious recommendations on this forum.

Now, I'm looking to swap out the cheap Frys speaker cable I have running to the A7s, but I think I made a mistake. I read that Canare 4S11 is a good budget option and bought some off Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SPVJDRW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) before I realized the recommendation was for the BJC Canare 4S11.

*Now for my question(s)*

Should I return the Canare 4S11 and get the BJC version? I assume the assembly can make a difference, but we're already talking about rather minor sonic differences between cable, given the rest of my setup. I also realize I didn't take care of the jumper plate, which means I'll need to make another purchase for jumper cables assuming I don't send what I bought back and get something bi-wired. On that note, since I went the budget route with the BJC LC-1, would it even make a difference if I, for example, hit up Doug for some nice custom-made cables like these: http://douglasconnection.com/Custom-Made-Furez-12AWG-Bi-Wire-OFHC-Speaker-Cables-DCF124BW.htm?

Ideally, I'd like to keep my cable purchases to a budget amount -- which is currently ~$126 for the receiver->amp and amp->speaker runs. I know there's a difference as you get higher quality runs, but I'm hesitant to spend significantly more at this point with a small return on SQ. In short, if you have budget recs/alternatives to what I bought, please share. If you have a somewhat pricier recommendation but can vouch for a major SQ difference, I'm also interested in hearing it.

Thanks in advance!

Comments

  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,033
    You will do just fine with the Canare based upon the gear you will be using it with.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,052
    Canare is Canare cable...............no matter who sells it.

    The BJC stuff is the same as the Amazon stuff.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    edited April 2017
    Send it back! Get some 10awg Furez from Doug and some good banana's from Amazon. Make your own for about $60.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • rpf65
    rpf65 Posts: 2,127
  • warren
    warren Posts: 756
    Work, it's a four letter word..
    Some final words,
    "If you keep banging your head against the wall,
    you're going to have headaches."
    Warren
  • adrift02
    adrift02 Posts: 25
    edited April 2017
    Thx for the answers guys. I'm going to send back the Canare I bought because it's not bi-amped. Still deciding whether I want to save a buck and reorder the BJC Canare bi-amped or go with the more expensive option from Doug. If I went that route I'd be doubling what I'm paying for cables though, especially if I don't make it from parts. Just not sure it's worth it over BJC given my setup, which is mid-fi at best...

    I'll think about it and I appreciate all the responses!
  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    Just make jumpers out of the Canare, you don't need to return it.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,033
    adrift02 wrote: »
    Thx for the answers guys. I'm going to send back the Canare I bought because it's not bi-amped. Still deciding whether I want to save a buck and reorder the BJC Canare bi-amped or go with the more expensive option from Doug. If I went that route I'd be doubling what I'm paying for cables though, especially if I don't make it from parts. Just not sure it's worth it over BJC given my setup, which is mid-fi at best...

    I'll think about it and I appreciate all the responses!

    Dougs cables are connected to many rigs here. His stuff is top notch as is his integrity. You will be doing yourself a favor by going with him.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • Moose68Bash
    Moose68Bash Posts: 3,842
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    That's good counsel, @adrift02.

    Doug and his products are excellent and excellent value. For the budget you have, he'll give you a good product, or he will tell you how to get what you are looking for.

    On another note, perhaps others on this Forum have differing opinions, but My experience with Canare 4S11 cables is that they are very bright, the opposite of the coloration you said you were looking for.
    Family Room, Innuos Statement streamer (Roon Core) with Morrow Audio USB cable to McIntosh MC 2700 pre with DC2 Digital Audio Module; AQ Sky XLRs to CAT 600.2 dualmono amp, Morrow Elite Speaker Cables to NOLA Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 speakers. Power source for all components: Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One with dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel.

    Exercise Room, Innuos Streamer via Cat 6 cable connection to PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC w/Bridge II, AQ King Cobra RCAs to Perreaux PMF3150 amp (fully restored and upgraded by Jeffrey Jackson, Precision Audio Labs), Supra Rondo 4x2.5 Speaker Cables to SDA 1Cs (Vr3 Mods Xovers and other mods.), Dreadnaught with Supra Rondo 4x2.5 interconnect cables by Vr3 Mods. Power for each component from dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel, except Innuos Statement powered from Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One.

  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,776
    $12 and peace of mind..
  • adrift02
    adrift02 Posts: 25
    edited April 2017
    So let's say I went with Doug. Would I need to replace the BJC interconnect as well? Seems like differing cables in the line from source to speaker would matter.

    Regarding turning the Canare into a jumper, how would I go about that being that they're already terminated with bananas?
  • rpf65
    rpf65 Posts: 2,127
    Not absolutely necessary to change interconnects to agree with speaker wire. Sometimes they don't mesh well, sometimes they do. If there is something about the sound you dislike, describe it, include all components and wire/cable, and you'll get more advise than you want.

  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,623
    Canare 4S11 is a fantastic budget cable.

    You have zero need to send it back.

    I've used it for years and I find it to be a very neutral cable.

    Personally I buy it unterminated and terminate with AudioQuest BFA's.

    It's used to wire up all of my HT speakers...
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    The Canare cable is a good budget cable, but wouldn't be my first choice if looking to add warmth or tame the highs on those speakers. In the world of Budget cables, new....can't really think of any with a warmer top end.

    Used cables, different story.

    Kimber cable, MIT, Acoustic zen, Analysis Plus, Wireworld.......come to mind. Gregg Straley Reality cables go for about 150 bucks for an 8 ft pair used and have some nice warmth to them.

    As far as speaker cables and interconnects matching, some prefer it, some don't. Think of a recipe to bake a cake, many ingredients to get the results you want. Cables are just an ingredient to tailor the sound to your preferences, they all don't have to match.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • adrift02
    adrift02 Posts: 25
    Thanks again, all. I'll give the Canares a shot with the amp and see how that goes before switching things around. While I generally prefer a warm, mid-focused sound signature, the A7s sound fine to me and aren't too bright. Once I'm running the B&K I think a brighter cable will probably pair nicely given how warm / tubey it's supposed to sound...
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    The A7's are inherently bright. If you don't think they are you've got a warm rig already or upper hearing loss. IMO.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • adrift02
    adrift02 Posts: 25
    They are definitely bright, just saying they aren't too bright for me (It's mainly sibilance that I'm sensitive to and can't stand). That being said, I'll definitely appreciate the warmer sig the B&K will bring, and I'm assuming the cable won't shift it too much the other way.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    adrift02 wrote: »
    They are definitely bright, just saying they aren't too bright for me (It's mainly sibilance that I'm sensitive to and can't stand). That being said, I'll definitely appreciate the warmer sig the B&K will bring, and I'm assuming the cable won't shift it too much the other way.

    I hope it works for you, have to try anyway right ? If sibilance is your thing, and to most people it is, budget cables usually don't conquer that issue. It's an inherit flaw I've found in many brands of budget cables. Some to a greater degree than others.

    Can also be the gear contributing to sibilance, or your source material. Sibilance is like tracking down ground loop hum, you just want it gone, but might take some detective work.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • adrift02
    adrift02 Posts: 25
    tonyb wrote: »
    adrift02 wrote: »
    They are definitely bright, just saying they aren't too bright for me (It's mainly sibilance that I'm sensitive to and can't stand). That being said, I'll definitely appreciate the warmer sig the B&K will bring, and I'm assuming the cable won't shift it too much the other way.

    I hope it works for you, have to try anyway right ? If sibilance is your thing, and to most people it is, budget cables usually don't conquer that issue. It's an inherit flaw I've found in many brands of budget cables. Some to a greater degree than others.

    Can also be the gear contributing to sibilance, or your source material. Sibilance is like tracking down ground loop hum, you just want it gone, but might take some detective work.

    So far so good with my setup. Sibilance pops up with some source material, but it's generally a bad recording, and I'd hear it with any remotely detailed speakers. The A7s are bright, but I haven't heard them turn up more sibilance than normal, which some of my very detailed IEMs will do. If I can get some silky smooth vocals out of the B&K + A7 combo I'll be a very happy camper.
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • helipilotdoug
    helipilotdoug Posts: 1,229
    Good Golly!! Thanks for all those kind words guys :)@Adrift02 Please contact me with any questions you might have. As a Club Polk member, you will get a 10% discount on most anything you purchase. Also, depending on the length you need, I might have some used cables you can pick up at substantial savings.
    https://www.douglasconnection.com/contactus.sc
    Sunfire Theater Grand IV
    Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature
    SRS 2.1TL
    SDA 2BTL's
    CSiA6
    FXiA4
    FXiA6
    SDA 2A's
    Monitor 10A's

    http://www.douglasconnection.com
  • scubalab
    scubalab Posts: 3,101
    Definitely great advice on going with Doug's stuff. I've had both the Canare 4S11 and some Furez (from Doug). To do what you want and to keep it on a budget, I'd go with this:

    http://douglasconnection.com/Furez-14AWG-4-Conductor-Speaker-Cable-Raw-FZ144.htm

    Twenty feet will run around $25 with the CP discount.

    Add 6 pair of these and you could bi-wire and still be under $100 total for the pair:

    http://douglasconnection.com/Audiophile-Gold-Plated-Locking-Banana-Plugs-MTBP192.htm

    Keep in mind that you'd need to build these yourself. That'd probably take 1/2 - 1 hour. Add some heatshrink for a cleaner look.

    I'd think 10 AWG is a little over-kill for 10' runs. You'd be fine with 12 or 14 AWG. Remember, the Canare 4S11 is four 14 AWG conductors. Not bi-wired, two conductors combined is about 11 AWG.

    All this said, if you like the Canare cables you already have from Amazon, for a couple bucks more, buy some raw 4S11 cable (You'd probably need less than two feet. Take 6" - 10" of the two red conductors, twist them and maybe add some spades (then do the same with two black conductors) and make matching jumpers. Easy peasy, and very cost effective. Personally, I don't think bi-wiring vs. single wire from the amp and a jumper wire of the same type will net you any difference in sound.

    Definitely talk to Doug though. He'll help to get you to exactly where you want to be. He can even hook you up with some adhesive heatshrink and tech flex if you want to go that far and DIY.
  • mrloren
    mrloren Posts: 2,454
    Here is the thread for the Furez I got from Doug. http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/165155/new-furez-cable-wow#latest

    I am going to replace the GLS locking banana's this weekend (if I have time) with Audioquest silver BFA plugs.
    When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
    Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
    Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
    Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 10,716
    Some would say match the connector and plug type. YMMV
  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,623
    I've used the silver BFA's with gold binding posts without issue.

    What would be the concern?