Anyone used Dayton cables?

Romo
Romo Posts: 41
edited August 2010 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
Got my receiver, a pair of M70s, and a CS2 so I think it's time to pick up some cables. Does anyone have any experience with Dayton cables? I was going to pick up some SCP-6 from here and wondered if anyone had any experience with them?

I'd be open to other options too, don't have a huge budget for the cables. I was going to grab some from Blue Jeans Cable, but kind of like the look of the Dayton ones, and I don't have to bother terminating them myself.

Alex
Post edited by Romo on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited July 2010
    A good solid cable in my opinion would be Signal Cable--great solid built cable--IIRC CP members get a 5% discount

    http://www.signalcable.com/analog_interconnects.html

    and if you need a digital cable I have two from BJC you can have one for the small cost of shipping.How's that for a big Club Polk welcome :)
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • acmf74
    acmf74 Posts: 936
    edited July 2010
    I have heard very good reviews on this cable.

    I do have their HDMI cables and they too are a quality piece.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited July 2010
    You will be fine. I have a 33Ft HDMI cable driving my Projector and it is a quality piece that didn't cost me $400 like a Kimber HDMI that I just saw listed in Audio Advisor:eek:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,203
    edited July 2010
    jinjuku wrote: »
    You will be fine. I have a 33Ft HDMI cable driving my Projector and it is a quality piece that didn't cost me $400 like a Kimber HDMI that I just saw listed in Audio Advisor:eek:

    The OP didn't mention anything about long runs of HDMI cables. Just another opportunity for you to stir the pot about cables, as usual.

    To the OP, I would recommend the Signal Cables as one of the best bang for the buck going, if those are still out of your budget then the Dayton's will do the job for you.

    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!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • acmf74
    acmf74 Posts: 936
    edited July 2010
    when it's time to upgrade I'm definitely going to get the Signal Cable Ultras..
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Romo
    Romo Posts: 41
    edited July 2010
    heiney9 wrote: »
    To the OP, I would recommend the Signal Cables as one of the best bang for the buck going, if those are still out of your budget then the Dayton's will do the job for you.

    H9

    I looked at them, still not sure if they're in my price range. For a 6 foot pair bi-wired, it would run me $139. I'd need a good 10-15 feet for the rears, so it sounds expensive. Someone on eBay was selling the Canare 4S11 that Blue Jeans has for $0.99/Ft, which seems like a great deal, but I would have to learn to terminate them myselves.

    Considering I'm only using Monitor 70s/60s/CS2, it seems like spending $140 on cables for the fronts would be a little much?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mole'
    mole' Posts: 3,160
    edited July 2010
    Keiko wrote: »
    Funny, I didn't see any mention by the OP about HDMI cables either. Must be a slow day at base camp, B. :rolleyes:

    The Star Quad would be an excellent choice for not a lot of coin, Romo. I'm using the Belden 5000 series for my surrounds and they perform great. Maybe not the prettiest, but I'll take function over form anyday. MonoPrice offers bulk cable also that would work just fine. Terminating raw wire is easy.

    http://www.monoprice.com/products/subdepartment.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239

    Welcome aboard

    i got my wires from MonoPRICE.com

    http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=4037&seq=1&format=2
    http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=2817&seq=1&format=2
    cant beat these price
    mole'
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited July 2010
    I simply used it as an example, a representation of the entire line that Parts-Express offers.

    The only people that brought a spoon to this thread is you. Lighten up it was all in good jest.

    Maybe you can pick up one of those $149 usb cables from Audio Adviser. I hear you can hook them up to a B&W laser and it will print color:D

    To the OP: You will be fine with those speaker level cables.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited July 2010
    Another thing to take a look at slick: Look at the thread title.

    "Anyone use Dayton Cables"

    I do. It's a 33' HDMI cable. I posted what Dayton cable I had. That is was a quality piece and that the OP will be fine with their offerings.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,724
    edited July 2010
    Does anyone have any experience with Dayton cables?

    I tried some Dayton cables way back when for a little rig in the guest bedroom....quality is not a word I would use to describe them. Didn't sound good either.

    IMO, you'd be far better off springing for the Signal Cables that H9 mentioned.
    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

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • HB27
    HB27 Posts: 1,518
    edited July 2010
    F1nut wrote: »
    I tried some Dayton cables way back when for a little rig in the guest bedroom....quality is not a word I would use to describe them. Didn't sound good either.

    IMO, you'd be far better off springing for the Signal Cables that H9 mentioned.

    I've tried the Dayton cables also. Wasted my money. IMHO less than average build quality, subdued sound, and not much of a cable.
    Upgrades down the road usually have me wasting my bucks initially.
    Why waste your bucks when you know you'll need to upgrade later.
    Be patient, look around for a quality cable at a good price, and you'll save money. Cheap doesn't mean "money well spent" JMHO again.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • apphd
    apphd Posts: 1,514
    edited July 2010
    Romo wrote: »
    I looked at them, still not sure if they're in my price range. For a 6 foot pair bi-wired, it would run me $139. I'd need a good 10-15 feet for the rears, so it sounds expensive. Someone on eBay was selling the Canare 4S11 that Blue Jeans has for $0.99/Ft, which seems like a great deal, but I would have to learn to terminate them myselves.

    Considering I'm only using Monitor 70s/60s/CS2, it seems like spending $140 on cables for the fronts would be a little much?

    Depending on what is on the other end of the cables I would agree. But another way to look at it is from HB27's perspective below. If cash is tight, I would go to Monoprice, and wait for another day (and maybe another system) to try some of the better cables. Also check the FM section I think you can usually find some used cables there when you are ready to give it a try.
    HB27 wrote: »
    I've tried the Dayton cables also. Wasted my money. IMHO less than average build quality, subdued sound, and not much of a cable.
    Upgrades down the road usually have me wasting my bucks initially.
    Why waste your bucks when you know you'll need to upgrade later.
    Be patient, look around for a quality cable at a good price, and you'll save money. Cheap doesn't mean "money well spent" JMHO again.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,203
    edited July 2010
    To the OP:

    If you can't justify the Signals (maybe do those for the fronts only) then the Canare 4S11 is a much better choice than the Dayton, even if you leave the ends unterminated.

    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!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Romo
    Romo Posts: 41
    edited July 2010
    Thanks for the suggestions guys. Based on what I'm reading, I'll stay away from the Dayton cables. I didn't realize what a can of worms I was openening when I asked about speaker cables, I realize this is a bit of a subjective topic.

    I was thinking to go with the Canare wires, really can't beat $0.99/Ft and a buddy of mine who was into car audio for a bit said he'd be able to terminate everything for me pretty easilly. I debated getting some used Audioquest or Kimber cables, but decided against it. This is a pretty modest HT/Music setup, so I think I might stick to something a little more entry level. If I end up upgrading the speakers down the line, or building a solid 2 channel rig, then it may be time to revisit the more expensive cables.

    If anyone has any other reasons why I should go for something better, I'm still open to suggestions. I'm only 20, and this is my first time putting something like this together.

    Alex
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,203
    edited July 2010
    Good choice. The Canare is really nice entry level and even a few notches above cable.

    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!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TORI3
    TORI3 Posts: 234
    edited August 2010
    Good call on the Daytons. I just bought them...and am now having some regrets. For me, they cosmetically looked nice and were terminated with bananas. Because I suffer from paranoia, and also because I have a picky girlfriend, the cables seemed like a reasonable deal. Now that I have them I can say that the build quality is questionable as the plastic before the bananas is loose -- exposing the covered speaker cable.

    In terms of SQ, let's just say that I much prefer my old AQ bare wire setup. This isn't to say that the speaker wire Dayton uses isn't good, but I think their cheap bananas might have an overall negative impact on their product.
    HT: RTi8s, CSi3, RTi4s, HSU ULS-15, Pioneer Elite VSX-23TXH, Sunfire Cinema Seven.
    2CH: CJ MF2300, Parasound P3, PS Audio DLIII, Wadia 170i, Music Hall Maverick, Sierra-1s, Sunfire HRS8
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MLZ
    MLZ Posts: 214
    edited August 2010
    Romo wrote: »
    I looked at them, still not sure if they're in my price range. For a 6 foot pair bi-wired, it would run me $139. I'd need a good 10-15 feet for the rears, so it sounds expensive. Someone on eBay was selling the Canare 4S11 that Blue Jeans has for $0.99/Ft, which seems like a great deal, but I would have to learn to terminate them myselves.

    Considering I'm only using Monitor 70s/60s/CS2, it seems like spending $140 on cables for the fronts would be a little much?

    I purchased them for bi-wiring my RTi8's 2 channel system, heard no difference, but left them as is since all it cost me was for more spades at the speaker end.

    If you want to make them pretty just pick up some TechFlex and heat shrink. See http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51988

    I am a klutz, and following the above, including terminating my Canare cables, was a piece of cake
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • HB27
    HB27 Posts: 1,518
    edited August 2010
    I'm probably opening up another can of worms but when you get new cables "IC or Speaker" you'll have to let them burn in for a while before you realize what they'll sound like when they settle in. They will change sound as you play them.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cokewithvanilla
    cokewithvanilla Posts: 1,777
    edited August 2010
    HB27 wrote: »
    you'll have to let them burn in for a while before you realize what they'll sound like when they settle in. They will change sound as you play them.

    This might be a stupid question, but what actually happens to a cable during "burn in"? I am assuming there must be a slight change in the cable, else there would be no change in sound. Correct?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • TORI3
    TORI3 Posts: 234
    edited August 2010
    MLZ wrote: »
    If you want to make them pretty just pick up some TechFlex and heat shrink. See http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51988

    I am a klutz, and following the above, including terminating my Canare cables, was a piece of cake

    You read my mind about terminating some Canare 4S11 speaker cable. I don't really need to, but making some speaker cable look pro looks like a lot of fun. Here's a great tutorial (with pictures) on DIY cables:
    http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=776636&highlight=speaker+cable
    HT: RTi8s, CSi3, RTi4s, HSU ULS-15, Pioneer Elite VSX-23TXH, Sunfire Cinema Seven.
    2CH: CJ MF2300, Parasound P3, PS Audio DLIII, Wadia 170i, Music Hall Maverick, Sierra-1s, Sunfire HRS8
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MLZ
    MLZ Posts: 214
    edited August 2010
    One thing I had that helped a lot with the heatshrink was a paint stripper gun, which is like a high temperature hair dryer, instead of using the butane lighter.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jinjuku
    jinjuku Posts: 1,523
    edited August 2010
    cokewithvanilla wrote: »
    This might be a stupid question, but what actually happens to a cable during "burn in"? I am assuming there must be a slight change in the cable, else there would be no change in sound. Correct?

    I'm not sure because:

    1. I haven't had the chance to A/B (sighted or unsighted) cable pulled off the same spool, all terminated the same, with one stereo set being burned in and another not.

    2. Not aware of any peer reviewed scientific papers showing the measurements of a burned in cable vs either a non-burned in cable or the measurements of same cable before and then after burn in.

    It's going to end up contentious any way you look at it. Most sights that have a cable burn in threads usually seem to get locked up. I know Nordost makes cable cookers but I haven't seen anything from them that would stand scientific peer review.

    I guess my question is this: Does Kimber/Signal/MIT/AQ/BJC burn in their cables before they ship them?

    Maybe someone will loan out cable cooker. You could also make your own btw.

    *BTW what sub did you end up going with?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter