Some speaker cable suggestions or experiences

EndersShadow

So I finally got my 2 channel setup done and am looking to start figuring out what other gear to add and speaker cables are kinda one of the first items for right now IMHO given the rest of my gear.

So I am looking for some decent mid-range suggestions (MIT Shotguns are NOT an option here). Budget is maybe 300 give or take as this is more for research on what I need to be looking at...

I know the RTA's have a more SDA type sound so I want a cable that will compliment it so I dont know if I should be looking at silver cables, copper, ect.

I am a fan of Kimber and was looking at their budgetish lines of 4PR, 8PR, 4VS, 8VS (max). I am not opposed to Signal Cable, or other brands either. I think I need probably 8 feet.

Right now here is my gear:

Source: Computer
DAC/Pre: Audio GD NFB-5 (connected via regular USB)
Amp: Fisher 460a tube amp (connected to the DAC via Audioquest G-Snakes which will soon be Kimber Kable Hero's)
Speakers: RTA 11TL's
Current speaker wire: Monoprice 14 gauge......

thsmith

Make your own KK 4TCs since you like KK.

I used that cable for my SDA1C interconnect cable using vampire solder banannas.

falconcry72

EndersShadow wrote: »

...(MIT Shotguns are NOT an option here). Budget is maybe 300 give or take...

A little GIVE on that 300 and you could snatch up my shotguns in the FM...

I really like the Signal Cable Ultras. Can't beat'em for 120 bucks. The Shotguns sound better, but they cost more.

Last week I got some Morrow Audio cables. Very cool stuff. Check out their website for theories on their designs. The owner, Mike Morrow, is also EXTREMELY helpful. They have 7 different models at different price points. Basically, each ascending model is a higher quantity of the same individually insulated, silver-coated solid-core copper wire. You can usually apply a 15% coupon code. In your budget I'd look at the the SP3's, which are the ones I got.

http://www.morrowaudio.com/index.htm

I'll be able to provide more feedback on how they sound soon, but so far my impressions are positive.

tonyb

Man, those monoprice speaker cables need to bite the dust....no offence. Since I'm familiar with the Audio-gd sound, and given your speakers, I would look for silver for speed and detail. Too many cables out there to say which is better, you may have to kiss a few toads before you find your huckleberry. I know thats not much help pal, but your gonna get suggestions all over the place and wind up more confused than when you started.:biggrin:

Since you like Kimber, look for a used pair of 8TC's, the newer clear version, not the old blue version....though those were decent too.

EndersShadow

tonyb wrote: »

Man, those monoprice speaker cables need to bite the dust....no offence.

Trust me I know, but if its Monoprice or nothing, I choose Monoprice . Its leftover stuff I had so it was never meant to be long term. I might go grab some more Audioquest FLX 14/4 speaker wire to use in the interum as its pretty cheap and terminate myself.

Tony if I wasnt totally set on the Audio GD as the permanent solution for a pre would that change anything for you as far as the silver suggestions? The tube amp will not be moving anytime soon.

Used Kimber scares me a bit as there are a TON of fakes out there, so it would probably have to be a forum member that was selling some, otherwise new is over budget by quite a bit.

teekay0007

From yesterday's post: EndersShadow - "The RTA's are here, sound and look PHENOMENAL!!!"

Now, was that PHENOMENAL sound coming from those RTAs with Monoprice 14 AWG being used?

Well, I guess about $300 ought to make them sound PHENOMENALer!!!! :cheesygrin: Good Luck.

teekay0007

EndersShadow wrote: »

I might go grab some more Audioquest FLX 14/4 speaker wire to use in the interum as its pretty cheap and terminate myself.

NO, ES!! Don't do it! :eek: There's so much ahead for you! :exclaim:

:cheesygrin:

tonyb

Well, the dac is pretty heavy on the lower bass notes, the tube amp is probably slower and slightly rounded on the lower/mid bass notes, and the speakers too are somewhat rounded in the lower regions. Thats why I suggested silver to tighted up the mid and lower regions. Don't take anything I said as written in stone either, we all have different tastes. Just making some observations from a state away.:biggrin:

Seriously, without hearing for yourself, your making the best educated guess as to what will gell with your gear. That means you may have to go threw a few sets of cables before hitting your sound. Audiogon is pretty good for used cables, don't let the fake cable morons scare you away.

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/speaker-kimber-kable-8tc-speaker-cable-8-ft-banana-to-spade-2013-01-26-cables-34116-naples-fl

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/speaker-kimber-kable-4tc-blue-black-10ft-with-ultralink-banana-2013-01-28-cables-91790

thsmith

DIY, by the foot. Theirs are the new ones as well.

Bulk Speaker Cables Kimber Kable 12TC (Bulk) $32.50
Bulk Speaker Cables Kimber Kable 4TC (Bulk) $11.50
Bulk Speaker Cables Kimber Kable 8TC (Bulk) $21.00

http://www.thecableco.com/Catalog/DIY-Cables

EndersShadow

teekay0007 wrote: »

From yesterday's post: EndersShadow - "The RTA's are here, sound and look PHENOMENAL!!!"

Now, was that PHENOMENAL sound coming from those RTAs with Monoprice 14 AWG being used?

Well, I guess about $300 ought to make them sound PHENOMENALer!!!! :cheesygrin: Good Luck.

LOL, yes they sounded QUITE good, but I have always intended that when I started to get a decent 2 channel system together to spend some decent cash on speaker cables....

teekay0007 wrote: »

NO, ES!! Don't do it! :eek: There's so much ahead for you! :exclaim:

:cheesygrin:

That was more of a stop gap solution as I feel the Audioquest wire is better than Monoprice (and sure looks better), would be a thicker gauge (2 14 gauge per connector rather than just 1) and be newer (i.e. less oxidation as that Monoprice wire is a good 5+ years old).

tonyb wrote: »

Well, the dac is pretty heavy on the lower bass notes, the tube amp is probably slower and slightly rounded on the lower/mid bass notes, and the speakers too are somewhat rounded in the lower regions. Thats why I suggested silver to tighted up the mid and lower regions. Don't take anything I said as written in stone either, we all have different tastes. Just making some observations from a state away.:biggrin:

Appreciate the observations there and the explination on why to go silver so I understand your thought process there. Wont take it as written in stone either way :biggrin:...

tonyb wrote: »

Seriously, without hearing for yourself, your making the best educated guess as to what will gell with your gear. That means you may have to go threw a few sets of cables before hitting your sound. Audiogon is pretty good for used cables, don't let the fake cable morons scare you away.

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/speaker-kimber-kable-8tc-speaker-cable-8-ft-banana-to-spade-2013-01-26-cables-34116-naples-fl

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/speaker-kimber-kable-4tc-blue-black-10ft-with-ultralink-banana-2013-01-28-cables-91790

Yeah I know I just gotta play around with em lol, its one of the fun and annoying things about audio lol.... you cant always just hit it outta the park

headrott

You can give the Alpha Core Goertz Python MI2 cable a try. Actually, Sonic Craft has it on sale for $11/ft. right now. It's very good cable (IMO) and the sale price is pretty cheap. I recommend giving it a try. If you go this route, I think I have some spare Goertz banana plugs or spades you can have to terminate the cable.

Speedskater

I think that $32 per foot for speaker cable is an order of magnitude high!

marvda1

take a look at audio art or straley.
www.realitycables.com
www.audioartcable.com

pitdogg2

falconcry72 wrote: »

I really like the Signal Cable Ultras. Can't beat'em for 120 bucks.

This^^^^^^^^^^

These just stomped my MIT EXP's and yes I know EXP's are low end MIT's, but it is what it is....I was impressed none the less. best 100.00 I ever spent period......

Dawgfish

Are you looking to go new or used? If new I would look at Analysis Plus Oval 12s. You can get a 8-10' pair of those for around $200. Another good one I've tried are the JW Audio Croyo Nova SCs. They run $10/ft with terminations (or without if you prefer). They look like Anticables, but trust me they sound light years better than the ACs.

The used market leaves a lot of options. I'm currently running dual runs of Analysis Plus Oval 9s and I feel they are a superb SC, especially for the price. I've seen two barely used 8' pairs for sale on Audiogon for $200 and $275 respectively. For that price, they are hard to beat. Another good choice on the used side of things is Audioquest CV-4s with the DBS. CV-8s come up for sale in that price range used time to time also.

EndersShadow

pitdogg2 wrote: »

This^^^^^^^^^^

These just stomped my MIT EXP's and yes I know EXP's are low end MIT's, but it is what it is....I was impressed none the less. best 100.00 I ever spent period......

Interesting, I was looking at those ones as well.... hmmmmm.......

Dawgfish wrote: »

Are you looking to go new or used?

Not against used, Kimber Kable used scares me due to the amount of counterfits out there apparently, but other brands shouldnt have this issue (I would think)..

Dawgfish wrote: »

If new I would look at Analysis Plus Oval 12s. You can get a 8-10' pair of those for around $200. Another good one I've tried are the JW Audio Croyo Nova SCs. They run $10/ft with terminations (or without if you prefer). They look like Anticables, but trust me they sound light years better than the ACs.

The used market leaves a lot of options. I'm currently running dual runs of Analysis Plus Oval 9s and I feel they are a superb SC, especially for the price. I've seen two barely used 8' pairs for sale on Audiogon for $200 and $275 respectively. For that price, they are hard to beat. Another good choice on the used side of things is Audioquest CV-4s with the DBS. CV-8s come up for sale in that price range used time to time also.

Are the Nova's as hard to use as the Anticables (i.e. not flexible so much?)

timalan

I'd go used market, just because you can try things out without losing money, except maybe shipping costs--let someone else take the depreciation hit, try out the cables, and if you don't like them, recycle them into the forum. Also some good audiogon options if you're looking for something interim. I noticed one of the regulars has up 36' of unterminated MIT 12/2 wire for $50, which is half of what it costs per foot when purchased in 250' spools... not a bad stopgap to have around as a baseline as you're trying out other options...

marvda1

if you can find some used mg audio design planus I speaker cables, might be your last cable. it is discontinued and what use to be their top cable replaces it as the entry cable.
www.mgaudiodesign.com
on their site you can check out reviews and testimonials.
maybe an owner or two can chime in here

Dawgfish

EndersShadow wrote: »

Interesting, I was looking at those ones as well.... hmmmmm.......



Not against used, Kimber Kable used scares me due to the amount of counterfits out there apparently, but other brands shouldnt have this issue (I would think)..



Are the Nova's as hard to use as the Anticables (i.e. not flexible so much?)

Unfortunately, they are a stiff single cable like the ACs. I don't find them that hard to use however having used both ACs and the JWs. I find the key to these is to get as close to the length you actually need and not have a lot of extra length that you will have to deal with. They are actually very easy to bend and lay-out. On shorter runs you can actually bend them to stay off the floor, which is a plus. Also if you don't like the anaodized single wire look, you can get the JWs with braided jackets, though I don't feel the cost to performance ratio is worth it with the braided models. I was really impressed with the JW cables. BTW, some people reported more extended highs with these running them with bare wire ends with no terminations. I had bananas on mine and they sounded great.

decal

DIY with some Canare 4S11 wire and terminations of your choice. I have tried several different cables and always return to my DIY Canare. Just my experience,yours may differ.

ZLTFUL

Enders...we have been through this...cables don't make a difference!

Ok OK...I couldn't resist.

On a serious note, I am in the exact same boat you are in. Fortunately, my favorite local shop carries 4 lines of cables and is going to allow me to audition 3 that are in my price range.
If there are any good shops in Indy, you should see if they have any cable audition programs. That way you can test without dropping your own coin first (except for deposit...most want a deposit)

steveinaz

You don't need the 8TC, go 4TC; if there's any difference between the 2, it's extremely subtle (I have owned both).

thsmith

decal wrote: »

DIY with some Canare 4S11 wire and terminations of your choice. I have tried several different cables and always return to my DIY Canare. Just my experience,yours may differ.

I just ordered some Canare, sleeves, heat shrink and solder bannanas to make some speaker cables in my office. Many here like the Canare so I want to see how they sound.

H9 likes and recommends them often, BTW I have not seen him post in a while.

EndersShadow

ZLTFUL wrote: »

If there are any good shops in Indy, you should see if they have any cable audition programs. That way you can test without dropping your own coin first (except for deposit...most want a deposit)

Yeah, there is a shop here that probably does do it (I know the guys by name and they recognize my voice lol). But they mostly carry Audioquest stuff. I need to check out a couple other shops in town as I know there is one local that carries Kimber but I dont know about any type of demo program.

steveinaz wrote: »

You don't need the 8TC, go 4TC; if there's any difference between the 2, it's extremely subtle (I have owned both).

Good, I was hoping you would pop in and say that. The 4TC is in the price range I have new IIRC. I know one of the reasons I went with 8VS in my setup downstairs was mostly so I could internally bi-wire my LSi 15's to put my mind at ease and not have to use jumpers. Well that and Kimber recommended the VS line over TC for those speakers, fearing it might be too bright with the TC. I might email them again and get their thoughts.

thsmith wrote: »

I just ordered some Canare, sleeves, heat shrink and solder bannanas to make some speaker cables in my office. Many here like the Canare so I want to see how they sound.

H9 likes and recommends them often, BTW I have not seen him post in a while.

He is behind a firewall at work that wont let him view the forum now IIRC.

Canare is good and all, but for about the same price I can get the Audioquest FLX 14/4 cut locally for cheaper and have it today which is why I went with it for my wire. That and I know Mantis runs it for his speakers. I have some lengths left over but not long enough to work for this.

So as a stop gap I might just go get some more which would be like 20 bucks. They also have some better Audioquest wire by the foot I might look at like the X2, G2, Type 4 and Type 2. I normally pay 75% of what its listed at on their website cause I am in there soo much :biggrin:

thsmith

EndersShadow wrote: »

Yeah, there is a shop here that probably does do it (I know the guys by name and they recognize my voice lol). But they mostly carry Audioquest stuff. I need to check out a couple other shops in town as I know there is one local that carries Kimber but I dont know about any type of demo program.



Good, I was hoping you would pop in and say that. The 4TC is in the price range I have new IIRC. I know one of the reasons I went with 8VS in my setup downstairs was mostly so I could internally bi-wire my LSi 15's to put my mind at ease and not have to use jumpers. Well that and Kimber recommended the VS line over TC for those speakers, fearing it might be too bright with the TC. I might email them again and get their thoughts.



He is behind a firewall at work that wont let him view the forum now IIRC.

Canare is good and all, but for about the same price I can get the Audioquest FLX 14/4 cut locally for cheaper and have it today which is why I went with it for my wire. That and I know Mantis runs it for his speakers. I have some lengths left over but not long enough to work for this.

So as a stop gap I might just go get some more which would be like 20 bucks. They also have some better Audioquest wire by the foot I might look at like the X2, G2, Type 4 and Type 2. I normally pay 75% of what its listed at on their website cause I am in there soo much :biggrin:

Help a brother out, do they have a website and would you be willing to pick up an mail assuming they sell bulk unterminated?

I would be interested in 12' of KK 4TC.

EndersShadow

thsmith wrote: »

Help a brother out, do they have a website and would you be willing to pick up an mail assuming they sell bulk unterminated?

I would be interested in 12' of KK 4TC.

The local Kimber dealer I dont know if they sell unterminated, my 75% MSRP was on the Audioquest bulk wire from Ovation-AV.com which is a different store.

Pepster knows somewhere to get unterminated Kimber stuff, shoot him a PM....

thsmith

Thanks

Moose68Bash

falconcry72 wrote: »

A little GIVE on that 300 and you could snatch up my shotguns in the FM...

Last week I got some Morrow Audio cables. Very cool stuff. Check out their website for theories on their designs. The owner, Mike Morrow, is also EXTREMELY helpful. They have 7 different models at different price points. Basically, each ascending model is a higher quantity of the same individually insulated, silver-coated solid-core copper wire. You can usually apply a 15% coupon code. In your budget I'd look at the the SP3's, which are the ones I got.

http://www.morrowaudio.com/index.htm

I'll be able to provide more feedback on how they sound soon, but so far my impressions are positive.

Ditto on the above comments about Morrow Audio, their cables, and Mike Morrow.

I would add: 1) With Morrow Cables you have a 60-days no-questions-asked return policy on new cables. 2) You can also check out their used cables, but I don't think the return policy applies to them.

My personal experience with their SP7 speaker cables is that they are very good from the get-go and get better and better over time. They do have a distinctive sound, which in my experience is warmer than alternatives, but I do not claim to have broad expereince with a variety of cables for comparison purposes.

tonyb

marvda1 wrote: »

take a look at audio art or straley.
www.realitycables.com
www.audioartcable.com

I use the Reality bi-wired speaker cables and am extremely pleased. Stiff as a ****, but they get everything right.

ddsski

Kubala Sosna!!