Help me spend $100

Jimbo18

As you can see by looking at my signature, I don't have high end equipment, and I really can't afford it. I am just trying to enjoy movies and music as much as I can on a tight budget.

But I have $100 in PayPal that is "burning a hole in my pocket" (as my mother used to say to me) and I would like to try out some slightly more upscale cables in my bedroom for 2 channel. Not sure my equipment will take advantage of them, but thought it was worth a listen.

I am currently using KnuKonceptz 14ga., which I terminated myself with Sewell banana plugs. Originally I was using "lamp cord" so it was a decent upgrade but certainly wouldn't be considered adequate on this board, I am sure.

The options I see on ebay at the moment are:

Straightwire Musicable 8 Ft 14ga for $84 for a pair
Straightwire Chorus 8 Ft. pair 12ga $110 make offer
Canare 4S11 with Nakamichi nanners 6 Ft. $52 for a pair
Belden 5000UP 2meter pair $70
Laspada 10ga 6 ft pair $57 or 12ga for only $45
used Kimber Kable 4VS 6 ft pair for $88 OBO

I can't use bi-wire with the Monitor 7's, and I prefer bananas on the end, but I suppose spades would be okay.

So are any of those worth trying out or are there other options out there that would be better? And please, no cable naysayers, let me decide for myself on something considered better.

If I do get cables I like better, I thought I would pass the KnuK wire on in a karma to someone who is more experienced and can't review it for me.

JimKellyfan

Assuming you have Monitor 70's ? I have used great and good cabling from my econo set up and haven't heard a difference. That said, get the nanna plugs, because you want em

JimKellyfan

Me, I would just wait n watch eBay's polk audio store for the next great deal on more polks

tonyb

My preference in your list of cables would be the Kimbers.

Jimbo18

tonyb wrote: »

My preference in your list of cables would be the Kimbers.

I was leaning that way but unfortunately they were a Buy it Now and they are gone. The Straightwire Chorus is gone also.

Honestly, I don't expect to hear a difference. I have a low end system and, at 62, my hearing isn't what it used to be. But I have never read about anyone else on here using KnuKnoceptz wire and don't know how good/bad it is. I just thought I should try something else to see if I hear any difference.

I thought heavier gauge might make the biggest difference over my 14 ga. wire so maybe some Belden 10ga. that is available or the Canare 11ga.

tonyb

http://www.hifishark.com/search?q=kimber&region=&country_iso=US&site_id=

drumminman

Or you could replace your nanners with silver plated tellurium copper. I got rid of high quality brass nanners and bought the Furez that Douglas Connections sells. The improvement was something I wasn't prepared for. Before making this switch I was contemplating building some new speaker cables, but now I'm not so motivated.

Brass really sucks as a termination material. It has something like a 30% IACS (measure of conductivity) compared with pure copper (benchmarked at 100%). Silver is the best conducting metal, about 4-5% better than pure copper .

These are the ones I bought: douglasconnection.com/Furez-TSTSB60Ag-Silver-Plated-Banana-Plug-Connector-Pair-FZTSTSB60Ag.htm

Jimbo18

drumminman wrote: »

Or you could replace your nanners with silver plated tellurium copper. I got rid of high quality brass nanners and bought the Furez that Douglas Connections sells. The improvement was something I wasn't prepared for. Before making this switch I was contemplating building some new speaker cables, but now I'm not so motivated.

Brass really sucks as a termination material. It has something like a 30% IACS (measure of conductivity) compared with pure copper (benchmarked at 100%). Silver is the best conducting metal, about 4-5% better than pure copper .

These are the ones I bought: douglasconnection.com/Furez-TSTSB60Ag-Silver-Plated-Banana-Plug-Connector-Pair-FZTSTSB60Ag.htm

Interesting idea. I had read that Sewell were decent, budget, nanners but since found out they were brass. So they could be hurting the transfer, I suppose.

Just for a temporary test, what if I remove the plugs and use bare wire? Wouldn't that be the best test of the wire with no termination interference?

Erik Tracy

I'd spend it on music.

Save a bit more coin for a bigger upgrade to make it worth your while.

Jimbo18

Yeah, I am sure you are right, Skip, about the budget being too low.

But no, no clear coat zipcord now. The KnuKonceptz seems like pretty good wire, it seems like good build quality. It's got 189 strands for 14ga and 12ga has 294 strands.

I have no idea how it stacks up to other wire, though.

Jimbo18

Lasareath wrote: »

How much length do you need?

6ft. is enough. I made the cables I am using now and they are probably around 7ft. or so. I just have my M7's right beside the TV stand with the AVR in the center.

afterburnt

drumminman wrote: »

Or you could replace your nanners with silver plated tellurium copper. I got rid of high quality brass nanners and bought the Furez that Douglas Connections sells. The improvement was something I wasn't prepared for. Before making this switch I was contemplating building some new speaker cables, but now I'm not so motivated.

Brass really sucks as a termination material. It has something like a 30% IACS (measure of conductivity) compared with pure copper (benchmarked at 100%). Silver is the best conducting metal, about 4-5% better than pure copper .

These are the ones I bought: douglasconnection.com/Furez-TSTSB60Ag-Silver-Plated-Banana-Plug-Connector-Pair-FZTSTSB60Ag.htm

Exactly what I was thinking since I am using copper spades on my jumpers and dead bolts on the cables. But I can't do $25 a pair.

afterburnt

Jimbo I got my Audioquest copper spades for about a buck a each

tonyb

Buy these....you won't do better for 75 bucks.

http://www.audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Speaker-Cables/Reality-Cables-speaker-cable/6ft-2m-pair./spades-bananas/123331

oop[s, just saw the date, maybe not still available but shoot the dude an inquiry and find out.

Jimbo18

tonyb wrote: »

Buy these....you won't do better for 75 bucks.

http://www.audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Speaker-Cables/Reality-Cables-speaker-cable/6ft-2m-pair./spades-bananas/123331

oop[s, just saw the date, maybe not still available but shoot the dude an inquiry and find out.

Thanks, Tony. Looks like a great value if he still has them. I sent him an email.

vmaxer

Hey @Jimbo18 , just send me the money, problem solved

Conradicles

Jim...have you upgraded the caps and resistors in your Monitor 7's?

Jimbo18

Conradicles wrote: »

Jim...have you upgraded the caps and resistors in your Monitor 7's?

No, not yet. It's on the list of planned upgrades, but I haven't the expertise and didn't want to spend the money on speakers that I got fairly cheaply. I haven't upgraded the tweeters to the RDO-198's either. If my high frequency hearing was better, I would probably start there.

Conradicles

You will get much better results in improved sound by upgrading the speakers vs. ~$100 speaker wires. Many here can help with soldering if you do not feel comfortable with that.

Jimbo18

Conradicles wrote: »

You will get much better results in improved sound by upgrading the speakers vs. ~$100 speaker wires. Many here can help with soldering if you do not feel comfortable with that.

My electrical knowledge ends with flipping a light switch. The last time I soldered something was in 8th grade and that was using a long, heavy iron heated in a small furnace. I think I made a small trowel or something. So, comfortable, no, not the word I would use.

I am sure you are right about the upgrade benefit. But I am not even sure about how to glue magnets, remove a crossover, or change a driver. I got as far as taking photos of the crossover when I removed the passive driver.

Jimbo18

tonyb wrote: »

Buy these....you won't do better for 75 bucks.

http://www.audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Speaker-Cables/Reality-Cables-speaker-cable/6ft-2m-pair./spades-bananas/123331

oop[s, just saw the date, maybe not still available but shoot the dude an inquiry and find out.

Thanks, @tonyb , he had them and they are on their way to me already. He said they were too short for his setup and he bought others, so I am not sure how much they were actually used.

Many thanks to everyone for their suggestions and some very generous Polkie offers, especially Skip and Sal.

tonyb

Your gonna dig them Jimbo. They are stiff though, so keep that in mind. I've had a bi-wired set myself and they have been the longest lasting cable in my system.

Jimbo18

tonyb wrote: »

Your gonna dig them Jimbo. They are stiff though, so keep that in mind. I've had a bi-wired set myself and they have been the longest lasting cable in my system.

They are the stiffest wires I have used. They arrived yesterday. They look brand new, so probably not even broken in yet. I hooked them to the HK and Monitor 7's.

I won't pretend to have the experience or knowledge to do a very good review, but they are a bit louder and more open at the same level. The bass has a little more punch and they are slightly more detailed than my old wires.

Having said that, they don't blow them away. Perhaps the KnuKnoceptz aren't bad for the money.

Thanks again for the suggestion. I will give them some time to break in and see where they go.

tonyb

Jimbo18 wrote: »

[I won't pretend to have the experience or knowledge to do a very good review, but they are a bit louder and more open at the same level. The bass has a little more punch and they are slightly more detailed than my old wires.

Having said that, they don't blow them away. Perhaps the KnuKnoceptz aren't bad for the money.

Thanks again for the suggestion. I will give them some time to break in and see where they go.

Cool man, so you have noticed some improvements off the bat. I personally would not go any higher up the cable food chain with the HK and 7's at the helm. 75 bucks is a reasonable expense for that system. Hope you enjoy them further.