Diminishing Returns? MIT cables.....

dhart86

I have a question/ dilemma that I need to bring to the family for some advise. My audio budget is really, really tight right now and I should be more responsible. However, My system is outfitted with MIT shotgun S1 interconnects and MIT shotgun S3 speaker cables.

I've always wondered what S1 speaker cables would do for the rig. I got a lead on a pair of S! speaker cables but they are a 24 ft run. At that length I was wondering if I would incur any significant signal loss. The cables cost a grip and I was wondering if the length is counter-productive for 2Ch

What do you guys say?

F1nut

The S1 offers improved bass performance. Check the MIT Clearance Center site to see if they have any S1's this week.

polkfarmboy

I would not go for any speaker cables that long, it's obvious that there would be degradation?

Nightfall

10 foot S1's for $735

http://mitcables-clearance.com/collections/weekly-special/products/shotgun-s1-speaker-interface-10ft-six-moons-review

dhart86

Thanks Nightfall and F1nut....went over to the MIT clearance center and snagged the 10ft pair!!!

F1nut

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I would not go for any speaker cables that long, it's obvious that there would be degradation?

MIT wouldn't make them if there was any degradation, but why buy cables that long if you don't need the length. Not to mention even used the price would be higher than a shorter version.

polkfarmboy

My first ever high end cables were purchased from MIT after Keiko posted a weekly MIT deal thread. At the time I used mono price home made cables and only had an onkyp 606 AVR and everything was new to me.

In those runs for my HT I needed 3 10ft,, two 20 ft and 2 40 ft runs to reach my surrounds up back. Soon after when I began experimenting by getting into HT pre's with power amp combos I decided the Anthem pre and Anthem, amp was good enough to test out the 10ft vs the mighty 40 ft length of cables on my electrostats.

To my fikndings or ears I noticed a different tone on the 40ft cables and the bass was shallow and less punchy? I have never had lengths that long in ever agaiin to do a side by side but from then on I have always tried to stay with runs as short as possible.

tonyb

I hope your not comparing monoprice cables to MIT in that regard, apples and oranges pal.

polkfarmboy

I am referencing my findings between a 10ft and 40 ft MIT cable.

BlueFox

With no experience in this area, I would say shorter is preferable over longer in speaker cables, and unbalanced interconnects. Obviously the electrical characteristics are going to be, at least slightly, different between a really long cable versus an 8' cable. Depending on the amp and speaker combination it certainly seems the potential is there for a different sound between the two lengths. Whether this makes a difference in the real world or not, I have no idea.

F1nut

PFB, there's something about your story that doesn't add up.

Nightfall

Does MIT even sell 40ft cables?

polkfarmboy

Of course they do othwise I would not have been able to buy them. These were just my findings to my ears on a pretty decent rig.

There should be some pictures of the cables and length posted on the forum shortly after I joined as I did a thread about it I am sure.

notified

Hi unfortunately I'm not very computer savvy so I can't provide a link. But if you google "speaker cable and the damping factor" and go five down to [speaker cable gauge [awg] guidelines....audioholics] read and scroll down and then link-[ speaker cable lengths-do they matter] most if not all your questions should be answered

heiney9

*YAWN*

notified

education without passion can be that sometimes

heiney9

Real world experience is far better than parroting something from the likes of Audioholics or Roger Russell. Both are very misleading.

H9

tonyb

heiney9 wrote: »

Real world experience is far better than parroting something from the likes of Audioholics or Roger Russell. Both are very misleading.

H9

This ^^^^.

You can read all you want, both pro's and con's of anything until your head spins but you'll never fully grasp what all the hubbub is about unless you experience it for yourself with your ears.

Might also help to educate ones self on what even you'd be listening for, unfortunately too many have no idea.

notified

Not to toot their merits as i have no idea of their level of technical reputation.But one would assume that technical experimentation derived to serve the real world environment would prove to be factually enlightening, especially true when others prove the same findings

heiney9

You mean the Jesus Effect? Where they (Audioholics/Roger Russell) are saving us from ourselves from spending too much on audio cables and saving our wallets?

Again, real world experimentation and experience will trump a website with an agenda, every time.

tonyb

notified wrote: »

Not to toot their merits as i have no idea of their level of technical reputation.But one would assume that technical experimentation derived to serve the real world environment would prove to be factually enlightening, especially true when others prove the same findings

Gotcha.....you mean everyone but you, right ? You must hear exactly the same as those people. You should call Guinness, maybe get into the record books.

Ever hear the expression, "Opinions are like arseholes, everyones got one." Audio is no different. Some have opinions and create the info to match them. Some have info based on experience and personal preferences. Are your preferences the same as those who's opinions you hold dear ?

Think about it, what sounds good to me, may not to you. What differences I can pick out, maybe you can't. Science can only go so far, but it's not the telling source for what would sound good and what wouldn't.

mikeyb128

tonyb wrote: »

notified wrote: »

Not to toot their merits as i have no idea of their level of technical reputation.But one would assume that technical experimentation derived to serve the real world environment would prove to be factually enlightening, especially true when others prove the same findings

Gotcha.....you mean everyone but you, right ? You must hear exactly the same as those people. You should call Guinness, maybe get into the record books.

Ever hear the expression, "Opinions are like arseholes, everyones got one." Audio is no different. Some have opinions and create the info to match them. Some have info based on experience and personal preferences. Are your preferences the same as those who's opinions you hold dear ?

Think about it, what sounds good to me, may not to you. What differences I can pick out, maybe you can't. Science can only go so far, but it's not the telling source for what would sound good and what wouldn't.

Or opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one, but they are useless. Hehehe

nooshinjohn

F1nut wrote: »

PFB, there's something about your story that doesn't add up.

Isn't this true for everything he posts?

notified

heiney9-Dude I'm in no technically inclined position to defend or praise the use of highend cable especially since its safe to assume that to squeeze the best out of a high end system , spk wire and interconnects that get the signal from source to the spks as efficiently and as quickly as possible should improve bass and definition to some extent I just used their site as I happened to read it first.But with further investigation the basics they provide mimic others recommendations.However I'd have to disagree to some extent as to your statement that "real world experimentation and experience trumps the technical"
As its been repeatedly stated in this forum that sound is subjective and therefore without the technical measurements no consistently proven observational findings or improvements could be possible, I also fail to see what their [and others] agendas would be in printing misleading findings,especially in relation to shared basic observations...[and on the technical side of things various tech, experts [in general] from a logical standpoint must listen to what they test,or the point of it would be useless

F1nut

The thing is their opinions/observations are not shared by a great many of folks. In many respects, one could say those such as Audioholics and Woger Wussell are living in the dark ages.

notified

But,again they are discussing the basics ie spk length and gauge recommendations,of which have been extensively studied by many since the dark ages! By now the accumulation of experimentation done by a community of researchers should show relatively the same results!

lightman1

I like hot dogs. Kosher beef ones. Others may not. They taste the same as all others? Nope. Are they made from the same cow? Nope
Oscar Meyer may use beef in thiers. But Nathan's uses better beef.
Cables.....better research and better materials = better sound




Hey! Look over there! Butterflies!

txcoastal1

Extra butter and A DP please

notified

Personally I like pork hot-dogs best! Thats why I recommend studying all diligent reviewed research before buying If your not careful you may end up buying a inferior turkey or poultry substitute with a inflated price that thru their marketing hype convinces you that by virtue of their manufacturing process have dramatically improved their product to the point that you'd never know that its not the actual pork or beef product
[don't move I'll get the net!]

ken brydson

F1nut wrote: »

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I would not go for any speaker cables that long, it's obvious that there would be degradation?

MIT wouldn't make them if there was any degradation, but why buy cables that long if you don't need the length. Not to mention even used the price would be higher than a shorter version.

lightman1

notified wrote: »

Personally I like pork hot-dogs best! Thats why I recommend studying all diligent reviewed research before buying If your not careful you may end up buying a inferior turkey or poultry substitute with a inflated price that thru their marketing hype convinces you that by virtue of their manufacturing process have dramatically improved their product to the point that you'd never know that its not the actual pork or beef product
[don't move I'll get the net!]

I can smell a chicken hot dog from across the store. Heretics!
No matter what they say about their improved product.
Chicken hot dog = RCA supplied with Emerson DVD player

Boars Head all beef hot dog = MIT shotguns

Drops the mike and walks off.....