Best Budget Audio Cables?

Early B.
Early B. Posts: 7,900
edited October 2004 in 2 Channel Audio
Thought I'd ask what you guys believe to be are the best budget interconnects under $100 for 1m pair length new or used?

I currently have Bluejeans cable interconnects running between my Parasound P/HP 850 preamp, Cambridge Audio 640C and a pair of Outlaw monoblocks. Just wondering if it's worth considering changing out my interconnects. However, I'm not interested in spending more on my interconnects than I did on my gear. Geez, I only paid $110 for the preamp, so I'm reluctant to pay $100+ for a pair of freakin' interconnects.

Thanks for your responses.
HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

"God grooves with tubes."
Post edited by Early B. on
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  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited September 2004
    i've heard very good things about the bluejeans cable, but have no firsthand experience. I have some monster cable (i and 400) but definitly not the best for the buck. i use outlaw audio cables on my home theater, and love them. perform very well compared to the monster i was using. i also have the radio shack fusion cables, but alas, they are no longer maid, and as far as i know are not carried anymore.
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

    Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2004
    You are already in the budget category, so DIY designs will just be changing connectors and maybe a cable provider. I think SC is a better manufacturer than BJC, but that's just me and my own experience.

    If you want to jump into another bracket, and brand...yet stay UNDER $100....look into the MIT AVT series.

    Contact me directly for some information. dorokusai@comcast.net
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited September 2004
    AudioAdvisor has a good deal in their clearance section on 1.5m AudioQuest Copperheads for $38.75. Also ordered some Kimber Heros. If those don't work out, I'll return them and try something different.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited September 2004
    you should be satisfied with the copperheads
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • marly421
    marly421 Posts: 73
    edited September 2004
    Comment/Heads Up:

    SNIP> 'i also have the radio shack fusion cables, but alas, they are no longer maid' [made].

    Less than a week ago I checked in with Radio Stack [3 seperate stores] about the fusion cables. They are indeed no longer available but these cables were made by 'Monster Cable' and simply branded for Radio Stack. The Stack now carries and this is big surprise.....Monster Cables.

    Marly
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited September 2004
    I noticed the MC's in Radio Shack the other day....weird. They are beginning to carry more and more name brand merchandise.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • 2+2
    2+2 Posts: 546
    edited September 2004
    I will write a more detailed comments regarding my system but you should also consider knukonceptz.com silver coated connectors....very cheap for silvers and so far so good...
    System 1: Martin Logan Vantage, Rotel RC 1070, B&K Reference 200.2, Music Hall DAC 15.2, Yamaha 2300

    System 2: LSi15 w/db840, Marantz SR8400, Rotel 1080, RM6800 (C&S), Sony X2020ES

    System 3: LSi7, Yamaha SW215, Music Hall Maven, Music Hall MMF CD25 w/627opamps

    System 4: RTi100, Harman Kardon AVR 230, Panasonic DVD
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  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited September 2004
    Originally posted by marly421
    Comment/Heads Up:

    SNIP> 'i also have the radio shack fusion cables, but alas, they are no longer maid' [made].

    Less than a week ago I checked in with Radio Stack [3 seperate stores] about the fusion cables. They are indeed no longer available but these cables were made by 'Monster Cable' and simply branded for Radio Stack. The Stack now carries and this is big surprise.....Monster Cables.

    Marly


    thats funny, because they look nothing like, or were priced nothing like monster cable, even at their retail price. either way, they were great cables, especially for the price i got them at (in the teens per pair of interconnects)
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

    Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,010
    edited September 2004
    as per my other post I am getting AR pro II all under 15$ cad:D
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  • 2+2
    2+2 Posts: 546
    edited September 2004
    Yes, those Acoustic Research Pro II cables seem to be very good value....to me...sound better than Monsters costing 3 times as much!!!
    System 1: Martin Logan Vantage, Rotel RC 1070, B&K Reference 200.2, Music Hall DAC 15.2, Yamaha 2300

    System 2: LSi15 w/db840, Marantz SR8400, Rotel 1080, RM6800 (C&S), Sony X2020ES

    System 3: LSi7, Yamaha SW215, Music Hall Maven, Music Hall MMF CD25 w/627opamps

    System 4: RTi100, Harman Kardon AVR 230, Panasonic DVD
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,010
    edited September 2004
    right at that price I am replacing all my reg AR cables for the pro series II...looks like I will have tons lying around....
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited September 2004
    OK, so I gets my Kimber Hero and Audioquest Copperheads today. Hooked them up and was absolutely amazed at the music I was missing!!! And they ain't even broken in yet.

    I kid you not -- some songs sound entirely different. There were a few layers of detail I never heard before. Specifically, there were entire instruments that I never heard, but now are clear as day. I just could not imagine that interconnects contribute so much to the integrity of the music. I giggled as my wife lit up when I played the first few bars of her favorite song. The difference between my new cables and the Bluejeans I had before is not subtle -- it is very dramatic.

    Yeah, yeah, yeah...I've heard it all before -- "You should view your interconnects as components" or "Cables make a big difference" or "Get cables to match your system..." blah, blah, blah. But hey, all of that is correct. So don't be cheap like me when it comes to your cables. If so, you're choking the life blood right out of your system.

    One more upgrade forthcoming -- Tara Labs Prism bi-wire speaker cables arrive Friday. Right now I have some no name brand cables that I bought off ebay. They look nice, but I'm not sure of their quality. So I'm expecting great things on the 'morrow.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited October 2004
    One more upgrade forthcoming -- Tara Labs Prism bi-wire speaker cables arrive Friday.

    Popped those suckers in today and realized an even greater level of detail. An experience similar to the interconnects, the speaker cables made some songs actually sound entirely different. My wife likes the change too, so I'm good to go. Don't wanna screw around with testing out different cables for a while. I'll just enjoy my music and give these new cables some time to break in.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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