Interconnects

disaeur
disaeur Posts: 13
confused: Can fancy interconnects make a noticeable difference in my system. i just upgraded to a Rotel 1075 amp but i'm using oem $20.00 RCA cables for the R/L/C channels. Been researching Kimber Silver Streak, Catcables Kingcats Silver, Audio Quest Jaguar and a few others. Is this worth my time or would i be throwing money down the drain. What's up with Catcables???? anyone ever heard of them??

d-eur

Yamaha Rx-V2500
Rotel 1075
LSi9
LSiC
FXi3 :
Post edited by disaeur on

Comments

  • John K.
    John K. Posts: 822
    edited December 2005
    Disaeur, as was pointed out in answer to your other post, copper is the economically sensible choice for interconnects. Neither the use of silver nor any mystical construction techniques can improve in any significant way on regular low-cost cables with adequate connectors and shielding. The cable simply serves as a guide for the electromagnetic wave which rides down its outside. There are of course many sellers of high-cost cables catering to the uninformed or misinformed, but as you suggest, using them is essentially throwing money down the drain instead of using it for something which can make a difference.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,654
    edited December 2005
    disaeur wrote:
    Can fancy interconnects make a noticeable difference in my system.

    For some people they do, for some they don't. The only way to find out for yourself is to try some. TIP: Buying used cables will save you a lot of money and if you don't like them you can get your money back when you sell them.

    BTW, John K. is a CRACKPOT. His rig is a Sony boombox.
    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

  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,200
    edited December 2005
    Cat cables is a on line cale company. they get good reviews due to there performance to price ratio. Many use em and really like em.

    Good quality cables are just as Important as any other thing in your system.

    Kimber Kable is one of the very best cable companies I ever owned. I personally like them and use them.

    Good luck,

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited December 2005
    Stuttgart! I was there for 7 years (1982 to 1989)...anyhow, I also use Kimber cables through out my system. PBJ's & 8TC. For me they were the perfect balance of cost/performance.

    Upgrading cables provides a relatively (note: relatively) subtle change, if at all, depending on the cable you select and what you were using to begin with. For example, if you're comparing two good cables, changes may be slight; if upgrading from the 99 cent cable they include with most equipment, you'll likely hear a bigger change...

    F1NUT said it perfectly, buy used---you can always resell if they don't work out.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,530
    edited December 2005
    I've used the Kimber Heroes and Silver Streaks with Rotel gear before, and would suggest the Heroes would be a better match for the Yamaha/Rotel combo than the Silver Streaks would.

    Oh yeah, three years in Stuttgart for me as well.
  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited December 2005
    Good quality cables are important for noise rejection, build quality and good signal strength and thats about it. So to a point it will be money well spent but after that point it will be wasted money as the differences, if any, will be inaudible.
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
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    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited December 2005
    You can also check out: www.bluejeanscable.com for good cables that won't cost an arm & a leg.

    As well as: http://www.signalcable.com/

    Good luck, let us know what you end up getting & if they make a difference to you.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited December 2005
    I've used Catcables - Silvercats before.. way to bright for my ears... so in general i'd stay away from the silver cables.. plus, why pay that much for silver cables and they make your ears cringe?

    look at Cobalt Cable for their ultimate interconnect cables.. to me they are very neutral sounding... at least the most neutral of all the different cables i have ever used. THe clarity is nearly that of silver cables.. but without any harshness in the top end. I'm slightly partial to them since they are a local to me company.. and i support local companies, as long as they make a high quality product for a good product to cost ratio. Plus they sound really good in my system. I'm moving over all my intereconnect to Cobalt Cables ultimate interconnects. :D
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited December 2005
    everyone has their favorite cables... so you're likely to get as many different reviews on cables as there are people on here... demo a couple of different ones, then decide. I've tried several over the years... and after a while... once i replace this or that cable..with something better. i realize what i was missing.

    I personally don't think a person needs to spend more than $100 per pair of interconnects.. that's just my price ceiling.. i think if you do... the ratio of improvement is slight if any at all. I'm glad you didn't mention Monster cables. they are way overpriced for what you get. and a lot of people make much better cables for a lot less dinero.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,044
    edited December 2005
    I use Kimber for speaker cable and AR proII and AQ for ICs
  • fab5valentine
    fab5valentine Posts: 84
    edited December 2005
    Would the specs on this cable make a good subwoofer interconnect? I own a 12' M300, but need to go 25-30' now and don't want to spend 50-$75.. Thanks for these other links too.. I'm purchasing an LFM-1 today.
    http://trianglecable.com/1cv-025.html

    fab5valentine
    -fab5

    Klipsch RB81's/RC62/RS52's
    SVS PB12+/2
    Denon 3808CI
    Panasonic BD60
    Toshiba 56MX195 1080p
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited December 2005
    Would the specs on this cable make a good subwoofer interconnect? I own a 12' M300, but need to go 25-30' now and don't want to spend 50-$75.. Thanks for these other links too.. I'm purchasing an LFM-1 today.
    http://trianglecable.com/1cv-025.html

    fab5valentine

    That cable would be fine.
    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.
  • SuperDave
    SuperDave Posts: 168
    edited December 2005
    but I have had good luck with Monster cables. They seem to be more readily available in my area (Sound Advice), they are rugged and well built, oh yea they sound fantastic. IMHO


    SuperDave
    Yamaha RX-V992
    Panasonic DVD-A310
    Sony XBR 27"
    DVR
    Polk LSi25 Fronts
    Polk LSiC Center
    Infinity RS1 Rears
    Monster THX Cables
    SuperDave
    Yamaha RX-V992 (Center,Rears)
    Adcom GFA-5500 (Mains)
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