All those used cables on Audigon / what's up?

pearsall001
pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
edited January 2006 in 2 Channel Audio
I've been taking notice of the high number of used cables & power cords on the 'gon. What's up with that? Most are hi-end cables & power cords that I'm sure cost quite a bit of money. I would think that they should keep one happy for quite some time. People aren't happy w/ the sound, performance or what. Maybe they're looking for perfect musical nirvana? No such thing. What's your take on these expensive cables & the like. What are you running? I'm quite happy w/ 12g wire used for low voltage lights. It's actually cheaper than the 12g speaker wire that both Home Depot & Lowes sell. IC's are from Signal cable, I've very pleased w/ them.
"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • dragon1952
    dragon1952 Posts: 4,899
    edited January 2006
    They probably expected way too much for the price they paid. I think they find out the hard way that a PC or interconnect can only go so far in tweaking the sound.
    2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones
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  • jfb4548
    jfb4548 Posts: 168
    edited January 2006
    dragon1952 wrote:
    They probably expected way too much for the price they paid. I think they find out the hard way that a PC or interconnect can only go so far in tweaking the sound.


    I have the really old Mostercable speaker wire came free with the SDA-SRS. It seems fine but before that I ran good old fashion lamp cord. As big as I could find and brown in color with no fancy ends. My IC's are all .5 meter Signet dark gray in color about as old as the SDA's so I can't tell you much more about them! Oh yea I have one PS Power cord that came with my Jolida. I can say for a fact the Signet IC's and the Power Punch cable did make a noticable improvement over the junkie stock red & white ended IC's and the computer type power cord on the Jolida. As for the Monster speaker wire? My runs are so short I dought it makes much differance over the lamp cord.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited January 2006
    Look at all the high end gear man, tons of amps, preamps. It's just the 'high end' side of the audio market.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited January 2006
    Some people are very rich and can afford to upgrade every few months. Plus, agon is probably a much better place to unload them than ebay.
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  • Skynut
    Skynut Posts: 2,967
    edited January 2006
    If I had money I would experiment.
    If I had money I would keep anything I thought was decent.
    If I had money I would not work.
    I wish I had money.

    It is just high end, when you go to audiogon you expect to find good stuff.
    You won't find wallmart brand at Tifanies or vice versa.
    Skynut
    SOPA® Founder
    The system Almost there
    DVD Onkyo DV-SP802
    Sunfire Theater Grand II
    Sherbourn 7/2100
    Panamax 5510 power conditioner (for electronics)
    2 PSAudio UPC-200 power conditioners (for amps)
    Front L/R RT3000p (Bi-Wired)
    Center CS1000p (Bi-Wired) (under the television)
    Center RT2000p's (Bi-Wired) (on each side of the television)
    Sur FX1000
    SVS ultra plus 2

    www.ShadetreesMachineShop.com
    Thanks for looking
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited January 2006
    Well said, Skynut!

    We roll tubes, those rich people roll gear.
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  • ninerbj
    ninerbj Posts: 870
    edited January 2006
    Kinda like I roll...


    nevermind.
    "she had the body of Venus, with arms."
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited January 2006
    ninerbj wrote:
    Kinda like I roll...


    nevermind.
    It's ok. Nobody's gonna laugh at you. I like to roll with the other hand when I'm bored :cool: . Guys need to keep their sanity.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited January 2006
    Audiogon is a good place to find deals on cables, not just gear....but on cables you have to be QUICK!

    It's just simple turnover...the "audiophile" community isn't a just a group of 100 lonely men touching themselves. I will go on record as saying that I've experienced a personal session that sounded better than another, no cables involved, pure equipment synergy.
    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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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,551
    edited January 2006
    It's mostly people experimenting with different cables to find the ones that work best with their system.
    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

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  • StopherJJ1980
    StopherJJ1980 Posts: 267
    edited January 2006
    I think its all of the above...
    -Stopher
    Tempe, AZ

    Setup:
    Polk RTi8 Mains
    Polk CSi5 Center
    Polk FXi3's Surround
    Cerwin Vega HTS10 Subwoofer
    Yamaha HTR-5740 AVR

    Upstairs R50/R15/CS1 5.1 setup w Pioneer AVR
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  • BobMcG
    BobMcG Posts: 1,585
    edited January 2006
    I think it's a matter of more and more people finding out the truth about cables...... you know, how cables do not change the way a system sounds because they can not change the way a system sounds. I think that due to this discovery just about everyone is getting rid of their cables. I know I don't bother with them any more. Sold them all. :p





    I know, I'm terrible. :D:D:D
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  • Flash21
    Flash21 Posts: 316
    edited January 2006
    Ahh, cables...what a racket. I have reluctantly been dragged into this madness, kicking and screaming, and I have to say...that they do make a difference (when you get up into the spectrum of paying $1000 for each piece of gear).

    The speaker cables matter. The interconnects matter. The gol-durned power cords matter! And what's more (and this is relevant to the topic at hand), what works on your system often doesn't work as well on my system (they call that "system synergy"). So, often the process of finding out which item works on your system involves auditioning a number of different candidates (until you want to tear your hair out dealing with all the variables you are juggling)....meaning there are a lot of cables you need to get rid of once you settle on something.

    And even more frustrating, nobody really knows why a cable works with this but not with that etc., so you are flying blind even deciding what to audition. A few places have started databases trying to track trends as to what-works-with-what, but even that only narrows down the field a little.

    BTW, if you are looking into high-end power cords, the best value I have heard by far is the VH Audio Flavor 4, starting at $160 (yes, that is very cheap by high end standards). I just discovered this, so I am currently selling a PS Audio power cord on Audiogon. :D
    Steve Carlson
    Von Schweikert VR-33 speakers
    Bel Canto eVo2i integrated amp
    Bel Canto PL-2 universal disc player
    Analysis Plus Oval Nine speaker cables and Copper Oval-In Micro interconnects
    VH Audio Flavor 4 power cables
    Polk Monitor 10B speakers, retired but not forgotten
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,552
    edited January 2006
    I will NEVER buy into interconnects, speaker wire, and power cords. Worst waste of cash IMO... besides, you never know if your wires will agree with your next upgrades.

    Even if they did make a difference, it's not necessarily for the better. Sure it may make your system sound better, but what happens when you change speakers or amplifiers?
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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  • Flash21
    Flash21 Posts: 316
    edited January 2006
    Joey_V wrote:
    I will NEVER buy into interconnects, speaker wire, and power cords. Worst waste of cash IMO...
    Waste of cash? It is certainly an easy and understandable target for such concerns...I hate the thought of spending money on that stuff, but I have heard the differences with my own two ears, and at that point only you can decide if it is worth it to you.

    If you don't want to know if cables will make a difference in your system, don't ever even try to listen, because ignorance is bliss, believe me...cables to me are like the apple to Adam & Eve...
    Even if they did make a difference, it's not necessarily for the better. Sure it may make your system sound better, but what happens when you change speakers or amplifiers?
    You are sort of contradicting yourself, but you correct in that you definitely have to revisit your cable selection if you change equipment. Of course, I have had the same speakers since 1985, so that at least hasn't been a problem... :cool:

    You on the other hand have sold all of your equipments, so cables aren't something you have to worry about at all.
    Steve Carlson
    Von Schweikert VR-33 speakers
    Bel Canto eVo2i integrated amp
    Bel Canto PL-2 universal disc player
    Analysis Plus Oval Nine speaker cables and Copper Oval-In Micro interconnects
    VH Audio Flavor 4 power cables
    Polk Monitor 10B speakers, retired but not forgotten
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,551
    edited January 2006
    So, you're willing to swap gear in and out in search of better sound, but not willing to do the same with cables? Interesting logic.
    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

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  • Flash21
    Flash21 Posts: 316
    edited January 2006
    I assume you are referring to Joey's mostly non-existent system... ;)
    Steve Carlson
    Von Schweikert VR-33 speakers
    Bel Canto eVo2i integrated amp
    Bel Canto PL-2 universal disc player
    Analysis Plus Oval Nine speaker cables and Copper Oval-In Micro interconnects
    VH Audio Flavor 4 power cables
    Polk Monitor 10B speakers, retired but not forgotten
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  • seo
    seo Posts: 305
    edited January 2006
    jfb4548 wrote:
    I have the really old Mostercable speaker wire came free with the SDA-SRS. .

    JFB-

    I see you are in Cleveland. Do you know the name of the store on the east side of Cleveland that carried Polks in the late 80's? I bought some SDA's, a NAD CD player and a B&O turntable there in 1986. Just can't remember the name.

    Scott
    Signature goes here
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  • Skynut
    Skynut Posts: 2,967
    edited January 2006
    I think cables are a way of playing around with the system.
    Change them, change the sound. Better or worse?
    Don't know till you try.
    I currently have close to $1000.00 in total cable investment. Interconnects, speaker wires, power cords, and toslinks.
    I like the build quality and performance of what I have.
    I would love to try some different cables but in a HT/SACD enviroment it gets real expensive real quick. So for now I enjoy what I have and I know that someday I will have the money to experiment with different cables.
    When I do I will probably check out Audiogon for good deals or I will step into self manufacturing.
    Skynut
    SOPA® Founder
    The system Almost there
    DVD Onkyo DV-SP802
    Sunfire Theater Grand II
    Sherbourn 7/2100
    Panamax 5510 power conditioner (for electronics)
    2 PSAudio UPC-200 power conditioners (for amps)
    Front L/R RT3000p (Bi-Wired)
    Center CS1000p (Bi-Wired) (under the television)
    Center RT2000p's (Bi-Wired) (on each side of the television)
    Sur FX1000
    SVS ultra plus 2

    www.ShadetreesMachineShop.com
    Thanks for looking
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,551
    edited January 2006
    Flash21 wrote:
    I assume you are referring to Joey's mostly non-existent system... ;)

    That would be correct, sir.
    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

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  • read-alot
    read-alot Posts: 812
    edited January 2006
    I am of the old school thinking cables do not matter but I just bought a new pair of MIT S2 Shotgun speaker cables and letting them do the requested 2 day burn in before I listen.
    My son happened to stop by while I was working and needless to say he had to check out the old mans sound. He called his mother into the room and asked her why dads speakers sound like the guy playing guitar is in the room.
    At 6:00 pm today I get to hear that...I hope.
    polkaudio SRS (rdo194 x 8)
    Dodd ELP (separate power supply)
    JC 1 blocks ( strapped )
    Rega Apollo
    MIT (speaker cables) Outlaw (ICs)

    polkaudio SDA2(rdo194x4) (front) polkaudio CRS (rdo194x4)(rear) polkaudio 400i (center)
    B&K 505
    Samsung LCD
    VIP 622
    HSU STF-2
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited January 2006
    Nice.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited January 2006
    read-alot wrote:
    I am of the old school thinking cables do not matter but I just bought a new pair of MIT S2 Shotgun speaker cables and letting them do the requested 2 day burn in before I listen.
    My son happened to stop by while I was working and needless to say he had to check out the old mans sound. He called his mother into the room and asked her why dads speakers sound like the guy playing guitar is in the room.
    At 6:00 pm today I get to hear that...I hope.

    The real test is once you listen to the MIT's for awhile (long enough to really understand what you are hearing) and decide to plug your old wires back in for the fun of it. That is when you really find out. I'm quite happy with mine.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • jfb4548
    jfb4548 Posts: 168
    edited January 2006
    seo wrote:
    JFB-

    I see you are in Cleveland. Do you know the name of the store on the east side of Cleveland that carried Polks in the late 80's? I bought some SDA's, a NAD CD player and a B&O turntable there in 1986. Just can't remember the name.

    Scott

    I'm going to say it was Audio Craft, based on the B&O referance. They were one of the few I knew to carry Polk and B&O. There still around with several locations in town. Their was also Hoffmans House of Music but their DOA I think.
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  • seo
    seo Posts: 305
    edited January 2006
    jfb4548 wrote:
    I'm going to say it was Audio Craft, based on the B&O referance. They were one of the few I knew to carry Polk and B&O. There still around with several locations in town. Their was also Hoffmans House of Music but their DOA I think.

    Audio Craft sounds right. I left Cleveland in 1987, so my memory has faded. The place I remember definitely had "Audio" in the name. I believe it was on Mayfield road either in Mayfield heights or Lyndhurst.

    Thanks for ther info

    Scott
    Signature goes here
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,552
    edited January 2006
    Flash21 wrote:
    I assume you are referring to Joey's mostly non-existent system... ;)

    Non-existent??

    We'll see about that tonight... I wonder what 2 large boxes 130 pound boxes await me at the freight warehouse. :rolleyes:
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,552
    edited January 2006
    Zero wrote:
    Joey,

    Since you are in a bit of a transitioning phase, here is some advice I typically lend;

    While building your system, put the money where it counts the most. Speakers, Source, and then the pre amp / amp / integrated. Once you have a synergy you enjoy between your components... the light is green for you to experiment around and see if cables make a difference (beneficial) to you.

    In my personal experience, cables are more like instruments of fine tuning. But like tuning anything, be it electrical or mechanical, experience with those given tools is necessary for you to gauge differences one way or the other.
    I agree Shawn... totally.

    I just find cables and wires to be the last thing to add to a system and for the money, it surely isnt a make or break deal for me. I change my system so much that if I got interconnects, power cords, wires that complement this system, it would be a waste since there is not telling what will happen with my next system. That's why I (meaning ME) find it a waste of cash... FLASH21.
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,552
    edited January 2006
    F1nut wrote:
    So, you're willing to swap gear in and out in search of better sound, but not willing to do the same with cables? Interesting logic.

    Why? Because speakers and amps yield a MUCH larger difference in sound than wire??
    Magico M2, JL113v2x2, EMM, ARC Ref 10 Line, ARC Ref 10 Phono, VPIx2, Lyra Etna, Airtight Opus1, Boulder, AQ Wel&Wild, SRA Scuttle Rack, BlueSound+LPS, Thorens 124DD+124SPU, Sennheiser, Metaxas R2R
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  • Skynut
    Skynut Posts: 2,967
    edited January 2006
    Amp = $1000.00+
    Speakers = $1000.00+
    Wires = $60.00+ per pair.

    I think if I had good eqiupment that didn't quite "do it" for me I would be willing to make a small investment in wire to see for myself before I bought new equipment.
    But that is just me and I have heard the difference.
    Here we go again.
    Skynut
    SOPA® Founder
    The system Almost there
    DVD Onkyo DV-SP802
    Sunfire Theater Grand II
    Sherbourn 7/2100
    Panamax 5510 power conditioner (for electronics)
    2 PSAudio UPC-200 power conditioners (for amps)
    Front L/R RT3000p (Bi-Wired)
    Center CS1000p (Bi-Wired) (under the television)
    Center RT2000p's (Bi-Wired) (on each side of the television)
    Sur FX1000
    SVS ultra plus 2

    www.ShadetreesMachineShop.com
    Thanks for looking
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  • Flash21
    Flash21 Posts: 316
    edited January 2006
    Joey_V wrote:
    I just find cables and wires to be the last thing to add to a system and for the money, it surely isnt a make or break deal for me. I change my system so much that if I got interconnects, power cords, wires that complement this system, it would be a waste since there is not telling what will happen with my next system. That's why I (meaning ME) find it a waste of cash... FLASH21.
    I would agree with that. I certainly don't buy cables before the equipment.

    But I can't resist pointing out that differs somewhat from your previous statement:
    I will NEVER buy into interconnects, speaker wire, and power cords.
    Steve Carlson
    Von Schweikert VR-33 speakers
    Bel Canto eVo2i integrated amp
    Bel Canto PL-2 universal disc player
    Analysis Plus Oval Nine speaker cables and Copper Oval-In Micro interconnects
    VH Audio Flavor 4 power cables
    Polk Monitor 10B speakers, retired but not forgotten
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