Monster Cable Z2 reference cable

daboyz

Is there anyone here using this wire? Any thoughts? Bought 25 feet from
accessories4less.com for .99/ft. Seemed like a good deal.

heiney9

daboyz wrote:

Is there anyone here using this wire? Any thoughts? Bought 25 feet from
accessories4less.com for .99/ft. Seemed like a good deal.

Around here Monster has a bad rep. More for their business practices rather than the performance of the product although 99 times out of 100 it's grossly overpriced.

I'd say you got a good deal and much better than stock lamp cord style speaker wire. BTW, We live in the same city. :cool:

H9

daboyz

I believe I saw that you live near 90 and Riverside. I live at Bell School and Rote Road. Maybe get together for a brew sometime?

reeltrouble1

MIght be ok for HT. Many here have moved on as its performance to cost ratio is not the best, and then the policies and all that, at least I am not buying anymore. Still have some laying around though.

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LuSh

I've heard some great stuff about these cables. They're suppose to be very neutral. Many people think Polk Audio can only produce mid-fi because they sell to the masses, this should give you some perspective on Monster Cable.

daboyz

Like I said, I got it for $.99/ft when Monster's site has it for $5/ft. I figured it'd be worth a try, not much invested. Better than what I've got now.

reeltrouble1

Waaaaaa...............Lush give me some of what your drinking, Polk is like Monster!!!!!! i see what you mean, but really man.

daboyz--I have used monster's higher end cables they are not bad, enjoy your find, I would just recommend looking at what else is out there when the time comes.

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LuSh

Give you some of what I'm drinking? I think most people outside of this forum would consider Monster products to be much "higher end" then what Polk Audio has produced. I'm not one of these people but I think there are alot of double standards within the industry. Polk Audio in Canada isn't distributed by anybody except big box stores and therefore is deemed "crap" by most people. My contention is that this isn't the case and that perception's have proceeded the actual product, much like Monster product on this forum.

reeltrouble1

Monster's downfall here had alot to do with their company practices, however, their stuff is just average so-so and overpriced, there very top of line stuff offers a glimpse of high end wire but is no value by any means and not best in class. I dont think its really bad product, just hyped, I would say Monster is much like Bose in this regard, with the exception that they do stand behind their guarantees. If Canadiens want to believe monster is a better audio product producer than Polk they are the Center of their Universe and can have at it, although I certainly do not think so, if you can get their wire for 20% of retail and dont mind the politics since they did not eff you personally, have at it and rock on.

I personally like the sound of signal and bluejeans and cobalt and MIT terminator over the m550i to 1000i in the mid line products, and I should mention Signal Cable continued support of our Club. I have used the monster speaker cables and still have some, not bad but as I said no great shakes by any means.

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LuSh

Reel,

With all due respect try typing in Monster on Audiogon and seeing how many users use the product in their systems, then try typing in Polk Audio. Many high enders still value Monster's higher end offerings. This only upholds my arguement that it is about perception, audiogon is an american website. At the extreme high end of audio there simply is no best of class. At over $1k for interconnects and $2k for speaker wire it is everything about system synergy and very little left in regards to what is actually better. The original post was about how good a particular cable was. I said I've heard great things about this particular cable and I still stand by it even though I haven't personally demo'd it but I still have spoken with people I respect and wouldn't write off the brand simply because it sold to masses and their mid market stuff was overrated. Just as I defend the LSi speaker series everytime I talk to people who are involved in audio and write it off.

ledhed

Nobody says Monster is bad, just overpriced. It IS overpriced however, for 1$ per foot, this seems like a good price. I agree RT1, next Bose system I'm hooking up, I'm going all Monster cable and making sure it is all THX certified.

LuSh

Overpriced in comparison to what? This is my point exactly ledhed...thanks for bringing it up.

Nordost Valhalla retails for $6k a pair

Transparent Ref over $20k

MIT Orcale over $12k

I could name another 10 cables that were over the $5k mark. My point is that there is a double standard and I'd be hard pressed for anyone on this forum to admit they've actually demo'd the cables in question. Instead they've discussed views on product based on perception.

sucks2beme

LuSh wrote:

Overpriced in comparison to what? This is my point exactly ledhed...thanks for bringing it up.

Nordost Valhalla retails for $6k a pair

Transparent Ref over $20k

MIT Orcale over $12k

I could name another 10 cables that were over the $5k mark. My point is that there is a double standard and I'd be hard pressed for anyone on this forum to admit they've actually demo'd the cables in question. Instead they've discussed views on product based on perception.

Got a pair of Z3's for sale. They didn't do much for me. Audioquest all the way! Yes they were more money. And worth it.

ledhed

LuSh wrote:

Overpriced in comparison to what? This is my point exactly ledhed...thanks for bringing it up.

Nordost Valhalla retails for $6k a pair

Transparent Ref over $20k

MIT Orcale over $12k

I could name another 10 cables that were over the $5k mark. My point is that there is a double standard and I'd be hard pressed for anyone on this forum to admit they've actually demo'd the cables in question. Instead they've discussed views on product based on perception.

The performance average Monster cable provides can usually be had for at least 30% cheaper if not better in many other companies. That is my definition of overpriced.

Polk65

I bought mc 16 years ago when I brought home virgin Polk Audio SDA's. The mc turned green many years ago from oxidation deep inside the length of cable.

There are many threads here that you can search for "monster cable".

Google: "monster cable" lawsuit starting here http://www.madmartian.com/legal/

Walt Disney did not bend over when sued for use of the English language word "Monsters" and was big enough to fire back a counter lawsuit. Some people don't care what a company's reputation is, but more do and spend their money accordingly.

Is the lowest price always best?

At local markets I can buy ginger for less than $1/lb from China but I choose $2/lb from Hawaii. Same goes for cheap garlic from China or $1.xx/lb garlic from California. And Salmon... China often blankets markets with $1/lb yet I choose $6/lb from Alaska. These are my choices that I can live with and you have yours. Do what your conscience can live with.

hearingimpared

I use Monster Powerline2 Time Coherent Precision speaker cable. They look like a tan garden hose. It is 20 years old. It was very expensive back then. It had been sitting in storage for about 20 years the only tarnished portion was the stripped ends that were exposed to the elements. I had two 34' lengths. When I cut them and stripped the ends they were as bright red coppery as you can get and still had maintain their tight braded shape. These were very well make cables. I like the way they sound in my system. If I were to A/B them against any cable it would be Mapleshade Double Helix with banana plugs.

Refefer

daboyz, enjoy your find. As you said, not much is invested in it and at bare minimum will sound a little better than regular speaker wire (or whatever you were using.

As for this small war over Monster cables, I'll insert my 2 cents.

Yes, you can get higher quality cables for cheaper than Monster. At the same time, Monster has a much larger market share than Polk Audio does.

So does Bose... does that mean its better? Heck no. Just means most listeners out there are ignorant.

Does Monster make inferior goods? Is a Porsche a bad car when compared to a Ferrari? If I'm buying it for the same price as the Ferrari, I'll admit I'm getting a bad deal... but all and all it's still a Porsche and better than my Toyota. If I could buy it for .99 cents/foot, I very well might.

danger boy

it's your system.. use WHATEVER cable/wires you want.. settled. now move on.

Polk65

danger boy wrote:

it's your system.. use WHATEVER cable/wires you want.. settled. now move on.

Move on? daboyz asked for any thoughts.

samNOISE

.
Duders,

Cables are cables are cables... its been done to death a zillion times already!

I dig what Monster Cable has made available as much as the next audiofreak, sure some of their stuff can be pricey, but as mentioned above, compared to what, raw 12-gauge lamp cord? The only difference between the two will be a fancy jacket, sure as hell not 'sound,' and if you compare most Monster Cable offerings to the idiot-brand audio-fool crap, its a steal!

Check out Monster Cable's 'high-zoot' speaker cable at The Source (formerly radio Shack in Canada). their Monster XPMS is durable, 'THX Certified' (for what thats worth), and available in 50-foot spool for a fairly decent $60.00 Canadian. Not too bad, coming in at $1.35 a foot, tax included.

Heaven and Hell knows, no 'Golden-ear audiophile' would be able to detect an audible difference between it and a mega-buck per foot cable if you isolated them in a separate auditioning room. Sure lamp-cord is cheaper and 'sounds' the same, but Monster Cable is aesthetically pleasing, and thats the difference you're paying for with cables. Lets be realistic, its all about ego, not sound...

Getting back to the O.P. Dude, excellent score! There is a whack of cable almost identical to what you found for more or less the same price on eBay, such as this cat: (no, its not me...!)

shenghung on ebay

...who is offering a 40 foot spool of 'car audio cable' (no different from the 'home audio' stuff, just marketing into specific niches), for a measly $23.41 Canadian, plus $17.56 shipping, plus 7% tax = $43.84, or around $1.10 a foot.

PS: for some excellent tunes for the car / MP3 player, have a look at this:

http://music.download.com/fullalbumstreamthedoors/3600-8735_32-100990038.html?tag=MDL_listing_song_artist

...the tracks all spool as MP3's into your Internet Explorer (if you use such), Temporary Internet Files folder...

Andrew D.
cdnav.com
.

danger boy

Polk65 wrote:

Move on? daboyz asked for any thoughts.

my thoughts exactly. he's found the cable he likes at his price... use the monster cable and move on to the next tweak in your system.

this asking in here our thoughts on this cable over that cable only starts off debates. not everone in here all agree that brand X of cables are the best and work great for everyone's system.

Polk65

Must... get... new decoder ring. It read to me like you were telling us to clam up.

george daniel

thanks for the link daboyz, I just ordered some z2 for a SDA interconnect that I'm making for my 2.3's,,.99 ft ain't bad :cool:

daboyz

Phew, didn't know I was opening up a can of worms. The wire I have is your basic run of the mill speaker wire so it is definitely a step up. I wanted to get better wire but my concern firstly is to upgrade my center to a CSi3 or 5. My RTi8's are kicking my Infinity's arse. The wire is a stepping stone, but if I like it, I'll probably stick with it. Let me know what you think of yours,George, when you get it.

reeltrouble1

You were not daboyz, Lush has valid points about Monster, we are really not far apart on the products, now as far as Audiogon though, I can type Onkyo and get more than Museatex so Onkyo is better than Museatex, waaaa,;) well, I did not actually do it but can imagine it and you get the point.

I would rather have the Oracle though at 12K and I damm near pulled the trigger on some Valhalla last week. On a more realistic comparison though I would take the Nordost Heimdall over the monster Sigma.

Lush and I know wire matters so this is not a wire debate, just some dialogue between two members, for my personal reasons I will not buy Monster, but that is just me, I will however make others aware, just because I want to and feel it is the right thing to do.

Edit--A check of the highly knowledgeable Audiogon members (must be since I am one:D ) reveals the following numbers:

Polk---16 items
MC----11 items
Museatex--5 items

So I will expect to see some prized possesions in the FM very soon, I would recommend some BAT, Musical Fidelity, Classe, Cary as possible replacements.

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wwblevins

I quit buying Monster products after I read where they claim their speaker wire was "directional". I buy a lot of my stuff from Parts Express. They are no B.S.

DarqueKnight

daboyz wrote:

Is there anyone here using this wire? Any thoughts? Bought 25 feet from
accessories4less.com for .99/ft. Seemed like a good deal.

That was an excellent deal.

I use Monster Z2 speaker cables in my system at work and in my home theater system. I also replaced the stock SDA interconnect cables with custom interconnects made from bulk Z2 cable. I use Monster Z3 speaker cables in my 2 channel, master bedroom, and home office systems. Monster's Z series cables offer a good price/performance ratio and they are well made. Any time I have ever contacted Monster's customer service with a question or concern, I have always received a prompt, courteous, and complete response.

Z3 has noticably better resolution than Z2 because it has better insulation and uses thicker wire (10 gauge compared to Z2's 12 gauge) and thus offers lower electrical resistance to a signal. Looking an a AWG chart, you will see that 10 gauge cable has a resistance of 1 ohm per 1000 feet and 12 gauge cable has a resistance of 1.7 ohms per 1000 feet. This is a very significant (70%) difference.

I agree that most of Monster's cable products are overpriced, which is why I bought them used (but in mint condition) on eBay and Audiogon for very good prices. However, I think it is hypocritical to single out Monster for overpricing because most good cables are overpriced and some are ridiculously overpriced. A good thing about buying used cable and interconnects, aside from the cost savings, is that if the cable or interconnect does not work for you, you can put it up for sale and recover all or most or your initial investment.

I understand that some people do not wish to do business with Monster because the company has engaged in some questionable business practices. That is certainly their perogative as a consumer. However, if that policy were fairly applied across the board, most of us wouldn't own anything because there are few companies that do not engage in some questionable, abusive, or unethical business practices and advertising hype. I once visited the factory of a well known speaker manufacturer and he demonstrated the prototype for a new 0 gauge speaker cable he was planning to offer. He obtained the bulk cable from a wire and cable distributor a few blocks from his factory for less than 75 cents per foot. I was asked not to divulge the planned MSRP of the new cable. However, I will tell you that it was significantly in excess of the $400 per 8 foot pair price of his then-current most expensive speaker cable.

Cables certainly do sound different from each other. Furthermore, the same cable will sound different in different systems due to the synergies between the cable and the components connected to the cable. When comparing cables, be sure that you are aware of the differences in constuction between the various cables. The wire size, termination type, type of metal used in making the wire, and insulation all have some influence on how a signal is affected by a particular cable.

reeltrouble1

Ok Raife but there is a big difference between hype advertising and filing suit on a charity.

RT1

DarqueKnight

Ted,

I agree that Noel Lee and his overzealous lawyers are bad, bad men. Nice cables though.

I'm just saying that it is hypocritical to boycott Monster while most of us wear sneakers/athletic shoes that were made under brutal working conditions in Asian and Indian sweatshops.

samNOISE

.

Z3 has noticably better resolution than Z2 because it has better insulation and uses thicker wire (10 gauge compared to Z2's 12 gauge) and thus offers lower electrical resistance to a signal. Looking an a AWG chart, you will see that 10 gauge cable has a resistance of 1 ohm per 1000 feet and 12 gauge cable has a resistance of 1.7 ohms per 1000 feet. This is a very significant (70%) difference.

Cables certainly do sound different from each other. Furthermore, the same cable will sound different in different systems due to the synergies between the cable and the components connected to the cable. When comparing cables, be sure that you are aware of the differences in constuction between the various cables. The wire size, termination type, type of metal used in making the wire, and insulation all have some influence on how a signal is affected by a particular cable.

Dude, pu-hu-leeze! :mad:

You know that you would have no idea which was which in a blind-folder audition, give it a break!

Andrew D.
cdnav.com
.

reeltrouble1

What now I gotta go barefoot??? yeeks.

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