Any different between 2 types of Monster cables?

marks

I need to buy some speaker wire for my new HT system Onkyo TX SR605 and Polk RM6750 with Toshiba HD-A2 and Sharp 32' 720P HDTV.
Is there really any improvement of Monster cable XPHP-CI BIG-100 (about $70) over XP-CI BIG-100 (about $45)?

ben62670

Welcome to Club Polk.
Do a search on speaker wires in this forum! This topic can get to be a heated debate(always does). It is better to read on them. One thing most will agree on is for the money you can do much better than Monster. You will most likely have to purchase online. Take your time, read, and get a decent cable set. Stick around there is a lot to be learned.
Ben

treitz3

I started out with Monster M1000i's. Thought they were the bomb because I heard things I never heard before. Having had 3 different sets of Monster and then moving on............follow the advice of post #2.

Gaara

Monster XPHP is a step above XP, it has Monster's time correct windings.

"Unlike ordinary cables of this size and price, Monster XPHP uses Time Correct windings for more accurate transfer of the signal as it travels down the wire."

If I recall correctly it is also a slightly lower gauge, not 14 but not 16 like the XP wire. I used to use both which is how I know.

marks

I ordered 100ft of Belden 12 gauge white covered speaker wire instead from bluejeanscable.com.
bluejeanscable.com actually says they recommend bare wire connections unless this is not possible.
This is a novice question, but will 12 gauge thinkness fit ok into the Polk RM6750 speakers/subwoofer and also Onkyo TX SR605 or will I need connectors?

I also ordered a HDMI cable from them to give them a try. The existing HDMI cables I have are actually a little loose at the TV connection, so maybe this one will be a little more snug.

disneyjoe7

That Belden 12 gauge wire from BlueJeans Cable is in the right direction, I throw out over 200ft of Monster cable after I heard the Belden cable.

marks

I just got my RM6750 speakers and receiver delivered andI am druling without having any wire to hook them up ; however, the holes in the speakers for speaker wire look sort of small. Are they large enough to accept 12 gauge bare wire or if they won't fit will I need some sort of connector? I am waiting for my wire to be delivered.

Gaara

Might be tough to fit, I remember the little polk satellites having spring clips as apposed to binding posts. I also imagine the receiver would be hard to work with unless you have easy access to it. I had to wire up a HK with 14 gauge and it was a **** to work with, I think onkyo does the binding posts similar.

I would get some cheap bananas for the receiver end to make your life easier, and pins for the speakers. You can do bare wire but it will oxidize over time.

marks

Thanks, I plan to order bananas for the receiver as you suggested. Would bananas fit into the speakers as well even though they have the spring clips?
Do bananas offer a better connection since they are thicker than pins?

Gaara

Kinda depends on the bananas and the spring clips, but I wouldn't recommend it. It might fit but if it doesn't you could break the spring clip.

I wouldn't imagine the difference would be all that drastic, as the spring clip wouldn't be clamping down on the whole banana, just where it is widest. I would think a pin that is the same width the entire length of the connector would actually offer more surface area in such a situation.

marks

I called Polk audio and they recommended soft pin connectors would give the best contact area. He said ensure the connectors accept 12 gauge wiring.
Any good prices for soft pin connectors anyone would suggest. I only see $20 for 2 pairs of Monster soft pin quick connectors and given that I need 9 pairs to start with that's another $100 to shell out and more if I add more speakers to go to 7.1 surround and 2 more maybe since the Onkyo receiver I have TX SR605 supports another pair remote speakers for another room.

marks

I see them also for $14.39 for 2 pair also from antonline via amazon.com. Is that a good price?

John K.

Marks, you're concerning yourself over what's at most a trivial issue and most likely a non-issue. When you get your 12ga cord try it to see if it fits your speaker connections easily. If it doesn't, simply trim enough strands off the stripped end to make it fit. The overall resistance of the wire doesn't change significantly by, for example, trimming the end down to 16 or 18ga size; it's essentially still at 12ga. This isn't analogous to a 4-lane highway suddenly turning into an 8-foot wide dirt road. Relax and enjoy your music.

ben62670

John K. wrote: »

Marks, you're concerning yourself over what's at most a trivial issue and most likely a non-issue. When you get your 12ga cord try it to see if it fits your speaker connections easily. If it doesn't, simply trim enough strands off the stripped end to make it fit. The overall resistance of the wire doesn't change significantly by, for example, trimming the end down to 16 or 18ga size; it's essentially still at 12ga. This isn't analogous to a 4-lane highway suddenly turning into an 8-foot wide dirt road. Relax and enjoy your music.

+1 on what my friend John said. Even though we disagree on a lot of topics I will concur with his statement here, For short runs from a receiver I would even suggest using 14ga Walmart speaker wire that can be found on the cheap at WalMart in the auto section. It is better wire for the money than most will admit.
Ben

marks

thanks for your advice. take care.

daveyg2

Just the price , thats the only diff.