What Speaker Cable to Buy??

hglass
hglass Posts: 7
edited October 2009 in Basic Hookup/Wiring Questions
Im looking for a good quality speaker cable. I will be needing it for my left, right and center speakers. They are to be bi-wired. I dont want to spend more than $600 a run. Thats $1800 total. Any ideas??:confused:
Post edited by hglass on
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,119
    edited October 2009
    Monster all the way.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2009
    What does the rest of your setup consist of?
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,220
    edited October 2009
    Keiko wrote: »
    Blue Jeans Cable Canare 4S11 Cable, Star Quad would be an excellent starting point since you're using a bi-wired configuration. Face brought up a valid question, and there are other options for "good quality" cable available to you. Considering the budget.

    http://bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm

    +1. I use the BJC Ten in my HT, but for a bi-wire setup the 4S11 looks like a great choice.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • sTiLlLeArNiNg
    sTiLlLeArNiNg Posts: 805
    edited October 2009
    I don't think you need to spend $600/length but i would agree the Canare is a good start! I have some coming this week so i can make my own $1,000,000,000,000.00 cable's :D I already have the heat shrink, techflex and silver solder :) Just need to decide if i'm going to terminate the end's or tin the bare wire :confused:

    Right now i'm using some Rocketfish 16g i got with my speaker's from Futuresh|t to wire my whole system and it souind's fine :o
    Media Room 7.1
    Sharp lc37d64u | Sanus vmsab-03 | Sonax ZX8680 | Yamaha htr-6290b | Emotiva xpa1 x 2 & xpa5 | RTiA 9 & 7 | CSiA 6 | FXiA 6 | Sanus NF30B-03 | Velodyne dls-3750r | Dual 505-3 m97xe | Monster avs2000/hts5100

    HTPC
    Intel e5300 | Asus p5q DLX | LG ch08 BD | OCZ 4g reaper2 | WD 1TB | Sapphire 4890 VaporX 1g | Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 | OCZ modXtreme 700w | Antec Fusion remote MAX

    A fool and his money are easily parted
    I don't drink Koolaid

    Need some cable's? Just ask :)
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  • fbm211
    fbm211 Posts: 1,488
    edited October 2009
    You can try these with your budget.>http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?cablspkr&1260894028&/Morrow-audio-sp4

    With a 60- day audition/refund policy you cant go wrong.If you dont like em or want to try something else just return them and get a refund. You can get them biwired too.

    Check out the link to more info....
    SDA-2BTL with custom IC
    Adcom 565 monoblocks--Monarchy Audio M-10 preamp
    Theta Data Basic Transport--Stello DA100 Signature DAC--Camelot Dragon Pro2 MK III
    Harman Kardon T-55c TT
    DH Labs Q-10 Signature Speaker Cables With Furez silver plated copper bananas
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver Reference AES/EBU
    Revelation Audio Labs Prophecy Cryo-Silver i2s digital cable
    4 Furutech FP-314Ag with FI-11cu Plugs/FI-11AG IECs--- Power Cords
    DH LABS REVELATIONS ICs-amps
    Revelation Audio Labs Paradise cryo-silver ICs-Source to pre
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  • anhchungdoan
    anhchungdoan Posts: 760
    edited October 2009
    hglass wrote: »
    Im looking for a good quality speaker cable. I will be needing it for my left, right and center speakers. They are to be bi-wired. I dont want to spend more than $600 a run. Thats $1800 total. Any ideas??:confused:

    I do not know what kind of gear you are using but IMHO, For Audio application , BETTER CABLES SILVER SERPENT ( very clean and clear) or better yet my favourite KIMBER KABLE 8 TC ( nice mid/ smooth high ). You have to spend a lot more money to beat the 8 TC. But why? For my H/T application, Monster 14 gauge all the way:D
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,220
    edited October 2009
    anhchungdoan wrote: »
    Monster 14 gauge all the way:D

    I promise I'm not being a jerk, but I thought Monster didn't publish the gauge of their speaker cable.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • danz1906
    danz1906 Posts: 5,144
    edited October 2009
    Welcome to the Club!

    Try Audioquest
    Linn AV5140 fronts
    Linn AV5120 Center
    Linn AV5140 Rears
    M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
    Odyssey Mono-Blocs
    SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D
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  • anhchungdoan
    anhchungdoan Posts: 760
    edited October 2009
    PSOVLSK wrote: »
    I promise I'm not being a jerk, but I thought Monster didn't publish the gauge of their speaker cable.


    No, you are not a jerk. I understand how some people hate Monster for just being "Monster". Yeah, I bought the big spoon @ $129.00@ 50 feet at Fry's at I know that it is 14 gauge using my connector/ cable Crimp that I bought @ RatShack.:D

    I do not believe I would hear that much different with the ambience of explosions or rocket flying over my head by using more expensive ICs or speaker cables but we all have our all opinion or experience.
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  • anhchungdoan
    anhchungdoan Posts: 760
    edited October 2009
    PSOVLSK wrote: »
    I promise I'm not being a jerk, but I thought Monster didn't publish the gauge of their speaker cable.

    If you are not familiar with different size of the copper, there is a easy way to identify the cable gauge. After stripping of the insulation, you can use the Butt-on-crimp to measure the actual gauge of the copper strands. The Butt-on-crimp connectors are color code as follows: RED for 22-18 gauge, BLUE for 16-14 gauge and Yellow for 10-12 gauge. Also the connector crimp ( abt $9.00) also have different gauge using to strip the insulation.

    You should try to make your own speaker connectors. It's fun and save a lot of money. Why pay $20.00 for a pair of banana plugs or lugs space.
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,119
    edited October 2009
    anhchungdoan wrote: »
    or lugs space.

    What is that?
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  • anhchungdoan
    anhchungdoan Posts: 760
    edited October 2009
    Conradicles wrote: »
    What is that?

    You've got me. It's lug space not space lugs. My fault. Blame it on Dyslexia :D
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  • bigaudiofanatic
    bigaudiofanatic Posts: 4,415
    edited October 2009
    I use monster cable speaker wire from best buy. "ya ya it is monster cable" Works just fine unless you are planning on pushing like over 250 watts to your speakers this stuff works just fine.
    HT setup
    Panasonic 50" TH-50PZ80U
    Denon DBP-1610
    Monster HTS 1650
    Carver A400X :cool:
    MIT Exp 3 Speaker Wire
    Kef 104/2
    URC MX-780 Remote
    Sonos Play 1

    Living Room
    63 inch Samsung PN63C800YF
    Polk Surroundbar 3000
    Samsung BD-C7900
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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited October 2009
    It all sounds the same. :rolleyes:
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

    Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii

    Desk: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / ISK HD9999

    Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3

    HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000
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  • sTiLlLeArNiNg
    sTiLlLeArNiNg Posts: 805
    edited October 2009
    xcapri79 wrote: »
    Do you have your flame-suit on?
    Some don't like store bought 16 AWG Cu even though it does work fine.

    lol I don't need a flame suit :o
    Media Room 7.1
    Sharp lc37d64u | Sanus vmsab-03 | Sonax ZX8680 | Yamaha htr-6290b | Emotiva xpa1 x 2 & xpa5 | RTiA 9 & 7 | CSiA 6 | FXiA 6 | Sanus NF30B-03 | Velodyne dls-3750r | Dual 505-3 m97xe | Monster avs2000/hts5100

    HTPC
    Intel e5300 | Asus p5q DLX | LG ch08 BD | OCZ 4g reaper2 | WD 1TB | Sapphire 4890 VaporX 1g | Asus Xonar HDAV 1.3 | OCZ modXtreme 700w | Antec Fusion remote MAX

    A fool and his money are easily parted
    I don't drink Koolaid

    Need some cable's? Just ask :)
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  • hglass
    hglass Posts: 7
    edited October 2009
    Face wrote: »
    What does the rest of your setup consist of?

    I have a Classe amp model # CAV 180. B&W speakers 803 and a Meridian 861 A/V
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  • anhchungdoan
    anhchungdoan Posts: 760
    edited October 2009
    hglass wrote: »
    I have a Classe amp model # CAV 180. B&W speakers 803 and a Meridian 861 A/V


    Nice gear. May I ask about your ICs and what do you like abt them and what do you not like abt them.

    I've just received a reply from Better Cable people. As my request, they will make a shorter run abt 2 meter length ( 6.56 feet) with BFA gold termination. Single 2 meter is run is $ 64.98 and bi-wire 2 meter run is $84.98. They will terminated with either BFA gold or spade-gold grip and the connectors will look different than the ones on their web-site.

    Do not go too cheap on Classe or Krell since you will do them no justice. Wire is not just wire.

    I have owned the Silver Serpent before and loved it but when I switched from Krell 400xi to Bryston 4Bsst/ BP26 pre, I have the Silver Serpent sold in less than a week and replaced them with the more expensive Audioquest.

    For budget cables, I highly recommended the BetterCables Silver Serpent. Good luck.
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  • beardog03
    beardog03 Posts: 5,550
    edited October 2009
    I would suggest you take a look here....www.audioadvisor.com and check out the AudioQuest Slate speaker cables...

    Great place to start
    quality cable....great price

    no affil.

    Just my .02
    Cary SLP-98L F1 DC Pre Amp (Jag Blue)
    Parasound HCA-3500
    Cary Audio V12 amp (Jag Red)
    Polk Audio Xm Reciever (Autographed by THE MAN Himself) :cool:
    Magnum Dynalab MD-102 Analog Tuna
    Jolida JD-100 CDP
    Polk Audio LSi9 Speaks (ebony)
    SVS PC-Ultra Sub
    AQ Bedrock Speaker Cables (Bi-Wired)
    MIT Shotgun S1 I/C`s
    AQ Black Thunder Sub Cables
    PS Audio Plus Power Cords
    Magnum Dynalab ST-2 FM Antenna
    Sanus Cherry wood Speak Stands
    Adona AV45CS3 / 3 Tier Rack (Black /Gold)

    :cool:
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2009
    MIT Shotguns, without a doubt. Better bass, imaging, and a larger soundstage than "regular" cable. The matching interconnects will also make a substantial difference.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • beardog03
    beardog03 Posts: 5,550
    edited October 2009
    if you have the budget...

    There is NO equal to MIT ...IMO
    Cary SLP-98L F1 DC Pre Amp (Jag Blue)
    Parasound HCA-3500
    Cary Audio V12 amp (Jag Red)
    Polk Audio Xm Reciever (Autographed by THE MAN Himself) :cool:
    Magnum Dynalab MD-102 Analog Tuna
    Jolida JD-100 CDP
    Polk Audio LSi9 Speaks (ebony)
    SVS PC-Ultra Sub
    AQ Bedrock Speaker Cables (Bi-Wired)
    MIT Shotgun S1 I/C`s
    AQ Black Thunder Sub Cables
    PS Audio Plus Power Cords
    Magnum Dynalab ST-2 FM Antenna
    Sanus Cherry wood Speak Stands
    Adona AV45CS3 / 3 Tier Rack (Black /Gold)

    :cool:
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  • anhchungdoan
    anhchungdoan Posts: 760
    edited October 2009
    beardog03 wrote: »
    if you have the budget...

    There is NO equal to MIT ...IMO

    If no budget limitation, yeah the sky is the limit. Now we're talking ( MIT) real hi-end stuff . :D
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,729
    edited October 2009
    hglass wrote: »
    I have a Classe amp model # CAV 180. B&W speakers 803 and a Meridian 861 A/V


    Yeah, you should be looking at MIT.
    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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  • CoolJazz
    CoolJazz Posts: 570
    edited October 2009
    bigaudiofanatic wrote: »
    ...unless you are planning on pushing like over 250 watts to your speakers this stuff works just fine.

    Quality cable isn't necessarily about pushing high wattage at all! You are actually much more likely to hear differences on low wattage/high efficiency systems. This is because in those systems you're typically using single output devices. This avoids the blurring of multiiple parallel outputs that can never be exactly the same on transients.

    CoolJazz
    A so called science type proudly says... "I do realize that I would fool myself all the time, about listening conclusions and many other observations, if I did listen before buying. That’s why I don’t, I bought all of my current gear based on technical parameters alone, such as specs and measurements."

    More amazing Internet Science Pink Panther wisdom..."My DAC has since been upgraded from Mark Levinson to Topping."
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