New Speaker Cables

jemrey81
jemrey81 Posts: 161
edited March 2010 in Electronics
So what are your opinions on Monster Cable?
I have never seen any reason to get them until today (always thought they were way over priced for not enough quality). Let me start off by saying I don't have high end components (toshiba 40" lcd, Sony BluRay bdp-n460, Pioneer Receiver vsx-518, Boston Sub pv700, Polk L&R- t15, and C- cs10).
All of the components are hooked together by various MIT cables (they were free) and the speakers were hooked up with some really cheap 16g wire.

Anyways, I was out shopping and ran into a display of Monster cables that were discounted. I ended up buying a Z2 Reference center channel cable and a set of Z1 cables for the L&R speakers ($100 for all of them). I haven't fully hooked them up yet, but I am pretty excited to have better cables. I know that they're not the best cables, but I also know that they're better than what I was running and will most likely be good enough for anything I upgrade to in the future.

Some thoughts/opinions, worth the investment?
Post edited by jemrey81 on
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Comments

  • Hawkeye
    Hawkeye Posts: 1,313
    edited February 2010
    Probably should have done a search BEFORE asking that question :D Hope you enjoy them.

    Gordon
    2 Channel -
    Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
    McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
    WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
    Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8)
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  • TouchOfEvil
    TouchOfEvil Posts: 967
    edited February 2010
    Should be better than the generic 16ga you are using now but you could have had better cables at about the same price.
    Too late now though either way you should see an improvement over your current wires.
    enjoy.
    Living Room Rig:D
    Rotel RSP-1069/Rotel RMB-1095/Rotel-1072/Polk lsI15's W/modded xoverW/DBsubs/Polk LsiC/lsI7's/Klipsch sub-12"the weak link"/DLP Mitsubishi 65"
    Xbox360/PS3/WII
    M.Br. setup:)
    Emotiva MMC-1/Rotel RMB-1075/Polk BlackStone TL350's/Velodyne SPL1000/Samsung 51" Plasma
    Computer Rig:
    Rotel RB1050/Tannoy DC4's/Klipsch RW-10d/ImodIpod/HK AVR230 for now....
    Headphones-Ultrasone-HFI780's w/LittleDot MK Vamp Portables Panasonic HJE-900's
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited February 2010
    This thread might create another war. I agree, let your own ears decide, it's your money but with that being said most will tell you that you fell into the marketing trap of a company that over prices their products 3x more than what they're really worth. There's been a consensus built up on this website and almost every other website/forum about wires which it doesn't really matter what HDMI brand you use if it's under a certain lengh, but speaker wire brand is a little more specific.

    HDMI wires: Stick to Bluejeans or Monoprice

    Speaker wire: Stick to Ben's, Audioquest, Bluejeans
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  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,788
    edited February 2010
    jemrey81 wrote: »
    So what are your opinions on Monster Cable?

    No different than any other wire, cost more than some brands, but quite a bit less than many others. Think of it as "entry level" snake oil.
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  • dekuda
    dekuda Posts: 756
    edited February 2010
    If monster spent the money on their cables like they do on marketing then they would have some decent products at better prices. That being said, I have used some of their speaker cables(Ultra1000thx) and interconnects (MI1000i) and they are not bad if you can get a good price on them. I agree,let your ears be the judge and enjoy your music!;)
    HT System
    Parasound Halo A51 Amp, Marantz AV 8003 Pre, Arcam FMJ CD36 cd player, Marantz 7007 BD/SACD player,Acoustic Zen Matrix IC's, Analysis Plus Crystal Copper Oval IC's, Acoustic Zen Satori speaker cables, B&W 703's Fronts, Center Martin Logan Motif hybrid, Surrounds DefTech BPX, 2 X DefTech Supercube Reference Subs, DSpeaker Antimode 8033 EQ.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,104
    edited February 2010
    Hawkeye wrote: »
    Probably should have done a search BEFORE asking that question :D Hope you enjoy them.

    Gordon

    The microwave just dinged!!! Popcorn's ready! :)
    "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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  • phipiper10
    phipiper10 Posts: 955
    edited February 2010
    You must not have read the Monster Cable and Bose speaker sticky....you'll probably be banned from this forum.

    The Tribe has spoken!:)
    Analog Source: Rega P3-24 Exact 2 w/GT delrin platter & Neo TT-PSU Digital Source: Lumin T2 w/Roon (NUC) DAC: Denafrips Pontus II Phono Preamp: Rega Aria MK3 Preamp: Rogue RP-7 Amp: Pass X150.8 Speakers: Joseph Audio Perspective 2, Audio Physic Tempo Plus Cables: Morrow M4 ICs & Audio Art SC-5 ePlus, Shunyata PCs Misc: Shunyata Hydra Delta D6, VTI rack, GIK acoustic panels
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  • jimmydep
    jimmydep Posts: 1,305
    edited February 2010
    All the rhetoric aside, I'm one who believes cables do matter. From my limited personal experiences, I went from a good quality 16ga ofc speaker wire to the Monster MCX-Is cable with excellent results. I then replaced the Monster cable with 10ga ofc 492 strand non twisted speaker cable from Knuconcepts, with a very big difference over the Monster cable, the mids just opened up and the low end came alive.

    Let your ears decide, I was happy with the Monster cable but as I've experienced, for me there are better choices.

    Jimmy
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  • fbm211
    fbm211 Posts: 1,488
    edited February 2010
    Im going to try the neotech NES-3003 fron sonic craft in the near furture and terminate it with good quality nanners.Ive been hearing that the UPOCC stuf is an exelent upgrade from OFC.
    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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  • jemrey81
    jemrey81 Posts: 161
    edited February 2010
    OK, I'll admit that I knew this topic would cause some controversy and I kind of like it for some reason..... anyways, I have read all of the replies and will start with this:
    I usually over-research before I buy, but this was strictly impulse since I haven't even thought about buying new speaker wire/cable. If I did want new cables, this is where my research would have began and thus, that is why I brought this up here. I have never reseached cables before, I usually go out to the garage and grab some wire from a car audio project and use it. I have done my research, and I can't say that I am disappointed in any way with my purchase. There is of course a lot of negativity towards Monster (and it's understandable), but I feel that the price I paid is fair for an upgrade. Could I have spent the same amount or maybe a little less and received the same quality? Yes. Could I have received better quality? Possibly. Would I notice on my equipment? I don't know. I do know that I was able to notice a difference between these cables and the wire that I was using.... a hundred dollar difference? Sure.

    I listened to FM radio, CD's, Internet radio, watched a movie through Netflix online, and a dvd.... I noticed that the vocals were clearer, mid bass is more responsive and noticeable (the little bit there is), and there wasn't any static coming through when listening to the internet radio. The sound quality all around improved IMHO, and I am happy with my purchase.

    I have NEVER bought anything from Monster before and I won't ever buy a spool of wire from them, but the construction of these speaker cables looks very nice (I know looks mean nothing) just wanted to make that note for some reason.

    Oh, and yes I did miss the Monster and Bose thread.... although I don't need a thread to steer me away from Bose.
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  • dekuda
    dekuda Posts: 756
    edited February 2010
    Totally agree! Give the monsters a try....if you like them and they sound good then you will be happy. I am presently wrapped up in the world of interconnects and what a mad,mad ,mad world that is! Hopefully the AQ King Cobras I just ordered will sound good. I find debating cables the most devisive,confusing and expensive subject in audio now a days! Is the popcorn rerady?:D
    HT System
    Parasound Halo A51 Amp, Marantz AV 8003 Pre, Arcam FMJ CD36 cd player, Marantz 7007 BD/SACD player,Acoustic Zen Matrix IC's, Analysis Plus Crystal Copper Oval IC's, Acoustic Zen Satori speaker cables, B&W 703's Fronts, Center Martin Logan Motif hybrid, Surrounds DefTech BPX, 2 X DefTech Supercube Reference Subs, DSpeaker Antimode 8033 EQ.
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited February 2010
    Monster tends to play 'loose' with the specs to make the more expensive cables sound better. They hardly publish any real performance or technical specs for their cables compared to what professional video engineers would look for when selecting a Belden, Canare, Mogami cable stock to outfit a studio.

    "..or the dvd player can only send a certain amount of data at once,"

    You have found the flaw in their sales pitch. The data already has a max rate.

    In truth - HDMI has some far-future capacity that no TV or source can use right now so these more expensive cables are trying to be 'future proof'.

    If I were burying the cable in a wall where it was thousands to replace later, I might go for one of these future-proof cables.

    My HDMI cable: a Belden based cable for $40 from www.bluejeanscables.com . This is the stuff production studios use. It's thick, black, heavy and inexpensive. But it is made by Belden who only sells to major broadcast houses and production studios.

    The BlueJeans site has lots of technical info you wont find on Monsters site. Give it a look and for $40 your chance of being ripped off is really low.
    Source:

    Belden(R) Cable Chosen for Use at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games:

    http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-26-1999/0001059587&EDATE=

    http://www.bluejeanscables.com

    Mogami cables wire some of the top studios in the world:

    http://mogamicable.com/

    Top recording artists/musicians use Mogami cables for live concert like Alicia Keys.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited February 2010
    You can always throw them on ebay. Thats all I'm saying... :)
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited February 2010
    A lot of us started on and even still use Monster cables. I have 2 systems and still use some of my old monster cables in my home theater rig. They're good cables. They get a bad rap around here because of their business practices, and their price to performance factor isn't really that great.

    Enjoy them, but don't expect them to be your last set of cables. :)
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  • jemrey81
    jemrey81 Posts: 161
    edited February 2010
    Not sure why the HDMI cable post was added, but good info non the less...
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  • LuSh
    LuSh Posts: 887
    edited February 2010
    Cables are audiophile tone controls. Have fun with them, in the end its simply adding bitterness, spice or sweetness to your existing recipe. Nothing more, nothing less.
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  • digitalvideo
    digitalvideo Posts: 983
    edited February 2010
    Just a personal opinion here, Audioquest I believe is a little more justified in selling their "speaker" wires at a more expensive price because in many back-to-back shootout tests their wires do offer better sound to much cheaper speaker wires but I still think they're a little bit over priced when you take into account "performance to cost ratio" but when it comes to HDMI their wires offer no difference than Monoprice and Bluejeans.

    The question is: Is it worth to spend hundreds of dollars more on a wire of the same length that offers subtle differences in sound?

    Speaker wire A: $300 for 5 feet notice a slight improvement of tighter bass.

    Speaker wire B: $50 for 5 feet just off a bit from speaker wire A.
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  • fbm211
    fbm211 Posts: 1,488
    edited March 2010
    It depends on how much you want that little step up in SQ.
    ME---Hell yes.
    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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  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited March 2010
    digitalvideo wrote: »
    Just a personal opinion here, Audioquest I believe is a little more justified in selling their "speaker" wires at a more expensive price because in many back-to-back shootout tests their wires do offer better sound to much cheaper speaker wires but I still think they're a little bit over priced when you take into account "performance to cost ratio" but when it comes to HDMI their wires offer no difference than Monoprice and Bluejeans.

    The question is: Is it worth to spend hundreds of dollars more on a wire of the same length that offers subtle differences in sound?

    Speaker wire A: $300 for 5 feet notice a slight improvement of tighter bass.

    Speaker wire B: $50 for 5 feet just off a bit from speaker wire A.

    Depends. Sometimes the difference is not that subtle. Also, one doesn't have to spend that much more to get a nice improvement. Signal Cable is hard to beat unless you double or tripple your budget. $300 could replace every cable in a system with Signal Cable and be a pretty dramatic improvement.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,537
    edited March 2010
    You got them discounted, give them a try. Wouldn't be my personal choice, but you know what they say about opinions....
    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
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