do I really need boutique cables

bxboy 80

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Jul 27, 2013
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Hi, guys, My 1st post here and I'm hoping for some opinions that seem to stir the pot so to speak in all forums .Speaker cables.First off, 1. no golden ear here so keep that in mind.2.financial constraints do to retirement leaves little mad money.3.I have heard so many differing views my head is spinning so here goes.
I came across and very cheaply a pair of the vaunted Polk SDA-2B speakers w/ the IC cable and all.All drivers work and in general this are pristine except for the obligatory water plant stain on the tops which are gone now.The right hand speaker is inches away from my amp and the left is about 7' w/ a spred on my seating area of 10' center almost a equi triangle.I currently use 14gu clear for all of my speaker sets and I heard both ways to leave it's just fine for the lenght or oh no you must at least equal the lenths for signal continutiy.
Then we have the deep pocketed people who say I should UPGRADE to Audioquest,Blue Jeans,Signal Cable and so on.To and I think that really w/o investing and maybe trying something like OFC w/ equal lengths and hear a distint difference then I would make the deal.
 
I would take a look at some of the cable offerings from Monoprice.com if budget is an issue.

Do I think cables make a difference? Yes.....but I wouldn't go spending an arm and a leg on cables if you are just starting out.
 
I would take a look at some of the cable offerings from Monoprice.com if budget is an issue.

Do I think cables make a difference? Yes.....but I wouldn't go spending an arm and a leg on cables if you are just starting out.

+1 on Monoprice!
 
Add up your total system cost, (less cables)

As and example, say total hardware cost is $1000. my general rule of thumb then is that total cable cost for this system should be in the 10-15% range.
Cables in my opinion can make a difference, but a $3,000 power cord, won't transform a Bose Wave Radio into Magic.


On the other hand, If I've spent $1000 on a system, I'd want something slightly better than pitifully poor quality cables.
 
Budget/affordable but still well engineered cables can be had from: Blue Jeans, Mogami. One other option if you have a local hi-end audio dealer is sometimes they carry bulk cable from the high-end cable manufacturers. You can have them cut you specific lengths from whichever manufacturer they carry (Audioquest, Kimber, etc...) and they can terminate the ends themselves. This will end up costing you 20-30% of what the premade hi-end cables cost - another option to consider.

Hope this helps.
 
DEFINITELY do NOT spend an arm and a leg on cables.

Cables need solid connectors, good shielding and conductors.

That can be had relatively inexpensively.
 
I would take a look at some of the cable offerings from Monoprice.com if budget is an issue.

Do I think cables make a difference? Yes.....but I wouldn't go spending an arm and a leg on cables if you are just starting out.

+1...

Dave
 
I don't spend much on cables but I do try to get good cables for my system.
There are good and bad out there. For all priceranges .
I also like the fact that with less expensive cables I can buy several different kinds and experiment with them.
Look around at used , I got a 6ft pair of signal speaker cable their best ones , biwired and a pair of their 1m silver ref ic's. they just sit in the corner .i could probably get $150 used for both pairs together . That's not a whole Lot of money for some good cables .all signal stuff is relatively cheap and made well.
If you spend $500 on speakers then $100-150 for speaker cables is a worthy investment.
That's why I say look used because there are some good cables out there for $100 used.
 
Cables and power cords are components. If you buy quality cables they will be an investment that you will never need to replace. I consider them like lenses to a camera. While technology changes rapidly and objects with moving parts inevitably wear out, lenses last forever. So it is with good cables. In fact, cables get better with age. My suggestion is to treat yourself to a pair of Nordost Valhallas or Shunyata Python Zitrons each year or two. You will find that over time, your "back end" is more valuable and more important to your sound quality than anything you will ever do with your front end components.
 
Hey fellow new jerseyan!!!!
I'd have better cables if I didn't have to pay so damn many tolls everytime I drove somewhere. Lmao !!!!!!
Welcome to the shark!!!
 
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