Melbguy1
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I currently use Siltech Classic Anniversary 330i rca's on my Oppo. Nice cables, though I plan on ordering to the new Jorma Duality xlr's when I upgrade to the Oppo UDP-205.
This may devolve into a crazy discussion/thread on cables (as usual) but I want to ask anyway ...
- Thread starter joeinid
- Start date
AJ Soundfield
Well-known member
It comes down to what's on either end of said cable and personal preference.
kkfan
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I hear you completely because that's exactly how I am! [emoji4]
- Thread Author
- #25
For me, it's not just the effort but it takes me a while to form a proper opinion and small changes don't reveal themselves quickly to me. Sure general overall impressions do but the finer things develop over time. There are so many variables that I don't want to close the door for good on something that I'm unsure of.
hifinutt
New member
recently I got a bit of a thrashing [in a nice way] for suggesting that modwright anniversary 9.0 swl was reasonably priced for the product . well I think it is !! considering its build quality but I guess its all relative
kkfan
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That's just it! [emoji4]
"Reasonably priced" is an absolutely subjective term. Generally speaking, I think it's a lot better to state the actual dollar value of an item (where known) and let the readers decide whether that value is "reasonable" to them or not. Don't y'all agree?
Odyssey
Member
I hate cables that cost as much as a component.
Until you hear cables that can make as much difference as a component....and then what do you do? :disbelief:
And a few years ago, I used to laugh at people that would be apologists for expensive cables!
still-one
Active member
Joe. I would use the Cable Company if you are unsure of which way to go. In the past I used their lending library to compare cables before purchasing.
BlueFox
New member
Maybe it is just me, my gear, and the cables, but I have found power cables, and conditioners, to really stand out as being equal to a component upgrade. The before and after difference with those items has been jaw dropping. Interconnects, while nice, have not been that powerful.
Now I am seriously thinking of upgrading my Cyclops to Denali, and expect a nice improvement in lower noise and cleaner music.
octadyndude
New member
Hate to throw this in because they are quite pricey but Ansuz cables are magical. Not because they change the tonality but because they are more open with a better separation of instruments and vocals to the sound. It's not something that will punch you in the nose - But a sound that will add a few percentage to the overall sound of your system. FWIW I have an Avanti digital cable and for the money it is really good. IMO where it falls short is with the emotion it lacks especially with vocals when compared to the Ansuz. I also had Nordost and the Ansuz is just better. If you go to the DTC level you will hear more layers of resolution too.
KeithR
Active member
What's most interesting about this thread is the # of different suggestions. To me, it just speaks to how insignificant cables are compared with other components and that there are many competent brands.
- Thread Author
- #34
It will take a while for me to digest all the recommendations and I certainly appreciate them.
I agree that everyone is different.
Just for fun, I hooked up my Kimber Kable speaker cables. Yes, they absolutely need some break in and re-acclimation to my system. Heck I don't even remember which way they were oriented, there's no directional markings on them for such expensive cables. For what I could discern last night (and will pay attention more in the coming days/weeks), I did not hear much or really any difference from my Avanti speaker cables and may even prefer them at this point, but the jury is still way out. I need to let any nuances reveal themselves and that takes time for me.
In all my systems (and everyone else's that I listen to), it's the top end that makes or breaks it for me. ANY aggressive or harsh treble kills any enjoyment for me.
I agree that everyone is different.
Just for fun, I hooked up my Kimber Kable speaker cables. Yes, they absolutely need some break in and re-acclimation to my system. Heck I don't even remember which way they were oriented, there's no directional markings on them for such expensive cables. For what I could discern last night (and will pay attention more in the coming days/weeks), I did not hear much or really any difference from my Avanti speaker cables and may even prefer them at this point, but the jury is still way out. I need to let any nuances reveal themselves and that takes time for me.
In all my systems (and everyone else's that I listen to), it's the top end that makes or breaks it for me. ANY aggressive or harsh treble kills any enjoyment for me.
asiufy
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So you're saying that just because there are so many amps there, an amp choice would be insignificant?
Sorry my friend, you're wrong on this one
*any* thread asking for suggestions on *anything* will get a zillion different brands, even stuff far off the mark. Cables, being a component (whether people want it or not), is no different.
Again, like with anything in audio, you can go silly overboard with cables (or a DAC or a tonearm or...) but that doesn't mean it's not important. Or just because there is a $30k tonearm now, we're all going to ignore the importance of tonearms?
Same as people can be happy with a $1k tonearm and don't need the $30k one, a $30k cable might be better than the $1k, but that doesn't mean you NEED the $30k one to be happy
cheers,
alex
KeithR
Active member
So you're saying that just because there are so many amps there, an amp choice would be insignificant?
Sorry my friend, you're wrong on this one
*any* thread asking for suggestions on *anything* will get a zillion different brands, even stuff far off the mark. Cables, being a component (whether people want it or not), is no different.
Not so sure on that - with SF speakers, there are probably 4-5 amp recommendations that are commonly used and would be repeated. There are more like 30 cable recommendations on this thread.
And you know I don't believe in $30k cables
I have seen folks use cables, interconnects and power cords, as a fine tuning devices and to color the system to work around specific problem(s) that they don't like. I am interested to hear what others think ? Are cables considered as part of system synergy ? Should they be neutral ? how much should one spend on cables in relative to the electronics ?
Melbguy1
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Haha, well my High End Audio Engineer would cringe if I suggested cables should be considered as components in the high end. His view is the exact opposite. Personally, having reached the level of system I own, i want my cables to be essentially neutral, natural, reference-type cables which will remain constant as my upstream gear changes. I know some folk like to use cables as tone controls which is fine, but I would rather just use neutral/natural cables & get the right components and front end which give me the sound I want. That's not to say cables don't add any character of their own. But you don't want them to editorialize the sound signature.
As far as system synergy goes, yes cables definitely come into play...even if you're not using them as tone controls & have fairly neutral wire.
The question of cost is a difficult one. When I started out with my first full size hifi system, I bought $60.00/meter Audioquest Slate biwire sc's & Audioquest interconnects which worked well with my Infinity Reference 60 speakers. I think they were as good as they needed to be with those speakers. But once you step up to a serious high end system, I advocate spending up to 50% of the cost of the component/speakers on cables. Though i've heard of some audiophiles spending a lot more in percentage terms. Each to their own, but I think there is a point at which investing in a better component offers a bigger dividend in sound vs better cables. And for me, that was my limit.
KeithR
Active member
50% of a system on cables? :disbelief:
now I know why there are a zillion cable manufacturers out there.
