Expensive cables for expensive systems ?

[DomT]

It was interesting last year to have three amps two pairs of speakers and three sets of speaker cables at the same time. Depending on the amp and speaker combination a cable change made an obvious difference. Atlas cables with a Quad amp or the QAcoustics was too warm and a bit of a mush and so Tellurium worked better with these. With the Audio Research and ATCs either cable worked well.

 

[Cambs12]

Actually not… I don’t think he was enthusing about Nordost for years because he knew one day he end up working for them; I just remember the “reviews” (what most newspapers would call advertorials!) banging on about system synergy and how some sort of sonic meta-effect occurred when all cables were from the same manufacturer or even the same range (eg. Blue Heaven). Utter rot.

You're being kind. It was embarrassing tbh. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...

 

[George 47]

It depends, which is the annoying thing about cables. Do they make life-changing differences, probably not, but musically significant, can do. If I have spent tens of thousands on a top system then using thin cheap copper cables is totally wrong. If you have a less expensive system then using Nordost Odin II throughout is also wrong. But using cheap cables does not mean that cables sound worse. For example, Gothic Audio pure silver cables are not expensive and it takes a far, far better (expensive ?) cable to sound significantly better. Same for Puritan mains cables.

Most cable companies will allow you to listen at home (Distance Selling Regs) and if within 14 days they do nothing, or not enough, send them back and that's it. Why all the hectoring when it is easy enough to try yourself?

 

[MartinC]

Does it make me a bad audiophile that I realise I can't actually remember what my speaker cables cost?

 

[Tony_J]

Does it make me a bad audiophile that I realise I can't actually remember what my speaker cables cost?

If you can't remember, they obvs didn't cost enough

 

[It Cost How Much!?!]

If you can't remember, they obvs didn't cost enough

Mine cost £300 about 20 years ago.

 

[Tony_J]

Mine cost £300 about 20 years ago.

Of course the flip side of the coin is that if you CAN remember how much you paid, it was too much...

 

[garn63]

Cable horror.

 

[garn63]

Cable nourishment ?

 

[Strider]

Cable nourishment ?

Cat 6?

 

[Psilonaught]

Does someone want to loan me some fancy speaker cables and I'll happily report if I can hear a difference Vs my £100 AliExpress nordost copy cables?

I think my system can be consider high end (see my sig).

Hell I can even record and post up two audio files for A/B comparison.

 

[nomore landings]

It's claimed by whom?

The use of the word "loom" suggests an acute vulnerability to marketing. I think it was Nordost who first started talking nonsense about the synergies between interconnects, speaker cables and power cables. Or was it HiFi+? EIther way, beware.

Agree. Definitely marketing hype, imho This was a loom in my profession:

Loom

 

[Monitor Gold Ten]

These cable threads make me laugh.

Everyone knows that the true defining factor for sound quality in your system is which fuses you've used.

Yes. This. I've heard Fuses containing Beeswax give a sweeter and more polished sound.

 

[MF 1000]

Yes. This. I've heard Fuses containing Beeswax give a sweeter and more polished sound.

Is the background buzzing that doesnt sit well though

 

[Monitor Gold Ten]

Is it the background buzzing that adds texture?

Fixt. And yes.

 

[Metatron]

I've heard Fuses containing Beeswax give a sweeter and more polished sound.

I have a short fuse. It makes for more explosive dynamics.

 

[MF 1000]

I have a short fuse. It makes for more explosive dynamics.

I prefer a slow blow type myself

 

[Metatron]

I prefer a slow blow type myself

Depends on the size of load. If the load is blown, the result could be very messy. Something that can handle a huge surge is always a plus.

Y ou could use surge protection, but I find the emotional involvement isn't as thrilling.

 

[It Cost How Much!?!]

Of course the flip side of the coin is that if you CAN remember how much you paid, it was too much...

Not really, the connectors cost that and it's pure silver cabling. The whole thing was home made and the parts cost three times as much then. The only speaker cables it didn't see off were Transparent Reference XL, I sold them to pay for a car bill for my ex-wife and her Shogun (new clutch was £2K).

 

[Tony_J]

Is the background buzzing that doesnt sit well though

...not to mention the sting in the tail