Better speaker/digital audio cables suggestions

[keviinmc]

hello, i was wondering if someone could give me some suggestions for some high end speaker and digital(coax) cables. we all know about monster cable, but i know there has to be better stuff out there, and i think i have found some, but i dont know anything about certain companies' reputations. so if anyone could help me out i would greatly appreciate it. i am currently running KEF speakers(k-160, K-120, Q95) from a HK avr-320 with a Acoustic Energy Sub if that helps at all in your suggestions. thanks

kevin

[wfontenot]

I have switched to Zu cables and really like them. I think you can still pick them up on ebay at about 1/3 the normal price during their promotion. Customer service is excellent.

[FLZapped]

hello, i was wondering if someone could give me some suggestions for some high end speaker and digital(coax) cables. we all know about monster cable, but i know there has to be better stuff out there, and i think i have found some, but i dont know anything about certain companies' reputations. so if anyone could help me out i would greatly appreciate it. i am currently running KEF speakers(k-160, K-120, Q95) from a HK avr-320 with a Acoustic Energy Sub if that helps at all in your suggestions. thanks

kevin

What makes you think that Monster is good, beyond their marketing abilities?

-Bruce

[JBMAudio.com]

What makes you think that Monster is good, beyond their marketing abilities?

-Bruce

I would agree. Monster is highly over priced for the quality of cable that you receive. You do get a nice looking cable, but for what they charge, they quality should match the looks.

[keviinmc]

What makes you think that Monster is good, beyond their marketing abilities?

-Bruce

I dont think monster is as good as i used to, and i completely agree that theyre overpriced. starting out i knew about a little about high end components and speakers, but i knew even less about cables, and now that ive started learning about whats good and whats not, i was hoping for some input as to how some high end cables stacked up to each other, thats all. i wasnt trying to imply that monster cable was good, but when you start building a system, and there arent any high end audio stores around you, sometimes one tends to go with what is convenient

[noddin0ff]

For my digital coax interconnects I use the crappiest interconnect I have after I put all the good ones into my analog connections. I think my current digital coax is an interconnect that came with a CD player I bought in 1988. It is cheap and thin, the plastic is discolored, and it works perfectly, because digital signals are very robust and the whole point of digital is to make the quality of the cables a non-issue. Save your money and put it into some good music instead.

[BrentMcGhee]

Don't get sucked into snake oil bussiness that i like to call cables. It is my firm beleif that as long as you dont use the cheapy unshielded interconnects that come with your equipment than cable is going to make the least amount of performance increase in your system. My order from most effective to least effective performance increases are as follows.

Most Influential
#1: Speakers
#2: Source

Influential
#4: Pre Processors

Least Influential
#5: Amps
Within in the same type of amps. Now changin from say tubes to SS to the new digital drive there are big differences but when in stayin in the same type with the same specs there is very minor differences between them. ex. dennon 75watts both channels driven 20hz-20khz with <0.03thd and 110db snr will be pretty much identical to say a rotel 75watts both channels driven 20hz-20khz with >0.03thd and 110snr.
#6: Interconnects
#7: Speaker wire


All of that being said i really like bluejeans cables becasue they are by no means expensive and they are very well built. They have a really good website that explains all of there cables. (i have no affiliation with bluejeans cables, in fact there are plenty of good cable companies out there that dont add all the cosmetic frills to there cables and sell them at a reasonable price i just own bluejeans cables and have been very pleased with them as well as the service i got from the company themselves.)

Now i know i will probably get flamed by all of the people out there that would put cables at the top of the list to be the most influential. That is fine for those that think that way. I am not saying that is wrong in anyway i am just saying what i beleive.

[snickelfritz]

Kimber makes good speaker cable and it's reasonably priced.

[mazdamanic]

Don't get sucked into snake oil bussiness that i like to call cables. It is my firm beleif that as long as you dont use the cheapy unshielded interconnects that come with your equipment than cable is going to make the least amount of performance increase in your system. My order from most effective to least effective performance increases are as follows.

Most Influential
#1: Speakers
#2: Source

Influential
#4: Pre Processors

Least Influential
#5: Amps
Within in the same type of amps. Now changin from say tubes to SS to the new digital drive there are big differences but when in stayin in the same type with the same specs there is very minor differences between them. ex. dennon 75watts both channels driven 20hz-20khz with <0.03thd and 110db snr will be pretty much identical to say a rotel 75watts both channels driven 20hz-20khz with >0.03thd and 110snr.
#6: Interconnects
#7: Speaker wire


All of that being said i really like bluejeans cables becasue they are by no means expensive and they are very well built. They have a really good website that explains all of there cables. (i have no affiliation with bluejeans cables, in fact there are plenty of good cable companies out there that dont add all the cosmetic frills to there cables and sell them at a reasonable price i just own bluejeans cables and have been very pleased with them as well as the service i got from the company themselves.)

Now i know i will probably get flamed by all of the people out there that would put cables at the top of the list to be the most influential. That is fine for those that think that way. I am not saying that is wrong in anyway i am just saying what i beleive.

Item # 5 is completely false! Amps with identical specs more often than not sound VERYdifferent because the sound quality depends on lots of variables like quality and type of transistors used as well as other components. Circuit design also has a lot to do with it. For example, a MOSFET amp has a distinct sonic signature not found in others. There is a reason why a 75w Classe amp will sound significantly better than your 75w Denon. The difference is anything but minor.

I would also rate preamps higher than sources of the same type in terms of how they influence sound.

[Monstrous Mike]

hello, i was wondering if someone could give me some suggestions for ... digital(coax) cables.

If your cable run is normal length (eg. 3 to 6 feet) then you can't really go wrong with almost any digital coax cable. Remember that a composite video cable (yellow connectors) is the exact same as a digital coax cable (orange connectors). I use an Acoustic Research video cable that was $15. As long as you avoid no-name, dental floss type cables, you should be fine.

You'll hear a lot talk about jitter in a digital cable, among other fairly dubious arguements, which are used to encourage spending much more money on a "quality" digital audio cable. Keep in mind that the only real positive arguements for this are claims from people who have heard a difference while an engineering analysis of this situation concludes that given the short length of the cable and the capability of DACs to handle jitter, it simply isn't likely that home audio enthusiasts are hearing what they think they hear. It's also a common arguement that good components require good cables a good sports car needs good tires. But that is not a logical comparison.

[JohnMichael]

The speaker wire that I like the most in my system is Alpha Core MI1. I use it between my Cambridge Azur 640A and my NHT SuperOnes. It is a solid core ribbon cable. I tend to hear a lot of artifacts with stranded cables. The MI1 is a 13 guage wire and they do make heavier guage cables but some amps can react to the greater capacitance. Also another good brand is Audioquest and I have enjoyed some Nordost products. They all have good web sites with lots of information.

[markw]

Kevin,

I sent you a PM

Jason

I sent you a PM

Don't we go through this at least once a year or so?

Are you a sponser here at least?

[FLZapped]

Kevin,

I sent you a PM

Jason

I sent you a PM

I see it's Shilly in here, too.

-Bruce