Are Monster Ultra THX Cables Worth Buying?

[hershon]

Can someone please tell me if it's worth getting the following relatively expensive top of the line Monster Ultra THX Cables? Specifically I need to know whether I will see or hear a difference in picture or sound quality from my current home theater set up.
Subwoofer- I use a THX Subwoofer Cable that is put out by Monster but its the lowest quality of the monster subwoofer cables, Ultra THX is the best quality. Will I notice a difference in sound if I upgrade to Ultra THX? TV] DVD/Receiver connection to my TV's picture is THX Composite not Ultra THX Composite. My TV is a 46" Sony but not high definition. Will the DVD or video picture look noticeably better if I upgrade to Ultra?. . For sound from the TV to the receiver I've just been using generic RCA cables. Will TV sound quality from my receiver be significantly better if I upgrade to either Ultra THX or THX cables? [Copying to VCR Lastly I use generic RCA cables to copy from my VCR or DVD to VCR. Will I notice any difference in the sound and picture quality if I upgrade to Ultra THX or THX. I welcome and thank you for any comments.

[markw]

What sets THX certified cables apart from "regular" cables? What "specs" must they attain that is unobtainable with the non pedigreed variety?

[hershon]

I'm a little confused. I posed a question and you responded with a question. What's the point?

What sets THX certified cables apart from "regular" cables? What "specs" must they attain that is unobtainable with the non pedigreed variety?

[Buzz Roll]

I think what he means is that those cables are overpriced marketing nonsense. For that money, there are many other, better performing choices.

[mtrycraft]

Can someone please tell me if it's worth getting the following relatively expensive top of the line Monster Ultra THX Cables? Specifically I need to know whether I will see or hear a difference in picture or sound quality from my current home theater set up.
Subwoofer- I use a THX Subwoofer Cable that is put out by Monster but its the lowest quality of the monster subwoofer cables, Ultra THX is the best quality. Will I notice a difference in sound if I upgrade to Ultra THX? TV] DVD/Receiver connection to my TV's picture is THX Composite not Ultra THX Composite. My TV is a 46" Sony but not high definition. Will the DVD or video picture look noticeably better if I upgrade to Ultra?. . For sound from the TV to the receiver I've just been using generic RCA cables. Will TV sound quality from my receiver be significantly better if I upgrade to either Ultra THX or THX cables? [Copying to VCR Lastly I use generic RCA cables to copy from my VCR or DVD to VCR. Will I notice any difference in the sound and picture quality if I upgrade to Ultra THX or THX. I welcome and thank you for any comments.

Actually, audio cables are one of the most over hyped products in audio. There is really no point, if sound is your concern, in spending much on cables. A basic video cable will serve you well for all interconnect applications and speaker cables by gauge is it.

[skeptic]

We've had discussions about the quality of audio systems being affected by cables here more than a few times. More than a few dozen times. The answer you get depends on who you ask and the answer you believe will depend on what you wanted to believe even before you asked.

If you have and open mind and are looking for a consensus of well informed opinion, you have come to the wrong place. We have an entire range of opinions from one extreme to the other and every opinion in between. And we have people who have little or no experience with electronics, people with a lifetime of training and experience, and every level of expertise in between. But before you throw your hands up and go running off shrieking into the night, one direction you probably DON'T want to run to is Cable Asylum where the owner of the site has announced that his mission statement might be to allow only positive experiences with cable to be discussed and where his posted anti DBT (double blind test) policy admits that this type of test is the only proven way to demonstrate the existance of small differences between the sound of different audio products but that such discussions is banned because it would cause flame wars. (funny they seem to have far more flame wars there then we have here where discussion is completely open.)

Here is some advice for you to consider. Even among the most ardent proponents of audiophile cables who are technically savvy and respected, they are the first to admit that at best, they will make small subtle improvements and only in very expensive sound systems. Your TV set doesn't qualify for that category. Beware of anybody telling you they will make a drastic improvement. Before you part with your money to buy this kind of product, consider that despite the slick expensvie advertising with a lot of arcane technobabble theories the people who make and sell this kind of product use, there is not one shred of scientifically accepted proof that they actually make sound systems sound better. Most of them never actually claim that their products do, they just lead you to infer it by drawing your own conclusions. This after about 25 years or more that this niche market industry has existed. The profit margin on this class of product is far far higher than any other type of product sold by merchants who sell it. Many manufacturers give huge incentives for high sales of audio cables to retailers.

If you haven't made up your mind, read the debates and discussions that crop up here and elsewhere frequently, look at those already in the archives, and take your time before you part with your money. We have people here who bought expensive cables, say they don't regret it, but probably wouldn't buy them again if they had their money back. Whatever you do, don't ask advice from people in the retail audio businsess. You already know what answer they will give you.

[hershon]

Thanks for your input Skeptic. So far I'm leaning to not upgrading cables but I do have my doubts about using $2 rca cables for hooking up my TV sound to the receiver. Somehow that doesn't give me a good feeling. Can you tell me what cables you use: Specifically subwoofer cable, audio cable from receiver to TV and video composite cable from receiver to TV. Would appreciate it.

We've had discussions about the quality of audio systems being affected by cables here more than a few times. More than a few dozen times. The answer you get depends on who you ask and the answer you believe will depend on what you wanted to believe even before you asked.

If you have and open mind and are looking for a consensus of well informed opinion, you have come to the wrong place. We have an entire range of opinions from one extreme to the other and every opinion in between. And we have people who have little or no experience with electronics, people with a lifetime of training and experience, and every level of expertise in between. But before you throw your hands up and go running off shrieking into the night, one direction you probably DON'T want to run to is Cable Asylum where the owner of the site has announced that his mission statement might be to allow only positive experiences with cable to be discussed and where his posted anti DBT (double blind test) policy admits that this type of test is the only proven way to demonstrate the existance of small differences between the sound of different audio products but that such discussions is banned because it would cause flame wars. (funny they seem to have far more flame wars there then we have here where discussion is completely open.)

Here is some advice for you to consider. Even among the most ardent proponents of audiophile cables who are technically savvy and respected, they are the first to admit that at best, they will make small subtle improvements and only in very expensive sound systems. Your TV set doesn't qualify for that category. Beware of anybody telling you they will make a drastic improvement. Before you part with your money to buy this kind of product, consider that despite the slick expensvie advertising with a lot of arcane technobabble theories the people who make and sell this kind of product use, there is not one shred of scientifically accepted proof that they actually make sound systems sound better. Most of them never actually claim that their products do, they just lead you to infer it by drawing your own conclusions. This after about 25 years or more that this niche market industry has existed. The profit margin on this class of product is far far higher than any other type of product sold by merchants who sell it. Many manufacturers give huge incentives for high sales of audio cables to retailers.

If you haven't made up your mind, read the debates and discussions that crop up here and elsewhere frequently, look at those already in the archives, and take your time before you part with your money. We have people here who bought expensive cables, say they don't regret it, but probably wouldn't buy them again if they had their money back. Whatever you do, don't ask advice from people in the retail audio businsess. You already know what answer they will give you.

[skeptic]

I didn't pick the moniker skeptic for nothing. I have no problem spending money, whether it's my own or other peoples. And lots of it. But I expect to get something of value for it. I don't like feeling cheated and the people whom I work for don't like it either so I have to be careful that I know what I'm buying, what it's supposed to do, and what it's worth. Personally, I use the generic cables or when I need more, I go to Radio Shack and buy their $1 cables. If other people want to spring for more money, that's their business but I don't see that there is any functional advantage to it. I might go for the RS gold plated ones, they may be better made and more reliable and worth the few extra dollars.

Here's a simple test you can perform at home to see if the cables you are using are doing their job perfectly or not. (Cable proponents don't like this test, maybe because it's so easy and so telling although they'll give you other reasons.) Connect the cables you want to test between the tape output and tape monitor input connections on your preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or receiver. (This test is only valid if there is no buffer amplifier stage in the tape output circuit.) Switch between source and tape monitor. What you are doing is switching between the signal going through a few inches of wire in your unit and going through the cable you are testing. If you can't hear any difference, the wire is performing its function perfectly, adding or subtracting nothing from the signal. I have never tried this test where inexpensive wires didn't perform perfectly. Good luck.

[mtrycraft]

but I do have my doubts about using $2 rca cables for hooking up my TV sound to the receiver. Somehow that doesn't give me a good feeling..

Then you should have kept your free cables that may have come with your components and used them.
Cables are way over hyped and over marketed for what they can and cannot do, or what you can and cannot hear.

[MarcB]

I would recommend decent cables for any system. Yes, the manufacturers overhype their expensive cables to get us to buy them. For example, I recently directly compared Radioshack's Gold component video cables with Audioquest and Better Cables component video cables. The Audioquest and Bettercables component video cables provided a slightly cleaner picture, with the Audioquest also providing slightly richer color rendition. The Bettercables had the cleanest picture (less video noise) of all of the three cables tested. However, neither Audioquest and Bettercables component cables were substantially better than the much cheaper radioshack cables. In other words, the difference was slight and you really had to look hard to discern the difference between cables. Hence, I believe that any reasonably decent quality cable will more than suffice for a HT system. Therefore, don't go overboard with your cable purchases.

[vr6ofpain]

honestly i dont care for monster cable. i have used their speaker wire in home(stereo and home threater) and car audio setups and it is acceptable, but definately nothing special. i was running some $40 interconnects between my processor and amp, and recently upgraded to some Zu "Disco" cables I purchased off ebay through their promotion.

these actually sounded better(it was noticable, and i was kind of a skeptic), and technically cost less...though i got those monster cable interlink 400 mkII's for wholesale. honestly i think wiring does matter a little, but monster cable seems to be more hype. right now im running some radio shack "mega cable" speaker wire with radio shack gold plated spade terminations(the spades are pretty high quality), but i hope to soon buy a set of kimber kable 4PR's.

i wouldnt spend any more money on monster cable.

[hershon]

High, I'm glad your happy with these because I bought (and am returning) these yesterday to use to connect my TV audio outs (Big Screen Not HDTD) to my receiver so I could hear the TV from 6 speakers. I had been using a cheap generic pair of RCA cables and the sound was very good and I figured with the Interlink400 MK2 it would be alot better, lhell anything should be better than the cheapo RCA cables I was using, wrong! I was shocked how lousy the TV sound was with interlink as it was an unwarm not rich muffled type of sound. I experimented back and fourth watching the same TV show changing the cables every 5 minutes and sure enough the sound with my cheap RCA cables was substantially better than the Monster Interlink cables at least in regards to TV sound.

[skeptic]

A video signal cable is required to carry a bandwidth of more than 6 megahertz. An audio cable uses no more than 20 kilohertz. The video cable carries over three hundred times the bandwidth. Generalizing about the superior performance of a video cable by extrapolating its use in audio systems makes no sense and is completely invalid. Just for your information, I thought you might like to know.

[vr6ofpain]

A video signal cable is required to carry a bandwidth of more than 6 megahertz. An audio cable uses no more than 20 kilohertz. The video cable carries over three hundred times the bandwidth. Generalizing about the superior performance of a video cable by extrapolating its use in audio systems makes no sense and is completely invalid. Just for your information, I thought you might like to know.

he was talking about using the RCA's for watching TV, but for the sound, so it was still audio. what are you confused about??

He wasnt generalizing anything, he was switching the cheap RCA's and the Monster cable for the audio portion of the TV.

You need to re-read his post buddy.

[skeptic]

Hershon's concern and the discussion had to do with sound;

"Thanks for your input Skeptic. So far I'm leaning to not upgrading cables but I do have my doubts about using $2 rca cables for hooking up my TV sound to the receiver. Somehow that doesn't give me a good feeling."

But MarcB's comments comparing the performance of cables dealt strictly with video performance;

"For example, I recently directly compared Radioshack's Gold component video cables with Audioquest and Better Cables component video cables. The Audioquest and Bettercables component video cables provided a slightly cleaner picture, with the Audioquest also providing slightly richer color rendition. The Bettercables had the cleanest picture (less video noise) of all of the three cables tested."

Although he acknowledged that the difference was slight, he said there was a difference;

"In other words, the difference was slight and you really had to look hard to discern the difference between cables."

Then he generalized;

"I would recommend decent cables for any system."

BTW, you said:

"he was talking about using the RCA's for watching TV, but for the sound, so it was still audio."

That's not a sentence. In fact, it isn't even a coherent thought.

Your grammer stinks. I'll bet your grandpa ain't so hot either. vr6ofpain, reading is only one of your problems.

[vr6ofpain]

vr6ofpain, reading is only one of your problems.

Well you also seem to have a problem reading. Maybe you should put down that bottle of wine.

I had been using a cheap generic pair of RCA cables and the sound was very good and I figured with the Interlink400 MK2 it would be alot better, lhell anything should be better than the cheapo RCA cables I was using, wrong! I was shocked how lousy the TV sound was with interlink as it was an unwarm not rich muffled type of sound. I experimented back and fourth watching the same TV show changing the cables every 5 minutes and sure enough the sound with my cheap RCA cables was substantially better than the Monster Interlink cables at least in regards to TV sound.

If you bothered to read the above post(which mine followed), you would have realized that this was the post I was refering to.

[FLZapped]

Can someone please tell me if it's worth getting the following relatively expensive top of the line Monster Ultra THX Cables? [B]Specifically I need to know whether I will see or hear a difference in picture or sound quality ...

As far as I can tell, THX is another one of those marketing gimmicks when it comes to cables. You pay more money and get nothing in return, other than bragging rights.

Monster sells ordinary wire at extrodinary prices. if you look at the news, you'll see they just plunked down $6,000,000 for the naming rights to Candlestick Park, all by selling wire.

A generic set of cables will work just fine. For video, 75 ohm cable is required, that's all. As it is, RCA connectors used for video aren't 75 ohms, so you have a mismatch at either end of the cable anyway. So why pay extrodinary amonts of money when you have a built-in limitation.

-Bruce

[vr6ofpain]

THX might be similar to CARB exemption status on automotive engine upgrades/modifications. Many would theoretically pass SMOG tests, but have not been approved, and as such will fail a visual. The supercharger on my car passes SMOG because the company that made it spent the money to have it tested to receive the CARB EO#. Other companies sell the exact same setup, but with a different name, but since they did not spend the big bucks to have it tested, it doesn't have the EO#. What does that mean? Even though it would pass the "sniffer" test, since there is no sticker with an EO# under the hood, it will fail the visual....so it will fail the entire SMOG.

What I am getting at is that two products could theoretically pass the same test, but if only one of the companies spent the money to have it "certified", only that one can have those bragging rights...be it a CARB EO# or a THX Certification.

[uncooked]

All i know is that some really really cheap cable causes a hiss in my system's but if its decent quality i dont find any difference between that and a cable costing triple the price.

with component video cable i can honestly say there is a difference with some. Ive tested alot on my 61" tv. on smaller tvs you cant tell but on a big monster like mine it makes a huge difference on white lettering like subtitles or credits.

what i found is that there is a huge difference between the 20 dollar cables and the 50-60 dollar ones. then a really small difference from the 50-60 to the 100-120 ones. I got a 50 dollar one and it looks great.

[vr6ofpain]

ya know with all this talk about hype with wires I found something very amusing. i was looking around on kimber's site two days ago when i saw an area to request free literature. I filled it out and submitted it. i then got an email confirming this submission. two days later(today) guess what came in the mail? a Priority Mail envelope with tons of their literature. very nice "book" with all their cables. high resolution photos, glossy pages, supplementary literature for their Select line, along with literature for WBT and Wattgate connections. and the obligitory price listing.

they obviously make a lot of money to spend $3.85 to ship about a pound of paperwork, all of very high quality production. MARKETING!!!

[Thomsoad]

heck Ya It Worth It!!
The 49'rs Have A Stadium To Upgrade!!!!

[FLZapped]

Can someone please tell me if it's worth getting the following relatively expensive top of the line Monster Ultra THX Cables? Specifically I need to know whether I will see or hear a difference in picture or sound quality from my current home theater set up.
Subwoofer- I use a THX Subwoofer Cable that is put out by Monster but its the lowest quality of the monster subwoofer cables, Ultra THX is the best quality. Will I notice a difference in sound if I upgrade to Ultra THX? TV] DVD/Receiver connection to my TV's picture is THX Composite not Ultra THX Composite. My TV is a 46" Sony but not high definition. Will the DVD or video picture look noticeably better if I upgrade to Ultra?. . For sound from the TV to the receiver I've just been using generic RCA cables. Will TV sound quality from my receiver be significantly better if I upgrade to either Ultra THX or THX cables? [Copying to VCR Lastly I use generic RCA cables to copy from my VCR or DVD to VCR. Will I notice any difference in the sound and picture quality if I upgrade to Ultra THX or THX. I welcome and thank you for any comments.

Maybe you should read this and then decide....

"Monster" Cable Strong-Arms Small Vintage Business

-Bruce

[Ryanm]

I just wanted to add, that once you get past a certain pricerange/quality level that it doesn't really make a diff, but buying sub quality cables *WILL* impact how your system sounds, case in point:
I have an RCA 200 watt RMS 12" powered sub, and I made the mistake of buying a 50 foot rca cable that had about the thickness of cheapy pair of headphone wires (i figured a cable was a cable and it only needed to send a small signal to the sub). The sub wouldn't turn off (has signal sensing cut off) it produced a low hum that was audible to anyone in the room, and in short it drove me crazy. After unplugging the sub cable on a regular basis to cut it off, and reading this site it occured to me that I might be picking up interference.
Yesterday I found an open but inspected 25" Acoustic Research sub cable at best buy for $16 and decided to pick it up. To make a long story short, my sub cuts off after 5 min like it's supposed to, there's no hum, and I'm happy that I found a good deal.
So yes a quality cable *does* make a difference, but only to a certain extent.

[lattybuck]

We used to argue cables some 20+ years ago. All we found that we could agree on is that in some situations a heavier wire works better. Especially with making tight base response in better systems. The rest was BS. So we all went to hardware stores and baught vacume cleaner power wires for our speakers. It's a wound copper wire, very heavy gauge, well insulated from being damaged by feet and furniture and sounded as good on good equipment as anything out there. I tried monster cables once and was dissapointed for the price. Oh yea, it sells for pennies a foot too in spools. It has no shielding from external signals, but that seemed to not really matter much anyway if your not living next to the airport or some mega hamm operator..
Just a thought
Take care

[kode3]

I just have one question.... How do you THX certify a cable? Just get normal cables.... $10-$50 dollar range should be good enough.