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  1. #1
    Forum Regular
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    Aug 2005
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    New Speaker Wires Again, Bi-Wiring, Audioquest CV-4s and Bedrocks

    Here is my setup, Paradigm Monitor 9s, Yamaha 4600, Audioquest CV-4 and Bedrock. I had posted my thoughts when I had purchased the Audioquest CV-4, quick reminder it was better than normal speaker wire but worth 150$.....better but maybe not worth it. Now I have just purchased a pair of Audioquest Bedrock speaker cables. Thus, I found them to be marginally better than the CV-4s...not much better... I also tried bi-wiring them with the lows done by the Bedrocks and the highs done by the CV-4s, no real difference over the Bedrocks and a slightly better sound than the CV-4s. Thus, to conclude I have spent about 300$ Canadian on both used speaker cables and can conclude that bi-wiring did nothing and that the Audioquest Bedrocks are better than the CV-4s and hence if I were to purchase again I would simply purchase a used pair of Bedrocks. Hope this helps out anyone looking to purchase speaker cables.

  2. #2
    Linear Guy
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    Apr 2005
    Location
    SW Pa.
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    308

    you're not the first one....

    ...to jump through hoops to try and milk the best possible sound from your system. I have traveled your road. I currently have bedrocks in my system after evaluating about 40 pounds of copper wire in various configurations. I decided that I needed to put away the trigger finger and concentrate on the beautiful music I hear everyday and be satsified with it. Its starting to work. As an engineer I decided that any improvments in cables from this point on are going to be things I can experiment with cheaply myself with materials I can scrounge up at work.. Its fun to experiment, but its not fun to spend 350 to 500 on speaker cables and feel guilty and unsatisfied. Spend it on the music for a while and good luck. dk

  3. #3
    Forum Regular
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    Aug 2006
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    I am a newbie. If you speakers are worth $5000 dollars I would spend $100 or more on them. I would not buy such expensive cables for speakers/ amp which are 1000 -2000 dollars worth. May be I am wrong. That is my gut feeling.

    Thanks

  4. #4
    Forum Regular
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    Aug 2005
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    My speakers were $1000 CAD and my reciever was $1500 CAD. However, you are correct in that your initial money is better invested in either the speakers or the reciever. However, having spent my money in those items all I had left was speaker wire and I did notice a difference. Was the difference worth the money, herm...should of just purchased the Audioquest Bedrocks first and skipped the CV-4s but hindsight is 20/20. Therefore, I know that my speaker cable does not need to be upgraded anymore and I am happy with my system. However, I do want to upgrade my mains again to the studio line but that is another matter.

  5. #5
    Forum Regular
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    Jun 2002
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    19
    IMHO, the reason why you didn't feel any difference is yamaha power is a little under power to drive Monitor 9, it's power hungry.Instead of ending up in pile of speaker cable try to experiment on more powerful receiver or separate amp. I have gone through it.

  6. #6
    Suspended PeruvianSkies's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    I don't know about anyone else, but for me here is the deal....

    When I buy something (it can be anything) I want to feel good about my purchase. I also want to be able to use it to it's fullest potential. For example: My 17" Apple laptop...I got the highest amount of just about anything I could when I customized it because it didn't make sense to have the ability to max it out and not do it. The funds were there, so I did so. I am quite happy knowing that my computer is the best that I can be based on what I am able to do with it. That's a good feeling for a consumer of anything to feel.

    When it comes to things like CD players, amps, speakers, etc...it's the same thing, but the difference is that your options are so limitless that it makes the investment hard to predict or even be able to tell when it is at 'full potential' so to speak. I am part of the group that believes that cables CAN and DO make a difference with the right gear, because of this I do not see the point in using cheap cables (both in cost and quality) to connect expensive and well-made quality gear. You wouldn't buy a Porsche and put the cheap gas in it would you? Maybe you would, but not me. I also would use the best wax, car wash, and other products to take care of my investment. I don't drive a Porsche, but wish I did. In the meantime my Honda works just fine and I still use the 'good stuff' to take care of it. Mainly because I notice a difference in the performance of the vehicle and I also get to feel better about my car when I take care of it well.

    I feel the same way about my audio/video gear. I finally got the speakers of my 'realistic' dreams and I am connecting them with $300 PS Audio speaker cables for a reason. I am not using them because I 'think' they will help the sound, but rather because I have tested cable vs. cable and I know that they are making a difference for the better in the sound. I also know that as time passes my speakers will sound better with the more upgrades that I do with the amplification, the media transport, etc etc. I want my speakers to sound THE BEST that they can and so my goal now is to make that. I should actually say ...I want my music/movies to sound the best that they can, which in large is by the speakers.

    Anyone else have some insights?

  7. #7
    Forum Regular hermanv's Avatar
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    Wire gauge is quite important, bigger is better. Wire purity matters a lot in a good system less so with less expensive gear. For a 100 watt system with a 10" or bigger woofer I'd recommend 10 gauge as a minimum (can be made up of parallel smaller wires)

    If you buy 32 feet (two 8 foot runs of 2 wires each) of a high purity and large gauge raw wire and make your own cables, next add some quality connectors you will spend hundreds of dollars. The mainstream commercial cables turn out not to be much of a rip-off after all.

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