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Weird Experience With Monster MLS 1000 $100 Optic Cable
In my never ending search for perfection, I bought a Monster MLS1000 Fiber Optics Cable listed for $100 for $78 including shipping new on Ebay. This is one of Monster's top of the line optic cables & had gotten a bunch of great reviews (obviously from people with different ears then me). As with my previous experience with Monster top of the line cables as opposed to their standard or mid cables, the sound was definately not too my liking again and obviously I'm beginning to see a pattern. When I played this cable for my CD's, comparing it back and forth with my cheaper $12 Ebay optic cable, on the same songs, there definately was a big difference, but unfortunately not to my liking, though maybe others would have preferred this. I played different tracks of the Beatles Rubber Soul & Revolver albums, and while the vocals were definately better with this monster cable the backing instrumentation sounded like they had the life sucked out of them, similar if you've ever experienced this, dolbying a non dolby cassette recording. I've had this experience every time I've tried a monster top tier cable- it makes the recordings lifeless & will only buy Monster standard & mid system cables in the future. I've listed this cable on Ebay at a $15 loss
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdwardGein
In my never ending search for perfection....
I've wasted way too much money on stuff like that. From now on, I'll be getting my cables at Ratshack, PE, Home Depot and so on.
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So you 'hear' a difference in the way the light is transmitted through an optical cable? Mmmmkay.
So which sounds better to you? 60 watt bulbs or 75 watt bulbs?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMichael
I think that cheeseburger number 3 is the brightest.
:confused: huh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by N. Abstentia
So you 'hear' a difference in the way the light is transmitted through an optical cable? Mmmmkay.
So which sounds better to you? 60 watt bulbs or 75 watt bulbs?
I think that cheeseburger number 3 is the brightest.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by N. Abstentia
So you 'hear' a difference in the way the light is transmitted through an optical cable? Mmmmkay.
So which sounds better to you? 60 watt bulbs or 75 watt bulbs?
I like 75watt bulbs.
With a cheap cable I get only 0's and 1's going through, with a mid priced cable there are some 2's and 3's mixed in, and the expensive ones go as high as 9's. The sound is a real trip when there are more than just the 0's and 1's. :D
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.J.
:confused: huh
Must I re-review the cottonwood tree thread?
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ed
if you ar looking to improve cd sound,first look at speakers,then your source.what do you play your cds on.a stand alone cd player will usually be better than a dvd player if that is what you use.
and monster cable makes average to below average cables.
thanks
bill
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I never said my sound was bad at all. I love the sound of my speakers. I just thought I could improve on perfection with a super expensive optic cable instead of my cheaper one but obviously that isn't the case.
Again to rehash a dead horse, I tried a $550 Cambridge Audio CD player a year ago & Compared that to the sound of my Harmon Kardon 31 Player, and the Harmon Kardon 31 player when connected to my Denon by optic cable sounded better then the Cambridge by analogue cables (as well as optic). I did this in front of someone on this board & he didn't notice any real difference between the 2. The sound quality of the current DVD players listed at $150 or more is as good if not better then CD players.
In regards to optic cables, I feel like Christopher Columbus telling you people the world is not flat, you will still get better sound from different DVD players and it is not simple as they are not just 1's and 0's. The better your DAC, the better sound will be produced by optic cable.
In the case of Monster, I really like their entry and sometimes mid level product but find their highest tier stuff actually dulls the audio too much.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musicman1999
ed
if you ar looking to improve cd sound,first look at speakers,then your source.what do you play your cds on.a stand alone cd player will usually be better than a dvd player if that is what you use.
and monster cable makes average to below average cables.
thanks
bill
I agree. Peep out some new speaks :)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L.J.
I've wasted way too much money on stuff like that. From now on, I'll be getting my cables at Ratshack, PE, Home Depot and so on.
Sheeeet. I get all my cables and wires at Home Depot and Target. By the time you wire up 7 or 8 source components, the sub, a separate amp for mains, then biwired mains (just for ****s and giggles), a center, four surrounds and two presence spakers it can still be downright expensive. God help the guys running 7 channels of mono blocks.
Running esoteric cables on an integrated, CD player, and pair of bookshelves is one thing... but, on a full blown HT the cost of your cables will quickly outpace the cost of the equipment.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdwardGein
In regards to optic cables, I feel like Christopher Columbus telling you people the world is not flat
Flip it and reverse it. We are Columbus telling you the world is not flat. Columbus had science and astronomy on his side, like we have optics and binary code. Flatearthers base the belief on subjective observation, the world looks flat so it must be. You hear a difference and the only change is the cable, so it must be the cable.
BTW I won't dispute that you hear a difference. If you tell us you hear it, I have no reason to discount your perception. However, I do dispute that it is the optical cable, unless the cables are broken, defective, or do not meet quality control, they should be the same.
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I feel like the guy in those ads who is surrounded by a bunch of monkees!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdwardGein
In regards to optic cables, I feel like Christopher Columbus telling you people the world is not flat, you will still get better sound from different DVD players and it is not simple as they are not just 1's and 0's.
Actually, it is that simple. It's 1's and 0's. It's called 'binary'. There are two states..'on' and 'off'. There is no in-between.
Seriously, I think you should go to your nearest Techincal school and enroll in a data communications class. Don't take that the wrong way, I'm not calling you a moron..I just think you (hell most everybody actually) could learn a lot from a class like that. In the Cisco Networking Acadamy we went deep in to fiber optic cable and in the end it comes down to 1's and 0's.
You know how fiber runs are tested? If there is light at the end it's good. If there is no light it's bad. There is no magical middle ground. It's either on or off.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdwardGein
I feel like the guy in those ads who is surrounded by a bunch of monkees!
I resemble that.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdwardGein
I feel like the guy in those ads who is surrounded by a bunch of monkees!
:D I know, I work with a bunch of jackasses. :D
You had to have seen the extended version during the Stupor Bowl.
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Mickey Dolenz...
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdwardGein
I feel like the guy in those ads who is surrounded by a bunch of monkees!
...Davey...Mike...Peter...where? where?
Oh, you mean the arboreal types...No, it's just probably the laughter from those surrounding you...
We make up custom length FO data cables...after you cut/mount/finish the connector you do one thing...connect one end to a calibrated light source and the other to a matching receiver unit...there are two choices: Pass or Fail...
jimHJJ(...there is no gray-area...just another in a series of 0s and 1s...)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlumpBuster
Sheeeet. I get all my cables and wires at Home Depot and Target. By the time you wire up 7 or 8 source components, the sub, a separate amp for mains, then biwired mains (just for ****s and giggles), a center, four surrounds and two presence spakers it can still be downright expensive. God help the guys running 7 channels of mono blocks.
Running esoteric cables on an integrated, CD player, and pair of bookshelves is one thing... but, on a full blown HT the cost of your cables will quickly outpace the cost of the equipment.
I'm finishing up my bedroom system and I went with Home Depot for most of my wires. Not too bad on the wallet, I must say. I do see the value in a well built cable, but monster is not gonna see much of my money, if any. I think Ratshack/Home Depot offers some decent cables for a great price.
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Been there, done that.
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ed
try this,take out your optical cable,buy yourself a good,well built,coax cable with heavy,solid connectors.if your cable run is short this is all you will ever need.
i use an ixos digital interconnect,$89.00 canadian.it goes on so tight you need two hands to pull it off and is well insulated.
try it
thanks
bill
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I admit I've never tried coax cable I heard, possibly wrong, they are not as good as optic. Out of curiosity, do you notice difference in audio quality with different coax cables? Do you notice a difference in sound quality between coax & optic cable?
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ed
i have done one comparison,hooked both cables dvd to reciever,went back and forth many times and could not find a noticible difference.However i have a habit of moving wires around alot and optical cables with plastic ends were very easy to knock loose.i have heard that glass ends fasten better but i have not tried one.
to sum up in a basic system,such as yours,you will find no difference in cables.In more advanced systems cables can be used as a form of tone control.For instance i have Jm Labs speakers,which are known to be somewhat on the bright side,so i use a neutral sounding interconnect from my cd player(arcam cd73t) to my reciever.My dealer loaned me a Kimber silver streak i/c,which is a silver core cable($350.00 canadian per 1/2 meter)and is very bright sounding.Needless to say it was a terrible pairing and they went right back.
hope this helps
bill
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You're right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdwardGein
I admit I've never tried coax cable I heard, possibly wrong, they are not as good as optic.
Well, at least the part where you say you heard wrong, anyway.
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I Checked Out Your System Mark, Your Biting Your Nose to Spite Your Face
I just checked out your system which looks real good & an obvious financial investment on your part. Here's the thing though and do take it to heart, You obviously make a good or at worst, decent living so if you have the money, which you obviously do, why not invest in relatively expensive cables instead of cheap cables? The worst case scenario is the expensive cables don't sound any better then the cheap cables but so what, you can afford it.
Best case scenario, the expensive cables improve your system. You wanna win, you gotta play. If your going to invest in first class equipment then you may as well do things all the way,http://forums.audioreview.com/images/smilies/6.gif
:6: not half ass. Anyway, your system looks great but your cable situation is self suicide. It reminds me of players in the NBA with million dollar contracts who don't spend a buck on a Condum & wind up paying half their salary on child support. Which reminds me. Who is the father of our country? Shawn Kemp
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dumb question = dumb answers
the problem with optical cables is that if you were to crimp the cable (fold it back on its self), you run the possibility of cutting off the signal. When you use a higher quality cable, it will protect against any crimping to make sure that the signal will always pass through. I have an expensive Acoustic Research optical cable that can be double backed on itself and not crimp at all. Does it sound better than the cheap $20 cable that used to be in that input? Not at all. This is an honest question, and the guys on this board will be more than happy to point people in the right direction with their concerns. But when you repeatidly ask the same question and refuse to believe the answers, you will get smart ass remarks thrown back at you.
p.s. A DAC will have zero affect on how a digital signal sounds. Remember a DAC is a Digital to Analog Converter. There is no Analog signal passed through a digital optical cable - its just digital. Thats why when you buy a CD player with a very good DAC, you hook it up through RCA cables to your amp/receiver that also has a good DAC to get the best sound. IMO analog will always sound better than digital (listen to a hi-fi system through a kick ass turntable and then listen to the same album on CD and the CD will loose terribly).
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