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Belden ICONOCLAST XLR Cable Review

Rate this cable

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 152 53.9%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 86 30.5%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 21 7.4%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 23 8.2%

  • Total voters
    282

Sal1950

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MacCali

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On another note about cables, I was at Axpona and Kimber had a room with some zu audio speakers. Zu audio was kind enough to test 4 mini towers in their anechoic chamber to provide the closest matched pairs down to .1 db difference in measurements.

Not sure how beneficial that may or may not be, you be the judge.

To test the “difference” in cables. As interesting as it may sound my conclusion again after spending a sufficient amount of time is I heard absolutely no difference.

It was technically not blind, but they would say when it was switched and even then I heard no difference.

Then I suggested if they can stop telling us when they switch and just switch it. Starting from the lower kimber cable and still heard absolutely no difference.

Even my friend heard no difference, but oddly a majority of the 9-10 people in there and even new comers were hearing this magical difference.

Edit Also if you’re wondering this is a $2900 vs $500 per meter or 3 feet.
 
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VintageFlanker

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but oddly a majority of the 9-10 people in there and even new comers were hearing this magical difference.
Of course, they did. That kind of "demonstration" in Audio shows is only there to confirm people beliefs. Whatever if the salesmen shut up or not, since one see (and hear) them switching cables, a cablophile is conditioned to "hear" a difference, whatever what difference that is...
 
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MacCali

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Of course, they did. That kind of "demonstration" in Audio shows is only there to confirm people beliefs. Whatever if the salesmen shut up or not, since one see (and hear) them switching cables, a cablophile is conditioned to "hear" a difference, whatever what différence that is...
Yea without a doubt they had a few of those, as they always do.

Honestly I really try to listen to hear a difference not to confirm that cables make a difference I just want to hear something. The one cable is nearly 6 times more expensive lol

I’ve mentioned this with the isoacoustics speaker feet, at least I hear something but it’s honestly not better and I would never be able to pick anything out 4 out of 10 times cause it’s so darn subtle
 

AdamG

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I know your Generation, our Generation, and no matter how much you may object. There exists a complete Gentleman on the inside! Let us never forget or give up; on these Values and Traditions that we were raised to observe and respect. Our Mothers and Fathers would leverage some Whoop-ass if we let them down. :oops:;)
 

fpitas

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MacCali

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I know your Generation, our Generation, and no matter how much you may object. There exists a complete Gentleman on the inside! Let us never forget or give up; on these Values and Traditions that we were raised to observe and respect. Our Mothers and Fathers would leverage some Whoop-ass if we let them down. :oops:;)
It should not only be a gentleman, it’s merely a principle of respect.

I tell people the one simple thing, if it’s a man or woman this person will hold some status obviously. For example, father brother uncle son etc etc

You wouldn’t want someone disrespectful towards any of those people in your family, so don’t do it others cause that’s one of those ascribed statuses for everyone around you.

Unless the person is being disrespectful to you, even then you should still be respectful. Since that’s all some people have
 

krabapple

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I know your Generation, our Generation, and no matter how much you may object. There exists a complete Gentleman on the inside! Let us never forget or give up; on these Values and Traditions that we were raised to observe and respect. Our Mothers and Fathers would leverage some Whoop-ass if we let them down. :oops:;)
Verily, your Random use of Capitals harkens back to a Time long gone from this Old World of ours.
 

MacCali

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Verily, your Random use of Capitals harkens back to a Time long gone from this Old World of ours.
Don’t think it’s a time long gone, it merely is a reflection of how one was raised. As you may have pointed out, many new age parents don’t have those traits and seem to take a hands off approach with their children.

Whereas people who raised like that would generally do the same for their children.

But furthermore, we as humans when allowed the proper focus and knowledge can further surpass that threshold just by doing some simple soul searching.

So even if you didn’t get it at the start there’s always a time and place for change. However it does take one to acknowledge that thinking further ahead than where you are now. As in shifting your mindset to someone that’s 55 even when you’re 30 will be vastly beneficial.

I say this because all the bs you buy into as a youngster at that point means nothing and was to a certain degree foolish.

Your success in life will greatly increase once you live by this as well.

I’m in my early 30’s in case you are wondering.
 

CleanSound

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Unless it's blow job cables you're referring to? :)

I thought BJC was above this sort of high priced stuff. :facepalm:

From BJC website:

We entered this business after a bit of frustration in shopping for audio and video cables for home theater -- everywhere we looked, we found nonsense claims about the characteristics of what ought to have been relatively straightforward products. Our background is not in the airy heights of audiophilia, and not in the anything-to-make-it-cheaper world of importing containers full of Chinese goods, but in the reality-based, engineering-based world of broadcast-quality communications cabling. Our original mission was bringing standard broadcast cabling products into home theater installations; as we've grown over the years we've taken on an increasing amount of custom product made to our own specifications, but our insistence upon solid engineering-based quality, as opposed to fluffy sales talk, remains the same. We won't try to sell you anything you don't need, and when the cable you already own is probably doing what you need, we won't try to upsell you. And with that orientation toward the broadcast world comes another principle: we price our cables in a manner that reflects pricing of similar assemblies in the professional broadcast market, rather than trying to scale the pricey peaks of the boutique cable landscape.

And yet, they are selling these snake oil.

So what is the moral of the story? Profit margins on cables and other accessories are anywhere from 60% to 80%, whereas the second highest profit margin HiFi component are speakers, anywhere from 40% to 60%. As such, there will always be someone selling cables, even if it goes against better judgement.
 

Sal1950

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And yet, they are selling these snake oil.
They sold out for the cash, and that's a shame.
I've written them a few polite notes explaining how I had recommended their
products for years all around the net, etc, exactly because of their lack of
involvement in the snake-oil business.
But that since they have sold out their integrity, I no do so and now send people to places like Monoprice and Amazon Basics for good, transparent, affordable cabling.
 

JanesJr1

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They sold out for the cash, and that's a shame.
I've written them a few polite notes explaining how I had recommended their
products for years all around the net, etc, exactly because of their lack of
involvement in the snake-oil business.
But that since they have sold out their integrity, I no do so and now send people to places like Monoprice and Amazon Basics for good, transparent, affordable cabling.
I don't mean to be a buzzkill, but is what they did just to target some ads at audio listeners, and raise their prices? Like it or not, that seems like the straight-and-narrow for business sales practice these days. (Although I haven't seen what they did if it was worse than that.)
 

Sal1950

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I don't mean to be a buzzkill, but is what they did just to target some ads at audio listeners, and raise their prices?
I don't know why they did it and really don't care.
As long as they continue to market these products as having any audible improvement
over the rest of the quality products they market, they are no longer a company I wish to
promote.
 
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