What's Your Favorite Cable?

[Katji]

Funny place this.

 

[Helicopter]

Probably need a good de-gaussing, too.

Safe bet. Only 99.99% OFC. I hope that doesn't meam 0.01% rare earth magnet alloy.

 

[tvrgeek]

Absolute best speaker cable: 16 gauge zip cord, unless very long runs, use 12. Short runs to monitors, 18 is fine. ( Original Monster was 11 gauge and actually decent wire)
Absolute best SE interconnect: 75 Ohm Belden "brilliance" stranded.
Absolute best power cable: The one in the box
Best balanced: Toss up, Monagi or Belden mic cable, double spiral shield. Whatever BH or Sweetwater caries.
Best USB. Actually found differences. Belkin or Belden.

Now, Best is a matter of viewpoint. If you are a retailer and can get some fool to pay $500 for a bit of wire that is no better than the above, then it is clearly better for your bank account. If you need something special made up, the folks at Blue Gene are actually engineers. I bought both very long S-Video and HDMI from them that worked great well past spec. Everything else is just snake oil no matter how many times new threads get posted.

 

[watchnerd]

Safe bet. Only 99.99% OFC. I hope that doesn't meam 0.01% rare earth magnet alloy.

Damn neo mag getting in your cables ruins everything.

 

[Helicopter]

If you are looking for multicolored IC Hosa has some like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CRA-802...6&sr=1-1-80ba0e26-a1cd-4e7b-87a0-a2ffae3a273c

These have a good strain relief for durability, but it is stiff, so you will need 4, maybe even 6 inches clearance off the back

 

[frogmeat69]

Jumper cables with banana plugs clamped between the jaws.

 

[Chrispy]

No problem, I knew there would be some electricians posting too. There are so many brands available no one can try them all.

LOL am no electrician, altho my grandfather was a professional EE and major installatijons expert who did instruct me some on using/making electrical connections. What a waste of time "trying" cables....but maybe your imagination makes it work for you. Good luck with that! I guess you must have the finest of all other audio equipment and room installations and this is your final assault on things to buy?

 

[Robin L]

Shiny!

 

[JeffS7444]

I see two distinct cable crowds, the "electricians" who believe a plug is just a plug and a wire is just a wire. Then I see "connoisseurs" who have spent big bucks, tried some different vendors, and settled on a choice that was right for them that wasn't "lamp cord".

Naw, this isn't a case where "both schools of thought have some validity" and "the truth lies somewhere in between": If there's no measurable difference, then any sonic difference likely exists only in the mind of the listener. I think the best reason to pay a premium price for cables is because they look nice.

 

[watchnerd]

I think the best reason to pay a premium price for cables is because they look nice.

Or....

You believe they will sound better.

So in your mind, placebo effect makes a difference to what you hear.

 

[whazzup]

Wow, cool way to bring awareness and traffic to all the niche cable brands. The more controversy there are, the more the names will be cited. Just piss off some engineer or scientist on asr with some outlandish claims, and then just sit back and let them do the marketing for you.

 

[Sashoir]

You can buy many different lengths of Canare cables in many different colors from Martertek. Look for Sescom cables.

Martin

Dear Martin, thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to look them up when I do my next rearrangement of stuff in the vain hope that it will magically create more space (every 90 days or so, on average).
Best,
Sasha

 

[q3cpma]

Or....

You believe they will sound better.

So in your mind, placebo effect makes a difference to what you hear.

For how long?

 

[watchnerd]

For how long?

That would be an interesting thing to study.

Maybe it depends if you think you already have TOTL or if there is an 'upgrade path'.

 

[Midwest Blade]

Speaker Cable - 2 pair of Blue Jeans 10 White (Belden), 10ft and 8ft, and Mogami W3103 (with BJC's locking banana plugs) 10ft.
Audio - Blue Jeans LC1 and Blue Jeans Digital Audio cables.

For my QUAD system which is on the old din cable system, I have an old QUAD preamp/amp interconnect, B&O din/RCA connectors and a couple of spare din cables I picked up from a very good supplier in the UK. Since I never really add anything into this system, it is pretty set, I found the B&O cable a few years ago which was a great help as my old din/RCA cable was pretty old.

 

[VintageFlanker]

I won't even argue against the usefulness of this thread, but there's something I just can't let pass...

Digital IC- Mapleshade
Speaker Cable-Mapleshade

Mapleshade? I've never heard about this "brand" before. Hopefully. Here are their claims about their Clearview Golden Helix speakers cables:

"Since their introduction in 2000, our entry-level Golden Helix speaker cables have been widely acclaimed as one of the best bargains in audio. Hook-up a pair; the upgrade will sound like you spent an extra $500 to $1000 more on your speakers. All bass instruments—acoustic, electric, or synthesized—will immediately have more punch and cleaner harmonics. Your woofers wont boom like that annoying purple Honda CRX that we always seem to get stuck next to at stoplights. Singers will sound like they've stepped two feet closer [not three? Pity]. When you listen to your favorite CDs, you'll hear details you've never heard before. Check out Dark Side of the Moon, the opening heartbeat'll sound supernatural."


Oh yes? Ok... I'm not sure if this some kind of joke or something, but I think I've never red such bullshitism before. This is simply priceless. The jack of all trades. Not to mention these are ugly as hell:

Glad you're considering this as your favourite speaker cables. I really hope you heard just anything you would expect buying them.

 

[watchnerd]

I won't even argue against the usefulness of this thread, but there's something I just can't let pass...

Mapleshade? I didn't heard about this "brand" before. Hopefully. Here are their claims about their Clearview Golden Helix speakers cables:

"Since their introduction in 2000, our entry-level Golden Helix speaker cables have been widely acclaimed as one of the best bargains in audio. Hook-up a pair; the upgrade will sound like you spent an extra $500 to $1000 more on your speakers. All bass instruments—acoustic, electric, or synthesized—will immediately have more punch and cleaner harmonics. Your woofers wont boom like that annoying purple Honda CRX that we always seem to get stuck next to at stoplights. Singers will sound like they've stepped two feet closer [not three? Pity]. When you listen to your favorite CDs, you'll hear details you've never heard before. Check out Dark Side of the Moon, the opening heartbeat'll sound supernatural."


Oh yes? Ok... I'm not sure if this some kind of joke or something, but I think I've never red such bullshitism before. This is simply priceless. The jack of all trades. Not to mention these are ugly as hell:View attachment 100292

Glad you're considering this as your favourite speaker cables. I really hope you heard just anything you would expect buying them.

I actually had some Mapleshade speaker cables about 10 years ago.

I got them free with some speakers I bought.

They made a difference in the sound for sure!

So I got rid of them.

 

[tmtomh]

I guess I like something whose build quality I feel I can depend on. For that reason I'm partial to Blue Jeans because based on their reputation, the transparency with which they list the materials/components they use, the fact that I've never personally had a problem with their stuff, and their reasonable prices, I find them a convenient, reliable, and affordable choice. Basically, I'm willing to pay a small price premium over truly inexpensive cables to get what I believe is reliable build quality.

As for sonics, the idea of having a favorite cable doesn't make any sense to me. If a cable has a detectable sound, it's broken. If it's properly functioning it has no "sound" and therefore how could I pick a favorite?

 

[Chrispy]

Wow, cool way to bring awareness and traffic to all the niche cable brands. The more controversy there are, the more the names will be cited. Just piss off some engineer or scientist on asr with some outlandish claims, and then just sit back and let them do the marketing for you.

IIRC this is what witchdoctor does, i.e. deal esoteric audiophool cables.....pretty sure same guy did it on avs years ago, too.

 

[JeffS7444]

I should've gone into the business of selling audiophile tweaks and herbal remedies. Wait! How's about a audiophile tonic which makes non-specific hints about improving the listening experience! Put enough grain alcohol in the bottle, and it might even work.