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How much have you spent on cables? - Page 3

post #31 of 45
10/10/07 at 10:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kees View Post
I have a $3000 amp and $400 phones that make sense together (Rudistor RPX-100 and balanced HD650), but I also have heard a $1000 amp and $2000 phones that make sense together (Earmax-pro SE and Grado PS1).
So I am still confused about these percentages....

with headphones it is generally considered that the amp cost 3x more than the source. And the cans cost up to and around the price of the amp.

But then some people think cables should cost 50% or even more of the system cost.
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post #32 of 45
10/10/07 at 10:32am
About $300-400, I'm actually on the fence if they do anything; but my having a Cardas, a $120 optical lead, a Cardas mini to mini and several fancy power-leads...
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post #33 of 45
10/10/07 at 10:40am
I voted $5,000+ but keep in mind those cables support 11 sources, not counting my portable setups. I've got at least 30 power cords from Virtual Dynamics alone, about half of which are the Power 3 model which I got for about $70 each when they were running a special some years ago. They now sell the same product for $200 and it goes for about $125-$150 in the used market. These I bought new. Most of the rest of my cables were bought in the used market, which I think is even more critical with cables than any other audio items if you don't want to lose your shirt on resale.
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post #34 of 45
10/10/07 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LawnGnome View Post
with headphones it is generally considered that .... the cans cost up to and around the price of the amp.
So my my RPX-100 & balanced HD650 are generally considered to be a nonsensical combination?
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post #35 of 45
10/10/07 at 2:09pm
The only type of components I've found where cost had any kind of a direct relationship with sound quality was headphones and speakers.

See ya
Steve
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post #36 of 45
10/10/07 at 2:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigshot View Post
The only type of components I've found where cost had any kind of a direct relationship with sound quality was headphones and speakers.

See ya
Steve
that wasnt the question, the question was "How much have you spent on cables?"

just looks like another thread crapping from you.

*yawn*
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post #37 of 45
10/10/07 at 4:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kees View Post
I have a $3000 amp and $400 phones that make sense together (Rudistor RPX-100 and balanced HD650), but I also have heard a $1000 amp and $2000 phones that make sense together (Earmax-pro SE and Grado PS1).
So I am still confused about these percentages....
I was thinking more of a situation with a limited budget. Say you have a pair of HD650s running out of a $50 amp and you have $400 to spend on an upgrade. Now would it make sense to blow the $400 on a new amp, a new aftermarket cable, or a 50/50 split between the two? What would result in the best increase in performance, because I don't know.
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post #38 of 45
10/10/07 at 4:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezer View Post
I was thinking more of a situation with a limited budget. Say you have a pair of HD650s running out of a $50 amp and you have $400 to spend on an upgrade. Now would it make sense to blow the $400 on a new amp, a new aftermarket cable, or a 50/50 split between the two? What would result in the best increase in performance, because I don't know.
i wouldn't even think about spending money on any cables with a limited budget. source - amp - headphones, in that order (for me). once that is established to a satisfactory level (however you define that), then you start improving everything with better cables (ICs and power cords) and other tweaks - power conditioning, isolation control, etc.
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post #39 of 45
10/10/07 at 4:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezer View Post
I was thinking more of a situation with a limited budget. Say you have a pair of HD650s running out of a $50 amp and you have $400 to spend on an upgrade. Now would it make sense to blow the $400 on a new amp, a new aftermarket cable, or a 50/50 split between the two? What would result in the best increase in performance, because I don't know.

I have a "limited" budget, but was only "limited" to assemble my system. I have lots of plans to upgrade, however I needed to get something assembled.

Is $400 all you will ever spend, or is that all the funds available for the moment?

What's the source? You might as well think of upgrading this as well.. Which leads me to my next question:




"Lawn Gnome"; "with headphones it is generally considered that the amp cost 3x more than the source."

So then the saying, "it starts with the amp, and goes downhill" doesn't apply? I'm confused on what to trust. It makes total sense that it starts with the source, and goes downhill, but it's often we see people with amps that DO cost 3x as much as the source. A perfect example of this, would be me; a $250 amp, and a $60 source, however, this is my "budget" system, and I will most defiantly upgrade my source next.

Hmm..

So ultimately, the question is, how important is the source? It seems a amp is the most important, because we tend to spend all of out money on one. Would it be fair to say the source is just as (50/50) important as an amp. So would it make sense to spend just as much on a source, then on a amp? Even more, in my case, I don't plan on upgrading my amp anytime soon, so would spending $300 on a CDP be worthwhile, or would I be better off with a $100-$150 CDP?
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post #40 of 45
10/10/07 at 5:34pm
Thread Starter 
See, what I'm trying to get a feel for is how big of an impact aftermarket cables have on the overall sound. No one on this forum, that I've read so far, disputes that you can hear a difference going from an HD650 to a RS-1 to a K701, or from a CMoy to GS-1 to an Apache. But when it comes to cables you get reactions like "wow this is a night and day difference" to "lol bs DBT placebo etc etc" and everywhere in between. This phenomenon is just so interesting to me.
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post #41 of 45
10/10/07 at 5:39pm
buy one pair of good ICs and compare it to some radio shack red and whites and see for yourself. that's the only way you are going to find out.
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post #42 of 45
10/10/07 at 5:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezer View Post
See, what I'm trying to get a feel for is how big of an impact aftermarket cables have on the overall sound. No one on this forum, that I've read so far, disputes that you can hear a difference going from an HD650 to a RS-1 to a K701, or from a CMoy to GS-1 to an Apache. But when it comes to cables you get reactions like "wow this is a night and day difference" to "lol bs DBT placebo etc etc" and everywhere in between. This phenomenon is just so interesting to me.

They can have a big impact, however THIS is subjective as well. A crappy source/amp hooked up to expensive cabling isn't going to yield the same results, if any, as say, a decent dedicated CDP and a decent amp hooked up to the same cabling. So in essence, I believe, as do others, cabling is like a "final" tweak, if you will. I have learned the hard way..

I can say, I have noticed a difference with my cabling, however it's probably not as big as saving it and spending it on a decent CDP. And furthermore, having a decent amp helps a lot as well.
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post #43 of 45
10/10/07 at 6:52pm
Whether cabling has an effect or not, it makes sense to me to keep everything at a similar level.

ICs are a pretty integral part of any set-up, one thing is true, by buying expensive leads at least they're not worse.
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post #44 of 45
10/10/07 at 8:44pm
I have plenty of bigger ticket improvement options before I start chasing the last 1%.

I DIY cables using Canare Starquad - I'm pretty happy with it.
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post #45 of 45
10/10/07 at 9:48pm
1% is being generous.

See ya
Steve
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