markl
Hangin' with the monkeys.
Member of the Trade: Lawton Audio
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2001
- Posts
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Yeah, they're all the same, bits are bits, digital is digital, blah, blah blah.
There I said it already, now the usual suspects don't have to. If you want to discuss how many electrons can dance on the head of a cable, I refer you to the skeptics forum. Go argue there. If you are looking for a little bit of info on what HDMI cables might perform well, here is one Member's experience FWIW.
Anyway, in practical experience, it turns out that not all HDMI cables are the same. My eyes detect distinct personalities among the cables I tested. Here are my results. Hardly an exhaustive survey, but here ya go:
My TV is a Samsung's latest top-of-the-line 40 inch HDTV flat-panel LCD. I'll start at the bottom and work my way up.
1. Belkin AM22300. Belkin's mid-range HDMI cable. Approx. $30 on ebay, more in stores. Blacks do not get fully darkened. Colors are somewhat muted. Sound a bit damped.
2. Monster M Series M1000HD. Approx. $125. Monster's "high-end" series HDMI. BEWARE! This has been heavily knocked off by Chinese bad guys. Forget about ebay, you MUST buy from an authorized retailer and you will pay for the actual item. I ordered two of these, and they were both different in appearance; I first bought on ebay, got the product and had some doubts. Then I bought from Monster authorized retailer and received a totally different looking product. A call to Monster confirmed that the authorized cable was the real deal, the other was a fake. The lastest Monster M1000HD has black connectors (not white) and does not have the outer mesh sheath. Anyway, once assured I had the real thing, this cable was an adequate performer that excelled in some areas. This cable produces an image with insanely black blacks, very high-contrast, snappy image with vivid colors. The problem with it is that it lends an overly "digital" image quality with blocky-looking images that seemed to have some ghosting. On material where it worked well, it provided a very 3D-like image, but most of the time, I couldn't get past the hard edges and digital sheen it seemed to impart. Sound was a bit harsh and forward, but adequate.
3. Ixos HDMI cable (exact name and model unknown, but can be found here: IXOS HDMI 1.3a 1080p certified HDMI Cable 2M (6.4ft) | Accessories4less ). Costs $40. This is a very well-balanced cable. Not as vivid or 3D as the Monster, doesn't quite deliver the blackest blacks, but has a nice "analog-like" quality. It's relatively cheap and performs in a way where it won't get in the way. Sound is fairly neutral, it won't excite the ear, but doesn't have any nasties.
4. Ixos Xen HDMI. Ixos' top-of-the-line HDMI cable. Costs $109 here: IXOS XHT658 XEN TRU-HD Certified High Definition 1080p HDMI to HDMI Cable 2m | Accessories4less This is where it's at among these cables IMHO. Ultra black blacks, vivid, saturated colors, smooth motion, high resolution and an overall "analog" feel. Sound is quite natural and full. An outstanding cable.
So, FWIW, I see and hear differences between HDMI cables and among the ones I've tried, these are my findings. Hope this helps someone. Cheers.
Mark
There I said it already, now the usual suspects don't have to. If you want to discuss how many electrons can dance on the head of a cable, I refer you to the skeptics forum. Go argue there. If you are looking for a little bit of info on what HDMI cables might perform well, here is one Member's experience FWIW.
Anyway, in practical experience, it turns out that not all HDMI cables are the same. My eyes detect distinct personalities among the cables I tested. Here are my results. Hardly an exhaustive survey, but here ya go:
My TV is a Samsung's latest top-of-the-line 40 inch HDTV flat-panel LCD. I'll start at the bottom and work my way up.
1. Belkin AM22300. Belkin's mid-range HDMI cable. Approx. $30 on ebay, more in stores. Blacks do not get fully darkened. Colors are somewhat muted. Sound a bit damped.
2. Monster M Series M1000HD. Approx. $125. Monster's "high-end" series HDMI. BEWARE! This has been heavily knocked off by Chinese bad guys. Forget about ebay, you MUST buy from an authorized retailer and you will pay for the actual item. I ordered two of these, and they were both different in appearance; I first bought on ebay, got the product and had some doubts. Then I bought from Monster authorized retailer and received a totally different looking product. A call to Monster confirmed that the authorized cable was the real deal, the other was a fake. The lastest Monster M1000HD has black connectors (not white) and does not have the outer mesh sheath. Anyway, once assured I had the real thing, this cable was an adequate performer that excelled in some areas. This cable produces an image with insanely black blacks, very high-contrast, snappy image with vivid colors. The problem with it is that it lends an overly "digital" image quality with blocky-looking images that seemed to have some ghosting. On material where it worked well, it provided a very 3D-like image, but most of the time, I couldn't get past the hard edges and digital sheen it seemed to impart. Sound was a bit harsh and forward, but adequate.
3. Ixos HDMI cable (exact name and model unknown, but can be found here: IXOS HDMI 1.3a 1080p certified HDMI Cable 2M (6.4ft) | Accessories4less ). Costs $40. This is a very well-balanced cable. Not as vivid or 3D as the Monster, doesn't quite deliver the blackest blacks, but has a nice "analog-like" quality. It's relatively cheap and performs in a way where it won't get in the way. Sound is fairly neutral, it won't excite the ear, but doesn't have any nasties.
4. Ixos Xen HDMI. Ixos' top-of-the-line HDMI cable. Costs $109 here: IXOS XHT658 XEN TRU-HD Certified High Definition 1080p HDMI to HDMI Cable 2m | Accessories4less This is where it's at among these cables IMHO. Ultra black blacks, vivid, saturated colors, smooth motion, high resolution and an overall "analog" feel. Sound is quite natural and full. An outstanding cable.
So, FWIW, I see and hear differences between HDMI cables and among the ones I've tried, these are my findings. Hope this helps someone. Cheers.
Mark
