[Forest Design]

I've got a pair of 325i on the way, and a headfive amp coming as well, now how important are the cables? my source is just my $300 retail magnavox shelf stereo (it's got a sound i've been content with, but nowhere near audiophile quality, obv), how important is it that i get good cables?

i know there are those out there that consider this stuff eye-rollingly important, but really will something like this serve me just as well when connecting the amp to a portable ($5):

or should i just spend more and get this ($20):

the second option would involve not only the larger cost for the cable, but also a second rca to rca cable for my stereo setup as well

all in all it would come it at less than $50 either way, and since i've already spent $480 on everything else it might not seem like much to squabble over, but still...if i'm not going to really notice much of a difference, i'd rather not spend the money...

 

[feh1325]

the input of a headfive is rca, right?
what is the output connector of your magnetbox stereo?

the item in the first picture may cause jack strain.
i buy better than stock quality cables so i can sleep easier, but ymmv

 

[Forest Design]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feh1325 /img/forum/go_quote.gif the input of a headfive is rca, right? what is the output connector of your magnetbox stereo? the item in the first picture may cause jack strain. i buy better than stock quality cables so i can sleep easier, but ymmv

the output is rca in the back of the stereo, but it has a headphone jack as well that i could use. didn't think about cable strain. hmm, would there be much difference between connecting it to the amp using the second option in my original post (1/8 to rca cable) through the headphone jack vs. through the rca connect in the back?

 

[Wmcmanus]

Tough question, and one that only you (ultimately) can decide after hearing the differences yourself. I suspect that with your setup, you would probably hear an ever so slight difference between the two options you've suggested, but it might not be a meaningful one.

As you go up the line in terms of your source (especially) and to some extent your amplification as well, assuming that you have a pair of headphones that resolve reasonalby well (which you do with your 325i), then the difference is likely to become more obvious.

Likewise, as you go up the line with cables on any given system (but most especially on highly resolving systems), you're more likely to appreciate the subtle difference they make in terms of tonality. It's almost never a "make it or break it" type of difference on practically any system, but cable changes tend to scale well as the other components are upgraded. (But what I'm talking about here would be well beyond the $20 option you've shown... see the last paragraph below.)

My suggestion would be the spend the $5 for now and figure that with a PCDP it probably will sound almost as good as the $20 cable. Then take your rig to a Head-Fi meet as soon as you possibly can and try some other cables out for yourself to see if they matter.

I don't see your location, so if you can't get to a Head-Fi meet and this issue starts to really bug you after a while, then buy the $20 cable and give it a shot. If you like what it does for your portable system, then keep it with the comfort of knowing that it was worth it. If not, sell it for $15 and stick with your $5 connector until you get the upgrade BUG and end up spending about $200 on some cryo treated ALO jumbo dock! (Those do make a difference.)

 

[Forest Design]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tough question, and one that only you (ultimately) can decide after hearing the differences yourself. I suspect that with your setup, you would probably hear an ever so slight difference between the two options you've suggested, but it might not be a meaningful one. As you go up the line in terms of your source (especially) and to some extent your amplification as well, assuming that you have a pair of headphones that resolve reasonalby well (which you do with your 325i), then the difference is likely to become more obvious. Likewise, as you go up the line with cables on any given system (but most especially on highly resolving systems), you're more likely to appreciate the subtle difference they make in terms of tonality. It's almost never a "make it or break it" type of difference on practically any system, but cable changes tend to scale well as the other components are upgraded. (But what I'm talking about here would be well beyond the $20 option you've shown... see the last paragraph below.) My suggestion would be the spend the $5 for now and figure that with a PCDP it probably will sound almost as good as the $20 cable. Then take your rig to a Head-Fi meet as soon as you possibly can and try some other cables out for yourself to see if they matter. I don't see your location, so if you can't get to a Head-Fi meet and this issue starts to really bug you after a while, then buy the $20 cable and give it a shot. If you like what it does for your portable system, then keep it with the comfort of knowing that it was worth it. If not, sell it for $15 and stick with your $5 connector until you get the upgrade BUG and end up spending about $200 on some cryo treated ALO jumbo dock! (Those do make a difference.)

thanks for the reply. i care enough to spend (what most people i know consider to be a ridiculous amount) a good amount of money on this stuff already, but i doubt i'll ever care enough to spend $300+ on cables. the diminishing returns on this stuff is beyond my comprehension, really, at least at this point. i am located in santa clara, ca and actually just attended the San Jose meet this past Saturday. I spent some time in the ttvj room listening to a bunch of different grado cans on a few different amps all sourced through a meridian cd player and i'm sure some great cables, but it boggles my mind that that setup would cost somewhere around $13-14,000.

I understand what you're saying with reference to better systems resolving more details and requiring better cables/amplification to do so, but i think that $20 cables will do me for now.

 

[Michael415]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forest Design /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for the reply. i care enough to spend (what most people i know consider to be a ridiculous amount) a good amount of money on this stuff already, but i doubt i'll ever care enough to spend $300+ on cables. the diminishing returns on this stuff is beyond my comprehension, really, at least at this point. i am located in santa clara, ca and actually just attended the San Jose meet this past Saturday. I spent some time in the ttvj room listening to a bunch of different grado cans on a few different amps all sourced through a meridian cd player and i'm sure some great cables, but it boggles my mind that that setup would cost somewhere around $13-14,000. I understand what you're saying with reference to better systems resolving more details and requiring better cables/amplification to do so, but i think that $20 cables will do me for now.

take a look at bluejeans cables. IMHO a very good compromise between the over priced cables and rat shack specials. If your crafty with a iron you can seriously make cables for about 150 that compete against cables 10x that.

 

[Icarium]

My first experience with $$ cables was at the national meet with Neilvg's Virtual Dynamics uber cables. As far as headphone cables go, I'm a believer. I've tried a variety of Qualia cables and a couple HD650 cables and the change in sound is immediately obvious. I haven't heard any single cable that ultimately delivers a better sound than any other... just different. The exception being the Black Dragon for my Qualias.

Now interconnects is a whole different can of beeswax. Neil I think, unless I'm remembering wrong which I've done before and on other threads, agreed with me that headphone cables do make a significantly bigger difference than interconnects/power cords. I didn't do anything like an A/B except when we listened to side by side Orpheuses (Orpheui? whatever) through the same amp (HEV90) and the same power chords (Also ultra expensive) and there was a slightest hint of a difference to my untrained/unattenuated to the Orpheus System's sound. One amp was connected with Neal's ultra high end Virtual Dynamics Masters 2.0 LE series cables (I think) and one was connected with my budget Grandenigma1 rca cables (Budget as in he quoted me a 50 dollar price, but I think he threw in a better deal then that and these cables are NOT representative of his usual cables but instead a cheaper version he made for me to fit my budget at the time. I like them just fine though, but I imagine there's a quality jump with his real cable lines). Was this difference in sound me fooling myself? Or just the natural differences between Orpheus to Orpheus (Neil and others have said that everyone sounds different from one or another). The Virtual Dynamics cable connected Orpheus (Retail of 3,000 though I think they can be had on audiogon for 1.5k) sounded a bit more detailed and less mushy...

Eh, diminishing returns for sure, but I think there might have been a difference. When I tried Neil's DV50s with my set up it sounded simply amazing and I was using similar Virtual Dynamic XLR to XLR interconnects with it and I don't doubt that was part of the sound. So I am a believer of the influence of high quality cables, but I think it's on the extreme end of of diminishing returns. I might be willing to spend 3 figures on some cables and deathly hope that I don't feel that only spending 4-5 figures is enough in the end :/

 

[smsmasters]

Unless you have huge amounts of EMI near your cables, I doubt it would make a huge, discernible difference to your sound.

 

[Forest Design]

where is a good place to buy cables online? headroom wants to charge me $10 shipping for $20 cables, which doesn't seem worth it...

 

[Duggeh]

Order more stuff?

Maybe get free delivery on cables on eBay?

 

[Forest Design]

i just ordered a 1 foot 1/8 to RCA from blue jeans cables. cost $30.75 after shipping, but they seem like better cables.

anyone have an answer to my other question regarding whether i'd notice a big difference going from the headphone out jack in my home stereo to the amp vs. going RCA out on the stereo to the RCA on the amp?

 

[ILikeMusic]

There will be zero, as in zero audible difference between those two options. The only thing I would consider (as was mentioned previously) is strain on the jack by the one-piece adapter, but that may or may not be an issue in your case.

 

[Mandrake]

I'm curious as to why this would be so:

"headphone cables do make a significantly bigger difference than interconnects/power cords."

I can see downplaying power cords, but interconnects (and speaker wire) are handling the music.... so why is headphone cable quality different than speaker cable quality (and interconnects)?

 

[Wid]

Check out Monoprice for good affortable cables.

 

[Icarium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandrake /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm curious as to why this would be so: "headphone cables do make a significantly bigger difference than interconnects/power cords." I can see downplaying power cords, but interconnects (and speaker wire) are handling the music.... so why is headphone cable quality different than speaker cable quality (and interconnects)?

Yeah no idea. There might be some explanation that is somewhat plausible, but I don't have it. I'm just parroting my experiences. I swapped between 3 different cables for my Qualias and an immediate and obvious revamp of the sound could be heard. I listened to the Orpheus setups with two sets of interconnets that have a difference in price of 2 orders of magnitude and the difference which I am nottt totally sure is there, but I think there was one... was infinitely more subtle. Maybe some voodoo magical ceremony is performed over the cables before they are shipped out from Moon Audio.