[Jasper994]

Does anyone have any opinion of these cables? I'm using it with a PreSonus HP4 (please don't flame my non-audiophile amp, it'll be replaced when money isn't so tight). The cables are in the Monster Prolink line and are supposed to be sonically balanced but my mid range it fairly recessed (could be the amp too). Are there cable that I could use that would bring my mid range more up front?

 

[Budgie]

I have some Studiolink 1000 that I use and it sounds great. I got turned onto it by a local recording studio I watched set up a remote recording session. The brought out a pait of exspensive vintage Neumann mikes to do the session and hooked they direct to the recorder with Studiolink 1000. I asked the guy if he thought it made any difference over his other cables and he said it's the best mic cable he has found.

I don't like some of Monster's low cost cable's, but the Studiolink 500 and 1000 I do like alot.

(Alot of people around here like to bash Monster Cable's products. They should be showing up any minute now.)

 

[Jasper994]

Yeah, they are pretty good, but I'm just wondering if there are any cables that I could use that would bring my midrange a little more upfront...

 

[Budgie]

http://www.bettercables.com/5met164feetp.html
(These look nice and are suppose to have great midrange, but I haven't tried them. I usually solder up my own nowadays.)

I would see if you can return whatever cable you try, if it doesn't do what you want.

 

[TimSchirmer]

I had a pair, they sounded worse than my stock cables. Took them back the next day.

Horrible skin effect. Took away too much detail and made everything sound compressed and conjested.

For the money, you can do a whole lot better.

FYI: most studio folks don't know **** about cables

 

[Jasper994]

any recos for similar price rca to 1/4" cables?

 

[TravelLite]

Zaolla sells silver center-conductor RCA-to-1/4" ICs, but they're quite a bit pricier than the offerings from Hosa, Markertek, Monster, etc.

I have no idea what your application or routing is, but if you're using a computer source it seems to me your best solution would be to use software DSP equalization for fine-tuning frequency response.

TravelLite

 

[Budgie]

There's one of the Monster hate-ers. I knew they would show up.

quote:
"most studio guys don't know **** about cables"

Some don't, many do. They all have a vested interest in the sound qualtiy of the recordings they produce. That is how they earn a living. I heard the original performance that was recorded and I heard the finished product, a cd, of that exact performance.
The recording was exceptionally good. No loss of high frequency, very uncompressed and dynamic. (but that's impossible, he was using Monster Cables) In some ways the recording was better then the performance. How is that possible????
Easy- through carefully moving the mics around small amounts, the recording engineer was able to aviod some hall resonances that would have ruined the recording. I did not have the option of moving around till I found the perfect seat. I can hear more information in the recording then I heard in my seat.
Long story short- some recording engineers have great ears and can be trusted. Monster Cables are not all bad. Some of them are very good.
BY the way-
Skin effect is a frequency dependent effect. How can one cable have too much of it?

facts-
http://www.generalcable.com.au/Technical/10.3.2.1.pdf

 

[Sol_Zhen]

Personally, I like Monster's video cables and dislike their audio interconnects. To me, their audio interconnects sound muffled compared to similar offerings from Kimber (like the very reasonably priced Tonik line).

Even the very inexpensive Pheonix Gold interconnect sounds more open than Monsters I've owned costing 20% to 25% more for the same length.

That is just my opinion and the way the cables interact with my components.

 

[TimSchirmer]

Budgie: Listen to the studiolink 500's next to some OHFC highend cables of the same price and get back to me.


Jasper: I'd go with canare or markertek. ZuCable should have something as well.

 

[Jasper994]

Quote:

Originally posted by TravelLite I have no idea what your application or routing is, but if you're using a computer source it seems to me your best solution would be to use software DSP equalization for fine-tuning frequency response. TravelLite

Currently I'm going straight from my DVD-A Player to my amp with the Studio Link RCA to 1/4" cables.

 

[Jasper994]

Quote:

Originally posted by TimSchirmer Budgie: Listen to the studiolink 500's next to some OHFC highend cables of the same price and get back to me. Jasper: I'd go with canare or markertek. ZuCable should have something as well.

OHFC?

any idea where I'd come across the cables you're talking about?

 

[ph0rk]

I've been happy with the AR interconnects. well built and a good bit cheaper than monster's entry level.


on another note, step back a moment, and look at your problem. Your midrange is recessed, yes?

Buy a multi-band eq.

 

[Budgie]

Tim, I have tried-
Audioquest, Kimber, Lat, Rega (yes, they make cables), MIT, Tributeries, and a few others I can't remember. I have built my own from Belden coax, Cat 5, magnet wire, Genesis cable, Some very old (1920's) solid twisted three conductor cloth insulated hard drawn copper wire, and my current favorite- silver plated copper solid conductor wire, with 5kv rated Teflon insulation. I do not use or recommend any of the lower priced Monster cables, since they really don't sound very good to me. I believe the capacitance is too high in the lower cost Monsters and the top end rolls off slightly. (this will be very system dependent, since roll off is affected by equipment impedances) However, I get very good results from Studio link 500 and 1000, proving to me, that when someone claims all Monster Cable is crap, they haven't tried all Monster Cables.

I am really reluctant to spend more money on interconnects at this point, though.

(edit) I should add, that so far my exsperience is that cables made with similer materials, and similer geometries sound very much identical.

 

[dparrish]

Jasper994,

There are many choices that would be better than the Monsters (I've tried the ones you have--thought the midrange was recessed/thin also), but you're going to have to pay a bit more.

Allot of folks seem to be happy with the Outlaw rcas, which are VERY reasonable OHFC ICs. If you're willing to spend a bit more, look at Cardas cables. They offer a wide variety of prices on their cables, beginning pretty inexpensively. ALL Cardas cables have a beautiful, warm midrange. As you go up the Cardas line, you get better and better resolution.