Speaker Cable Recommendations

[Vertigo-1]

I'm using Tara Labs RSC Prime 1000 cables. Paid $250 for em, worth every penny. Look em up at Audioreview, good reviews on em.

 

[Ctn]

Thanks Vertigo

Now the only Q remains is spades or banana?

 

[chych]

Spades are supposed to be better as they contact the binding post better than bannanas.

 

[Vertigo-1]

Bananas all the way.

They're just sooooooooo much easier to deal with.

 

[Ctn]

heheh

I like bananas too

How did you terminate the RSC cables with them being Rectangular and all? was it hard?

 

[Vertigo-1]

LOL, they're NOT rectangular shaped!!!

They come preterminated in nice shiny bananas already, or in spades. The ones my dealer was selling just happened to be bananas, and just previously I had gone through the trouble of trying to terminate some 12 gauge generics by myself and having it not work out, seeing those banana plugs made me want to dance around the room the moment the dealer showed me the cables.

Trying to make cables myself was what drove me finally to just go and spend some money on some real cables.

Lemme go and upload a pic of my cables in fact, BRB...

 

[Ctn]

YAYAAAAAY

I terminated the cables I got myself with chunky bananas
I put 2 16 gauge cables in each banana....and omg wat a tight fit

I cut myself like twice trying to fastened the banana on the cable

Ross has some RSC 500's which are unterminated...isnt the conductor rectangular? If not what shape?

 

[Vertigo-1]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...4.jpg.orig.jpg

There ya go.

Yah the internal conductor is what's rectangular I guess...I haven't seen the unterminated ones before so I dunno. What're you trying to do, plug $100 WBTs onto the end of those Taras?

 

[morphsci]

This is my previous suggestion for good quality cables at very good prices:

Check out Canare starquad 4S-8 speaker cable. You can buy it online at Markertek. You then have the option of how you want it terminated, can make it exactly the length you need and you save a pretty good chunk of change, at 0.41/ft you can get two biwire 8ft runs (32 feet) for $13.12 plus the cost of terminations, heatshrink, techflex, etc. Bottom line you should be able to do the 8ft biwire runs for under $25. Hard to beat and it sounds pretty good. Plus since it is already a four conductor cable you have a lot of flexibility in wiring it up. I actually use two of the four 16 awg conducters for each speaker connection thus giving an effective 13 AWG conducter. BTW, I use it on my den system to biwire a pair of Wharfedale 7.2 anniversarys to a pair of ASL waves using 12 foot runs. Sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Ctn]

wow they look pretty sweet

Actually I was thinking some chunky $2 plugs from Jaycar

Is that a pair of monster cable you got there as well?

While your at it, think you can take some pics of your hifi system

*druels*

Hi morphsci,

I think the cables I currently have are on par with those you mentioned.

 

[gaineso]

Right now I'm using Monster.

Just a couple of comments though, as I would never have beleived this s**t if I hadn't heard it myself.

My first surround receiver was a Kenwood Pro-Logic, which I hooked to JBL L-5's with 14 gauge Radio-Shack braided wire. Sounded fine. I replaced the RS wire with 12 gauge Monster, with no noticeable difference.

Then I got a JVC RX-884V Receiver, Dolby Digital, AC-3 and placed it in the system. The bottom end got very thin and I thought I had maybe a bad receiver.

On a whim, I switched back to the RS braided wire and MAGIC. Everything opened up and expanded. I still had Monster 12 gauge on the surrounds and it sounded good. Put the RS on front 3 and it was marvelous. Full, not bloated or boomy bottom on music, 2 channel, and movies, surround, excellent soundstage, really good sound. Yes, I'm aware that I can get better components and speakers, but diminishing returns is raising its head in both sound quality improvements and income.

Then I got the receiver I have now, a Harmon Kardon AVR300. Again, s**ty sound. Changed the speaker wire back to Monster. Sonic nirvana.

My point in this diatribe is, there are differences in how different components interact with different cables and interconnects. What provides the ultimate for one person's system, may just sound like a $20.00 boom box on another. If you're going to put big bucks into any of these components, including cables and IC's, be sure there is a good return policy. Be sure that you can listen to each of these components, making one change at a time to be sure you're buying improvements.

Again, don't get caught up in tech to the exclusion of enjoyment

 

[Ctn]

Yep

thanks for that

I dont spend too much on hifi just spend the $$$ that gives the most

Look in my profile hehe all cheap stuff

 

[Audio-Me]

gaineso - lol, what a weird ass experience!!!

You really should get better cables, considering you've got a $700 receiver but $20 wires connecting your sources to it.

I believe that cables are very important, but paying obscene prices is just nonsense to me. Silver cables? No thanks, I like my cheaper OFC copper cables. I'm paying for sound fidelity, not jewelry.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Audio&Me I believe that cables are very important, but paying obscene prices is just nonsense to me. Silver cables? No thanks, I like my cheaper OFC copper cables. I'm paying for sound fidelity, not jewelry.

At a certain point, the cables become the limiting factor in the ability of your system to achieve fidelity. At that point, you upgrade, or live with it. Silver cables, as with any others, can be either cheap or expensive, and price doesn't always guarantee that it will sound good in your system. As with any other component purchase, there's no substitute for a good money-back policy...

 

[Audio-Me]

Price doesn't really matter, but there are some facts. No company is going to sell REALLY good cables to compete with RadioShack prices. $500 cables won't give you much of an improvement to what you have now (assuming you have good reasonably priced cables already) if any improvement at all.
Yes, money-back is so very important.