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Newbee's Responses in Cables	Posts
MIT Love 'em or Hate 'em does anyone know the brand of cable that Unclecrusty feels is neutral and will complement most of not all high end speakers and amp. I need some, i think	178
Ever hear a power cable make a huge difference? Tbg, You may hate the scam police, but in doing so don't you risk treading on another's freedom of speach. It seems to me that they have as much right to express their opinion . . .	100
My system is bright? I need help. thanks One of the thing biggest things that can cause excessive brightness, other than component selection/synergy is the speakers radiation pattern. Speakers which have a broad . . .	100
Power Cords - Just Say Yes Mapman, Good thought. Personally I really don't care how anyone spends their money or what they believe so long as they don't spend my money or censor my beliefs. But, while I'm. . .	85
All time favorite speaker cables I suspect you are looking for some 'high end' recommendations - this won't be of any help. But, FWIW, after a couple of years and many high end cables I settled on some Cardas . . .	78
The Cost of Cables Just an observation in support of John and Tvad re cost equals value. Poster signs in with a system which is known by critical listeners to be unspectatular, i.e. not exceptionally. . .	72
Breaking in power cords FWIW, IMHO, worrying about powercord break-in is about as anal a concern as anything I have ever seen in this hobby	63
Most "Musical" sounding speaker cable under $1000 It is not your cable that makes a sound, musical or otherwise. Cable is not additive, musical, etc. It is your sources and their integration with your speakers that make the sounds. . .	61
Power cords and soundstage Jylee, FWIW, I share your lack of enthusiasm for wandering around in a jungle, especially after dark. A couple of things to consider, apart from the underlying question about . . .	60
A hard look at the effect of cables Shadrone, interestingly I recently brought a relatively cheap sub into the listening room. I have two independent sets of electronic's available to drive my speakers. With one set . . .	45
Hi Fi burnout. Yep it's the music that counts! And Muzikat is right on target. Hell, I just bought a new amp and a set of speakers to play with knowing that it would be difficult, if possible to . . .	44
Sweet sounding SE tube amps under $3K USED Blindjim, FWIW, I recently bought a Cayin A100T out of curiosity. I've only had it for a month or so but so far I'm not only pleased but surprised. While this is an integrated amp . . .	43
Powercord to tame brightness and add musicality I totally agree with Tvad and Warren. IMHO PC should not change the tonal balance of your components, nor should IC's or speaker cable. If they do its because they are not neutral. . .	43
"Great RCA interconnects under $100?" Marco, You are really sharp on tube stuff as well as IC's, cables, etc. Got a question. I'm facinated by the flexibility of a system that has lots of tubes. I just changed to . . .	42
Silver vs Copper cables Brianmgrarcom (and any others who have the expertise), You have referred to some folks using cables as tone controls as opposed to seeking something else, I assume you are . . .	42
Need Help With a Bright System You might want to read a thread that just concluded a couple of days ago "Why am I experienceing listeners fatigue". There is much info therein which may be helpful. . . .	40
Do all good interconnects sound the same? Sanders is right. If your goal is to pass the signal encoded in the software, well designed wires will pass it (nearly) unscathed. All you need are components, speakers and room/. . .	37
Best "Giant Killer" Value Cables For... Nothing wrong with Blue Jeans IC's or the Belden or Canare speaker cable. Its benchmark for inexpensive cable as far as I'm concerned and fairly neutral so far as I can tell	35
bi wiring FWIW, on the few systems I have had which provided for biwiring I could never hear a difference when I was using the same cables (two runs of idential cables), but it sure was a . . .	35
Are upgraded power cables really worth the money? Tvad's advice is excellent. Try one, if YOU can't hear A difference move it to another component and see if you can hear A difference. If after moving it to all your components you. . .	32
cable upgrades , real or rip off You are right, it has been done to death! And it hasn't really been resolved, probably because most everyone has some interest in the outcome. First and foremost the folks who make. . .	32
my take on blind tests I think we aught to have a contest with a large "Randy" type award going to the person who can in a short period of time ID what is going on with two similar products . . .	31
question on pwr cords "Once you go beyond 1.5m...." Nsgarch, Can you explain why that is so? Are there any studies supporting this or is is it an anecdotal thing? What would the aural . . .	30
Which cable is most important to spend money on... Ye ole chicken v egg question, oh well, what the hell.. In order to answer your question I'm going to make two assumptions, just because you ask the question in the first place. 1. . .	29
Unusually good power cord for the money? FWIW, if you really don't know anything about power cords, invest some time in learning before you leap. You might just save some money. I have found often that heavy guage, cheapo. . .	29
Cables, Cables Lots of stuff going on with cables that can cause a noticible difference depending on cable construction, length, guage, etc as well as how an individual cable interfaces . . .	28
Speaker cable vs. interconnect cable length Pabelson, LOL! Better watch out, you will be banned from audiophiledom for using common sense. ICSI, normally longer IC's and shorter cables. Unless you are using a passive . . .	28
How significant is a power cord upgrade? Tvad, While I can appreciate what you say on one level, that of a reiteration of an endless dispute over the efficacy of a tweek, or any other of the many irresolvable issues in . . .	26
power cord too short? what now? Personally I can't see much difference between plugging the PC into an ordinary outlet and plugging it into a heavy guage extension cord. I'd sure try that before I spent my hard . . .	26
Highest component/cable ratio? I don't know if you'd call my present components a 'high end system' but I'm still using IC's I purchased 10 years ago which cost about $100 a meter/pair, and I backed into some . . .	22
Audiogon speaker wire gurus, please help me OK, an unbiased opinion from someone who doesn't sell anything. IMHO IC's and speaker wire should be neutral and allow the electronic's signal to pass undistorted. A question for . . .	22
advice on brightness I agree with paulwp except for one issue, that is toe in. One of the ways of reducing side wall reflections is by EXTREME toe in. Try pointing the axis of the speakers inward well . . .	22
How to choose the kind of cables for your system? FWIW cables do make a differfence but how much depends on a lot of things but especially your expectations and your listening skills balanced with your check book balance. What I . . .	21
Why terminations on speaker cable? I like bare wire connections, BUT one must be careful. Multi stranded heavy gauge wire requires some torque when tightening down the nuts. It needs more compression than is readily. . .	21
Legacy Classics and bottom end? Bloated bass is far more likely due to speaker design and set up in your room than the effect of any other single component. If you're not confident you have the best set up, why . . .	21
I know I have lost my mind and have gone insane I have similar experiences everytime I play with my cables and IC's. Next day its back to normal. Doesn't have diddly to do with them laying on the floor (I have hardwood, perhaps . . .	21
What would happen if? Oh go do it. I don't think that the second set of cables left attached to the amp changes any of the parameters of the amp at all. Think about it...... But, shorting is a REAL . . .	20
What were your own blind cable test results? Zaikesman, I think using a tape loop is an excellent means of A/B in IC's, far superior than just doing it by aural memory, noted more for fallability than anything else. But, what. . .	20
Same CD/Album or Music ,In cable comparison, Its only important that (1) you have a system which is sufficiently resolved to reveal the differences, (2) that you know the record you are listening to "by heart", and. . .	20
Speaker wire, help my laid back sound?? I think Gunbei's on point. If your looking for something other than a very subtle change, cabling should not be your first choice - get an equalizer or get rid of the component . . .	19
Warm interconnects recommendation Cardas Twinlinks 300B. Not bright, edgy, or expensive. And, IMHO, its good enuf to be a benchmack should you decide to upgrade cabling at a later date	18
is interconnect more important than speaker cable If you are happy with your system as is, be happy! You've already done your fair share of supporting the cable industry. For my main system I bought some Cardas Hexlink years ago . . .	17
Who uses long interconnect like in dealers? I use a 5 meter to one set of amps and a 7 meter run to another set for exactly the reason you suggest, that I'm able i isolate my equipment from standing waves and vibrations . . .	17
Detailed Sound = Brighter Sound? assuming identical tonal balance, what makes some systems very musical is an absence of distortion. no amount of cable/interconnect changes can remove distortion, it will only . . .	17
Removing the ground on PC? My Wadia 302 has a tendency to cause hum in some set ups - I just cut the ground prong off a PC to cure it. Don't need the add on 'cheater plug' and you get a much more secure . . .	16
Cable Fetish: Exotic, Warm and Romantic try some cardas - much much better than the old monster	16
Looking for warmth,openess, detail if you're going to replace your speakers, why not wait - cables are synergistic with amps and speakers	16
Speaker cables for 4 ohm speakers Out of curiosity have you tried not bi-wiring with the Canare and just using it single wired running it at its 11 gauge when both wires are combined? At a 12ft run the extra 3ga . . .	15
Is there a optimum lenght for power cables? FWIW, if you buy your PC for its benefits as a 'filter' or 'tone control' then longer is better is, IMHO, a logical conclusion. I typically use 6 and 9 foot lengths for . . .	15
I've all the gears. Whatelse do I need? Chulheekim, It is difficult to tell from your post exactly the kind of help you are looking for. You've got some good stuff and should be able to get some very good 'sounds' from . . .	15
speaker cable that will soften the highs Resbeck's suggestions re room acoustics is a good one. A lot of brightness stems from 1st reflection points on walls, ceilings, and floors, as well as the amount of toe in used. . . .	15
Silly Question: Short Power Cord + Ext. Cord? I'll be dammed if I know why but when I did this on one set up i got noise (hum) but on another curcuit it made no difference. I suspect it had nothing to do with the cable except . . .	15
Cables-how can you be sure of authenticity? "not blown away by it's performance". Why would you expect to be blown away? Given any two (or more) high quality traditionally designed cables of the same length you . . .	15
What is "biwiring"? Its all bi-wiring, just different ways to skin the kitty. And some folks would suggest that you might be the "kitty". Many manufacturers don't provide for bi-wiring and . . .	15
Starting a new system... This has got to be the most inspired search. Most people identify the main components and then match the interconnects, cables and cords accordingly. I have no suggestions but I . . .	15
Interconnect help for a NEUTRAL system I would describe the cardas in my system as neutral to slightlyly warm. it should not make your components sound bright. If you are trying to tame a bit of the brightness in the . . .	15
Jumpers - How good do they really have to be? Consider that your question considers the effect of using a couple of inches of wire between your speaker cable and the internal wiring (which for sure is not the same). Personally. . .	14
A “Tuned” power cord, Huh? Much of the audio world is still discussing whether or not anyone can hear a meaningful difference, and if so why. Yet we have a manufacturer with such advanced knowledge that they. . .	14
To Biwire or not to biwire I've never heard a difference biwiring unless I used dis-similar cables to act as a poor man's tone control, which works by the way, at least until you can afford to by a proper . . .	14
What's First, Interconnects or Speaker? Love these chicken/egg threads. I agree that in an absolute sense the differences in IC's will probably be more audible in a source application, but my version of which to chose . . .	13
Amps Power Conditioners and Lightning, what to do? We, here's a cheap solution with no down side that I'm aware of, other than its not idiot proof. When you put in your dedicated lines mark the circuit breaker in the main panel. . . .	13
Which is more important, spkr. or intrc. cable? In my view speakers cables make the most noticable difference, if for no other reason is that folks usually run longer speaker cables which will make their differences more . . .	12
Need help - High-end cabling strategy Nice to have the stuff and the means. I pretty much agree with Nsgarch, with only one or two small deviations. I would work backwards from the speakers - speaker cables 1st, pre-. . .	12
Speaker Cable Termination Bare wire is good but it will oxidize and its tough to clean all those individual wires :-). I prefer good spades which clean more easily or locking bananas in that order. FWIW	12
Musical Fidelity A5 CD-Player Powercord proposal Mr Tennis, for the record, in your remarks "...neither had a warm presentation" are your impressions based on your peculiar requirements of a very rolled off upper mid . . .	12
Best cable recommendations - help Wow, I never thought of changing cables when listening to LP's of various thicknesses! Are you talking about phono cables, IC's between phono pre and pre amp, pre-amp and amp, . . .	12
does high end system need expensive speaker cable Speaker cables can make a difference, both good and bad, and cost doesn't have a great deal to do with the result (IMHO). I think many folks use cable as a form of tone control to . . .	12
Cables to mitigate CD glare -upper mids/lower hi's Cardas is always referred to when someone asks for a warm cable. I use Cardas. However, have you considered how you will feel when your collection of high quality CD's exceed the . . .	12
Need budget CHEAP speaker cables Canare 4s11 is an excellent inexpensive speaker cable. The best part of it is that even when you upgrade your system you will likely still get excellent results. IMHO this is a . . .	11
Where to find quality "stock" power cords Try your local 'electronics' store (not stereo store) and get some heavy guage Belden cords. They are cheap and good	11
cable suggestions for new system I would suggest that you view your cable and interconnects as tweeks, using them to get the change the components sound to fit your own needs. I don't know what kind of Monster you. . .	11
do you need to elevate interconnects? FWIW I've used 25 and 15 ft runs of IC's on hardwood floors, at base boards on the room boarders and on/under carpets. In the air and on the floor surfaces. I've never detected any. . .	10
combining different cables IMHO the need to use "ONLY" the same brand of IC's and cables is a myth circulated by manufacturers and salesmen. As synergy is an issue with combining components and . . .	10
Sonic difference 1.0m vs 1.5m digital cable Would take some mighty golden ears, IMO. I've never heard a difference of a half meter of IC or speakerwire. I suppose if it were not well shielded that the longer length would . . .	10
Need to tame bass I agree with Sogood, re speaker positioning (and listener position). Moving your speakers or chair a few inches could make far greater difference in a problematic room than all of . . .	10
Spade on spade or banana and spade? Optimally, I would use one spade and one locking banana. My experience with doubling up on spades has been that its harder to maintain as tight a connection as you get with just . . .	9
Best way to hear sonic signature of a cable? My method is very simple. I put in the new IC or cable and leave it in for a week or so, making no other changes to the system. Then I take the cable out and put in the old cable. . . .	9
Long Run Speaker Cable Suggestions Look into the Home Depot outdoor extension cord being discussed lately. It was reviewed favorably by Stereophile last month. Its cheap, and who knows, it could float you boat - I'm. . .	9
"EAR VS Cables" both Twl and Tentrek have made excellent points. in my view cables are the big black hole for money. If you can't hear a difference then for you there is no difference. be happy . . .	9
Entry levels ICs for Classe gear FWIW, IMHO, the differences between 'standard' design cables is more about how you percieve them than any thing that spec's can predict. I would recommend that you try to identify . . .	8
Important Interconnect Question Well, I heard some people actually liked using regular RCA terminated IC's in the early years of DAC's/Transports, sort of a tone control. Plug it in and see if you like it. You . . .	8
Power Cable for Wadia 302 cd Don't get too anxious about replacing the cord on this unit. Out of the box it sounded like a POS. Mine is now about 6 weeks old, I ran it continuously for 7 days and have have . . .	8
Super long speaker cables I knew I was supposed to post a question for Sean. Thanks. Sean, I know you will cover this but, since you're a SS guy, remember that some of us use Tube amps (which I assume was . . .	8
Cable questions I'd opt for the 20'interconnects and 10' speaker cables - for value cables I would check out the Canare interconnect and cable. Both are inexpensive and reported by many to work . . .	8
Room setup vs. longer interconnects if your preamp can drive the cables, everything else being equal, you should hear no substantive difference. i drive 7 meter lengths with no loss (cardas cable - arc preamp	8
Placement of components in audio rack I prefer to keep the pre-amp nearer to the turntable and further from the amp. The former's phono pre-amp could be more sensitive to interference from the amp. Could be. So in your. . .	7
Morrow audio Introduces new cables from 4 to 6k I don't think much. Especially about how Morrow conducts his business. "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damm!"	7
RCA Splitter - who, where I use a splitter which is simply a three way plug, one male connector for source and two female connectors to split the signal. No wire, it just replaces the RCA on the source. . . .	7
How to Preserve New Shiny Banana Speaker Ends? FWIW. Its my understanding that the only real benefit from using gold (plated) anything is to allow more efficient conductance of current AND to make this effective both surfaces . . .	7
define resolution JMHO, but I think that soundstage depth is a hall mark of fine resolution, whereas more presence, forward & flatter sound stage is more associated with an uptilted upper-midrange . . .	7
novice needs help with cables Elizabeth's comments are IMHO, almost on point. The only thing I would suggest is that cheapo (construction wise, not dollar wise) and esoteric frequency bending cables should not . . .	7
Spade's Or Banana's on Double run from Integrated I like the spade/banana combo, especially if you get locking bananas. If you can hear the difference between good fitting bananas and spades you've got better ears than I do. If . . .	7
interconnect suggestions I use Blue Jeans @$30 a meter w/my Accuphase T100 and I do not feel that it gets in the way at all. Most broadcast signals do however (get in the way of SOTA sound which would . . .	6
whats more important-speaker or pre-amp cable? IMHO, the affect of a long run of IC is likely to be less audible than a long run of speaker cable so long as your pre-amp can drive a long run. A long run of speaker cable is more. . .	6
Shielded or Unshielded power cords Personally I'd enjoy hearing a demonstration which revealed that shielding on PC's resulted in a darker sound with less dynamic's. What I suspect occurs, if anything, is the . . .	6
Pros and Cons of using same brand IC- please When folks use IC's and cables to tune their systems using all the same type of Ic's andcable could be counter productive. If You are trying to change the tonal response of a CDP, . . .	6
Pre-amp cables of different length? Or not?? I can't imagine that the ordinary person would hear a difference - however, since you seem to be willing to spend a lot of money to tune your system, you are probably not an . . .	6
Two different cable pairs from amp into speakers If you must mix and match cables on the same speakers, and your speakers have two sets of posts which provide for biwire/biamp connect each set of wires separately to the posts . . .	6
RCA interconnects for tube amp setup under $100. You can get some 5' IC's from Blue Jeans for about $35. IMHO these a 'benchmark' for inexpensive cabling, neutral in tone, have low capacitance, and tonally should match your . . .	5
Power cord on audio innovations l2 pre amp Save your money for better basic components or buy more music. Power cords are basically a tweak level component which benefits a well matched, properly set up, and resolving . . .	5
I'm a believer or Re digital v analog, I hope you are not thinking of plugging a DAC into the 'phono' inputs. This is a NO NO! A phono input has a built in equization designed for phono cartridges. . . .	5
PC for Prologue 2 Saki, Why not just ask Kevin Deal? Personally, I've found the heavy guage Belden work fine on my PL stuff and I spent my spare change on some music and tubes. :-) Are you hearing . . .	5
concerned with using two sets of spades at amp Personally, unless you can solder the two spades together and get a solid fit, I'd avoid the risk and use one set of spades and one set of 'locking' bananas. I've had zero problem . . .	4
What is better? longer interconnects or spkr cable Which ever is cheaper - they both have tradeoff's. 15' of speaker cable is really not a long run and would probably be my first choice - but by using balanced interconnects you do . . .	4
What's the "best" tubes for a cal alpha 24/96dac? i use new production yogo's. el12ax7s, nickle plates. very very clean highs. in another application they were a bit shy in the lower mid range but i can't hear this effect on my . . .	4
"budget" phono ic's Check out Blue Jeans IC's. Cheap and quite good. About $30 for a 1meter pair. Very low impedence so they don't get in the way electrically speaking and are very cost effective for . . .	3
Dual Banana lPlugs All of my speakers have had uniform spacing, but not all of my amps. Hard to make a universal statement though	3
best long connection? Yes, so long its shielded and/or you are careful locating it away from stuff that will cause hums or interference (usually from power lines). Long interconnects are my preference. . . .	3
Budget cable for tubes If it matches your cartridge electrically, I'd try some Cardas - its reasonably priced. I use it on one of my tables with an MC cartridge	3
Power Cords for Sonic Frontiers Gear I used heavy guage 9' lenghts of Belden and frankly couldn't hear enuf, if any difference, between these and more costly stuff which would justify the cost. Try some, should cost . . .	2