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Speaker cables: $3000 or $380. What do you get??

I happened to be patrolling the cables category today to see what was on sale below $600 for speaker cable in VGC. I was not surprised to see speaker cables costing up to $9000 for a 8 to 10 foot single wire pair.

This question has been ask before on this blog: So what do you get for $3000 per 8 foot wire versus $380 pair of speaker wire, say like Anti-Cables Reference 3 or Audio Art SC5E against Audience or Transparent Audio, or even Kimber Kables 3038 speaker wire?? Is there a significant and marked audible difference in the sound?? Does it depend on the speaker, e.g. Wilson's Alexandria III, or Focal's Grand Utopia?? and the ancillary electronics to drive these beast??

Like to hear some opinions from members who have owned some of the higher priced cables, but possibly switched down to cables between $1000 to $1500, or possibly less.
sunnyjim

Showing 1 response by gunbei

gunbei
2,327 posts
 
I'll expand on Zd542's post a bit more.

Experience is the key. That is, when you have heard enough gear in your home and know exactly what type of sound and presentation you like and what you hope to gain with a step up in class/price (for lack of better reference), then you're ready to consider it.

Also, as you're gaining experience don't look at at cables as a solution to a problem. See them as refinements. Consider your components first.

I have not been in this hobby since 2006, but am considering a return...dear god. That year I owned Acoustic Zen Hologram II, Audience AU24 and Ridge Street Poiema speaker cables at the same time and was constantly comparing them. At a certain point I thought, "this is frickin' ridiculous!" So I never spent above that level.

And now I want to do this again?
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