I think best bang for the buck is Blue Jeans Cable. I have had great luck with their cables. Their website has a lot of information about cables that makes sense and convinced me that, for my system, paying more for cables was not necessary.
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I am really happy with them also. I have a 10ft MagicPower cord for my amp, some 3ft MagicPower Digital Reference cables for my digital stuff and a 15ft pair of the premium XLR balanced cables from my DAC to the amp. If I had to buy an expensive pair of cables 15ft long I would have to sell the rest of the system. Really for the price they are pretty nice. Mark |
Frank's Analog1 and Analog2 interconnects compete with cables in the $100 to $250 price range.I have owned the Analog1, Analog2, Magic Power HC, Digital PC, and his shotgun bi-wire speaker cables. Frank is a terrific guy, and his cables are a fine upgrade from stock quality. However, there are a number of IC's in the $100-250 range and power cords in the "hundreds of $$$ range" that will outperform them by a considerable margin. Verastarr, Z-Squared, Ridge Street, Aural Thrills, just to name a few. Signal are the perfect cables for those who are convinced that expensive cables are a rip-off, or for those who are sold on the visual aesthetic (i.e., they LOOK like the more expensive cables, therefore...) without actually trying the gamut of offerings in the market. It all depends on what you want to spend, and perhaps what is appropriate for the quality of your system. If you are curious, buy various used cables and see what you think. You can always re-sell them for the same price. Otherwise, try http://www.usedcable.com and they can advise you in accordance with your system and listening preferences. Best of luck, Howard |
I suggest trying BPT's cables. (Balanced power Technologies) The owner Chris is nice to deal with and his cables sound as good as ones that are about 3 times the cost and better. We have tested BPT's speaker cables against a couple of good brands that costed over a couple of thousand and BPT's cables sounded just as good,if not better in overall performance. I have also owned the Signal cable, which includes Frank's Silver Series and to me they are very good for the money, but not as good as the BPT cables, but BPT's do cost more... Chris at BPT can also make interconnects of the same quality wire when asked. www.b-p-t.com Thanks and goodluck Dave |
I think the response that Frank's cables are for those who pay attention to the aesthetics of cables is a bit condescending, and frankly (no pun intended) off the mark. Yes, there are other offerings that may sound better in one system or another, but to insinuate that Franks cables are inferior to verastarr, aural thrills, Z-squared, ridge street et al is just incorrect, IMO. Aural thrills has made some excellent interconnects, but the power cords are lacking in my system. No verastarr or Z-squared cable has done anything special in my system. It's all so very relative. Personally, I'd take almost any Synergistic Rsch product of any vintage over any of them. JMO. |
Dgplo, Please Except my apology for bringing up another brand of cables. Some seem to take things and put them out of contents.. No i should have not brought up using another cable or also being better, but all i was trying to do is help some. For the money, you will not go wrong by an means with the Signal Cables.. I have owned them and liked them very well , i just decided to try others at higher cost and only recommended what i thought was really good.. My opinion really doesn't matter though for the most part, since what i have is to my hearing taste and may not be yours.. You may find the cables seem better to you, then some of the much more expensive ones.. For the money , you can't go wrong either way, so i would just recommend given them a try, you might be impressed.. Thanks Dave |
I'd second the above remark (Boa2's) to the effect that Signal Cable is a good direction to go for "cable skeptics," who aren't likely to invest in high end cables. I was such a person,and SC double run speaker wire made for an *obvious* improvement over "zip" copper wire, for less than 200 bucks for a long (16ft) run. Can't speak to comparisons with other makes, but I'd expect they'd represent very good value for people in similar circumstances. |
I was wrong Snofun,but thanks,I always liked your posts especially on Friday afternoon when we're all kind of gearing up for the weekend.I made the mistake of not leaving my negative side at the door.To me its like a concert here and just about everything should go.I now recognize some of the guys and I am sure they were trying to enlighten in their own way.Moving right along,its now Friday,none of us seem to be stuck on I-45 North and as Jerry would say"Shine your shoes,light the fuse,can you use those old US blues"...have a large day,Bob |
Howard, Tplavas, neither one of you is wrong, and you both have the right to speak freely. This forum is a free exchange of experiences, and we all know that cables are system/preference depending. Meaning folks usually don't agree, but there is no right or wrong. Howard, don't take it so personally. Your experiences are well valued, and deserve to be shared, thanks. Regards, John |
I think everyone on here so far, thats left replies, seem to be decent people , just given there opinions.. I just feel will all need to look a little better at what the person with beginning thread is really wanting to know and not what we probably want or our other thoughts , unless asked. Of course there's nothing wrong with a little humor or jokes in between, as long as there not directed towards an individual in a rude manner ect.. Dgplo , please lets us know how the Signal cables turn out for you, if you try them and goodluck. Dave |
I have been buying from Frank for 2 years - he has even built 2-3 custom cables for me that worked out perfectly. Nice guy, great customer service and he takes Paypal ... I just love that. I just upgraded my Levinson's to the Silver Resolution balanced interconnects and I couldnt be more pleased. My local audio dealer lets me try out cables and I have tried too many to even count ... I keep buying from Frank. Every system has it's own "personality" so I can only speak for my own but Signal Cable works VERY well for me. I'd pick up a used Signal cable or two here and give them a try. Read the reviews ... even the experts say they are a great value. I would avoid taking advice from people who give out blanket statements regarding something as complex as selecting a specific cable, for a specific system, in a specific environment. You just never know until you try. the fact that many of these posts have 2-3-4 other brands listed shows that experimentation can lead you to the right cable for the right application. I give Signal Cable products two thumbs up! |
I'm sorry if my response was too 'forceful', I was only trying to refute what I felt was a too-broad statement. If there's one think I recognize, it's that everyone has an opinion on matters audio. I tried to allude to that in my post. Again, sorry boa2 if I came across too forcefully. I guess I've been hanging out on too many NFL football forums, where the dialogue is a bit more, um, antagonistic. Sorry. |
I have Signal IC's, speaker cables, and Digital. Very nice improvment over my old stuff, which was a grab bag of audioquest and Kimber. I found the Signal stuff to be very smooth. Essentially grainless high frequencies, and good low frequency reproduction as well. Give them a try, but don't draw your conclusions until they are well burned in. I don't have any of the PC's, so I can't comment on those. |
Tplavas, Your response was not too forceful. Nor did I take it personally. I should have been more clear in saying that the value I once saw in these forums has all but disappeared. Most of what I read here is either a sweeping statement about some XYZ 'giant killer', with no specifics or historical context in these threads that might help to explain such a claim: what system? which cords have you heard in comparison? for how long was the 'test' cord in your system? what exactly did you hear/not hear? It's usually this, or a host of condescending, personal insults slung by some members who cannot seem to communicate on a constructive or respectful plane. A year ago, I sensed that the conversations were different. Maybe it's just me, I don't know. Again, your response was not too forceful. Nor was it inappropriate, considering what I had written about the aesthetic factor of the Signal Cable potentially making up for its shortcomings in performance. It is my opinion that on a resolving system, the Signal Cables are outperformed by many others out there. Sure, there is always an $800 power cord that won't sound as good as the Signal or the DIY homebrew variety. But if your system and your ears are discerning enough, and you are willing to shop by sonics and not price, you will find another step on the upgrade path that is beyond the capabilities of the Signal Cable. If this was not so, you would find them used in a significant percentage of recording studios. And you won't. Once more, I apologize for making our exchange my 'last straw'. I agree with the others who suggest that a differing of opinions is valuable. The underlying consideration that I have here is my own problem, and it has more to do with the harshness that has permeated these threads. Few members express a genuine curiosity or interest in challenging the perspective upon which they are sold even before starting the game. So whether it's me or the forum itself, I don't really care. It's simply better for me that I'm not part of this. So again, take care everyone. Howard |
isnt franks cables,just belden wire? if so cant that be a diy.lot cheaper..i could be wrong but belden cable for interconnects is cheap in price..,i always thought chris v web sight on diy cables and franks cables were the same,if they are ..go to ebay and type belden rca tons on there for cheap starting at 10.00 and look as good..type in silver wire on ebay get 50 ft of 20 gauge and make them .some good wire on there |