Big name vs. small name is much less an issue with cables than with most other components, which may need to be serviced some day.I suggest you find the cables that you like best in your system and then worry about resale. Use the Cable Company (www.fatwyre.com) or various dealers to try at-home auditions of good candidates. Zen and Coincident could both be good choices for you, as could some of the "big" names you mentioned.
Big name company or smaller company?
I am looking to replace my cables and it seems here on Audiogon a lot of smaller cable companies like Zen and Coincident (and many more) are recommended. I currently have MIT Terminator 2 and was not sure if I should stick with auditioning the better MIT's, or Cardas', etc. If I buy from a smaller company I could be stuck and have no resale value to fall back on. Do these smaller companies offer that much more value? Don't the larger companies have more resources, etc...? I notice most of the people with "better" systems use big name cables, including reviewers. Of course I would like to get the most for my money. ???
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Don't let yourself be influenced by the cable companies marketing. Almost every single cable company outsources their production...they're not manufacturers...so resources aren't even an issue. Big companies also have more money to throw at reviewers in the form of free demos, trips, wining and dining, hookers, etc. :-) Most cables are way way overpriced (whether people want to admit that or not). I have Cardas cables (mostly Golden Cross...purchased used) and I think they're great, but I also think the Coincident is as good or better at 30% of the price. JPS cables are also very good, and many rave about HomeGrown audio's silver cables. I would definitely recommend checking all options. Don't let the price or the name fool you, and don't forget about the used market. |
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I assume by cables you mean interconnects, not speaker cables. If so, the two interconnects I'd recommend for best VALUE (price vs. performance) are the Kimber Silver Streak, and either the Silver Solution or Silver Lace by HomeGrownAudio. I own both, and think both are excellent buys. You can buy the HomeGrownAudio interconnects as kits, do the soldering yourself, and save some money if you are on a budget. If you decide to go with the Kimber Silver Streak and are in no hurry to make the purchase, watch for used ones on Audiogon, or check out "UsedCables" (www.usedcables.com). |
I have found that you can get great products at non-inflated prices with the smaller companies. In the past I have used Kimber Select and Cardas and really liked the products. They also cost me $$$$$. I recently baught a pair of ZuCable OxyFuels on auction. They are a small company but the cables sound better than anything I have heard so far at a fraction of the price. Bigger is not always better! |
There is a person selling cables on eBay; Stu Wein (Screen Name: [email protected]) His brand is MAS (Music & Sound) His digital cable years ago came included with the original Wadia DAC and was recommended in Stereophile at the time. So were some of his interconnets. I tried some and the performance is very good and very cheap. His Silver Black cables goes for $50 a meter pair and was as good IMO as Name brand cables I have tried in the $150 to $200 range. His Silver Blue are go for about $25 pair and were as good IMO as stuff like Kimber PBJ. I just got a pair of his best cables $80, but have not given them a good listen yet. The build quality is very good. He also has two power cables ($50 and $75) probably worth over twice that. |