I think some cables are just a little too expensive.


A while back a shop I did business with carried Transparent Audio Cables. They were so expensive it was obscene. They did sound good, but you had to move up from the bottom to the more idiotically pricey models to start to feel the magic. It had been several years ago and I wanted to check in on my old friends at Transparent Audio. This is their top of the line speaker cable. Now if you don't have a problem with this whole cable thing, this might push you over the edge. I can't imagine a speaker that would need such a cable. Wilson? Rockport? What amp? You can buy a nice luxury vehicle for the same price as a pair of speaker cables? Nelson Pass would be embarrassed to see these monstrosities on one of his amplifiers.

https://www.transparentcable.com/collections/magnum-opus/products/magnum-opus-speaker-cable
128x128chrismini
@mikelavigne Thank you for the update.  I previously saw your Evolution MMs on some equipment review(s) but I didn't put 2 & 2 together.  I had a local dealer who discontinued the Von Schweikert line and kept the B&W line (very inferior in my opinion).  I've been told that the VR 9SE Mark II is much upgraded from the original you had.  I want to keep my amps (125w tube monoblocks) and VS told me I would need more power for the VR55s.  The Evolutions MM3s would be the largest speaker my room could accommodate.  My room is also superior design/construction but is only 19'6" X 16' X 10' interior dimensions so larger speakers are out.  Other than the big problem you had ordering the VR11s, would you still consider the Ultra 9 or 11 if you didn't have your Evolution MM 7s?  The only other speaker I considered were the Lumenwhite Kyaras (also efficient) but they are too small a company for me to sink $40-$60K into.
Other than the big problem you had ordering the VR11s, would you still consider the Ultra 9 or 11 if you didn’t have your Evolution MM 7s?
absolutely; the VR11 Ultra is the only dynamic cone speaker besides my MM7’s with similar mid bass driver surface. which is a huge issue in ease and transparency. i've heard the VR11 Ultra's and VR9 Ultra's at shows and loved both of them, my only issue is both are silly expensive. my MM7's are bargains in comparison and have equal at least performance.

and the Ultra series now uses ceramic mids and woofers like my MM7’s.

i did like the VR9SE Mk2’s, but not as much as i liked the MM3’s.....or the MM3 Exact’s.

you can’t go wrong with Von Schweikert’s or Evolution Acoustics.
Cables? Again? The short of it is buy what you can afford and be happy with them. But if I was a gazillionare I’d not spend thousands on cables. What a waste. 
Legacy Audio's upper models also feature more bass/mid driver surface area. That is one of Bill Dudleston's hallmarks of design. 

I concur on the benefit of such designs, but it should be understood that by necessity the multiplicity of drivers, while yielding the ease and what I would term "presence," does not create the precise same coherence and precision that some prefer in a simpler (i.e. less drivers) design. It is possible to get a more tight (Some would consider that to be more accurate, which is quite subjective) sound from a simpler design. I enjoy both and can hear advantages to both. Legacy Audio's Valor employs a huge concentric driver, which brings several of these advantages together. BTW, in the top three models there are drivers not immediately evident, but contribute to the higher amount of driver surface area of the bass and midrange.  

On the other end of the spectrum, a speaker such as the Kingsound King III electrostatic has the enveloping, spatially grand character of the big dynamic speakers, but without the attributes of the dynamic drivers. The scale of the VR and Evolution models can be attained, if not identically, certainly similarly in other speakers. YMMV 

I am in agreement with Mike in regard to those who have not used upper end cables have a blind spot as to what they can do for an audio system. My experience has been to avoid passively networked cables, but well built and designed cables that are not cost-no-object can yield striking performance. Cheaper cables I have tried (several) have no elegance. 

The Legacy and Kingsound speakers were reviewed by myself for Dagogo.com 
Expensive cables are no more a waste than expensive analogue. 

If you don't think so, prove it. Go ahead, use the data, the objective criteria you say is missing with cables. Show me. Go get the graphs that demonstrate the better plinth, motor, arm, cartridge actually makes better sound. 

Bunch of hypocrites around here.  :) 


Hi Douglas,
I agree with your comments about the pros and cons of more vs. less drivers. Both types have their charms. 
I also sadly agree with your comments about cables. While there are low cost cables that are not bad, like Kimber 8tc; as I have gone to the lower-middle grade that I can afford, there is a big difference. I know that applies for the much less affordable upper regions.  
I had to grab my NUTS on some of this and say WHY DO things breed?

Things that won't take care of THEMSELVES DON'T live.

Only humans do and expect ME, or anyone else, to feed, cloth, and pay for someone else's existence with my money. 
  
I suppose you agree with I took it, from him/her.
I didn't steal it, too.

Sick thinkin' in my America... I don't care WHO has money, as long as they didn't steal it to get, and are entitled to it. No one is ENTITLED to mine, EVER... Charity is there for a reason.. DO YOU GIVE time and money, to the needy. To the needy, I do. THE friggin' bums NO way...

BACK to what I CAN BUY now...With MY HARD EARNED money from multi billionaires. Thank you...

No regards.. 
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Way way over priced..one guy i know of has oden 2 inter connects.  speakers cable u name it..retail 200k...kid u not in his system. 
@mikelavigne  Thanks for your input.  I notice that even the smaller MM3s weigh 1300 lbs and retail for $80,000.  They are three part speakers so they would be easier to handle. I was hoping to purchase the VS VR9SE Mk2 for $35,000.   I read a review that indicated that the MM3s are 93db efficient, 7 ohm nominal +/- 2db making them easy to drive like the VR9.  I want to use 125 w. monoblock tube amps which have huge power supplies.  I can't do that with the Ultra 55s per VS (they require a minimum of 200 watts).  It's possible someone could sell the MM3s heavily discounted.  I presume that the MM3 Exacts are quite a bit more expensive.  The other problem with the VR9 and MM3 is finding exactly the right spot for them as they are so heavy assembled (I'm sure your MM7s took forever to find the right spot). 
More like the power of ignorance. People spouting about communism and socialism and several other things... So much wrong not only about those things and the countries that didn't even practice them (USSR / Russia, China, etc.) anywhere near what the ideas where, however flawed.

The problem with discussing politics is most people have no idea what they are talking about. They parrot misinformation they heard from equally ignorant sources or worse, the lies and propaganda from the many exploitative manipulators who direct them like puppets.

In so far as Capitalism being the ultimate solution, believers are in the above category of ignorants, thinking they to will one day be rich. It's possible but very unlikely. The path to, and achievement of wealth as practiced in our world creates much misery, poisons the environment as well as societies, and stokes the flames of war.

Everything has it's problems. Aspects of Capitalism can produce positive outcomes, just as socialism can. Balance is the key to a bright future for all. Humans are short-sighted, naturally selfish, and easily misled though. We still have much evolving to do.

On topic, $65k is crazy for cables. My opinion sure, but there's a saying, "A fool and his money are soon parted", and it is as true as ever.
One thing most audio people fail to realize or value is that cables should maximize or almost ’perfect’ - all of the components in a system.
One analogy is that non-audio people just don’t "get it" (the beauty and satisfaction most of us enjoy with high end music reproduction). Non-audiophiles just shake or scratch their head about the cost of a system of more than, say $1,000 (their idea of high priced).
Similarly, many audio folks don’t "get it" regarding the price/value of cables that can maximize achievement of that goal. Those audiophiles just shake or scratch their head about the total cost of cables in a system of more than, say $1-5,000+ (THEIR idea of high priced cables).
Imperfect analogies but you get the idea.
Bob Ludwig found value in these for his mixing room.  I was fortunate enough to get a demo of those beautiful Eggletsonworks masterpieces, the Ive Signature SE.  I have no idea what cables were used but Bob felt they offered a significant improvement for him.  I used to listen to Dave Ramsay a lot when traveling for work.  He would often talk about one of his billionaire friends.  He said the guy bought a $300,000 car and that it was like a regular guy buying a biscuit.  I did the math and it's true.  I don't think Bob is a billionaire but sound is his life so I can see spending 100s of 1000s of $$ to make my passion, my hobby, my livelihood better.  
I have a good friend who just bought a $45K preamp. He told me with tax and all it came to just shy of $50K. Interestingly, this friend also told me that there is no way in the world that this preamp should cost anything like what he paid...no way, no how! Why, because the parts, the casing, the marketing, the research and expertise needed to manufacture this product do not add up to anything more than a mere fraction of what he paid. What added tremendous expense were the following..1) massive margin, 2) several middle men involved in the sales and 3) limited quantity sold. None of these things, according to my friend, justified in his mind what he had to pay to acquire the preamp.
Now you may ask why did my friend acquire this piece? A good question, but given that he probably makes weekly what the preamp costs, i guess he decided it was an expensive but justifiable expenditure! It seems there are quite a few folks in this hobby like my friend, and there are manufacturer’s who are looking for those folk to sell their wares to...at almost any price.