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Cable Costs Relative to System

Since making a spread sheet with my audio system prices, I have been thinking(shocked) about my total investment in cables. My total system retails at $67,000 (Digital and analog front ends included). I purchased all of it here on Audiogon so my investment is about 50%. Of that I have about 10% invested in interconnects and cables and another 10% in Power Cables (Shunyata Hydra included). That's $13,000 worth of wire. I'm starting to question whether it might be more effective to put some of this budget into acitve components. It would take forever to listen to all possible combinations, but would like to hear others experiences with relatively high end systems and cable selection. It would seem to me that the point of diminishing returns would be reached sooner with cables than with speakers and amps. Do most of you follow the 10% "rule" for cabling? How do PCs fit into this rule? Are there any super bargain cables capable of keeping up with highly resolving electronics?
metaphysics
james1969's avatar
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james1969
347 posts
 
I use to think that cables were an afterthought, but as my system developed over time, wires became the weakest link by far. I have since adjusted my outlook towards cables, I would consider cables to be a primary component, like an amp or preamp.
carl109
134 posts
 
Hi RidgeStreetAudio, I guess my definition of a tweak is altering the existing equipment in some way to make an incremental improvement. Replacing the supplied PC with an aftermarket upgrade is in my view a "tweak", just as upgrading speaker cables and interconnects from what you already have to something that performs better is a tweak.
I realise a power cable is equipment in the sense that the component wont work without it, but upgrading to something better (and usually more expensive) is a tweak.
holygrailaudio
94 posts
 
There are only a few people who hit on the common sense behind this question and thread. If you are looking at spending several thousand or whatever on a new component and you try the component in mind and can find a new wire you heard about that is the same or less your only choice is to decide which makes the best or biggest difference. Cable makes a huge difference up to the point where you are close to optimal. Some of the best cables are not the most expensive. Some of the most expensive are far from neutral which confuses the issue when you throw coloration into the equation. Use your common sense in terms of letting your ability to hear changes or differences determine how much you spend. A budget component system with superb but pricey wire can outperform a system costing tens of thousands of dollars more that had medium priced mediocre wire.
dave_b's avatar
dave_b
3,159 posts
 
Just thought I'd chime in and say my current rig has north of $25K in wires...and I wouldn't have it any other way..really, I've tried the radio shack route and everything in-between, but the damn stuff is sooofreakin great!!! FYI- I use MIT Oracle V2.1 spkr and IC's with Transparent MM Reference power cords.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
i think a lot of the comments complicate the situation.

the question could be : how to get the most improvement in sound for a given sum of money ?

improvement is subjective and there is no definitive answer because it is not possible to audition every component in one's price range. if you can afford the cable and you like what it does, that should be suffiecient.

the cost of the cable relative to the cost of the rest of the system is irrelevant.
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