Author Topic: Speaker cable... (Read 7603 times)

Tim · « **on:** September 08, 2004, 11:50:02 PM »

Not looking to break the bank... mid-level price range suggestions

most important is the run from amp->sub (paradigm pdr-8).. I want a good subwoofer cable, I'm x-over at about 125hz

next is from amp->B&W 602.5sIII

jpschust · « **Reply #1 on:** September 09, 2004, 12:13:08 AM »

i use the blue truth stuff from bettercables.com... not cheap but not too bad. nice mid range cable. i still need to find that home depot cable thing.

Tim · « **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2004, 01:25:52 AM »

I'm doing the HD thing in 2 weeks, after Sara and I's family visit.. no birght orange cable for the family

thanks Jonny!

Nick's Picks · « **Reply #3 on:** September 09, 2004, 07:54:03 AM »

check out Boulder Cables M-80 speaker cable.
good stuff, and not too expensive.

IMO, if I had to do it again i'd look into making my own HQ cables.

scb · « **Reply #4 on:** September 09, 2004, 09:46:22 AM »

what home depot cable?

Tim · « **Reply #5 on:** September 09, 2004, 10:13:50 AM »

there was an article in Absolute Sound a month or two ago about some 14gauge extension cord cable at Home Depot that is supposed to sound *very* good.

I don't have the article anymore, I think Jonny might be able to give more details...

twatts (pants are so over-rated...) · « **Reply #6 on:** September 09, 2004, 10:22:18 AM »

Did a google "absolute sound home depot" and found this:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter/147/cable_survey2.html

and this:

http://www.avguide.com/product/Accessories/Speaker_Cables/Home_Depot/HD-14G/2850.jsp

Home Depot HD-14G
est. $30 per 50-foot pair with terminations

Okay, the model designation is my own invention, standing for H (Home) D (Depot) 14G(auge) outdoor extension cord. Otherwise, this entry is no joke. Like several other cables, it comes in a decorative jacket, here of striking orange and black, evocative of Halloween; unlike the others, you must snip off its AC connectors and attach terminations of choice (I used Pomona bananas). The HD-14G rendered Murray Perahia’s piano in a big bold manner, lacking just a little in finesse and ultimate transparency. It threw an image on Jacintha’s “Something’s Gotta Give” with the best—one note reads, “some of the best depth of any cable”—with tuneful bass, notably good height, and a quite lifelike projection. On the Rachmaninoff, it didn’t sound as “fast,” transparent, controlled, or defined in the bass as the better cables, but it wasn’t far behind them either, and it was always highly listenable and involving, with a big-boned, robust presentation that flattered the Appalachian Spring sonics. As for detail, well, it allowed me to hear every piano chord that bleeds through Jacintha’s headphones at the beginning of “Danny Boy” (Autumn Leaves); more detail than that you don’t need.
I’ll leave the last observation to the most technically knowledgeable, musically literate, and experienced of my listening group: “You know what’s really good about this cable? It sounds totally unscrewed around with.” If its half-inch thickness isn’t macho enough, Home Depot also sells a 12-gauge for half again that sum, and a 10-gauge for about twice the price, both in less attractive yellow-and-black jackets. If you still think I’m kidding, know that Tony Faulkner—engineer of about a third of the best-sounding orchestral recordings of the last twenty years—used the Black-and-Decker equivalent to hook up his Quad 989s at the recent Heathrow Show in England—“They are made from good, thick copper wire, look nice and sound good to me”—and that the designer of what is by provable standards one of the half dozen or so most accurate loudspeakers ever made uses and recommends it all the time.

Wes · « **Reply #7 on:** September 09, 2004, 11:19:39 AM »

I have no experience with this stuff.. just passing the info along.

http://www.audiotweaks.com/tweaks/tweak_267.htm

dave w · « **Reply #8 on:** September 09, 2004, 12:51:42 PM »

If you want to do the terminations yourself, Moondance Audio on S. Broadway in Denver has several options of bulk speaker cable by the foot that is much cheaper than the finished product. Various stuff, that includes some Audio Magic and maybe some Kimber.

Tim · « **Reply #9 on:** September 09, 2004, 12:56:38 PM »

thanks Dave, I had no idea that place even existed...

Tim · « **Reply #10 on:** September 09, 2004, 02:17:24 PM »

Dave, I went on over Moondance a little while ago... cool store, I liked the guys working there too. I wonder how often they have real gems come through there? Thanks for the tip!

dave w · « **Reply #11 on:** September 09, 2004, 02:52:39 PM »

Definitely nice folks at Moondance, but they are definitely salesman. They do get some nice used equipment. All prices, both used and new, are negotiable - and if you don't negotiate at least a little, you'll probably pay too much - so whatever you're looking at, research so you know its value. It can be a fun place to play around in, and the folks there are willing to let you do so.

Tim · « **Reply #12 on:** September 09, 2004, 02:57:25 PM »

seemed a lot less stuffy than ListenUp or Cherry Creek...

dnsacks · « **Reply #13 on:** September 09, 2004, 03:05:38 PM »

that's NOT hard

Tim · « **Reply #14 on:** September 09, 2004, 03:07:42 PM »

:lol

okay good, it's not just me then

dnsacks · « **Reply #15 on:** September 09, 2004, 03:16:33 PM »

Never been to cherry creek, figured with a name like that it couldn't be good. Listen up have always treated me like a pauper in a cadillac dealer. Increasingly making purchases via mail these days -- especially since it's hard to get any real sense of a piece of equipment's sound in a showroom anyway.

Speaker cable -- chris e and I are contemplating a bulk(ish) purchase of canare star quad speaker cable, runs a hair over a dollar per foot. Supposed to sound real nice.

d

dave w · « **Reply #16 on:** September 09, 2004, 03:18:12 PM »

definitely not stuffy folks at Moondance. My experience there is that the folks all really love music and audio (had quite a conversation with a sales rep there about shrooms and red rocks), they know there stuff pretty well, and will listen to what you have and what you are looking for, and genuinely try to find you the best product for you in your price range (though, of course, they'll try to upsell a little). They are totally happy to switch components around etc. so you can listen, even if you are just exploring rather than ready to spend bucks.
And they are totally open to allowing you to demo stuff at home in your system, which is a big plus. I never would have bought Dali speakers without them spending a week in my house first. Both to give me time to listen to them in my system, and to do some research on Dali.
Cherry Creek Audio is way overpriced, and a bit stuffy.
On another note - if you look around you can find the canare cable for under 70 cents a foot.
-Dave

nickgregory · « **Reply #17 on:** September 09, 2004, 03:21:53 PM »

on the canare cable...I love it...I run it right now and got a significant improvement in bass response and clearer highs that I had from the previous monster speaker cable I was using

dnsacks · « **Reply #18 on:** September 09, 2004, 03:23:27 PM »

Thanks for the canare follow-up. My price guestimate came from the first site I found selling it by the foot, figured I could/would do better once I knew exactly how many feet to order and did some "real" pricing research.

bkirby · « **Reply #19 on:** September 09, 2004, 03:42:39 PM »

Look at markertek. I got about 40ft. of the 4S11. I am still breaking them in, but they sound pretty nice so far! I got it for $0.69 per ft.

jpschust · « **Reply #20 on:** September 09, 2004, 04:47:55 PM »

Tim, I am going to be moving within my building in a few weeks. I have a pair of Blue Truth cables that are not broken in as of yet... it's a long story. They are terminated in Banana's if you want to try them. Not biwired though. You are welcome to break them in and try them for a month or so till I have the move fully completed and my new place set up.

(these are for my bedroom setup, my living room is all set and running)

dnsacks · « **Reply #21 on:** September 09, 2004, 05:19:07 PM »

Markertek still has the canare @ $0.69 per foot plus shipping. I'm putting together an order, anybody else (local to denver) interested? Can soldier the ends/install terminations/etc.

Nick Culbreth · « **Reply #22 on:** September 09, 2004, 05:49:09 PM »

if you don't mind spending a good chunk of time braiding try the chris ven haus cat 5 cables, i love mine. i've had a chance to compare them to another variety of cat5 cables and mit terminators and they're substantially better than both.

http://www.venhaus1.com/diycatfivecables.html

jpschust · « **Reply #23 on:** September 09, 2004, 07:03:42 PM »

ive now listened to the cat 5 cables and they are OK. Good cheap alternative to some brands out there, but not my favorite. Only major issue I have is man are those things ugly.

Nick Culbreth · « **Reply #24 on:** September 09, 2004, 07:21:05 PM »

Quote from: jpschust on September 09, 2004, 07:03:42 PM

ive now listened to the cat 5 cables and they are OK. Good cheap alternative to some brands out there, but not my favorite. Only major issue I have is man are those things ugly.

is the purpose of a cable to sound good or look pretty?

also, what recipe did you try?

Tim · « **Reply #25 on:** September 09, 2004, 07:29:30 PM »

Quote from: jpschust on September 09, 2004, 04:47:55 PM

Tim, I am going to be moving within my building in a few weeks. I have a pair of Blue Truth cables that are not broken in as of yet... it's a long story. They are terminated in Banana's if you want to try them. Not biwired though. You are welcome to break them in and try them for a month or so till I have the move fully completed and my new place set up.

(these are for my bedroom setup, my living room is all set and running)

I'd love that Jonny... thanks!

Nick's Picks · « **Reply #26 on:** September 10, 2004, 07:17:52 AM »

when I said i would make my own, I didn't have anything in particular in mind.
only that my current speaker cable is custom made and sounds fantastic. they are not all that thick, and were taken from a much larger cable that housed several pairs of smaller (yet stiff) cable inside. the finished product is about the diameter of my pinky...and rigid as a 1/4" pipe!

as for braiding.....use a drill to twist them up nice and tight.

I might try it out w/the HD cables just to see what difference in sound I get from my current stock...which I really like the sound of. transparrent, detailed and sooo much nicer than anything else i've heard in my system.
I remember when I first put them on it was like a new stereo.

These are cables made by Gregg Straley. I can dig up his email addie if anyone is interested. I dont think he sells them for much. They are cryo'd as well. which I firmly believe helps.