Topic: Speaker wire

[jdawg]

Now that I've sold all my recording gear, it's time to invest/upgrade my playback system. However, I'm totally lost when it comes to selecting the right spreaker cables/wires.  I've searched Audiogon, but unless you know what you're looking for, it's rather tough to make the right descision. Not looking to break the bank here, but seeing how I just dropped a nice chunk of change on some speakers(VSA VR-2's), I figured I should probably get something half-decent. I was thinking about getting spade connectors on the speaker end and those banana plugs on the amp/receiver end.

Thanks for any helpful hints!

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

If it was me, I'd get some of that big guage mil-spec SPC wire Nick posted about.  Thats good inexpensive wire and I think you'll have to spend alot more to do better.   If you want to spend a lot more, I can offer suggestions    I really like the A-P stuff.  I have a pair of 15' MIT MH750+S2 wires for sale on agon right now and I'd do a better price for a TS member (you're in PA so I could loan them to your for an audition if you want) but I think the the wires Nick posted about (you'll have to do a search) would be a good match for the VR-2s.  I was using the MITs on top with VR4JRs and I like the silver A-P better than the MITs with them.

[pfife]

I've used MITs, and I liked 'em.   I now am running dogstar/doghouse, and I dig those too...

search the home depot wire in the playback forum too...   

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I've used MITs, and I liked 'em.   I now am running dogstar/doghouse, and I dig those too...

I was always happy with the MITs but I changed my configuration and needed shorter wires so I would need to sell them anyway.  I wanted to widen my experience and moke was praising the A-Ps so I gave some a try when they came available before some shorter MITs appeared.  The MITs were a great match with my old Thiels.   The MITs are warm and the VRs are warm so I think it's been a better match using silver A-Ps with the VRs.  Its close, but the A-P silver ovals edge them out.

I haven't listened to the dogstars but I have some milspec SPC wire I use for speaker cable on my little second system between an NAD integrated and 20yo Infinity RS6Bs.  The SPC wire borders on being too crisp.  If the MITs were't so long, I'd use them in that system.

[jdawg]

Thanks guys, I'll search around for that cable. Also, I'll most likey start out with a single wire / jumper combo at each speaker. Tested these out with some Consonance jumpers the other night instead of the metal plate and there was a noticiable difference. The highs were much more pleasing, and just more detail all around. doh! it's sucking me in.... 

[Nick's Picks]

i can report that the 6ga milspec silver cables i'm using are very, very nice.

and if you want to pursue it, I'll build you a pair.  and/or, show you what you need to get to do it yourself.

[pfife]

Thanks guys, I'll search around for that cable. Also, I'll most likey start out with a single wire / jumper combo at each speaker. Tested these out with some Consonance jumpers the other night instead of the metal plate and there was a noticiable difference. The highs were much more pleasing, and just more detail all around. doh! it's sucking me in.... 

If you're hearing differences when you change the jumpers, then you're getting sucked in!  Good luck, and a belated +T for toys.   Prepare for massive playback slutiness.

btw, how long of cables do you need?

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

The highs were much more pleasing, and just more detail all around. doh! it's sucking me in.... 

How are your cables connected? 

IMO you should be connecting your speaker wire to the HF posts and letting the signal pass through the jumpers to the bass posts.

[jdawg]

The highs were much more pleasing, and just more detail all around. doh! it's sucking me in.... 

How are your cables connected? 

IMO you should be connecting your speaker wire to the HF posts and letting the signal pass through the jumpers to the bass posts.

Here's what I'm using now. Just some extra wire I had from my old speakers, hence why I'm looking for some new cable. 

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

Here's what I'm using now. Just some extra wire I had from my old speakers, hence why I'm looking for some new cable. 

You have your speaker wire connected to the lower posts, so the HF is passing through the jumpers.   VSA recommends running speaker wire to the HF side.  You should try running your speaker wire to the upper posts so that the signal is direct to the HF section and the signal to the LF section is the one passing through the jumpers.  I heard a difference on the VR4JRs.

[jdawg]

Here's what I'm using now. Just some extra wire I had from my old speakers, hence why I'm looking for some new cable. 

You have your speaker wire connected to the lower posts, so the HF is passing through the jumpers.   VSA recommends running speaker wire to the HF side.  You should try running your speaker wire to the upper posts so that the signal is direct to the HF section and the signal to the LF section is the one passing through the jumpers.  I heard a difference on the VR4JRs.

Doh! +T's all around.  And I as read the manual again...

^{"The best sound staging and transparency from the VR-2 results from bi-wiring the speakers, but if a bi-wire set of cables is not initially available, use the supplied jumper plates. Connect the cables to the upper binding posts for best sound quality.
*If you connect the main cable to the woofer and then use the jumper upwards to the tweeter, you will be able to hear a slight loss of clarity, since there will now be two connections in the signal path instead of just one to the high resolution tweeter."}

[cshepherd]

http://eugenehifi.com/VanDenHul/htm/Speaker_Cables_from_Van_den_Hul.htm

We love van den Hul's speaker cables.  They come with interchangeable spade and banana tips.  We have demo sets available if you are interested in a home trial before purchase.

What type of amplifier are you using with your new speakers? 

Chris

PS...you can strip your current speaker leads back so their is enough bare wire to thread them through both posts (two leads, each going to two posts on the speaker side).  It will eliminate the need for those wretched metal plates until you decide on the new cables.

[jdawg]

What type of amplifier are you using with your new speakers? 

None just yet, going straight into my existing sony receiver. Starting backwards and working my way up. Whether or not that's the best approach, we shall see. But didn't want to pass on the opportunity to buy the speakers      ps. Thanks for the tip on the wires.

[scervin]

http://eugenehifi.com/VanDenHul/htm/Speaker_Cables_from_Van_den_Hul.htm

We love van den Hul's speaker cables.  They come with interchangeable spade and banana tips.  We have demo sets available if you are interested in a home trial before purchase.

What type of amplifier are you using with your new speakers? 

Chris

PS...you can strip your current speaker leads back so their is enough bare wire to thread them through both posts (two leads, each going to two posts on the speaker side).  It will eliminate the need for those wretched metal plates until you decide on the new cables.

I would hope you love them as they cost >$60 a foot    

[Jamos]

i can report that the 6ga milspec silver cables i'm using are very, very nice.

and if you want to pursue it, I'll build you a pair.  and/or, show you what you need to get to do it yourself.

Nick,  what kind of connectors are you using on this cable? 

This stuff is so large that I've been unable to find something suitable to use. 

Thanks for any suggestions!

[jdawg]

The highs were much more pleasing, and just more detail all around. doh! it's sucking me in.... 

How are your cables connected? 

IMO you should be connecting your speaker wire to the HF posts and letting the signal pass through the jumpers to the bass posts.

Well, I did some experimenting and I actually prefer the wire connected to the woofer posts (regardless of what the manual says). Once I get some decent cables, I'll have to, once again, experiment

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

There's no substitute for personal experimentation.   

What didn't you like about them with the wires to the HF posts?

[jdawg]

There's no substitute for personal experimentation.   

What didn't you like about them with the wires to the HF posts?

The highs were a little too harsh for my taste.

[Nick's Picks]

i can report that the 6ga milspec silver cables i'm using are very, very nice.

and if you want to pursue it, I'll build you a pair.  and/or, show you what you need to get to do it yourself.

Nick,  what kind of connectors are you using on this cable? 

This stuff is so large that I've been unable to find something suitable to use. 

Thanks for any suggestions!

I am also still searching for some larger spades.  In the meantime, I have trimmed some of the wire from the edges of the braid so that it will fit w/the spades i'm using.

[Krispy D]

There's no substitute for personal experimentation.   

What didn't you like about them with the wires to the HF posts?

The highs were a little too harsh for my taste.

you are probably just exposing the limitations of your receiver at this point.

[jdawg]

There's no substitute for personal experimentation.   

What didn't you like about them with the wires to the HF posts?

The highs were a little too harsh for my taste.

you are probably just exposing the limitations of your receiver at this point.

That, I don't doubt.

[cshepherd]

http://eugenehifi.com/VanDenHul/htm/Speaker_Cables_from_Van_den_Hul.htm

We love van den Hul's speaker cables.  They come with interchangeable spade and banana tips.  We have demo sets available if you are interested in a home trial before purchase.

What type of amplifier are you using with your new speakers? 

Chris

PS...you can strip your current speaker leads back so their is enough bare wire to thread them through both posts (two leads, each going to two posts on the speaker side).  It will eliminate the need for those wretched metal plates until you decide on the new cables.

I would hope you love them as they cost >$60 a foot    

That would be their 5 AWG Revelation Hybrid ($1050/3m set).  We use D-352 ($300), The Magnum ($440) and The Breeze ($595) in our systems.  Heavy gauge wire is difficult to terminate and vdH does it very well.  Van den Hul cables come with interchangeable spade and banana tips for maximum flexibility with future purchases.   It's the best speaker cable we've found so far.

Chris

[scervin]

http://eugenehifi.com/VanDenHul/htm/Speaker_Cables_from_Van_den_Hul.htm

We love van den Hul's speaker cables.  They come with interchangeable spade and banana tips.  We have demo sets available if you are interested in a home trial before purchase.

What type of amplifier are you using with your new speakers? 

Chris

PS...you can strip your current speaker leads back so their is enough bare wire to thread them through both posts (two leads, each going to two posts on the speaker side).  It will eliminate the need for those wretched metal plates until you decide on the new cables.

I would hope you love them as they cost >$60 a foot    

That would be their 5 AWG Revelation Hybrid ($1050/3m set).  We use D-352 ($300), The Magnum ($440) and The Breeze ($595) in our systems.  Heavy gauge wire is difficult to terminate and vdH does it very well.  Van den Hul cables come with interchangeable spade and banana tips for maximum flexibility with future purchases.   It's the best speaker cable we've found so far.

Chris

So the prices are per pair on the site?

[cshepherd]

So the prices are per pair on the site?

Hi Scott,
Yes, prices are for the pair.  We bi-wire with two separate sets of speaker cables.  D-352 is 10 awg wire.  They're a little overkill for a Sony 5.1 amplifier.  I couldn't recommend them until jdawg gets his amplifier for the VR-2's.  We also have access to Chord Cable off the spool.  Their Carnival Silver Plus is $3.50/ft. without terminations.  The folks who distribute Rega in the states also have Chord.  Our Rega rep was using it during his demonstration at my house.  We use Chord speaker cable in our Vanagon.  What Hi-Fi gave the Carnival Silver Plus a five star rating and cable product of the year award in 2004.

Chris

[BobW]

I scored some(100feet) individual 4ga. stranded silver plated copper in thick Kapton from an aeronautics surplus house.

So, I silver soldered some Cardas banana jacks at the ends after I put a pair in techflex
with heat shrink on the ends to make it neat and pretty.

And am currently feeding the VR-1s with it.
The stuff might as well be hardline, but the room allowed it, so I went for it.
It milks every drop of bass from the VR-1's, but I still see a Sub in my future, if I keep them.

[Nick's Picks]

regarding the VR1s....
I like them a lot, but I liked the Epos m12.2s better, in hindsight.
they were more lively.

[BobW]

regarding the VR1s....
I like them a lot, but I liked the Epos m12.2s better, in hindsight.
they were more lively.

Most of my rooms are "hot" and I don't want to sacrifice the window views of the trees with treatments, so flatter speakers work well for me.
The Epos are formidable, I liked the Soliloquy's and the Paradigm's as well.

Damned if I didn't move to another place without a great listening room.
I am building an addition!