Interconnect cables, Speaker cables & Power Cords. - Blu-ray Forum

Johnny Vinyl · 05-08-2009, 02:21 PM

I'd like to open up a discussion whereby everyone can opine about their experience and their belief as to whether upgrading these connections make a difference, and are indeed worthwhile consideratons or not.

There are only 2 things I ask when posting:

1. If you have personal experience with either/both of these connection changes, please elaborate as best as you can about the impact it had on your system.

2. If you have NO experience with implementing any of these changes, please keep your responses civil and preferably in the form of a question or as an information gathering exercise.

Remember as well that everyone's system is different and the room acoustics we each live with varies as immensely as our membership base.

John

Trix · 05-08-2009, 02:36 PM

My only relevant experience does not relate necessarily to improving sound, but it's a build quality issue that, in my mind, is just as important.

To save a bit of my decency, let me start with a disclaimer; I once was young and foolish enough to buy into the Monster hype. When I bought my first progressive scan DVD player, I paid more for the accompanying component and stereo audio cables than I paid for the player. However, I've grown, and the only reason 90% of the cabling in my system right now is Monster is due to the fact that I've always managed to find cables that I could buy for very cheap given the amount of time they had been held. So basically, monoprice prices, for Monster cables. What's not to love?

Well, what's not to love is when monoprice cables have better build quality. I have a 1M (~4 ft) Monster 1000 optical cable (well, I also have a 2M (~8ft), but that one hasn't caused any problems yet), and from the very first time I used it with my then DVD player, I was "delighted" to discover that the plastic connector wasns't glued to the sleeve. So, basically, whenever I try to pull the cable out, the square plastic connector stays in, while the rest of the cable comes out. I've not bothered replacing it, since the cable basically just sits still in my cabinet, but when I moved the cable from my DVD player to my cable box, well, now it's just beyond repair, and I think I'll have to have it replaced.

So the basic moral of the story, getting back to the point, is that beyond deciding whether or not specific interconnects can give you better quality, I've discovered that it's just as important to examine build quality, regardless of the manufacturer. Note that I don't expect any company other than Monster would design a connector this way (you can read about what it's supposed to do from their website), and subsequently ruin a decent interconnect, but basically, build quality should be examined very carefully. Basically, if I had paid 150$ for this cable, which was MSRP at some point, I would be fuming; given that I paid 15$, and that the cable is guaranteed for life, it's more an annoyance.

Anyways, I'm sorry if this is slightly off topic from what was intended, but, I just thought I'd share this, on the off chance that someone comes into the thread to praise the greatness of Monster.

Johnny Vinyl · 05-08-2009, 02:46 PM

Hi Trix,

I think your point about build-quality is extremely important and should definately be taken into consideration. It is after all why we decide to upgrade.

On the matter of Monoprice, and I may get flack for this, I personally wouldn't consider buying either interconnect or speaker cable from them. The jury is still out on HDMI cables however, as I've not seen any arguments against them. Having said that, if I needed an additional HDMI cable, I wouldn't hesitate to order from them.

John

CasualKiller · 05-08-2009, 02:49 PM

I used to think that speaker cable was just speaker cable, then a local audio shop gave me a pair of these Analysis Plus cables to demo at home. I was absolutely blown away.

Right off the bat I noticed more detail in both the high and low end freq's, and the sound stage was so clean it had a 3d feel to it.

Here is a link to their design pages and they explain the science behind their cables.

http://www.analysis-plus.com/design_main.html

Not for people on a tight budget, it cost me 420.00 USD to do my front 3 speakers, but it was worth every penny.

Johnny Vinyl · 05-08-2009, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CasualKiller

I used to think that speaker cable was just speaker cable, then a local audio shop gave me a pair of these Analysis Plus cables to demo at home. I was absolutely blown away.

Right off the bat I noticed more detail in both the high and low end freq's, and the sound stage was so clean it had a 3d feel to it.

Here is a link to their design pages and they explain the science behind their cables.

http://www.analysis-plus.com/design_main.html

Not for people on a tight budget, it cost me 420.00 USD to do my front 3 speakers, but it was worth every penny.

Hi CK!

Now if only you still had your RM 5 turntable! I miss mine (Revolver Rebel Red) too buddy! Tableless for a few months now and it's killing me!

Have you toyed with interconnect cable changes at all?

John

CasualKiller · 05-08-2009, 03:09 PM

I did also pick up the "Black Digital" coax cable, however I can't say for certain if it makes a huge difference as I've never compared it to a cheaper cable.

And yes I miss my TT

but things have been picking up at work again and there's talk that the summer bonus is still going through so you just never know...

Gremal · 05-08-2009, 04:24 PM

A long time ago I gravitated toward flat cable. Nordost is probably the best but I opted for the Alpha Core Goertz, which I've been using ever since. I recommend checking it out before splurging on cable that may be even more expensive. I also use the silver saphire interconnects from the same company.

The cables were developed by a Norwegian sound engineer. Why do such good sound engineers come from Norway?

http://www.goertzaudio.com/

Intamin · 05-08-2009, 05:00 PM

I buy into interconnects making a difference. I switched from monoprice rca's to audioquest and blue jean cable interconnects and could easily hear a difference. I don't know what specifically it was, but it sounded better, so I was happy. As far as speaker cables go, I'm on the fence still. From what I've read and listened to, I honestly can't tell a difference. I still want to upgrade speaker cables from what I'm using just because I buy into you're only as good as your weakest link theory, plus it's something fun to get, but I can't tell. Maybe when I get new cable in my own system, I'll tell. PS, my experience comes from using some audioquest X8 (I think) cable in my system vs some monoprice 12awg speaker cable. I've also listened to Nordost cable and other high end cables when auditioning speakers, and I can't say that I felt like the cable was making a contribution to the sound.

richteer · 05-08-2009, 05:04 PM

Great thread!

When I was first getting into hifi many years ago, my attitude towards cables and other tweaks was much the same as most people here: how can bits of wire make a difference? So although I was sceptical, being an open minded kind of guy I tried a few experiements. Much to my surpise, I discovered different cables can have a different sound. So for me there is no "belief" that cables sound different--I know it for a fact!

My first experiments were with speaker cables, starting with QED 79 strand. QED 79 strand is basically the same sort of stuff that we can buy in Best Buy et al over here: relatively cheap 14 or 16 guage stranded copper. Nothing special. I compared it with Mission Cyrus cable and the stuff they wire house mains sockets with.

Neither of the two other cables were particularly expensive (IIRC, the Cyrus cable was about £5 (no more than $10) per metre). I think the mains cable and QED 79 strand were about the same price. The order in which I prefered them was 79 strand, mains cable, and Cyrus cable (all cables were bi-wired).

More recently I was at my local hifi store, The Hifi Attic in Vernon, and we played with interconnects a bit. Again, in some cases there was a marked difference, and in the specific system we were using, we all thought the cheaper ($300) cable was much better than the more expensive ($1000+) one.

I think that provided they make sense (cost-wise) in the context of the system in which they're being used, cables are an essential part of the audio system, and people should buy the best they can afford. I'm a big Nordost fan, so for me that means using as much Frey as I can in my system. I'm trying to stretch to Valhalla, but we'll have to see...

I've not experimented at all with power cables yet, so I remain the open-minded sceptic here. For now. :-)

Chizzap30 · 07-21-2009, 04:12 AM

As for my experiences go, I have been able to try many different cables. My background starts when I started working for Best Buy and worked up to be inside one of the Magnolia Home Theaters until I was let go (for no other reason besides they did not like paying me what I was worth.... long story, if you want to know about it, ask me). Since I received some of the unique training opportunities that came from being good at my job (going to Sumiko and doing their MASTERS training) and still loving audio and video, I contact one of my current places of employment Overture Audio (website in my profile).

Being with BB/MHT, I was exposed to Monster and Monster's M-series which were not bad, and there were slight improvements when moving between certain cables.

However, when I got to OA I was exposed to a place that carried Nordost, Linn, and Audioquest cabling. The cool thing that I love that we do at OA is let customers take home pieces (electronics and cables) for evaluation. So I started to do this as I started to get the itch to make what I considered upgrades to my set up and to broaden my experience.

I started with my power center since I felt my Monster Power bar was inadequate. The philosophy I have adopted is ultimately that the source components are the most important part of the system. Granted the speakers are going to have a certain sound to themselves, but if they do not get the information/detail from the source to begin with, they can't produce the what is supposed to be there. Since all the components require electricity to function, that's why I started with the power center.

From there I upgraded from a Yamaha receiver to my Arcam Pre/Pro and while doing different set ups at work I came to really like the Nordost cables and got Red Dawn interconnects between my Pre/Pro. I then upgraded my speakers from Athena Technologies Audition Series to the Vienna Acoustics. For speaker cable, I didn't go to a point that I would ultimately like to go to since I did not have the funds and even according to Nordost the power cord is going to make the largest difference to your set up. The next in the line is your interconnects from your sources to your receiver or pre/pro and then finally speaker cables. So I did some listening with different Nordost speaker cables and the Linn K-20 speaker cable. And I opted for the Linn cable really only because of cost restraints.

But then I upgraded my source for discs from the Pioneer Elite DV-45A (which is still going strong on my parents TV) to the Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD. So as this upgrade was coming I contemplated 2 different cables, the Linn Silvers and Nordost Frey. I brought a set of both home and did AABA comparisons. I also brought a friend over and did the same thing with him without telling him which cable was which and did AABA demo with him and he came to the same conclusion that I did and I ended up with the Nordost Frey.

As for HDMI cables, I am convince they they can make a difference. I brought home the Nordost Silver Screen HDMI cable and put the movie Cars in and played it with my Monster 1000 series HDMI and got to the beginning race and when the confetti comes down. I then put on the Nordost cable and started it again and details and a greater 3D effect was visible. Another guy purchased one on my recommendation, came back just to tell me how awesome the cable is. He said it made the blu-rays just even better and his DVD's look like blu-rays.

richteer · 07-21-2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chizzap30

But then I upgraded my source for discs from the Pioneer Elite DV-45A (which is still going strong on my parents TV) to the Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD. So as this upgrade was coming I contemplated 2 different cables, the Linn Silvers and Nordost Frey. I brought a set of both home and did AABA comparisons. I also brought a friend over and did the same thing with him without telling him which cable was which and did AABA demo with him and he came to the same conclusion that I did and I ended up with the Nordost Frey.

I share your Nordost addiction. I currently have a 1.5m length of Frey between my TT and preamp, and will be adding a 6m Frey IC between my preamp and power amps and a pair of 2m Frey speaker cables as soon as funds permit. I'll also be replacing as many power cords with Vishnu or Brahma, and may even try to squeeze a Thor power conditioner into the budget!

I also have a 1m length of Blue Heaven connecting my rarely used CD player to my preamp.

Halcro 1 · 07-21-2009, 03:09 PM

Thor is a very good piece ....Sometimes they pop up used on the Gon..I know a Dealer in Milw where I can usually get 15%-20% off retail ..who is a Nordost dealer

naturephoto1 · 07-21-2009, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halcro 1

Thor is a very good piece ....Sometimes they pop up used on the Gon..I know a Dealer in Milw where I can usually get 15%-20% off retail ..who is a Nordost dealer

My "cheap" Power unit is my Isotek Sigmas, the Isotek version of the Thor (the Thor is a cooperative effort between Isotek and Nordost; the Thor using Valhalla wire). My even better Power units are my 2 upgraded (heavily modified) and recently discontinued Exact Power EP15A units.

Rich

Ureh · 02-09-2010, 04:36 PM

Hey everyone! I am planning to buy this home theater system (Yes, I know it's dirt, but it's the only one I can get).
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HTSS360-c.../dp/B001VKIE5Q

My question is do the speaker wires come with the system or do I have to buy them seperately? If the latter, where do I buy them?

Thank you. And I apologize if I'm asking this in the wrong place.

Johnny Vinyl · 02-09-2010, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ureh

Hey everyone! I am planning to buy this home theater system (Yes, I know it's dirt, but it's the only one I can get).
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HTSS360-c.../dp/B001VKIE5Q

My question is do the speaker wires come with the system or do I have to buy them seperately? If the latter, where do I buy them?

Thank you. And I apologize if I'm asking this in the wrong place.

Yes they will come with the system.

John

05-08-2009, 02:21 PM	#1
Johnny Vinyl Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:At the crossroad of Analogue Dr & 2CH Ave Home Theater Gallery:19 Blu-ray collection:205 DVD collection:7 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:8	Interconnect cables, Speaker cables & Power Cords. I'd like to open up a discussion whereby everyone can opine about their experience and their belief as to whether upgrading these connections make a difference, and are indeed worthwhile consideratons or not. There are only 2 things I ask when posting: 1. If you have personal experience with either/both of these connection changes, please elaborate as best as you can about the impact it had on your system. 2. If you have NO experience with implementing any of these changes, please keep your responses civil and preferably in the form of a question or as an information gathering exercise. Remember as well that everyone's system is different and the room acoustics we each live with varies as immensely as our membership base. John Last edited by Johnny Vinyl; 12-11-2010 at 10:28 AM. Reason: Changed thread title

Similar Threads
thread	Forum	Thread Starter	Replies	Last Post
Calabrine & Zebra speaker cables	Home Theater General Discussion	ryan4blu	100	03-24-2010 02:29 AM
Pre-terminated Speaker Cables and Standard Speaker Wires	Home Theater Construction	homer860	6	01-07-2010 03:00 PM
On interconnect cables....	Audio Theory and Discussion	PlacervilleGuy	22	04-16-2009 09:17 PM
Custom speaker cables.	Speakers	nezff	2	03-14-2009 08:01 PM
Help on speaker cables	Speakers	dharma14	10	11-30-2008 10:17 PM

05-08-2009, 02:36 PM	#2
Trix Active Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Waterloo, ON, Canada Blu-ray collection:114	My only relevant experience does not relate necessarily to improving sound, but it's a build quality issue that, in my mind, is just as important. To save a bit of my decency, let me start with a disclaimer; I once was young and foolish enough to buy into the Monster hype. When I bought my first progressive scan DVD player, I paid more for the accompanying component and stereo audio cables than I paid for the player. However, I've grown, and the only reason 90% of the cabling in my system right now is Monster is due to the fact that I've always managed to find cables that I could buy for very cheap given the amount of time they had been held. So basically, monoprice prices, for Monster cables. What's not to love? Well, what's not to love is when monoprice cables have better build quality. I have a 1M (~4 ft) Monster 1000 optical cable (well, I also have a 2M (~8ft), but that one hasn't caused any problems yet), and from the very first time I used it with my then DVD player, I was "delighted" to discover that the plastic connector wasns't glued to the sleeve. So, basically, whenever I try to pull the cable out, the square plastic connector stays in, while the rest of the cable comes out. I've not bothered replacing it, since the cable basically just sits still in my cabinet, but when I moved the cable from my DVD player to my cable box, well, now it's just beyond repair, and I think I'll have to have it replaced. So the basic moral of the story, getting back to the point, is that beyond deciding whether or not specific interconnects can give you better quality, I've discovered that it's just as important to examine build quality, regardless of the manufacturer. Note that I don't expect any company other than Monster would design a connector this way (you can read about what it's supposed to do from their website), and subsequently ruin a decent interconnect, but basically, build quality should be examined very carefully. Basically, if I had paid 150$ for this cable, which was MSRP at some point, I would be fuming; given that I paid 15$, and that the cable is guaranteed for life, it's more an annoyance. Anyways, I'm sorry if this is slightly off topic from what was intended, but, I just thought I'd share this, on the off chance that someone comes into the thread to praise the greatness of Monster.

05-08-2009, 02:46 PM	#3
Johnny Vinyl Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:At the crossroad of Analogue Dr & 2CH Ave Home Theater Gallery:19 Blu-ray collection:205 DVD collection:7 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:8	Hi Trix, I think your point about build-quality is extremely important and should definately be taken into consideration. It is after all why we decide to upgrade. On the matter of Monoprice, and I may get flack for this, I personally wouldn't consider buying either interconnect or speaker cable from them. The jury is still out on HDMI cables however, as I've not seen any arguments against them. Having said that, if I needed an additional HDMI cable, I wouldn't hesitate to order from them. John

05-08-2009, 02:49 PM	#4
CasualKiller Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Brooks Alberta Blu-ray collection:54 Trading Score:15	I used to think that speaker cable was just speaker cable, then a local audio shop gave me a pair of these Analysis Plus cables to demo at home. I was absolutely blown away. Right off the bat I noticed more detail in both the high and low end freq's, and the sound stage was so clean it had a 3d feel to it. Here is a link to their design pages and they explain the science behind their cables. http://www.analysis-plus.com/design_main.html Not for people on a tight budget, it cost me 420.00 USD to do my front 3 speakers, but it was worth every penny.

05-08-2009, 03:09 PM	#6
CasualKiller Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Brooks Alberta Blu-ray collection:54 Trading Score:15	I did also pick up the "Black Digital" coax cable, however I can't say for certain if it makes a huge difference as I've never compared it to a cheaper cable. And yes I miss my TT but things have been picking up at work again and there's talk that the summer bonus is still going through so you just never know...

05-08-2009, 04:24 PM	#7
Gremal Blu-ray Samurai Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Feb 2007 Location:Daddyland Home Theater Gallery:49 Blu-ray collection:184	A long time ago I gravitated toward flat cable. Nordost is probably the best but I opted for the Alpha Core Goertz, which I've been using ever since. I recommend checking it out before splurging on cable that may be even more expensive. I also use the silver saphire interconnects from the same company. The cables were developed by a Norwegian sound engineer. Why do such good sound engineers come from Norway? http://www.goertzaudio.com/

05-08-2009, 05:00 PM	#8
Intamin Power Member Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Houston Home Theater Gallery:38 Blu-ray collection:318	I buy into interconnects making a difference. I switched from monoprice rca's to audioquest and blue jean cable interconnects and could easily hear a difference. I don't know what specifically it was, but it sounded better, so I was happy. As far as speaker cables go, I'm on the fence still. From what I've read and listened to, I honestly can't tell a difference. I still want to upgrade speaker cables from what I'm using just because I buy into you're only as good as your weakest link theory, plus it's something fun to get, but I can't tell. Maybe when I get new cable in my own system, I'll tell. PS, my experience comes from using some audioquest X8 (I think) cable in my system vs some monoprice 12awg speaker cable. I've also listened to Nordost cable and other high end cables when auditioning speakers, and I can't say that I felt like the cable was making a contribution to the sound.

05-08-2009, 05:04 PM	#9
richteer Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Kelowna, BC Trading Score:1	Great thread! When I was first getting into hifi many years ago, my attitude towards cables and other tweaks was much the same as most people here: how can bits of wire make a difference? So although I was sceptical, being an open minded kind of guy I tried a few experiements. Much to my surpise, I discovered different cables can have a different sound. So for me there is no "belief" that cables sound different--I know it for a fact! My first experiments were with speaker cables, starting with QED 79 strand. QED 79 strand is basically the same sort of stuff that we can buy in Best Buy et al over here: relatively cheap 14 or 16 guage stranded copper. Nothing special. I compared it with Mission Cyrus cable and the stuff they wire house mains sockets with. Neither of the two other cables were particularly expensive (IIRC, the Cyrus cable was about £5 (no more than $10) per metre). I think the mains cable and QED 79 strand were about the same price. The order in which I prefered them was 79 strand, mains cable, and Cyrus cable (all cables were bi-wired). More recently I was at my local hifi store, The Hifi Attic in Vernon, and we played with interconnects a bit. Again, in some cases there was a marked difference, and in the specific system we were using, we all thought the cheaper ($300) cable was much better than the more expensive ($1000+) one. I think that provided they make sense (cost-wise) in the context of the system in which they're being used, cables are an essential part of the audio system, and people should buy the best they can afford. I'm a big Nordost fan, so for me that means using as much Frey as I can in my system. I'm trying to stretch to Valhalla, but we'll have to see... I've not experimented at all with power cables yet, so I remain the open-minded sceptic here. For now. :-)

07-21-2009, 04:12 AM	#10
Chizzap30 Active Member Top contributor Member since:Jul 2009 Location:Michigan Home Theater Gallery:10 Blu-ray collection:140	As for my experiences go, I have been able to try many different cables. My background starts when I started working for Best Buy and worked up to be inside one of the Magnolia Home Theaters until I was let go (for no other reason besides they did not like paying me what I was worth.... long story, if you want to know about it, ask me). Since I received some of the unique training opportunities that came from being good at my job (going to Sumiko and doing their MASTERS training) and still loving audio and video, I contact one of my current places of employment Overture Audio (website in my profile). Being with BB/MHT, I was exposed to Monster and Monster's M-series which were not bad, and there were slight improvements when moving between certain cables. However, when I got to OA I was exposed to a place that carried Nordost, Linn, and Audioquest cabling. The cool thing that I love that we do at OA is let customers take home pieces (electronics and cables) for evaluation. So I started to do this as I started to get the itch to make what I considered upgrades to my set up and to broaden my experience. I started with my power center since I felt my Monster Power bar was inadequate. The philosophy I have adopted is ultimately that the source components are the most important part of the system. Granted the speakers are going to have a certain sound to themselves, but if they do not get the information/detail from the source to begin with, they can't produce the what is supposed to be there. Since all the components require electricity to function, that's why I started with the power center. From there I upgraded from a Yamaha receiver to my Arcam Pre/Pro and while doing different set ups at work I came to really like the Nordost cables and got Red Dawn interconnects between my Pre/Pro. I then upgraded my speakers from Athena Technologies Audition Series to the Vienna Acoustics. For speaker cable, I didn't go to a point that I would ultimately like to go to since I did not have the funds and even according to Nordost the power cord is going to make the largest difference to your set up. The next in the line is your interconnects from your sources to your receiver or pre/pro and then finally speaker cables. So I did some listening with different Nordost speaker cables and the Linn K-20 speaker cable. And I opted for the Linn cable really only because of cost restraints. But then I upgraded my source for discs from the Pioneer Elite DV-45A (which is still going strong on my parents TV) to the Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD. So as this upgrade was coming I contemplated 2 different cables, the Linn Silvers and Nordost Frey. I brought a set of both home and did AABA comparisons. I also brought a friend over and did the same thing with him without telling him which cable was which and did AABA demo with him and he came to the same conclusion that I did and I ended up with the Nordost Frey. As for HDMI cables, I am convince they they can make a difference. I brought home the Nordost Silver Screen HDMI cable and put the movie Cars in and played it with my Monster 1000 series HDMI and got to the beginning race and when the confetti comes down. I then put on the Nordost cable and started it again and details and a greater 3D effect was visible. Another guy purchased one on my recommendation, came back just to tell me how awesome the cable is. He said it made the blu-rays just even better and his DVD's look like blu-rays.

07-21-2009, 03:09 PM	#12
Halcro 1 Senior Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Everywhere Home Theater Gallery:12	Thor is a very good piece ....Sometimes they pop up used on the Gon..I know a Dealer in Milw where I can usually get 15%-20% off retail ..who is a Nordost dealer

02-09-2010, 04:36 PM	#14
Ureh Senior Member Member since:Dec 2009 Blu-ray collection:42 Trading Score:4	Hey everyone! I am planning to buy this home theater system (Yes, I know it's dirt, but it's the only one I can get). http://www.amazon.com/Sony-HTSS360-c.../dp/B001VKIE5Q My question is do the speaker wires come with the system or do I have to buy them seperately? If the latter, where do I buy them? Thank you. And I apologize if I'm asking this in the wrong place.

Best iTunes Music Deals