Speaker cable?

[PaulJunior]

Hey,

I still haven't decided on which cable to buy for my new speakers I don't really know anything about them so I would appreciate your help. I need a good cable for up to $6 per.ft for the B&W 683.

Thanks, Paul

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by PaulJunior

Hey,

I still haven't decided on which cable to buy for my new speakers I don't really know anything about them so I would appreciate your help. I need a good cable for up to $6 per.ft for the B&W 683.

Thanks, Paul

Belden 5T00UP 10 AWG Speaker Cable, Terminated

from: Speaker Cable at Blue Jeans Cable

[Steve]

I use 12 gauge cable from monoprice.

Speaker Wires

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by PaulJunior

Hey,

I still haven't decided on which cable to buy for my new speakers I don't really know anything about them so I would appreciate your help. I need a good cable for up to $6 per.ft for the B&W 683.

Thanks, Paul

Hi Paul,

These may be just a little beyond your budget, but you should consider Kevin's Valab/King speaker cables from his eBay site; he is from Taiwan:

Silver Plated OFC Speaker Cable 3m 2x2 300b 12ax7 6sn7 - eBay (item 270507470657 end time Jan-27-10 12:14:04 PST)

I have recommended these to others on the forum and everyone that has tried these is quite impressed. They are heavy, about 3/4" in thickness and made of both Oxygen Free Copper and Silver. Kevin will prepare them in any length and terminate them any way that you would like. But, due to their weight they are a bit expensive to ship from Taiwan. Kevin is using the best Chinese materials (same as a lot of the big name makers) and has low overhead and labor costs because he is in Taiwan. But, the quality, workmanship, performance, and cost to value are extraordinary. Kevin could probably quite possibly charge 5 to 10X the cost. I know someone that compared them to what had at one time been $22,000 list price MIT cables and he preferred Kevin's.

Others on the site that have them include John and BlurayFred. Other members of the community that are considering getting these are Lou (Hammie) and Sean. I just ordered a 10m set of 2 each (bi-wire) set for my side surrounds. I have these also on my main front L, R, can C speakers.

Rich

[Johnny Vinyl]

Hi Paul!

I'm the John that Rich (naturephoto1) was referring to in his post above this one, and I can attest to the fact these cables are stunning in every regard. Their level of detail, imaging and strong tight bass is something you have to hear to be believed.

Like Rich said, they are very heavy, and as such, they are a bit unwieldly. If you're the type of person that is constantly changing speaker positioning, I would suggest you get them with the locking banana plugs on both ends.

I know you have a budget, we all do, but I'm here to tell you that for a few dollars more you'll be getting a cable that truly brings out the best.

John

[Big Daddy]

Hello Paul,

I don't recommend any particular brand of speaker cables, but I do encourage you to read A Guide to Optical, Digital Coaxial, and Speaker Cables.

[dewd]

Blue Jeans or Monoprice. Don't buy anything that cost more than the wires B&W put inside their speakers (unless your goal is to pay for the salesman's vacation).

[Halcro 1]

A good budget cable is Audioquest Type 2 .... 2.95 a foot you wont be dissapointed

[Halcro 1]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Hi Paul,

These may be just a little beyond your budget, but you should consider Kevin's Valab/King speaker cables from his eBay site; he is from Taiwan:

Silver Plated OFC Speaker Cable 3m 2x2 300b 12ax7 6sn7 - eBay (item 270507470657 end time Jan-27-10 12:14:04 PST)

I have recommended these to others on the forum and everyone that has tried these is quite impressed. They are heavy, about 3/4" in thickness and made of both Oxygen Free Copper and Silver. Kevin will prepare them in any length and terminate them any way that you would like. But, due to their weight they are a bit expensive to ship from Taiwan. Kevin is using the best Chinese materials (same as a lot of the big name makers) and has low overhead and labor costs because he is in Taiwan. But, the quality, workmanship, performance, and cost to value are extraordinary. Kevin could probably quite possibly charge 5 to 10X the cost. I know someone that compared them to what had at one time been $22,000 list price MIT cables and he preferred Kevin's.

Others on the site that have them include John and BlurayFred. Other members of the community that are considering getting these are Lou (Hammie) and Sean. I just ordered a 10m set of 2 each (bi-wire) set for my side surrounds. I have these also on my main front L, R, can C speakers.

Rich

More than $6 a foot just sayin

[naturephoto1]

Originally Posted by Halcro 1

More than $6 a foot just sayin

I do not disagree with you, I think that these work out to be about $8.00 a foot plus shipping.

Rich

[repete66211]

If I won the lottery I would pay Blue Jeans to prepare custom-length terminated cables because I like the company. But I haven't won the lottery. I am a poor tightass so I pay monoprice for the cables and banana plugs and do it myself. One is less expensive than the other, but I would be willing to bet neither I nor anyone else would be able to tell them (or any other cables) apart in a blinded test. I don't begrudge people who spend more on a good looking cable, but one should be wary of some of the claims made regarding speaker cables.

[Beerserker]

Originally Posted by repete66211

If I won the lottery I would pay Blue Jeans to prepare custom-length terminated cables because I like the company. But I haven't won the lottery. I am a poor tightass so I pay monoprice for the cables and banana plugs and do it myself. One is less expensive than the other, but I would be willing to bet neither I nor anyone else would be able to tell them (or any other cables) apart in a blinded test. I don't begrudge people who spend more on a good looking cable, but one should be wary of some of the claims made regarding speaker cables.

This is where I stand as well. If you are looking to pay $6.00 per foot to get some nice looking well made cables that you can feel good about, then that is great! Go for it. If, however, you are willing to pay $6.00 per foot thinking that the more you pay the better they will perform... well I would do some research and careful consideration before pressing that confirm payment button. I run monoprice. Just sayin'...

[Zman2k2]

I will say this for speaker wire. When I was running 16ga. to my front 3 speakers, I thought it sounded fine. Then I switched to some Monoprice 12ga. wire, and I felt there was a little better detail in the highs. So what I'm saying is make sure you get the proper size for the power you're running.

[PaulJunior]

Thanks guys, I'm thinking either Rocket 33 or Type-4 for fronts, and G-2 for surrounds. Does that sound right? And do you think there's a noticeable difference between Type-4 and Rocket 33?

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by repete66211

If I won the lottery I would pay Blue Jeans to prepare custom-length terminated cables because I like the company. But I haven't won the lottery. I am a poor tightass so I pay monoprice for the cables and banana plugs and do it myself. One is less expensive than the other, but I would be willing to bet neither I nor anyone else would be able to tell them (or any other cables) apart in a blinded test. I don't begrudge people who spend more on a good looking cable, but one should be wary of some of the claims made regarding speaker cables.

Thanks for not begrudging me the fact I enjoy my cables in the upgraded variety!. Regarding the underlined, I couldn't agree more and that goes for everything else as well. The best thing therefore is to try them out at home and see what you think about whatever upgrade you plan on.

I have tried various cables from Transparent to Audioquest to UltraLink and I can say with absolute certainty that the recently introduced VALAB/King Cables blow all of them out of the water.

Although I didn't bold the sentence that came before, I bet you I could tell a difference, but not necessarily right out of the box (although that's somewhat debateable as well). It's a moot point almost, because if one has made up their mind that a cable won't make a difference, then they aren't open to accepting any possibility of improvement to begin with. The blind test argument is therefore a wasted effort.

John

[Beerserker]

... does it really have to go here again. Zillions of threads like this that degenerate into bickering and people stating opinions as if they were facts. Data and un-bias testing versus human perception and anecdotal evidence. Why argue when the rules for proof are different on each side. Glad you enjoy your cables.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Beerserker

... does it really have to go here again. Zillions of threads like this that degenerate into bickering and people stating opinions as if they were facts. Data and un-bias testing versus human perception and anecdotal evidence. Why argue when the rules for proof are different on each side. Glad you enjoy your cables.

Did you really think it wouldn't go there? And thank you, I enjoy them immensely.

John

[Beerserker]

It seems most were trying to avoid it...

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Beerserker

It seems most were trying to avoid it...

I apologize for the redirection then!

John

[Beerserker]

Originally Posted by John72953

I apologize for the redirection then!

John

You're the man!

@ PaulJunior, both of those cables look very trick, and I am Sure John72953's pick is great as well. I'm sure you'll enjoy whatever you decide upon. I too wholeheartedly recommend auditioning before making your selection. Have a good one.