Best interconnects from preamp to amps, within budget
Hi folks. This is my second post to these forums. I’m setting up my equipment again for the first time in decades. A lot has changed since then.
The first thing I did was get new surrounds on my JBL L100t woofers. Then I took one component at a time to the shop for complete inspection, repair and tweaking.
For setup, I bought a bunch of Audioquest Tower interconnects. It was the best I could come up with based upon my little bit of research and budget. I immediately noticed an audible improvement over the 30+ year old generic "patch cords" my equipment came with.
When I hooked up my preamp to the amps (bridged) I discovered I didn’t have any new interconnects that would reach that far. For now I’m using some that are at least a few years old and generic. So, what SHOULD I be using for the preamp/amps connection? I do have to stay within a modest budget, the equipment restoration isn’t cheap. If nobody laughs too hard, I could spend as much as $100-$200 for this connection. They need to be at least 8 feet long, assuming they each need to be the same length.
I have recently read that proper interconnect selection can vary widely depending on the equipment that one uses. For the record, my current system is as follows:
2 Harmon Kardon Citation 22 amplifiers, bridged together
Harman Kardon Citation 25 preamplifier
Harman Kardon Citation 23 tuner
Harman Kardon HD7600 CD player
Harman Kardon HD7400 CD player ( so the same remote doesn’t control 2 CD players)
Harman Kardon EQ8 equlaizer (Not currently in-line, to be used for goofing around with bootlegs etc)
2 Sony TC-K620 cassette decks ( need to be shopped yet )
JBL L100t speakers, until new surrounds are broken in
JBL L100t3 speakers after others are broken in
Thanks for any help with this. As always, it’s appreciated!
Todd K Stearns
@czarivey one still needs the Neutrik ProFi or XRL ends ;)
Many places can made a bespoke length, if one is adverse to using a soldering iron themselves. And that same 2534 can be used for XLRs. |
Hello toddsyr! Choosing the "right" cble is like finding the "right" life partner. You have to try out a few before you can make an informed decision. Used Cable.com will let you try out cables. Used cables are broken in and much less money. Suppose you tried out three new cables and kept the best one. You wouldn't know how it will sound in 30 days! That's part of the appeal of used cables. By the way, equal length on interconnects is no big deal. Speaker wires? Yes. Happy Listening. |
Yes. My Mogami assembled by World’s Best Cables through Amazon came with gold-plated Neutrik XLR’s made in Japan. Very pleased with the quality and transparency of these cables. Using between preamp and amp. |
Nobody can tell you what you are going to like best in your vintage system. A good cable choice can dramatically improve the SQ of your system, so choose 3 or 4 brands - there were good ones suggested above - and order complete sets from vendors who give you at least 30 days to evaluate. Cables have to burn in for 100 to 200 hours before they are at their best, so as you receive the cables, put them in your system and let it play round the clock for burn in. Then pick 5-10 tracks that you find to be very revealing and start critical listening for highs, mids, bass, transients, dynamics, detail, tone, soundstage and, most importantly, emotion. Avoid quick A-B comparisons on single tracks. When you find one that makes you not want to stop listening, you’re there.
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I really appreciate all the input here folks. Not just the specific brands mentioned, but also the guidance in general. I ordered a set of 12' Mogami Gold interconnects. The name was mentioned the most and I really like what I read about them. The 6' cables would have been too short. I just hope 12' isn't too long and I lose signal strength. If that's even possible. Again, most of this is new to me. I am always willing to listen and learn from those who know about these things. I will get a couple more different brands to see their differences. Probably Blue Jeans and Audioquest. Todd K Stearns
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