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Cable Costs Relative to System

Since making a spread sheet with my audio system prices, I have been thinking(shocked) about my total investment in cables. My total system retails at $67,000 (Digital and analog front ends included). I purchased all of it here on Audiogon so my investment is about 50%. Of that I have about 10% invested in interconnects and cables and another 10% in Power Cables (Shunyata Hydra included). That's $13,000 worth of wire. I'm starting to question whether it might be more effective to put some of this budget into acitve components. It would take forever to listen to all possible combinations, but would like to hear others experiences with relatively high end systems and cable selection. It would seem to me that the point of diminishing returns would be reached sooner with cables than with speakers and amps. Do most of you follow the 10% "rule" for cabling? How do PCs fit into this rule? Are there any super bargain cables capable of keeping up with highly resolving electronics?
metaphysics
mitch2
4,033 posts
 
Some might say "funny" is all the money you made off of democrats by selling them cables.
zenblaster
504 posts
 
Each component is made up of parts and pieces that are connected by "wire". Exceeding the quality of the wire in your systems components is counterintuitive since we all agree that a system cannot surpass its weakest parts and pieces. Buying a $1500- power cord to bring 120v to a $1500- amp is not solid advice as an amateur audiophile could blow it away by any measure with a $2700 amp and $300- power cord. I could see using a quality power cord and i.c.'s but to surpass the wiring that your components use only leaves you with a lot of expensive potential.
Of course when we are talking about "sound" and "music" it is all subjective so PT Barnum lives with us.
If you are spending 5% of your budget on wiring that is probably much higher than any of your component or speaker buiders did buiding the things you are trying to connect.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Pop quiz...

1. Who is happiest when electrons pass through a few feet of megabuck exotic wire?
a) the electrons
b) the audiophile
c) the cable vendor

2. Does a $500 bottle of wine taste best when drunk out of a
a) plastic cup
b) crystal wineglass
c) makes no difference if you are just tasting the wine

3. Does upgrading the fuel delivery tube in a Ferrari 458 from rubber to one made of a space age polymer increase the power output of the engine by:
a) 50hp
b) 10hp
c) zero


1. Electrons don't pass thru wire. Electric current is motion of charge and not the electrons. With AC electrons are only vibrating. Energy is delivered on the outside of the cable (Poynting field).

2. Crystal wine glasses since they oxygenate wine better.

3. Hydrocarbons like oils and gasoline will dissolve unvulcanized rubber completely into solution. Once the rubber is vulcanized, hydrocarbons will only swell it (reducing ID). .
abucktwoeighty's avatar
abucktwoeighty
1,079 posts
 
Kijanki, good answer!
rnm4
308 posts
 
Democrat here -- well actually way left of that or anything on the American political spectrum. Not sold on cables -- especially power cables. Am sold on the infinite suggestibility of human hearing and the infinite capacity of people to delude themselves and others when there is money to be gotten doing it.
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