Most "Musical" sounding speaker cable under $1000

For the money Clear day is the best. I'm sure if you want to spend thousands you can get better. Paul is the nicest guy in the business and he will work with you.

Had the Crimson cable and replaced them with DNM Speaker cables. If you have an amp with negative feedback get the HFTN add on for speaker cables, end your search and start to be moved by the music!

Not sure you guy's realize SunnyJim posted this question over a year ago.

this is another of many posts asking for the "best component" at a price point.

the number of suggestions is small, relative to the total number of available products.

therefore, the best approach is listen to many speaker cables, probably sourced from the cable company.

Crimson cable got 4 recommendations in this thread. Clear Day (an Audiogon member favorite) got 7 recommendations. Don't typically find much agreement in forums, so that's pretty good for both of them. Just be aware, if you need a non-standard length of Clear day (a length other than 8ft) there are no return privileges. That's why I never tried them. I'll put Crimson on my short list if the cables that are on the way are a disappointment.

SunnyJim....You have been on this site for a while and must know by now that there is no such thing as the proper cable for any system. EVERY system has to be "tuned" so that the components (and room) have to work together to give you pleasure. I have mentioned this before, but when I play my violin, it sounds WAY different every time depending on which concert hall I'm in, and how many people are sitting in the hall. Sometimes it's cold and steely, sometimes warm and lucious. I change my strings, bow placement, and bow pressure to accommodate the hall, and sometimes I can't get it right, no matter what I do. You say you ruled out Anti-Cables....in MY system, I have not found better...but this is after auditioning many, many cables. If you put in the work, you will be rewarded.

Try a used pair of Kaplan Cable speaker cables and your search will be over.

I should also mention IMO flat copper ribbons are NOT so good for IC's, only for speaker cables.

If you want 'musical' cables the best IMO is copper ribbon cables, where the positive and negative legs are sandwiched together, separated by only a thin layer of double sided sticky Teflon tape.

You get a little bit of HF roll off, but in return everything seems to have an organic and liquid quality, while still retaining excellent detail and resolution. They are just great for a systems that need a bit of tuning.

I've tried a number of great cables in my system

I concur on the Crimson speaker wires. Incredible resolution, tonally balanced, very engaging.

Off to order their interconnects

If I may chime in, Crimson is by far the best cable I've had in my system. The Crimson speaker and interconnects have bested my previous Kimber Selects and Nordost Tyrs in every conceivable way. Everything sounds more natural and organic. Many times after buying a component, I get the urge to sell it and try something new. The thought of parting with the Crimsons has NEVER entered my mind.

Sunnyjim,
Can you post your thoughts on the Crimson speaker cables when you get them? I'm using the balanced Crimson ICs and like them so I'm very interested in you assessment of the SCs. Thanks!

The hands bown best speaker cable I have ever had, and I have had many, is the DNM Precision on my efficient horns. When I moved to high current solid state, DNM HFTN Stereo was the winner!

http://www.dnm.co.uk/cables.html

Bojak suggest that because of a study done by McIntosh there can be no difference in speaker cable. Digital "jitter" was similarly dismissed early in the introduction of CD. Some people ridiculed others who heard this distortion and maintained that digital error correction reassembled the analog wave with no artifacts. Turns out after a period of time technologists found a way to measure jitter and reduce it and it is now a measurement used in many comparisons of digital equipment. Trust your ears. It is likely we haven't found a way to measure the differences some of hear between speaker cables.
Scientists once thought the earth was flat or the atom was the smallest particle of matter. We now know neither statement to be correct.

I think the reality cable is very musical to these ears
They sound awesome in my system

Sps. Thanks for getting back to me. I found the listing under "Crimson Electronics" and contacted them. Creston was very helpful and there is a 15 day to 30 day home trial option Regards Jim. PS. Many thanks to those new responders for their advice and comments.

I know not everyone on A-gon likes them, but I have a pair of LAT International SS1000 Mk II. They're a copper/silver hybrid. My experience is that they are smooth, detailed, and have good extension at the extremes. Their speaker cables and top of the line ICs are both about $500. I'm very pleased with them.

Sunnyjim sorry for the delay in getting back with you I just checked back in on your thread.
I purchesed mine from Creston at Austin hifi. Very helpful and knowledgeable folks. Phone # is 512 236 9100.

I am in no way saying that this cable is the only solution in your price range but in MY system, to MY ears, I've had great success with Crimson Cable. Cheap and incredible. Smoked Kimber Selects and Nordost Tyrs.

Jp1208 I am still in the search mode. I am going to be trying a set of granite audio cables and crimson next. I am currently using Straightwire Maestros until I find something that works better in my system. I was not knocking the clear day cables they just didn't work ideal in my rig. The owner of the company is a great guy to deal with and he told me when they were sent that they do not benefit every system.

Mogami 2921 biwire or biamp with Audioquest BFAs. Plenty of money left from the $1000 budget to make your system even more musical. In fact, go to Mogami 2549 RCAs also and you will still have lots left.

I want to thank the last three members who responded.

Sps55. I could not find Crimson R.M. Music Link listed here on AG. Do you have a direct link?? Thanks, Jim

Oldcar, what speaker cable did you end up with. Usually members will say they returned a cable and replaced them with........

I had also tried clear day speaker cables in my rig and returned them. So yes as stated system and taste will decide how good they are.

those that suggested Clear day, is it what you are using? I tried it last month, at the end, I had to return it, it just didn't work well with my system and my music taste. so my advice is go listen to the cables yourself and don't blindly follow the advices from here, cause chances are, the people that recommend you something on here, they just heard it's good on here, but they have no experience with it.

Another vote for Crimson R.M. Music Link. You can spend ALOT more $ and not get the kind of sound these cables provide. Plus there is a 30 home trial offered.

Sunnyjim, the Clear Day dbl shotgun soft annealed silver cables are "Musical" to me. Very natural, open and non fatiguing. Great company to deal with as well and they have a hassle free trial.

Sunnyjim, I know cables are raining in this thread and you will get many more recommendations, and pass this suggestion of mine as yet another. But PLEASE take note, there is a cable called Crimson R.M Musiclink, it is made in UK, this cable has beaten many $5000 cables in systems I know and that includes big brands like Siltech, Jorma and Transparent audio. Unfortunately it is a cheap cable and would cost you just about $600 or so for a 8ft pair and there are no press reviews. You may find some user reviews though. They have a 30 day money back policy and till date I do not know of anyone who has returned the cable. Not only that most of them are off the cable upgrade cycle for a long time. Give it a try, you will thank yourself.

BTW, other cables I like are Tellurium Q, DNM Reson and Naim NACA5.

I replaced $1100 speaker cables from Gabriel Gold with Clear Day Double Shotguns for $400. The Clear Days are far better. Very "musical" with really good dynamics, detail, and bass. Clear Day offers a no-hassle free trial, so there is nothing to lose trying them. The owner, Paul Laudati, is a pleasure to deal with as well.

I was using DIY cables until recently. Got some "K2" Audioquest cables from China for $380, 3meter biwire. They are a noticeable improvement, even to my wife who didnt know I had installed them and commented at dinner.

Read the "youll be sorry you read this" posts to see discussion. Not recommending anything, just posting my experience

Hi Jim.
I think they're out of business due to a minor earthquake in the Bay area which destroyed the facility.

However, the owners have regrouped and should be releasing a new line of cables soon.

The new company is called Richter Cables.

Good luck.

Audiofeil, I checked the AG directory for GG cables, no such manufacturer. I recall from past threads you are an audio dealer. Why not participate in the discussion, and not try to be a comedian, because I am not amused!!! Jim

I like Golden Gate cables.

If you suspend them properly, they are extremely durable and length doesn't seem to affect performance.

They work great in either direction.

Clear Day Double Shotgun.

Thanks Al for the great explanation

As I changed my system, I passed up on an old pair of Clear Day cables to try something else without keeping them in. Almost two years went by. Big mistake.

In another thread I relate how they and a pair of Mapleshade Helix wires, used together (bananas for Clear Day and bare wire for the Mapleshades on the same post) transformed my system.

The Mapleshades gave such detail and resolution but the lower mids and bass weren't as fleshed out as the rest and adding the Clear Days brought everything to a perfect equilibrium. Resolution, body, tone, depth, sound staging are all spot on.

It's well under your budget. Maybe worth a try. Like Snopro says, Paul will probably send out a broken in pair for you to try.

All the best,
Nonoise

Like some others suggested, try clear day cables. Their double shotguns are very good. Paul is great to deal. Usually he has loaner pairs that you can try without buying first.
Synergy was very good ims, and I usually don't like silver based cables. For the money they are excellent, imho.

Yes, I used a set for several years and was very happy with them. I actually preferred them to some high end ($25 ft) cable. Google 'Canare 4S11 speaker cable' and you will find lots of user comments and merchants other than Blue Jeans which BTW seems to be out of stock of all cable. Hum...

I was wrong about the price, at least at BJ. They want $1.35 per foot.

Newbee, Because I cannot contact you off line, have you ever used this Canare 4S11 Star Quad speaker cable for a reasonable length of time to provide some impressions?? I checked their website out via Audiogon; they seem similar to the "Parts Express" operation

Nevertheless, I need a 12 foot pair with connectors, at a dollar a foot as you claim, I would only be spending 24 dollars, plus connectors and shipping. These prices make Anti-Cable and Jw Cable look overpriced.

I e-mailed John at Jw Cable, and he explained the process used to create the cable. However, like the Anti Cable speaker cable, it is stiff like a coat hanger, and trying to install either cable behind a vertical audio rack could be troublesome, if not unsightly. if jaggedly suspended between the two speakers. This will surely trip the DEFCON 3 alert from the wife....however I always ignore the whinny sound!!! Though I am curious, if there are sound quality differences between the two cables. Anti-Cables "seems" to have racked up alot of customer testimonials which are "numbered" in segments and appear in the "Cable" category sale listings....Thanks for the advise and recommendation of the Canare Cable

Hi Nick,

Basically, if the speaker's impedance phase angle becomes significantly negative (i.e., capacitive) across a significant range of frequencies, the amount of current that the amplifier has to supply, and the amount of current that will flow through the speaker cables, will increase at those frequencies.

That will occur for two reasons. First, everything else being equal the efficiency of the speaker will be less than if the phase angle were zero degrees (i.e., purely resistive). The amount of power delivered at a given instant is proportional to the product (multiplication) of voltage (V) and current (I) at that instant. For a purely resistive load, voltage and current are in phase, meaning that they reach their maximum, minimum, and other corresponding values within each cycle at the same time. For a load that is partially capacitive and partially resistive (i.e., with a phase angle somewhere between zero degrees and -90 degrees), voltage and current will be somewhat out of phase (to a degree that increases as the negative phase angle increases), resulting in a reduction in V x I at any instant of time, and therefore less power delivery than if they were in phase. So to deliver a given amount of power and produce a given volume level, the amplifier will have to deliver more current and voltage if the load is significantly capacitive than if it were purely resistive, everything else being equal.

Secondly, the amount of current flowing through a capacitor is proportional to the rate of change of the applied voltage. So if the impedance of the speaker is significantly capacitive at high frequencies, a greater amount of current will have to be provided during high speed (rapidly changing) transients than would otherwise be necessary.

If the impedance magnitude (the number of ohms) reaches low values at frequencies where the phase angle also reaches low (more negative) values, the increased current requirements resulting from those effects will be further compounded.

Best regards,
-- Al

May I hijack this thread for a few post? I would like to pick Al's brain, I hope to the benefit of all.

Most speakers do not have similarly flat impedance magnitudes, and most speakers have impedance phase angles that reach considerably negative values (i.e., considerably less than 0 degrees, meaning they are capacitive) at some frequencies.

Al or anyone, could you explain how the impedance phase angle impacts the system (amps, cables, speakers)?

Another plain gray jacket that is too cheap to be good is Belkin Av from Partsconnextion.28 cents a foot,terminate it yourself or use the bare wire ends.The same PCOCC copper used by many high end cable manufactures.It is the tiniest bit on the cool side,but very smooth,detailed and musical IMO.At first listen it lacks dynamics but opens up as it breaks in.
I have had HarmTech,AudioArt,and many others over the years and bought the Belkin for a "place holder" while investigating other cables.Search over.Good luck to you,and hope you keep posting your trials and errors.

LOL, I forgot to mention - It is a Canare 4S11 star quad sold by Blue Jeans.

Sunnyjim, A cable recommendation for you. Problem is that it comes in a grey jacket and is too cheap to be good. But it has good electrical values and is neutral to the source. I think it is a great 'value' cable that will not degrade in any way the sound of your system, certainly it will not exacerbate any of the sonic issues which can cause one to seek the qualities you seem to be looking for. For a buck a foot you can try it. All you've got to loose is bragging rights. :-)

While it is true that spending big bux on speaker cables is not wise, IMHO, there are many great cables at the $250 and under range that work quite well...

-RW- I use Goertz MI-2 Pythons from my Butler TDB-5150 into my Gallo Ref. 3.1s...

...by none other than the founders of MacIntosh
(that's right)...

An old-school, engineering-
driven company. Not sure that makes them an authority on the cable
question.

Bojack, your post suggest that there is no difference between one cable over another. I will have to disagree.
I am a cable manufacturer and have done extensive testing of all types of cable and wire. I do agree that you don't have to spend a ton of money to get great sound, but there is a difference between one cable and the next.
If you haven't been able to hear a difference between cables,it has probably saved you a lot of money and some anguish, but there is a difference.
John, JW Audio

i am a fuss pot when it comes to cables. i have auditioned and reviewed several.

i use ear to ear--a company in toronto. cable has a lot of shielding, dampening material and is silver plated copper.

Clear Day Cable

In the words of John MacEnroe, "Are you kidding me?" Please, I implore those spending soooooo much money on wire to wake up...WAKE UUUUPP. Wire is wire is wire, and all you have to do is go back and read the original blind tests performed by none other than the founders of MacIntosh (that's right) to find out what they concluded. Maybe, maybe this will help return this great hobby to the realm of common sense, something it so desperately needs.