Making use of The Cable Company's inventory of used cables is the most practical way to find what works best in your setup. If you can't hear a difference in sound then just worry about how well they are constructed. Good luck.
Need help buying new speaker cable
My Tara Labs Apollo speaker cable broke at the negative terminal end. I will need to replace them. What cables would you recommend? I would like to know what cables out there would be comparable. I would like to upgrade but they need to be affordable. A local dealer recommended Audioquest Robin Hood’s but they cost $2,000. I just can’t spend that much money. I am looking at Audioquest Rocket 88’s for $1,150. Any ideas? I would also like to know what the sound difference be compared to my Appolo’s? I still have a difficult time you can hear a sound difference between one cable and another.
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- 96 posts total
@larry5729, I trust you know nothing starts a fight in an empty bar faster than a discussion about speaker cables, right? I guess I’m with elliottbnewcombjr on this one. If you like the cables you have, why not fix ’em? Otherwise, I would suggest you read the following: The Best Speaker Cable | Reviews by Wirecutter (nytimes.com) Do Speaker Cables Make a Difference for Audio Quality? (lifewire.com) Using Measurements to Clear up the Cable Controversy (lifewire.com) calmont-eng-wire-gauge.pdf What Matters Most in Speaker Cables? | Audioholics Top Ten Signs an Audio Cable Vendor is Selling You Snake Oil | Audioholics I’ve listened to high-end systems (at least 3 to 4 hours each time and sometimes more) wired with AQ Robin Hood, Kimber Cable Ascent Series (can’t remember model), Transparent (can’t remember model but several thousand bucks a pair), Monoprice (12 gauge), Monstor (12 gauge) and AQ Type 4 within the last year. All of those systems sounded very, very nice. The only credible way to arrive at any conclusions about which cables will sound best, to you, is to try them under your own roof in your own system. Good Luck! |
Unscrew one of your binding posts and see if you have a hole in the rod. If you do, see if the banana plug will fit in the hole. If so, you can feed the wire in from the top, bottom or either side and clamp it down with the nut. You should then have a more flush connection. If using Z bananas the nut might crush the shaft a bit, however it can be bent back into shape after use, if you want to re-sell. |
" The only credible way to arrive at any conclusions about which cables will sound best, to you, is to try them under your own roof in your own system." - the only part of audiophilia that one really needs. Nobody, but you, can determine what you hear or don’t hear. If you listen to someone else, you are only getting their opinion on what they think. |
x5owner1, The problem I have is Tara Labs finishes their terminals with threaded ends. So, unless these locking banana plugs have male threaded ends to screw into the female threaded end of the wire, they won't work. The primary reason why I am looking for new speaker cables is the hollow banana plugs I am using work themselves loose. Some of the higher end cables are terminated with Sure Grip banana plugs. These are solid metal with a built in spring and they claim they hold tighter. I wonder if anyone has experience using these? |
- 96 posts total