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.
larry5729OP655 posts09-25-2021 11:48amI talked directly with Audioquest and he said bi-wiring sounds much better. Then I watched a video produced by Paul at PS Audio and said with the quality of speaker wire today there is no need to bi-wire. He said he doesn’t bi-wire. He did say he blind tested speaker wires and said he was blown away when he heard a pair of higher end speaker wires. He was startled and literally blown away. Up until then he was not a believer. I get confused. Some people swear expensive cables are worth it and other
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That was right about the time PS announced a relationship with Audio Quest. But I'm sure that's just a coincidence....
it's wire. Unless you crushed the end beyond any recognition (such as dropped it in the blender) Just peel back the insulation and reattached it. If you want to be even more correct (not that you hear a difference) cut the other side and make them match. Even if the ends are soldered you can't hurt the wire. Burn down the house ... but wire will be fine.
thyname, I own their nova occ speaker cable. I find it very open, accurate (in a good way) with a nice soundstage. Wig and others were kind enough to recommend them as well as their power cords. I think they are a sleeper and a real value. I have no desire to chase the ever ending cable game.
@goose --- do you own any Zavfino cables? I cannot tell from your Systems page. If you do, can you please share your experiences with Zavfino? Thank you
I also considered Audioquest Rocket 88. But, fortunately, Forum members started raving about Silversmith Fideliums. These are priced about the same as the AQ but may be the best speaker cables regardless of price. I replaced very good $6000 cables that are now junk relatively. I think the $1200 Fideliums can be favorably compared to the $80,000 stuff. They are that good!
I will no longer purchase cables with hollow banana plugs. They have great contact, but bend and crack if you look at them too hard- I rotate several amps, so I do a lot of plug out/plug ins. I'm in the process of having several sets of speaker cables reterminated by the manufacturer to the better spring loaded ones. Very happy with the set that's been done, well worth the extra cost.
I can't believe Charles Miller took the time to contact me. As a result, he turned me onto Synergestic speaker wire. I just got of the phone with Synergestic and he was amazing and is Charles.
You guys, Charles is someone you need to listen to. He is the real deal!
Sorry to hear about the damage. Are the cables beyond repair?
I own the Robin Hood Silver (8ft pair, bananas), and I think they are a fantastic value. That said, and I hope I'm not about to embarrass myself here, but out of curiosity, I picked up a pair of the new version of the Nordost Superflatline...and WOW, at under $500, I cannot believe what a value they are. They are not just a "value buy" though—and I truly have no affiliation with Nordost (I was even told to avoid their cables by one reseller because they "sounded thin" not even joking)—I have them running in my main system (Devialet Expert 140 Pro, Harbeth P3ESR 40th Anniversary) and not only do I leave the Superflatline in place, but family members noticeably preferred the sound without knowing that I had swapped them. They do have a unique look, which I like, and they need about 50 hours to really break in. But give them a chance—I have not heard a cable perform like the Superflatline for under $1000, unless perhaps you can find the Shunyata Venom on sale somewhere...but I can't express enough how "right" they just sound in my setup (Superflatline).
Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.
the reason I thought about upgrading is because the cheap banana plugs Tara Labs uses do not fit tight enough and work themselves loose. When I saw the Audioquest Rocket 88 and Robin Hood they were terminated with their solid metal Sure Grip banana banana lugs. Audioquest told me these will fit tighter than the Tara Labs banana plugs. Tara Labs said they were not able to terminate their cable with these banana plugs.
if it were me, I would modify your amp to accept Cardas clamp spade binding posts and go w spades, low mass copper, gas tight. Otherwise reterminate the broken cable, get rid of threaded ends, use locking banana…
+1 acman3This is easy. Fix your Tara Lab. If you feel the need to experiment, borrow some cables from the Cable Company or from someone or somewhere else. I think you will find there is a difference between cables in your system. If you don’t hear a difference, or hear anything better than the Tara Lab that you have, keep it. If you go the Cable Company route, ask what they charge for borrowing in the event you do not purchase.
Larry, Borrow some cables from your dealer at your price range. See what YOU hear. Different cables act different in different systems. Some cabes sound more or less the same and some sound very diferent in each system.
I once had a system that Anti-cables worked great on. Changed out speakers and the Anti-cables sucked. Getting ideas is great, but you have to live with the cables.
Dont fall for the wire is wire trap. I like a more organic sound in my system, but sometimes I want a little Hi-Fi Sound for a change of pace. I just change my wire.
Please don’t take away the impression that most folks don’t think most cables sound differently. That is false and a minority view. Depending on your system, your listening skills and preferences they can sound very different. I have never heard a very good sounding system in which the cables and interconnects were not carefully chosen and no great sounding systems where the owner has gone a great deal further.
I think most of us with substantial experience have heard “component level” improvements with a cable or interconnect at one time or another although typically the change is more subtle but important.
It looks like the majority say repair my TARA LABS APOLLO cables. I think most feel there isn't much of difference in sound between cables?
No, thyname has it right. You cannot go by what "most" say because odds are "most" don't know what they're talking about.
You are probably better off to repair. But not because there aren't differences between cables. There are huge obvious differences between cables. Some of them are worth every penny, and then some.
The reason you should repair is because that is the right way to do it. Never buy anything like this. Fix what you have- it is so freaking cheap and easy. Then start learning about cables. Do not ask people for recommendations. I never once in years here asked anyone to recommend anything. Why would I do that? I would be just as confused as you are now. Consider recommendations as nothing more than suggesting which stuff you might want to learn more about.
Instead, read reviews and look for user comments. When you find cables with reviews and user comments that reflect what you are looking for, and the price is right, that's your cable. That's my approach with everything, and I keep doing it for one simple reason: it works!
I have enjoyed my Audio Quest speaker wires in bi-wire and non bi-wire system. Have tried several different models and they both were great. I currently have the Audioquest Rocket 88 and really love them.
Nope! It’s just that the cable haters are very vocal, and post constantly in the social media expressing their angst. Just like with everything in today’s world. And they often do NOT have any experience with cables, other than cheap / stock ones. It’s sad
I think most feel there isn't much of difference in sound between cables?
It looks like the majority say repair my TARA LABS APOLLO cables. I think most feel there isn't much of difference in sound between cables? Problem is, I have not heard anything but what I have been using in my system to compare. Might find some loaners to audition.
I talked directly with Audioquest and he said bi-wiring sounds much better. Then I watched a video produced by Paul at PS Audio and said with the quality of speaker wire today there is no need to bi-wire. He said he doesn’t bi-wire. He did say he blind tested speaker wires and said he was blown away when he heard a pair of higher end speaker wires. He was startled and literally blown away. Up until then he was not a believer. I get confused. Some people swear expensive cables are worth it and others are not.
Knowitall10 You may not notice the difference in cables with a Triton one R tower due to their wild impedance response. Too much signal obscurity using coil speakers and passive crossovers. Certainly no difference with anything higher than 3N purity unless you get your conductor configuration below 4 ohms. Even then the difference is a long shot. At this impedance and being unbalanced, there is no indication for shielding to lower noise. As you know from your EE and cable background the entire scheme of signal transmission needs to be redeveloped, otherwise like many readers, a satisfactory end point is never reached.
The ONLY answer: The Cable Company. Try before you buy. Get 5-6 pairs of cables, spend a week or two critically listening, buy the ones that suit your system and your preferences best. If you cannot hear a difference, either your hearing is bad, or your system (speakers, electronics, ?) is lacking.
It is pretty obvious you don't believe hi higher quality speaker cable. Do you use lamp card to wire your speakers on you system?
My Tara Labs have stranded rather than solid metal in their construction. Guy at Audioquest told me their Robin Hood's will change the sound of my system. He seemed to be knowledgeable and truthful. My speaker manufacture told me the same.
cdamiller5, I have only heard the speaker cables my dealer sold to me when I purchased my system. As a result, I have not heard how other cables sound.
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?
" 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.
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.
@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:
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.
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.
As an electrical engineer, and somebody who has a pretty extensive knowledge about wiring. I see absolutely no way ’ultra expensive’ high quality oxygen free stranded wire, regardless of the amount of strands it has, will in (short lengths especially) make any difference whatsoever.
With analog cables, sheilding is extremely important so differences in quality would surely effect the noise floor...
Please, somebody show me proof as to how this phenomenon of higher fidelity will be the result of me spending thousands on several meters of cable. Just because I don’t see how it’s possible doesn’t mean it isn’t, but none of my professors at RPI would jump on this bandwagon.
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