Speaker cables: $3000 or $380. What do you get??

I'll expand on Zd542's post a bit more.

Experience is the key. That is, when you have heard enough gear in your home and know exactly what type of sound and presentation you like and what you hope to gain with a step up in class/price (for lack of better reference), then you're ready to consider it.

Also, as you're gaining experience don't look at at cables as a solution to a problem. See them as refinements. Consider your components first.

I have not been in this hobby since 2006, but am considering a return...dear god. That year I owned Acoustic Zen Hologram II, Audience AU24 and Ridge Street Poiema speaker cables at the same time and was constantly comparing them. At a certain point I thought, "this is frickin' ridiculous!" So I never spent above that level.

And now I want to do this again?

Here is what a noted engineer and speaker designer has to say on the subject: http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm.

It's your money and you will have to decide for yourself.

Here is a better link from Effischer's post above. I clicked on it and got a 404 message.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

I don't think it is a bad thing to ask people about their experiences with cables to get an idea of performance. This audio hobby is pretty rough if you can't get to a dealer who has all sorts of speaker wire for you to audition. I've done my share of buying and trying and then re-selling and it took a toll on my listening as well as my wallet. Trying to remember and document findings when certain changes and wires were put in began to suck the joy out of listening to music. One guy I met got so burned out with noting changes with cables and tweaking he stopped listening to music and his system for 2 years.

I've stopped wondering what makes a cable more expensive than others. If you have a set of speaker cables in your system and your system sounds good just sit back and enjoy. You can drive yourself mad trying to figure out what makes certain cables more expensive than others. Lots of cable manufacturers have all sorts of costs and other factors that go into their pricing. If you can find a cable maker that shows cut-outs of what their cables look like inside in addition to details about cable construction that can give you some insight into what can make the cable so pricey.

Also SunnyJim why not try meeting up with Stewart Ono (unclestu) or Walter Liederman (Underwood Wally) in your neck of the woods? They have lots of experience with selling all sorts of cable etc. They could give you insight to your query.

Sunnyjim, after reading this thread, I briefly looked at some of your other threads about cables. This statement of yours in one of them just jumped out at me when I read it.

The issue is which model of these brands provides the most bang for the buck, that is, transparency, musicality, and smoothness, and most importantly speaker compatibility.

If you are still using the Acoustic Zen Adagios, then for synergy and compatibility, nothing can be better than the AZ cables. The Adagios are wired internally with Satori, and I have to believe that in the design and “voicing” of the speaker, Acoustic Zen would have used their own cables. It just seems like good common sense to use AZ cables, and stay off the speaker cable merry-go-round.

I also have speakers from a company that offers speaker cable, a somewhat plain, inexpensive one. So surely something high tech and more expensive would be better. Well a few years ago, I tried numerous cables to over $3000 per pair, and the system always sounded good, but never eliminated that desire to try something different. Then why not try the cable from the speaker company. No doubt it is very logical to have the same wire from the amp to the speaker terminals, then through the cabinet (especially a tower) to the actual drivers. After installing the cable, I did experiment with a few interconnects, found one that worked well, and for quite a long time have just spent time enjoying the music. The upgrade bug was exterminated.

Agree that for the majority, Zd542 is correct, “there really is no easy path to take.” However with the Adagios, there is an easy path. You just have to decide to take it and stay on it.

To ZD542, Yea you did come across kind of hostile....I was going to recommend Valium. Nah, I know you meant well.

Nevertheless, for those who may see me as novice, I am not. Since 1988, the year I bought a real serious high-end system. I have used Monster Reference speaker cable(wire hose girth) MIT (model # unknown; however it sounded like crap) Analysis Plus Oval 12; Acoustic Zen Hologram II; currently, Audio Art SC-5(standard NOT SE version) which is quite good, but I can hear things missing that were available with the AZ Hologram II. I sold those to prevent nuclear war on the home front, as everybody including the cat was tripping over them

I have auditioned Clear Day budget level speaker cables made by Paul Laudati and they sounded very good, but have not considered his higher priced speaker cables. I have also considered without audition: Analysis Plus Oval 9 Black; Anti-Cable's new Reference 3; Morrow's SP4; ( warned by members of a long, long break-in time) Crimson Cable( has loaners) and recently mentioned in another thread, Crystal Clear wire.

To TLs49. You are right about my old thread, and I think your(?)recommendation of going with AZ Satori or Hologram. You said it was a "no brainer", though sometimes in my audio nervosa I tend to make no brain or brain dead decisions.

I am definitely a subscriber to the school of diminishing returns. BTW, I do still have the Adagios, and only want the best cable within a budget, for this extraordinary and often overlooked speaker. Lastly, I tend to be more of an experimenter whereas other members make solid and studied choices in the selection of components, cables etc. I am happy in my madness, like Captain Ahab, chasing the white whale of perfection; but, Tls49's point "that there really is no easy path to take" is well taken Thanks to all who responded so far. I will read each reply. Jim