Speaker Cables For $300


I’m interested in getting some new speaker cables. I need 8ft and will definitely buy used. I’m willing to spend $300 maybe a bit more for something special. When it comes to cables I get pretty lost fast. I find it very difficult to get any idea what sounds like what. I’d like a balanced and natural sounding cable that isn’t too finicky about what it’s hooked up to. I love air and ambient details but hate anything that’s forward around 2-4khz. Hopeing you guys can help me get a list of a few strong candidates to look into further. 

brylandgoodman

Acoustic Zen Satori fit the bill and can be had for a little over your price target if you’re patient — worth paying up for IMHO.  Best of luck. 

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The Satori is one that has managed to stand out for me so far. Maybe the most. 
 

Harmonic Technology is not one I’m familiar with. I’ll have to dig in a little. 
 

Morrow has just never appealed to me and honestly I’m not sure why. Nonetheless they probably won’t make list. 

Totally. I honestly know nothing about cables. 

Just my experience: every cable at Morrow Audio is custom made/made to order, the technician pretty much emails you about the progress when he is working on it, it's as devoted and small business as it gets. There is also lifetime warranty on the cable, you can get a replacement, fix, etc. for the cable you already purchased.   

Another vote for Satori. Also, another choice you may be able to find an original Audience AU24 used. 

May I suggest you check out Pinetree Audio  I bought a pair of their 8 foot speaker wires and I'm very impressed with the performance and there look! You will be pleasantly surprised by the price and they are made in the US 

 

Ultra Low Resistance Design 

12AWG Oxygen Free Copper Wire

Nakamichi Banana Connectors

TechFlex Military Spec Nylon Sheathing

Heavy Duty Y-Boots on both ends

Satori. Over your budget a hair, but if you are patient, you can get close. 

You ask a great question.

My experience has been that great-sounding speaker cables can be found at every price point: low $, medium $, high $ and truly insane $. 

As a testimonial - My ARC Ref 6SE preamp now has 200+ hours on it, and as it has been braking-in, my low$ speaker cables have revealed everything nuance of the process... changes in tone, changes in staging, changes in attack, and the list goes-on.  

Last night I was listening to one of my reference LPs (Imaginary Roads, William Ackerman WH-1078), this LP had a beauty and clarity that, in 20+ years of playing, had I had never experienced. It was a 'goose-bump' moment.

I am using AntiCables Level 3.1 (biwired).  They reveal every change that I make upstream, and I do not hesitate to recommend them (even for systems costing tens-of-thousands of $).

An 8 ft. pair retails for $310.  Anticables.com...  I am a customer and have no business affiliation.

 

+1 @inagroove My experience has been that great-sounding speaker cables can be found at every price point:

I can contribute the low-cost cables I have been using, including:

  1. Micca 14 AWG: Introduced by Steve Huff, this cable is a bit rolled off in the treble but renders a transparent and sweet sound.
  2. Belden 5T00UP 10 AWG: This cable even outperforms the Micca 14 in low-end extension. It is used by Blue Jeans Cable.

The RCL measurements are critical (in this order) for both speaker and interconnect cables. Alpha Audio has conducted extensive measurements and listening tests for 32 cables, most of them in the medium to high price range. See the link below if interested.  I can tell you that the resistance and capacitance of the Belden 5T00UP outperform most of the cables they tested. If you DIY it with good banana plugs, you end up with about $50 for a pair of 8 ft Belden speaker cables, compared to $100 per pair sold by Blue Jeans Cable. Highly recommended.

https://www.alpha-audio.net/review/megatest-speaker-cables-32-cables-listened-to-and-measured/

Just a final thought...

Remember to allow plenty of run-time for break-in (40-50 hours?) before considering the sonic attributes of your new cables.

+1 for bluejean, otherwise https://www.usedcable.com/speaker-cables.html?dir=asc&order=price

DH Labs Silver Sonic- Q10.

It’s silver clad over copper which to my ears provides a cooler (but not bright) sound with great extension on both ends.

I’d say these are something special but a bit more than double your budget but less than the Shotgun’s and I didn’t see where you needed biwired

AZ Hologram

@jrwaudio  it seems Muscular is what you have procured, which claims "Ultra Low Resistance Design", but there is no where that you could pull the 'R' information. The conductors inside are not even twisted as other cables they have carried for noise cancellation.  The only thing I could attest is the Nakamichi banana plugs. 

 

In addition, Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun - another 'luxury' cables whose RCL measurements were no where to be found.  Good luck with your sub $1000 investment.

 

Here’s a pair of AZ Satori cables for $399 that just popped up from a reputable seller who offers a 30-day return policy. Grab them quick cause they won’t last long.

https://tmraudio.com/accessories/speaker-cables/acoustic-zen-satori-speaker-cables-2-4m-pair/

+1 @soix

OP Jump on them, TMR is great in case you have not done business with them before.

@lanx0003  I'm very happy with my sub $1,000 investment Now I can afford to go food shopping  I'm all about the muscular anyway 

Anticables Level 3 - especially for speakers that are tipped too much to the treble.

Along with a few other tweaks, these cables tamed my Cornwall 4's without compromising detail or clarity.

I missed the Satori’s on TMR. Those Holograms look incredible but not sure I’m willing to spend that much but I am tempted.  I need to look into Anti Cables. I’ve seen them around for ever but have never done any digging. 
Anybody have experience with Cerious Graphene Extreme or Audio Envy?

I had Performance Audio make me up a pair of Mogami bi-wire cables and they are very respectable. They offer all types of termination options. I didn’t like the ones I ordered and the company changed them for a small shipping charge. The cables sound very good and definitely not forward. Bass is full as well. 
 

You could save money and build your own using Canare 4S11 which are extremely good sounding and used in recording studios.

I have a used pair of Cerious Technology Graphene Extreme 8 ft. speaker cables that are in very good shape that I’d sell to you. I now have a pair of Clarity Cable Organic SCs that were considerably more expensive which replaced the CTGE cables several years ago. My system is now very dialed in after many trials with different cables.

 

Bob

Pine Tree Audio Rainbow ribbon.  These sound better to me than a silver coated copper set. 

Neutral, dynamic, accurate. 3D sound stage. 

Great customer service.  

These sound better to me than a silver coated copper set. 

Nordost Odin 2 speaker cables are a silver coated copper set. I wouldn't think they sound better than this. 

Point is: no 2 sets of silver coated copper cables sound the same. Too many variables. 

Which particular set of silver coated copper cables did the Pine Tree Audio Rainbow Ribbon sound better than? 

brylandgoodman

+++1 for AntiCables. An 8' pair of their level 3.1 are $310. Even better are the Level 4.2 "Flex", but an 8' pair would be about $550. I own both and they are excellent

I can also highly recommend Zavfino Nova OCC (Ohno Continuous Cast). 2.5 meters (a little over 8') are $390

I own, use, and can highly recommend the above for value speaker cables; there are better of course, but these will get you really close for not much money. In order of preference: AntiCables 4.2 Flex, Zavfino Nova OCC, and AntiCables 3.1....but all are really good

These all will come available used on occasion, but will not last long

I can also highly recommend Zavfino Nova OCC 

$299 First come, first served. This is a no brainer @brylandgoodman, and $1 under budget. 

Zavfino Nova

mclinnguy

If I didn't already own them (and a dozen other speaker cables), I'd buy those for sure

For a modest price I recommend the Canare 4S11.  I purchased my pair from Blue Jeans.  

I tried the Micca cables and really did not care for them.