How can most ANY cable manufacturer justify the price? |
Transparent makes some great low cost cables too. |
simple answer- time spent calibrating the networks by humans.
a little background- back a few years ago the transparent catalog was much simpler and easier to understand. you had std, plus, ultra, and reference as i recall. i thought from looking at the graphs in the brochure that ULTRA offered the most value for the dollar. but this was prior to XL technology, then MM1, and finally MM2. forget carbon fiber- it looks pretty but i personally don't think it's worth the expense. you can always call them and ask their sales rep for their honest opinion. i guess you'll have to tell them your budget as well.
I still have some ultra interconnects hanging around for spares. |
tell me what is the most expensive part of the cable, Marketing...seriously |
how can you justify the price?
-same as designers of women's dresses that get worn to the Oscars i guess.
absolutely incredible amounts of money spent for a couple of hundred dollars worth of material. and 90% of them look amazingly weird instead of sexy or elegant. the men look decent in a tux which is a relief.
I own Opus cables, a result of a (very) gradual upgrade program over 15 years starting with Ultra and getting the next level up over time. they sound pretty good, but i have never compared them to anything but the previous set of transparent wires- but not competing manufacturers. the only way i can justify ending up this way is by the excellent service the dealer provides gathering up the old and setting up the new. and of course the deep bass improvement is very apparent, along with a deeper stage- and this happens on day ONE. you don't have to wait a month for them to break in.
It helps to have a great pair of full range speakers that you love the sound of to conduct this experiment. in my case it was Eggleston Andra-2 speakers.
Starting from scratch however, unless you're buying used, they are not a good deal. BUT a transparent dealer can probably work out some arrangement for you, even if it just starts with a pair of interconnects. |
Try Purist much better value. |
Transparent Cable can be a tremendous value, this cable, like others can be gear dependent. If one owns Classe'
Rotel, Audio Research, Byston, B&W or Wilson Audio speakers, then this IS the cable/cord system for you!
I have enjoyed demo time w/ the above mentioned elecrtonics and speakers. I have enjoyed $5K all of the way up to $100K (retail) systems and Transparent does not disappoint.
When calling or emailing Transparent Cable- ask for Brad. |
Jafant,
I own Wilson's and I had a home audition of Transparent Ultra speaker and interconnect cable. My wife and I didn't like the cable at all. We felt it had bloated bass and a rather closed in midrange in comparison to Clear Day Audio speaker cable and Silver Audio speaker and interconnect cable. The Clear Day Cable is significantly less expensive, while the Silver Audio is within the same price range. I choose the Silver Audio. I've talked to several Wilson owners and many submit there are better options than Transparent Audio, but it doesn't hurt to listen and compare. |
Whereas with my Dali speakers, the Transparent Super MM2 were selected by a wide margin over the Clear Day Double Shotguns by all who listened...and I do think the Clear Day is an excellent value |
Also when considering value, it is important to look at selling price used, and how well these prices hold over time, not simply the new price. Transparent cables purchased used hold their value for many years... |
It's about system synergy, that's why I suggest listening to several options within your price range. Transparent worked in your system, not the best fit in my system. No absolutes in audio! |
I certainly don't want to come off as a Transparent Cable salesman here, but one issue with their cables is that the bass can overpower certain rooms due to the acoustics, and that they suggest you have the proper damping needed to handle the low bass that can result from them. As for Wilson Audio, unless they have changed recently, they use transparent wiring internally on all of their speakers.
OTOH if you can find something you like better, AND it costs less money, there ain't much more i can say on that count. but with my Eggleston Andra's
(also internally wired with transparent cable) the seemingly bottomless extension
in the lower frequencies made for a very spacious effect overall, and freed the midrange to provide more subtle details without any interference from the woofers. Since i decided i liked the speakers so much they became a constant factor, while my successive cable upgrades produced major dividends. |
As above Ricred1,
the system in which I had true Audio bliss, consisted of,
Wilson Sophia/Sasha (newest)
Audio Research CD5
Audio Research pre-amp
Bryston 3SST power amp
Transparent OPUS cables/cords
Transparent power conditioners
Bass Traps and the like acoustic treatments. |
Try Purist much better value My friend sent me pics some time ago when he opened one of their expensive cables. He is in computer business and knows Belden cables very well. Guess, what he found? I agree, the most expensive part of a cable is Marketing. I know Audiophiles who can't sleep well when they can't spend min. 8k for a meter. |
"Try Purist much better value"
"My friend sent me pics some time ago when he opened one of their expensive cables. He is in computer business and knows Belden cables very well. Guess, what he found?"
Uh, a computer? |
i guess he found belden cables inside PAD cables. |
Transparent is one one of the best sounding and best priced cables period. |
Some merchandise can not be judged by its material cost. The end result and how that end result holds with the competitions justifies the result.
If you can beat a market leader at a price range, meaning the general public agrees so, you can put a price accordingly. The cost of production do not count.
Most of the time you can not fool general public with a low cost product on a higher price market. If you want to beat Wilson Audio, you have to use quality material just to look good.
But with products like cables, you can really find a very cost effective technique that can beat an expensive rival that is using an old technique. Thus you can put a price accordingly.
Transparent Audio do not dissapoint at its products' price ranges. They give what their customers ask for. It is also one of the best values in 2nd hand. They have a terrific upgrade program.
When you add all of these together, it is perfectly normal for them to have a high price.
I have a Opel GT. It is +300 horsepower. It is faster than an average Mercedes, it is more beautiful than an average Mercedes but it is cheaper than an average Mercedes. Because it is not a Mercedes. Mercedes means value, a deserved one. Transparent is like Mercedes. You can always find a faster, bigger cable but at the end of the day it is a Transparent Cable. |
11-07-12: Geoffkait
"Try Purist much better value"
"My friend sent me pics some time ago when he opened one of their expensive cables. He is in computer business and knows Belden cables very well. Guess, what he found?
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Magic Pebbles? |
Hello all.
I'm interested in buying a Transparent power cord with EUROPEAN (Schuko) plug. As I've never been selling here and as I can see there is no option to put an "I want to buy" advert I'm writing it here (if anyone knows how to do it please drop a line in my inbox).
Since the budget is not big I'm interested in: Powerlink plus or Powerlink super.
Thanks. |
Zolar-
contact Transparent and ask for Brad. He will be more than helpful in finding you the right power cord.
Happy Listening! |
Sorry I forgot to write that I'm searching for a second hand cables. That way I can get a better cable for cheaper instead of buying a new one for a full price, but thanks Jafant for that info. |
