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Who thinks $5K speaker cable really better than generic 14AWG cable?

I recently ordered high end speaker, power amp, and preamp to be installed in couple more weeks. So the next search are interconnect and speaker cable. After challenging the dealer and 3 of my so called audiophile friends, I think the only reason I would buy expensive cable is for its appearance to match with the high end gears but not for sound performance. I personally found out that $5K cable vs $10 cable are no difference, at least not to our ears. Prior to this, I was totally believe that cable makes a difference but not after this and reading few articles online.

Here is how I found out.

After the purchase of my system, I went to another dealer to ask for cable opinion (because the original dealer doesn't carry the brand I want) and once I told him my gears, he suggested me the high end expensive cable ranging from $5 - 10K pair, depending on length. He also suggested the minimum length must be 8-12ft. If longer than 12ft, I should upgrade to even more expensive series. So I challenged him that if he can show me the difference, I would purchase all 7 AQ Redwood cables from him.

It's a blind test and I would connect 3 different cables - 1 is the Audioquest Redwood, 1 is Cardas Audio Clear, and 1 my own generic 14AWG about 7ft. Same gears, same source, same song..... he started saying the first cable sound much better, wide, deep, bla...bla...bla......and second is decently good...bla...bla...bla.. and the last one sounded crappy and bla...bla...bla... BUT THE REALITY, I NEVER CHANGED THE CABLE, its the same 14AWG cable. I didn't disclosed and move on to second test. I told him I connected audioquest redwood but actually 14AWG and he started to praise the sound quality and next one I am connected the 14awg but actually is Redwood and he started to give negative comment. WOW!!!! Just blew me right off.

I did the same test with 3 of my audiophile friends and they all have difference inputs but no one really got it right. Especially the part where I use same generic 14awg cable and they all start to give different feedback!!!

SO WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? OR I AM THE LAST PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT EXPENSIVE CABLE JUST A RIP OFF?
sautan904
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,928 posts
 
I'd love to see this kind of discussion at the next big audio show. Bring all the wise cracking and insults and own it, on the floor, in front of everyone and I'll just watch and laugh. 

Someone needs to call a priest to perform last rites on this thread.

All the best,
Nonoise
zephyr24069's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
zephyr24069
1,244 posts
 
2channel8 / nonoise: great posts!

Randy: try again,...no liberal arts major here, quite the opposite actually a couple times over in very deep technical areas.   I will say for the record that many of the most open, logical, truly creative and free-thinking people I've worked with in the high-tech world over the last 30+ years had liberal arts majors originally so I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. It's not about what's on your diploma or where you went to school or what grades you got while you had the luxury to focus on one and only one thing (usually at someone else's expense unless you are like many of us who had to work full-time to pay for university degrees) as opposed to dealing with the rigors and realities of the world, it's about how you think, how you unwrap and solution a problem, how you recover from mistakes in that process and how you truly create versus simply regurgitate info.  

Ever heard the analysis of college degrees (joke);

B.S. = bull&*^%
M.S. = More&^%$
Ph.D.=Piled Higher and Deeper
*obviously meant as a JOKE, hoping that nobody like many of us with these degrees takes offense, please! 

I'm diverging heavily here and don't mean to send things down a rathole but frankly, type of college degree (or none at all) or GPA, etc...has NOTHING to do with a person's skillset. I've fired very well-credentialed high-scoping non-liberal arts majors who simply could not think let alone play well with others....

At any rate,....back to the thread.  I'd pray to find low cost cables that sound as good as what I have and hope all you anti-high cost cables guys are right; I'd switch in a heartbeat long term and reclaim lost funds gladly and stop the agony over next best cable and how to afford them!!!  Time for more double-blinds :-) !!!
 
chrisr's avatar
chrisr
543 posts
 
I found the low-cost wire you are looking for: canare 4s8, full range config.
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jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
4,220 posts
 
Nowadays technology improves my friend who has 20yrs audio experience, he bought Elac b6, integrated amp used outlaw integrated, clear day cables, old Oppo DVD with Sacd $60 worth.not even 1k but it's musically involving, I go to axpona annually so many expensive systems, they sound loud, but no music, it's not the cost but your ability and experience, Robert Harley is right.
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