Cables more hype than value?

P.S: Apologies for the misspelling of your screen name.

Regards,
-- Al

Mr D- Every cable/wire in your system is important. Between every component; your signal is transferred and there are a plethora of nuances that can be lost and have a profound effect on your presentation. Imagine viewing a very high-def 3D movie, through a number of glass panes. If one of those panes was dirty or otherwise distorted the image: would it matter which one? I fully agree with Almarg about ditching the optical cable. One caveat there: don't buy a digital cable shorter than 1.5M(digital reflections being the demon to avoid there). My last was a Kimber Orchid, which if I were to ever need one again, I'd try to find. An inexpensive starting point would be the more basic Kimber, Analysis Plus or Synergistic Research lines of interconnects & speaker cables, just to see if your system will resolve the differences. The Cable Company can provide good advice(based on your components) and sets, at a nominal rental fee, for your testing/tasting. Found here: (http://www.usedcable.com//default.aspx)

Danoroo,

I may be able to give you some insight with regards to cables. After reading your post, it looks like you are approaching the cable issue from a purely subjective standpoint. Like you say, there's no consensus, so if you want answers you'll need to take matters into your own hands. I think I can speak for the majority of people on this site when I say this how we had to do it. And we get different results due to the variety of factors involved.

The only advice I can give you is don't spend too much money until you know what you're doing. And even then, be careful.

Danoroo - some very wise advice from the posters above.

Cables are fickle and perhaps the most difficult to attain success with.

I have tried lots of cables with differing architectures and also had some amazing opportunities to get to my current cable base.

The best approach is to try to find stores that have loaners you can borrow and tryout for a week or so.

Or you can buy and return them - but there is the cost of returning to consider.

Some cables take 2-3 days to "settle" so trying to discern improvements can take at least that long.

The more affordable cables I like the look of are from Anticables, Stager Sound Systems and JW Audio. The cables I use are from KLE Innovations - but they get pricey.

For me - the right cables add great value - but the search can be frustrating.

Regards...

......I am in the cable quandary here .....I currently have Purist Audio Design 20th Anniversary cables throughout my system along with the PAD Limited Edition Power Cords. My thinking is / was the more expensive the cable the better the sound which is true in many regards but when I was looking to upgrade my speakers cables I ended up buying the Cardas Clear Beyond as going up the Purist just got ridiculously expensive. Nice cables and during this time I was moving up the Esoteric line in equipment. The Cardas Clear sound real good ..to me in this system and the my speakers also changed from Avalon's to the Sonus Faber Olympica III's ......but in my mind how can the Cardas sound better when they are about 40% less than what I paid for the Purist.....? So I an looking at changing one interconnect out one at a time and see what happens ....but the Cardas interact better than the PAD in my system for less money .....don't know