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
Note: All written below with the intent of humor, particularly at the end!

"Rolex & Timex, both tell time correctly..."; personally I do NOT like Rolex or other 'big balls on my wrist/matcho watches" type of watches but that's neither here nor there & is clearly a personal preference.  I tend more towards the more traditional Rados, Movados, etc and would love to own a (even used) Patek some day but you just cannot (IMHO in the long-run) compare the correctness of timekeeping and "likely to still work in 20+years" aspects of commodity watches (Timex, lower-end Bulova, Citizen, etc.. and others including Fossil (I've owned several of all 4 brands) and the vast collection of inexpensive bauble fashion watches out there in terms of build quality, etc...Go to the mall; it seems like every fashion brand out there now somehow magically knows how to match watches too.  I know in many cases mechanical movements are gone and the digital ones internally are in, but watch how the clasp, band, case, etc...hold up, how many of them (not all) either lose time or gain time after the 1 or more years, etc...and then compare against a better watch. In many (NOT ALL!) cases you get what you pay for. Both my wife and i have been through as has my son and the number of 'inexpensive' watches we've had to have fixed or discarded because the cost of fixing them exceeds what it took to buy them initially, is a very long list.

Here are the humor-laden intended bits below!

See,...I've gone and done "it" above; same problem as these damned cable threads. We will never solve or close down or win these things. They simply clutter up (which I've helped do here!) the forums. We all try to justify what we spend, or don't spend, do/don't believe accordingly; it's all subjective and there is no right or wrong.

Everybody who like higher-cost cables, let's all go ahead and keep using them and "STFU".

Everyone who wants to use lampshade wire, stock cords or good quality stock 10, 12, 14 or whatever gauge (which exists by the way) from Home Depot or Lowe's or GE, Westinghouse or anyone else, go ahead and keep on using them and "STFU".

In short, let's stop beating the crap out of each other with the same ole' threads with different subject lines and different content shall we?

Clearly,...ROTFLMAO, have a great day/night everyone!


The problem is that gullible consumers are being taken advantage of by fraudsters.

OTOH, if you have electrostatics, then you really can use over-priced speaker cables as very expensive tone controls.


"The problem is that gullible consumers are being taken advantage of by fraudsters".

As always Caveat Emptor.

OTOH, some pretty good systems, will never be great without the right wire, because some cheerleader convinced them that wire was wire. Just buy what you enjoy, pretty simple.

  • "OTOH, some pretty good systems, will never be great without the right wire, because some cheerleader convinced them that wire was wire. Just buy what you enjoy, pretty simple."
    It's MUCH cheaper to worship at the Altar of Mediocrity(don't even have to tithe)!


I've got news for all of you cable addicts. 

The founder of Monster Cable said he realized that audio nuts would pay a fortune for "high end audio cable" so he founded a company based on that premise, creating products to meet this demand. He says that in reality the expensive cable makes little to no difference in the overall sound. You might as well use lamp chord. 

Audio dealers and manufacturers these days are just a hustle, thanks no doubt in part to extreme income inequality. 

For example, I saw a pair of speakers in an audio showroom whose cabinet size was suspiciously similar to mine. I walked over to get a closer look. They were claimed to be a one-off by Shindo. The asking price was $33K. I asked the dealer if the driver - plainly visible, no grill cloth - was the old Altec Lansing 604C. He hemmed and hawed for a bit but I put my foot down and said that I have a pair of 604Cs at home and I am 200% certain these drivers are the very same. My speakers, with cabs and the Mastering Lab crossovers cost $3.3K, not $33K!

He relented and by that time I had attracted a crowd. 

Some poor sucker bought these speakers a week later. 

Btw, the wires that connect the crossovers to the speaker terminals in the otherwise still fantastic sounding 694Cs - hey, good enough for Shindo - is definitely not $1K per foot. Cheap, very thin copper wire.