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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
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
1,153 posts
 
Geoff Jair, I hate to burst your bubble, but if I had the time I could hunt down the exact quote. That is exactly what he said. 

When Monster cable came out, it was decidedly not cheap. I know: I'm old enough to remember when it came out, I bought it and compared to the lamp cord I was using, it was way more expensive. 

At the time, I did not hear significant improvement in the sound and decided that it might be because I have to continue to upgrade other parts of the system. 

I made a mistake earlier: the wires that go from the terminals to the diaphragm on the Altecs are thin, inexpensive wires. 
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
1,153 posts
 
That was supposed to be addressed to geoffkait. Spellcheck strik s again.  
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I had dinner with the Monster Cable dude, him and John Curl and Bob Crump way back when. Please note this thread is about $5K cables not $25 cables. Hel-loo! I actually made the mistake of buying Monster Cable when it first came out. The thick twisted multi-stranded copper wire in the clear see-thru jacket. The cable wars have been off and running ever since Monster and Polk Audio and Fulton cables first came out. When was that? Gotta be at least 30 years ago, maybe 35. And it appears the cable wars are still going on.

unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
1,153 posts
 
Geoffkait: you are waaaaay too emotionally involved in defending expensive cable.  Either you are a cable rep, or you need some therapeutic assistance. 

JPerry: the system is as follows:

CARTRIDGES: Koetsu Onyx; Koetsu Redwood Sugnature; Benz Micro; Grado (for my 78s)

ARM: Sumiko MMT

TURNTABLE: VPI HW MK IV with SAM

PREAMP: Beard P505, rebuilt by Jon Specter (formerly of NY Audio Labs, a blues guitarist and cousin of Al Cooper of BS&T and Highway 61 fame) with Jensen foil caps and phono stage adjusted for MC cartridges. 

AMPS: NY Audiolab version of the Julius Futterman output-transformer-less Monoblocks, the OTL3. Jon Specter converted them from pentode to triode, replaced all the caps with Jensen foils. 

CROSSOVERS: Mastering Lab, caps replaced with Jensens. 

SPEAKERS: Altec Lansing 694Cs, with accordion surround, cone, spider, voice coil and dome (in other words, all moving parts) all very recently replaced by Gabriel Sound with manufacturer specified parts provided by Great Plains Audio. 

Also:

CD PLAYER: Rega Planet

TUNER: Kenwood KT8300

RUGS: Moroccan, on the wood floor, to keep sound from splashing. The rugs are way more important than...

CABLES: standard, no name cables between table/preamp/amps, Monster to the speakers but Geoffkait is inspiring me to get off my butt, run down to the local hardware store, buy some lamp wire and stick it in there for Ss&Ks, just to annoy him. 

DOG: a Spitz named Mitsy. She's an audiophile too. A) She better be if she wants her food. B) she knows where the sweet spot is. Good Mitsy! Here's your treat! C) she howls when I play the overture to The Who's Tommy, and some other records too, but that one especially. Adds to the mood somehow.  John Specter says that's because she hears things captured by the recording that the recording engineers couldn't hear - and that you or I can't hear - and that my system is able to reveal. 

geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
"You are too emotionally involved in defending expensive cable. Either you are a cable rep, or you need some therapeutic assistance."

I'm not defending expensive cables. Try taking a reading comprehension course sometime. You appear to be in over your head.


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