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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
jetter
3,040 posts
 
Ok, here is another way to look at it.  I am a certified public accountant, in fact one who is about to retire, which is to say I deal in numbers ad nauseam.  I can tell you that every manufacturer has a cost of his goods manufactured, which with his profit will determine the price he sells it to the retailer for, which in turn will have a relationship to the ultimate price the consumer pays. 

In all my years of being a member on A'gon I have heard every conceivable argument saying how great expensive cables are and every argument saying what a rip off they are.  Those that say the expensive cables are fantastic assume the cost is relative to or at least somewhat attributable to the better materials and R&D.  If not this, what (other than supply & demand)? 

Is there anyone here who has any idea what it really cost per foot to manufacture and have reasonable mark up for the expensive cable?  I sure don't.  If 12 gauge 99% pure copper cable cost less than $1 a foot, is the expensive cable $1.50, $5.00 $50,00 or $500 a foot?  Until someone can provide some insight into this, the question of rip off (in relation to cost of production) or not will not be answered.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
99% pure copper? Gosh, you really are naive. Besides, the uber expensivo cables usually aren't copper. Hel-loo!
jetter
3,040 posts
 
Ok Geoff, I was being lazy and didn't bother to look up the specs, here you go, costing $15:

Choice™ Series 12AWG Oxygen-Free Pure Bare Copper Speaker Wire, 50ft.  Get the most out of your home audio system with high quality, oxygen-free, pure bare copper speaker wire from Monoprice! This speaker wire features two conductors made of high purity (greater than 99.95% pure), oxygen-free bare copper. Pure Bare Copper is a superior conductor to the copper clad aluminum (CCA) conductors used in most other inexpensive speaker wire. ..

Besides, the uber expensivo cables usually aren't copper. Hel-loo!

Yes I know, silver or gold, emblazoned with magnets and graphene.  With the correct directionality marked, of course, and cryoed.


geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Jetter
Ok Geoff, I was being lazy and didn’t bother to look up the specs, here you go, costing $15:

Choice™ Series 12AWG Oxygen-Free Pure Bare Copper Speaker Wire, 50ft. Get the most out of your home audio system with high quality, oxygen-free, pure bare copper speaker wire from Monoprice! This speaker wire features two conductors made of high purity (greater than 99.95% pure), oxygen-free bare copper. Pure Bare Copper is a superior conductor to the copper clad aluminum (CCA) conductors used in most other inexpensive speaker wire. ..

Copper clad aluminum conductors in most other inexpensive speaker wire? What? Whoa! Are they smoking crack? Talk about a marketing genius!

Most high end copper wire is 99.9999% pure. The Japanese stuff is even purer. Do the math. That’s more than 100 times purer than 99.95% pure copper. Hel-loo!

Geoffkait: Besides, the uber expensivo cables usually aren’t copper. Hel-loo!

to which jitter replied,

"Yes I know, silver or gold, emblazoned with magnets and graphene. With the correct directionality marked, of course, and cryoed."

Ouch! Touché!



213runnin
914 posts
 
213runnin, I am not an attorney, but I would respectfully disagree that selling a $50 cable for $5,000 and saying it is one of the worlds best would be running afoul of any consumer laws. There will always be someone who purchased the cable who will believe it is the best, and it would take a very ignorant manufacturer who could not "dig up" a couple of extremely satisfied customers.

Now I will say I have no idea about manufacturing costs, but I think that the fact you can get 12 gauge 99% pure copper speaker wire for less than a dollar a foot, and that once you figure in the magic ingredients mixed in with the copper and any added coating to the copper, and then factor in the cost of the fancy cover and a great connector, you still have a reasonable manufacture cost per foot. I hate to say this, but how much R&D does it take to make a piece of wire? Just an opinion.

Two simple points.  One, I'm not claiming that selling a $50 cable for $5000 is against consumer laws.  I made several points, it's not clear to me whether you disagree with any of those.

Two, the kind of speaker cables we are talking about here are not simple 12 gauge copper.  Look up wireworld.com speaker cables, Audioquest, etc., and note their designs which get quite exotic.  I have no idea how much it costs them per foot to make some of those designs, care to make a guess?
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