What's your investment threshold?
This question only goes out to those like myself who enjoy the system gains running better cables bring. Non-believers can save their money and comments for another thread.
Do you impose on yourself a percentage range for cable spending relative to other components?
Speaking for myself, I do consider cables to be a component decision worthy of budget, but I seem to have stayed in the 10-30% range of what I've spent on other components. I can't see spending $1k for a cable on a $1k component for example. I have spent $1,500 for speaker cables for a $6k amp. That seems nearer the high end of my range but it still fits.
I realized I haven't planned this as a hard rule, but that's kind of how this has worked out for me over time. Anyone out there think a much higher percentage is justified? I won't argue because these improvements are worth all the enjoyment you can get, so more power to you.
The basic premise of these being “investments” is wrong. these are all expenses, not invest,ents I disagree. Per Wikipedia: In general, to invest is to allocate money (or sometimes another resource, such as time) in the expectation of some benefit in the future. The expected benefit for a financial investment is money. The expected benefit for an audio investment is improved sound. I invest both money and time toward getting better sound. |
I think you can't mention the used cable scene enough…I doubt I would have bought a solid silver Audioquest sp/dif cable for my DAC at full price, but found one (years ago now) for cheap on Ebay. Same with a lot of other cables I own bought at 50% or more off the list price, and all in pristine condition. |
My cables total about 30% of total system cost. Almost everything used or demo, so I don’t hunk it’s a fair comparison 30% seems like a lot but I follow my ears. They told me to buy Nordost power cables after having bought Nordost ICs (Frey 1 and Heimdall 2) all round and speaker cables (they are acoustic zen holograms). As long as I hear the difference and they fit within my mid-fi construct, I’m there. So a $300 Nordost Vishnu and a $400 Frey IC and a $300 Heimdall 2 digital all connected to my $600 Marantz SA8004 CD player seems perfectly natural. Yes, it’s a disease. |
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