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Buying speaker cables on-line: Is this advisable?

I am in the market to upgrade my speaker cables for my system and will definitely be interested in considering used cables because of cost savings.  I've started doing a considerable amount of research on selecting cables and it's very possible that I will buy the cables on-line.  The dilemma I have is being able to see/hear all of these different cables that I am considering before making a decision.  Are there certain questions I should be asking about performance or construction when making a decision?  I have a solid state amplifier, Ayre AX-5 twenty.  Are there certain types of cables that perform better with solid state amplifiers?  Is there a way of getting performance information from manufactures like MIT, Purist, Kimber, etc?   Is there is any situation in which one could consider purchasing cables without first hearing them in a system.  Any and all thoughts are welcome as I continue this journey.  Many thanks.
phono27
jond's avatar
jond
5,911 posts
 
Buying used is a good way to go with cables in general if you buy right you can always resell and move on to something new with little or no loss.
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
All the hype and opinions about speaker wire is just that - hype and opinions! No hard engineering data to prove that cable A is somehow better than cable B. It's all "my golden ears told me it is so'. The whole wire business is a clever marketing ploy to befuddle and snare the gullible and unwary! 
jetter
3,052 posts
 
Note that Blue Jeans Cable assembles several gauges of Belden and one gauge of Canare for speaker cables. They are quite different in their sonic presentation. I prefer the Canare over Belden, but am using older Alpha Core Goertz cables at this time.

Its been said too many times, and I’m not sure what it really implies, but chances are that 90% of the rock, blues or soul music you listen to was recorded in a studio using Belden, Canare or Mogami cables. " A fiddler on the roof, a most unlikely sight. It might not mean a thing, but then again it might!"
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
another concept to bear in mind here is that the smaller the signal, the farther it needs to travel, the more important the cable carrying it will be

at the extremes, for example -- low output moving coil cartridge output traveling through tonearm then interconnect cable to your phono stage ... you can really hear the impact of different wire

otoh, short run (6-8-10-12 ft) of speaker cable driven by a good amp... not so much impact (or you need very tonally imbalanced wire to hear a difference)
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
Check out the recent thread with comments about the Cable Company.

Cables on Audiogon and the other selling site are less expensive than on usedcable website.

Unless you're working with a dealer and buying new, and unless that dealer has a range of manufacturers and is willing to lend out, your options are limited.

First, decide on a price range for a given length.

Then read several threads etc. on the relevant cables.

Be warned: for every 10 posts you will find 18 different recommendations.

When you get a sense of what interests you, look for a good deal.  Hifishark is a good way of checking prices.

OR... you could look at Ayre's own, which I believe are based on Cardas.
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