Cheapest but good cables….


Ok, I’m setting up a little system, a Benchmark AHB2 and DAC3 HGC. I had old Kimber cables laying around but they are going to be too short. These are from 15 years ago and I’m sure they were good and expensive. However, I’ve been a bit skeptical about speaker cables and interconnects and was going to ask here if it’s all BS but I see an older thread where almost everybody agrees that quality cables are extremely important - duh, more money!

I don’t want to go overboard on twelve foot speaker cables but I don’t want to sell myself short neither after splashing out way more than I intended to on this system.

im looking for recommendations for the cheapest cables that I’ll barely hear a difference when comparing to expensive cables.

thanks in anticipation

thomastrouble

I usually use Mogami too, but I lashed out on some of this:
 

Of course you need to dress the ends yourself… exactly the same as using Mogami.
I think that the Benchmark has SpeakOn connectors??
If so Neutrik SpeakOn is easy, and their stuff is nice to work with.

I am not sure that the cotton is better than Mogami, but it gives you some other option to consider.

I went for cotton as there is no teflon and a lower dielectric constant than the plastic insulation. So I considered it like a po-man’s battery biased AQ speaker cable… Just rather than a battery, I am using a dielectric with does not polarise.

Flat speaker cables? Nordost. 
Interconnects that you can hid under the rug? Balanced BlueJeans. I actually prefer them to Mogami as they’re slightly more laid back and are less harsh. Mogami Studio Gold XLRs were ok but not great in my system with benchmark dac3 hgc. 

Just buy the cheapest Morrow ICs that are long enough for your use. They lay flat and are transparent enough.

The Micca cables Lak mentions in the above referenced thread are worth try.

I've been running a 6' pair at the computer since mid October, 2022.

It's not a high end  system, but it's a nice sounding nearfield setup.

I've used Kimber 4VS and 4TC speaker cable with the same components in the past and prefer the inexpensive Micca cable.

This was older Kimber (Gray/Black and Blue/Black - I think).

I purchased a 12' pair to try in the living room system, but have to add binding posts to the speaker cabinets before doing so (I currently use 47 Labs OTA cable soldered directly to wide band single drivers).

 

DeKay