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Cable Costs Relative to System

Since making a spread sheet with my audio system prices, I have been thinking(shocked) about my total investment in cables. My total system retails at $67,000 (Digital and analog front ends included). I purchased all of it here on Audiogon so my investment is about 50%. Of that I have about 10% invested in interconnects and cables and another 10% in Power Cables (Shunyata Hydra included). That's $13,000 worth of wire. I'm starting to question whether it might be more effective to put some of this budget into acitve components. It would take forever to listen to all possible combinations, but would like to hear others experiences with relatively high end systems and cable selection. It would seem to me that the point of diminishing returns would be reached sooner with cables than with speakers and amps. Do most of you follow the 10% "rule" for cabling? How do PCs fit into this rule? Are there any super bargain cables capable of keeping up with highly resolving electronics?
metaphysics
arthurp
37 posts
 
My system retails for $30,600 without the cables. I'm getting ready to spend $8,700 on two interconnects and a set of speaker cables. When I tried the new cables I found they elevated the whole sound of the system more than changing any one component. They offered me sound that I didn't even know my system was capable of. Down the road I'd like to change the power cords as well.

I recently sold my Hydra 4 in favor of running dedicated lines. A friend helped me and it wasn't a big job at all. I have a dedicated line and outlet for each component. The dedicated lines offered me a more natural open sound with much better range then either the PS Audio Ultimate Outlet I had or the Shunyata Hydra with a Taipan power cord (you need a 20AMP connector). The retail on the Shunyata products is $1,350. I installed the dedicated outlets using Porter Ports for a total of $200. That was by far the greatest upgrade I've ever made for the least amount of money.
highdudgeon
28 posts
 
My primary system retails for about $15,000; I actually have $8,700 into the components, and could have done better had I purchased used speakers.

Okay, nine grand should be able to buy you great sound, and this stuff is as good or better than ones I've heard costing the same or considerabally more.

I used a dedicated line, upgraded outlet, $300 worth of interconnects, stock power cords and a $50 surge protector.

If I were going to make one dramatic investment, it would be in upgrading the speakers. Sorry to be on of the naysayers, and please don't flame me, but plain, old-fashioned science does not back up most of the hoo-hah around audiophile cables and power cords (and quite a few reputatable component manufacturers will tell you as much).
rgs92
974 posts
 
Rules of thumb never work in high end. Like the saying goes, all rules are made to be broken.
brizonbiovizier
124 posts
 
I think you could have spent 10% of that and bought custom cbales and not been able to tell the difference. Active components are far more important IMHO
Ag insider logo xs@2x
aldavis
202 posts
 
Metaphysics,
Holy cow,yes you have come to your senses. My system is in the 75k range and I have spent less than 1k on cables. Cables important properties include inductance resistance and in some cases capacitance. Interconnects require shielding. Buy very pure,large gauge low inductance cables with good connecters and you are done. If retail is more than 2k-3k (used sub 50%) you are being robbed. It can be done for less than 1k. Most "high end" cable companies buy their cables from manufacturers and retail them @ 2000% profit.Any component you buy is typicaly retailed @ 5 times cost of manufacture. The reason some of thse cables make your system "sound better" despite not being low inductance,low resistance is that they actually roll off frequeny extremes making so so systems that are not flat at these frequencies more "musical". Take the money and buy better speakers or better source or room improvements.
Jim
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