2. cables
  3. 1175807081

The Cost of Cables

We all know that there have been countless posts with endless debates about cables on every audio forum available. The reason I start this post is to garner thoughts from others on the cost of cables, not necessarily whether they make a difference or not. I find the prices for cables staggering and I (me personally) do not understand where the cost comes from. Some will say R&D, ok, I can go for that to a point, but can the manufacturing of wire really cost much? (In thinking about this, the discussion could be applied to audio as a whole.)

Obviously cable companies survive because we purchase their products, I include myself. But if we quit paying these large prices, would prices fall dramatically or would they just quit making cables such as we know it and/or close their doors?
brianmgrarcom
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
04-06-07: Brianmgrarcom

The question is not whether they make a difference or not but rather why do they cost as they do. What makes the more expensive ones, more expensive?


Sigh......because people WANT them to be more expensive. Simple, basic economics of supply and demand. Human psychology 101: 'who has the biggest johnson?'.
If you're looking for something deeper than that, you will be sadly mistaken.

Brian, if you were a cable manufacturer, and your potential customers told you that they wanted a pair of $10,000 speaker cables, would you make them $10,000 speaker cables, or tell them they are nuts and offer them $500 speaker cables? If you chose the latter, you are missing the boat, and will not make it in the cable business. ;^)

John
jeff_jones
418 posts
 
Nrchy - Understood :).
calloway
874 posts
 
john..with your obvious complete understanding of 'human psychology 101'..you should begin making audio cables immediately.i am sure you would be a huge success and make millions off the 'potential customers' that surely exist in the thousands ready to buy the most expensive cables you could make....just to have them...never mind if they were good or not.
Post removed 
newbee
4,767 posts
 
Just an observation in support of John and Tvad re cost equals value. Poster signs in with a system which is known by critical listeners to be unspectatular, i.e. not exceptionally resolved/detailed etc. Wants a recommendation for speaker cable. Told that some Canare at cents for the foot are good benchmark cables, he takes offense and wants 'real cables'. You know, those ones that the guys use with their expensive well though out systems which have been properly set up. What I have learned is that when someone asks about cables the only thing he doesn't want to hear has to do with money management v sound. :-)
More to discover