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Is High End Cable Really Worth It and What Brand

Hello. My system is almost complete. I'm just waiting for the Dynaudio Center to arrive and my McIntosh AV system will be up and running. The dealer wants me to change out my speaker cable (which I paid a lot for), claiming I will get much better performance out of the dynaudio speakers. The cable I bought (from another dealer) was expensive, but not by the standards of what I'm being told I need. Any advice here would be most appreciated. Is it worth $500.00 of cable? I don't want to have things just for the concept. I will pay if the results are real. I just don't know. Thanks for your advice.
jsdk
jdombrow
371 posts
 
I can't recommend a particular cable for your system, but if you're unsure, get him to loan you several cables to audition. Do the same at a few other local stores so you get a variety of cables, and then decide for yourself. Do some research (here, or on Audio Asylum) and then set a price range.

If you don't think they make a difference, don't spend the money. There are some very good cables available without breaking the bank. Or you could try the DIY route, and build your own.

Good luck and have fun.

JD
theo's avatar
theo
2,666 posts
 
Good advice from JD, but I must add YES they do make a difference. I have gone from Monster to Tara to Audio Quest to Audio Majic and now Cardas. Ironically I wanted to buy Cardas years ago but didn't due to the investment.
But I must add that I would not fully appreciate the Cardas had I not taken the route I took.
AudioGon is a great place to find cables once you make a decision.
Happy Hunting
mwilson
430 posts
 
You never "need" what you can't hear. If a dealer is so sure about your needs, they will offer you an in-home audition. If they aren't so sure, I wouldn't be either.
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
Jsdk:

The choice of speaker cables for one's system is a frequent topic here on Audiogon, and there are many threads available in the A-gon archive. I suggest you spend a bit of time and look at some of the posts about speaker cables made over the past 1-2 years.

You can find the "search" box for the audio archive at the bottom of the page that comes up when you click on "More Chat" at the bottom of the discussion forum section.

Two moderately priced (by high-end standards) speaker cables that I have found to work well with almost all systems are the Kimber Kable 8TC and 4TC, and the Alpha-Core Goertz MI2 Veracity. You will find these two cables mentioned in many of the archived threads, but there are many other choices as well that might serve you well.

The previous suggestion to audition cables in your own system, in your own home, is excellent advice. Ultimately, you should trust your own ears -- you may or may not hear much audible difference between cables, and if you can't hear the difference, don't spend the money.
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