2. cables
  3. 1104460335

Need Good Advice - Speaker Cable

I have an Audio Refinement Complete driving Soliloquy 5.0 monitors and a Rotel 855 CDP. I've had them a year hooked up with well seasoned original Monster Cables. The last couple of months, I've been auditioning speaker cables to get rid of some grime in the highs and some thinness to some vocals.

The system with my Monsters is actually quite pleasureable. It has a vibrant, room filling, holographic kind of quality that is very exciting even at low levels. Bass is very good and the midrange can really be wonderful with terrific tone and color to the music. Highs can be very transparent also.

I've now tried in my system Transparent Audio The Wave 100 (lifeless and veiled sounding), Analysis Plus Oval 12 (pretty good resolution and good purity, but too rolled off sounding, not exciting), Mapleshade Golden Helix (amazing stuff really, very pure high end, a bit too bright, some sibilance and some nasality to vocals). Just received and now listening to Monster Cable Z-1 (it has the expansive Monster sound that I'm used too, fair resolution, decent bass, but some grime in the midrange so far).

Almost everything has a cleaner high end than my old Monster's, but nothing is as exciting, enjoyable and colorful as they are. I was thinking of trying a low to mid priced Nordost cable next.

This business of testing cables is still fun, but I'm not sure when/where it will end. Can someone who is familiar with my experiences give me some direction?

Thanks,
Chris
ssglx
donbellphd
205 posts
 
Are you guys kidding us? Could you really distinguish any of the above mentioned speaker cables in a double blind test from 12 - 14 AWG zip cord?

db
irvrobinson
295 posts
 
Larryb, I have a set of AQ Midnights, and they sound no different than zip cord on a rather expensive system. Not a bit, but they are cool-looking. I don't use 'em - they sit in a cabinet. If the AQ's did sound "tube-like" that would probably mean they were rolling off the high and low frequencies and adding even-order harmonic distortion. How could this possibly happen? I certainly don't have a clue.
ssglx OP
203 posts
 
You know, I've been in and out of audio for 30+ years, starting with small advents and a Pioneer receiver. I don't listen to much live music, but I know what I like in sound reproduction. When I got the monsters 20+ years ago I could tell a big difference in the sound, and I liked it. I changed out my entire system a year ago and have enjoyed it and listened to it alot, and TUNED it to my liking with positioning, room treatment, various materials under the speakers, and various fills for the stands. Most of these changes produced a huge difference in the way things sounded to me, no question. When I started to try different wire and cable, I heard huge changes again in the sound and enjoyment of the system. Some good and some not good.

I used to A/B stuff alot in audio shops in my teens, that WAS a waste of time, and it'll drive you crazy. No substitute to spending time with the components to see which one you enjoy more.

Additionally, I certainly AM trying to tune my system, and I am being quite successful.

I just needed to get that off my chest...now I feel better...Thanks

Now, I'm going to look for comparisons between Goertz MI-2 and MI-2 Pythons before I order one of those up to try out.

Chris
dragon1952
181 posts
 
QUOTEAre you guys kidding us? Could you really distinguish any of the above mentioned speaker cables in a double blind test from 12 - 14 AWG zip cord?QUOTE

Double blind, schmuble blind! I get so tired of hearing this statement. After starting with Canare star quad 4S11 and switching to my Olympus Audio Demeters I noticed a huge improvement. After a few weeks I switched back just to make sure and the 4S11 sounded pretty darn nice. Then I switched back again and the difference was evident. Double blind test is flawed big time. Listen to both for several weeks and then switch. Then switch back again. If there is a difference it will be obvious.
irvrobinson
295 posts
 
Dragon1952, I haven't heard anyone here advocate DBTs. Having participated in a couple, I don't like them and find them annoying. No value add. On the other hand, some of us can't hear any differences between well-designed cables, and I don't know what a "huge improvement" sounds like, but in your post sounds like the usual hyperbole. Electrically, almost nothing is better than 10 gauge zip cord with closely-spaced conductors.
More to discover