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Cable confusion

Help. Am replacing my system after 30 years. (Former system Pioneer integrated amp, Alison One Speakers, Thorens turntable, nice stuff in its day). Have chosen speakers - Wilson Audio Watt Puppies 5.1 (got a great price used); BAT Preamp; Sim Audio W-3 amp, CD player TBD (maybe a Sim or a BAT). Hard enough sorting through all these possible choices. Now I have to pick speakers cables and interconnects (interconnects need to be balanced because BAT and Sim amp are balanced). 30 years ago store would just throw cables and interconnects in. If you had driven a particularly hard bargain they'd charge you $10.00 for a 50' spool of copper wire. Now people are paying $1,000 for speaker cable (Geez my Alison Ones, which were considered fairly high end speakers at the time cost less than that). Interconnects can be equally expensive. Silver? Copper? Titanium? Read all the hype and it sounds like, if you make the wrong choice your $20,000 system ends up sounding like a transistor radio. I just want a decent speaker cable and the necessary interconnects that won't sound like crap and will cost under $1,000 for the whole shebang. Am willing to buy used or demos if it will save me some money. Can anyone help me out here? Just want a cables and interconnects that isn't going to change the sound of my pretty expensive components. Isn't that the whole point?
houndog1
tpsonic
1,092 posts
 
You might try the Straightwire Encore I or II ICs and possibly the Mapleshade speaker cables {of your choice}.
clio09
3,355 posts
 
I just purchased a pair of Alpha Core Goertz MI-2 Veracity speaker cables. They are still breaking in but even out of the box they sound very good. Considering the price was about $300 for the pair new, it is a great value. 30 day money back guarantee as well. I would encourage you to check them out.
digsmithd
913 posts
 
i am liking the acoustic zen line,the hollow gram 2,s are amasing with the sim stuff,they arent that expensive either.used audiogon,500,650,length?i used to think silver was the way to to go,i tend to lean away from silver.good quality cooper just has what it take for my music tastes,jazz-ecm,ect.
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
You don't need to spend that $1,000.00 for a bunch of cables. The law of diminishing returns does apply in that your first improvement will probably get you the greatest improvement over the stuff you find at Circuit City, Good Guys, etc. The people paying that $1,000.00 are paying that extra 300-500 dollars for perhaps another 10% improvement.

There is a company that will lend you cables. You have to call them to inquire about the lending library. You can find them at www.fatwyre.com
jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
Houndog1, buy AntiCables from Paul Speltz. From everything I've read, they're at least very good and will get you started LISTENING TO MUSIC...after all, that's what it's about, right? If you SEARCH A-goN, you'll find lots of good info.

Months or years down the road, you can try other cables to see just how good the Antis and the new ones are. BTW, I believe the ICs are unshielded; if you live in a metropolitan area with lots of radio-frequency signals in the air, and they're all that way, you might ask Paul about shielding. BTW2, I make a twisted pair of the speakercable to reduce inductance.
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