Speaker Cable

[hdrider_64]

I just bought a RF-7 system. You guys probably already know it includes two RF-7 floorstanders, RC-7 center, Two RS-7 surrounds and the RSW-15 sub. It is powered by the Yamaha RXV-3800 and will be hooked to a 65" Mitsubishi Diamond Vision. I called Monster to get a quote on cables and i got a quote for $2100! This is for the top of the line M1000 cable. I am not an audiophile, i just want to enjoy some really good sound for movies and some music. Will i be happy with a less expensive Monster cable or is there another brand I should be looking at? THanks a lot for any help you can give me.

[Islander]

Monster cable is not good value, since they seem to spend more on advertising than on research. The stores like them, though, because they're a high-profit item. Try Monoprice, Blue Jeans or Knukonceptz. All of them sell good cable at economical prices.

For surround speakers, which usually need long cables, but carry less critical signals than the front and centre speakers, a roll of 12 gauge cable from Home Depot could fill the bill.

[hdrider_64]

I appreciate your response. I just didnt want to spend money on a cheaper cable and then wind up thinking the sound was horrible and have to buy the expensive ones in the long run. Thanks again. Any more advice?

[jheis]

All the info you need is here:

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

James

[hdrider_64]

Thanks for that link James

[Islander]

Forum members are happily using all three of the brands I recommended. Check their websites and see what properly-priced quality cable can cost. Size is as important as brand. 14 gauge is a minimum, 12 is preferred, and you can go bigger if you want.

My system has some fairly good components in it, and I'm using a variety of brands, from Knukonceptz to Mogami to Home Depot. All of them sound good where they're being used. Spending lots of money on cable is no guarantee of getting great sound, but at least with the cheaper stuff, you can afford to try another brand if you don't like the first one.

I didn't want to feel that I'd compromised on the speaker wire, so I got some 8 gauge Karma Kable from Knukonceptz, and liked it enough that I then bought 10 gauge Karma Kable to power the tweeters when I converted to a bi-amp setup. At only $1.65 a foot, the 8 gauge Karma Kable is a real bargain. And it really looks the business...

[hdrider_64]

what kinds of connectors did you use Pat? And is it ok to use the heavier guage wire on the short distances such as to the center speaker and sub?

[wuzzzer]

what kinds of connectors did you use Pat? And is it ok to use the heavier guage wire on the short distances such as to the center speaker and sub?

It is ok, but not really necessary.

I'd suggest going to http://www.monoprice.com and checking out their speaker wire. Even if you buy their premium wire, you'll probably spend less than $100 total.

Use bare wire to connect the speakers for best results. If you move your speakers around a lot or change out your receiver/amplifier a lot you can use banana plugs or spade connectors. Otherwise there's really no need for any kind of special connector.

[MoparBob]

Yes look at Blurjean cables they sell Belden and Canare cable they are the ones that you will find in tv and radio stations. You will find them in recoarding studios. Belden is the king and every one will ask if it's as good as Belden. Their are both very good and no hype

[Islander]

what kinds of connectors did you use Pat? And is it ok to use the heavier guage wire on the short distances such as to the center speaker and sub?

I use various types of connectors. The BFA bananas are good because they have a larger contact area than regular bananas, which contact only at the widest part of the banana, like the middle of a leaf spring, which is what they are. The BFA (British Federation of Audio) connectors are cylindrical, so the contact area is much longer.

For the older Heritage speakers, they have a barrier strip type of connection on the crossover, so they use a special narrow spade connector.

Bare wire is good, too, but it can loosen over time and can be really tricky to connect to the back of a receiver with lots of speaker outputs. Spades can also be tricky to connect to the back of an AV receiver. Bananas (regular or BFA) are probably the most convenient in that circumstance.

As for wire size, as long as it can be hooked up, it's not too big, but the shorter the run, the less you need big wire. 12 gauge is plenty for most use, for short or long runs, and it will fit most connectors.

[willland]

I called Monster to get a quote on cables and i got a quote for $2100!

Great system. You not only will hear the sound, you will feeeel it. Please don't waste your hard earned $$$ on Monster(boutique) speaker wire. Go to HD and get a roll/rolls of 14 gauge copper speaker wire and come out with $2050.00 left in your pocket.

http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Wire-Cable/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5Zbm7v/R-100535110/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

For a custom install(in wall/ceiling) this is a great product but it will cost you a bit more but only 20% of the cost of the Monster cable and I will bet equal to the performance.

http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Wire-Cable/Structured-Cable-Products/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xr5Zbm7vZ436/R-100655116/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

With the $2050 or $1700 you still have to spend on your system, go buy a high-current multichannel amp and treat that RF-7 system to the needed juice it deserves.

http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?amps50ch&1260670845

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampsmult&1261344661&/Ati2505-Great-Theater-5-Channe

http://cgi.videogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?amps50ch&1259867786

If you really want your system to sing, look at these.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampsmult&1260556199&/ATI-3007-Monster-300w-x-7ch---

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampsmult&1260078720&/Aragon-3005-Power-Amplifier-30

I you must have new gear, look at this.

http://emotiva.com/xpa5.shtm

I know you did not ask for all these suggestions but I think on this forum you will be urged to spend your $$$ a little wiser.

Bill

[phatchef]

check out accessoriesforless.com

[seti]

Buy some inexpensive cables and ic's. Then buy some higher priced cable used on audiogon. Try them both and see if you can tell a difference. I did this and couldn't tell a difference. That being said I liked the higher priced TMC cable just because it looked better not because it sounded better or even different. Now if you have interference then use some cables with shielding.

[psg]

I appreciate your response. I just didnt want to spend money on a cheaper cable and then wind up thinking the sound was horrible and have to buy the expensive ones in the long run. Thanks again. Any more advice?

You won't regret monoprice for :

- speaker wire, especially inwall 12 AWG.

- banana plug are fine by me, but need to be very tight.

- HDMI cable is amazing quality and dirt cheap

- TV wall mounts are a thnth of the price as local stores.

- component video cables

The stereo RCA cables are so-so. They work fine, for the most part (I had one that worked intermittently when moved), but are a bit too plastic. And the connectors are so big it is sometimes difficult to connect a bunch of them side-by-side. They are dirt cheap, like a couple of dollars. I wish they had a better quality model for $5 each.