Nikolas Topaloglou Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 So, most of you suggest cheap copper cables. Don't you think that the good speaker cables are more neutral, and a significant part of the system?? As well as the interconnects and power cords? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 I like the cables mentioned in post #9 by forum member minermark. They are 10 ga. copper, color coded for phase consistency, and only 85 cents per foot. May try some myself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 So, most of you suggest cheap copper cables. Don't you think that the good speaker cables are more neutral, and a significant part of the system?? As well as the interconnects and power cords? Actually, high quality copper cable, not cheap copper cable as cheap cable tends to oxidize. I like Mogami speaker wire and mic cable for interconnects. Same stuff that was used to record the music in the first place. There is also another cable called "kord" that I will try on my next install. http://www.knukonceptz.com/mobile-audio/speaker-wire/kord-speaker-wire/ Now if you mean "cheap" as opposed to $1,000 and up cables, then yes, cheap, vey cheap in terms of price, but much higher value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Morbius Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 10 gauge zip……..that's what I use and it's great. I've used others and they are all the same unless you go pure silver - and it's still not that much of a difference, at least to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Never had a zip cord oxidize. As I mentioned above, PWK based his recommendation on such science as he understood it as well as his lab listening tests. Given the high efficiency of the Klipschorn he felt that gauge wasn't an issue. If the zip cord could handle a 100 want lamp, it could handle all ever thrown at a Klipschorn. Made sense to me when he explained it and I've never been shown or heard any proof that it isn't the case. As I always say, I can't know what YOU (or anyone else) hears and will never argue with it. But for me and my house, zip cord works great and an added benefit is that it's so much easier to get on binding posts and such than large gauge stuff. If throwing money at it somehow eases your psyche and hedges your bets, go for it! Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 Home Depot use to sell 12 ga zip cord with a clear cover, it always oxidized after a while. This was in the 1990s. It was also made of very fien strands that easily broke off when stripping. The stuff was not cheap either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0614/dana_cable_braided_onyx_speaker_cables.htm Gingko has a fascinating video on their site demonstrating the dampening factor of their slinky black Dana weave cables versus a typical thin big-box retail stereo cable! The demo shows a waveform as good as no cable at all between the amplifier and the loudspeaker. In addition to the visual proof on the scope, the video has a listening test too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) the video has a listening test too. OK, I'll bite. How does this listening test work? Followed the link but it just provided a white screen and wouldn't refresh. Dave Edited January 12, 2015 by Mallette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikolas Topaloglou Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 I am using the mogami 3082 speaker cable, which is fairly good, for the price. My question is, if you have speakers that cost $15000 and amplifier which costs even more, are you ok with cheap but good cables? The expensive cables will add something to the overall performance of the system? Or this is a myth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tromprof Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 One mans myth is another mans religion. I don't buy into the expensive cable idea, decent 12 gauge copper is good enough for me. I don't hear an appreciable difference. If you can hear the difference and the price is ok with you go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 I am using the mogami 3082 speaker cable, which is fairly good, for the price. My question is, if you have speakers that cost $15000 and amplifier which costs even more, are you ok with cheap but good cables? The expensive cables will add something to the overall performance of the system? Or this is a myth? I can't say anything is or isn't a myth. I had a similar amp and speakers (that if 'prettied up by the factory) that would have cost similar. I'm using some TAD drivers..... and I am perfectly content with my 12g low voltage wire.....perfectly content. I once had some fancy wire given to me by a guy I befriended. He wanted to give me a gift so he gave me this (if I recall) 5 strand (of stranded) wire. I'm guessing it was 6 or 8 gauge. Stuff was thick, VERY flexible because of the multiple strands.... He said it was the bees knees and the cats meow of speaker wire.... I installed it, WANTING to hear a difference....any difference. For my tired old ears, it didn't sound any better (nor any worse) than the zip I was using. I don't know the brand of the fancy wire, I put it on ebay and sold it with no reserve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eth2 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) the video has a listening test too. OK, I'll bite. How does this listening test work? Followed the link but it just provided a white screen and wouldn't refresh. Dave It demonstrates how quiet the line is. Geez, do I have to explain everything? Edited January 13, 2015 by eth2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdross1 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 My .02 worth, in all my near 60 yrs. of experimenting with audio have used about every type of speaker wire that would fit the lugs, even what could be considered welding cables. Never running more than 30' to any speaker probably is the reason for never hearing any noticeable difference in sound no matter what wired things together. All our wire is no less than 16 gauge but monster wire non the less,just because it makes me feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 My question is, if you have speakers that cost $15000 and amplifier which costs even more, are you ok with cheap but good cables? The expensive cables will add something to the overall performance of the system? Or this is a myth? It is a myth as far as I'm concerned. The cost of the equipment is irrelevant. I've conducted blind listening tests (using K-horns among others) using all kinds of wire for the connection, and have never found costly cables to be better than anything else. In fact, I'm reminded of one test where the listener actually said that twisted #20 bell wire sounded best to his ears. With very high efficiency speakers, if the runs are relatively short (no more than 6-8 meters), some #16 zip (lamp) cord will be as good as anything else. Just be sure to keep the speaker wires away from the AC power cords to prevent their picking up anything from the powerline. Maynard 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivervalleymgb Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The most expensive wire I have used is silver-plated 12 ga copper. I hated it. I made up wires using two CAT 5e cables wound around each other to eliminate noise and cross talk. A little bit of work to do, but I can't say I heard any difference. I use 12 ga zip cord marked with a stripe down one side for polarity all the time now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cut-Throat Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The most critical specification of speaker cables is Length. If they are not long enough to reach your speaker from the amplifier, you will not hear anything! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minermark Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Good wire/cable should: 1. Be soft, pliable. 2. multi - strand. 3. Thick. 4. Coating should be impervious to abuse. 5. A reasonable cost per foot. 6. Make you feel warm and fuzzy. http://www.knukonceptz.com/mobile-audio/speaker-wire/kord-speaker-wire/sp/kord-ultra-flex-10-gauge-speaker-wire/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parlophone1 Posted January 14, 2015 Share Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) Interesting reading here. I apologize if breaking the rules (please feel free to delete the post if so), but my (newbie) question here would be if the same advice regarding speaker cables would be valid for RF speaker series. I run my 42s with some standard Cambridge Audio cables. Can I expect any difference in the quality of sound with some other cables mentioned here (i.e. Kord Ultra Flex 10)? Edited January 14, 2015 by parlophone1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer9911 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Just curious, has anyone tried or using the Klipsch Palladium or Reference cables with their Heritage....any thoughts\opinions on these cables....thanks.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) So, most of you suggest cheap copper cables. Don't you think that the good speaker cables are more neutral, and a significant part of the system?? As well as the interconnects and power cords? Hello TOPALOGLOU and welcome to the forum! Also, Hello too you parlophone1 and boomer9911. To make this as simple as possible, Paul Wilbur Klipsch said there is no such thing as High Fidelity. Something either has fidelity or it does not... Does this make sense to you??? Therefore, your speaker wire and interconnects either have fidelity or they do not... Are you with me so far?? You cannot make a system sound better than the signal sent to it, ie; we cannot increase the fidelity of the signal, only deteriorate or add to the signal that which was not there before. Therefore, as long as you are running wire of sufficient gauge for the length needed for the run, we cannot improve upon this signal. High end speaker wires and interconnects often use capacitance in line wich can soften the sound and some may find the difference pleasing to the ear, make no mistake, this change in the signal path is NOT fidelity!!! I own over $4,000 in interconnects of one type from a company and I have the same brand two models cheaper and the cheaper interconnects sound better! I also have silver plated 10 Guage stranded pure copper wire with gold plated spade connectors and it sounds no better on TSCMs, Klipschorns or LaScalas than 14 Gauge stranded pure copper zip cord type wire. Spend your money on music or upgrading something else in your system, patch cords and speaker wires are myths that someone can make a lot of profit off of you by pulling a fast one on you. Roger Edited January 26, 2015 by twistedcrankcammer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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