easyeyes Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 If this horse has been beaten to death already please excuse me for this question. I am about to receive a refurbished 299A and was wondering if speaker cables sound different using tubes vs SS. I know that the ends will be different, I can't use my banana plugs. Currently I'm using some <$100 oxios cable that I picked up on sale; what can I expect in sound degradation with these cables? I do not want to put any money into cables now, I want to regroup from the holidays and the purchase/rebuilding of the 299. My plans are to change the conncectors for now and hopefully be in musical bliss at least for a while. You guys have a lot more experience with what works and what doesn't, that is why I'm soliciting your input. Thanks EE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike82 Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Do speaker cables make a difference? Yes I agree on having the 299 rebuilt first. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyeyes Posted January 8, 2003 Author Share Posted January 8, 2003 Mike82, The amp has been rebuilt and on its way to me. I guess that I shoud have worded my question better on this one, maybe I should have asked what cables do you guys recommend with tubes. With the pronounced mids/highs, I just want to get the best sound I can. EE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Why don't you make your own cables? I'm getting ready to build the Risch Cross Connect. http://www.diycable.com/catalog/products/speaker.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Bey Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 One of my big concerns with 'vintage' audio equipment is that the designers did not think about things like clearance for big fat audio cables. The terminators are closely spaced RCAs and closely spaced spade lugs. IMHO, the termination is 90% of what a cable is, in terms of quality. You may be able to put your audio nervosa to bed for a while with that vintage stuff. It just won't allow the use of garden hose size cables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Which is why I'm having Craig modify my Scott 299b with binding posts. Another option is to simply use bare wire, instead of the spades, or order the cable with small spades. With the vintage stuff, it's important to clean the contact terminals with some 1500 grit emery cloth, and then a wipe down with IPA. I also think it's a good idea to replace the screws with some nice brass panheads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 EE, Second the rec on DIY cable project. Kelly recommended it to me. My son and I had a great time building them. As far as binding posts for older gear is concerned, I'm putting the following on a Fisher X-101 when it gets back from Mike Z... You can get them many places. I ordered them from Bizzy Bee at... http://www.angelfire.com/biz/bizzyb/spealunker.html Regards, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pland Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Hi, Cardas makes some really superb spade terminations small enough to fit vintage equipment.They are designed to fit early Mac gear,but work equally well on all screw type terminals.Clean everything up,shoot a little Deoxit in the works and you're done.A very elegant solution. Best, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 cjk1026, Where else have to seen those connector besides from Paul at Bizzy bee ?? I've looked high and low . There nice in a way but worth no where near 6.95 a piece. I would love to find his source because there is no way he is having them made exclusively. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnysal Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Please think about "cable rolling" only after getting the amp back and listening for quite a while. then bring some alternatives in and listen and swap, see if you hear and differences/improvments. friends can be a great source for loaned cables to see if you hear differences. I have, and suspect you will, hear differences wrought by speaker cables (and interconnects). but first get a good grip on your systems "base" sound before beginning the swapping process. regards, tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Craig, I've seen them a couple of times while surfing around. I'll try and remember where. I'm getting them from Paul because he has been very helpful trying to help me find an output transformer for a Fisher X-101D I scavenged. So far no luck. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyeyes Posted January 8, 2003 Author Share Posted January 8, 2003 It would be great to swap cables but I do not know too many people who have 10-foot runs. A friend of mine told me about DIY before, I never researched it but I'll peruse their sight. I really do not need a project that's going to take forever to complete, spare time is something that I do not have very much of now. Dean, Craig rebuilit my amp for me and it includes some of those nice binding posts. ee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Good points made above. Cables DO make a difference, yet it doesn't always correlate with the price. As is, simple is usually better with tube amps, especially with SET. More complex designs such as MIT and Transparent can often sound slow although my set of Transparent Music-Wave/Link did sound good via the EICO. The Twisted Cross Connect is a very nice cable that seems to work equally well on SET and vintage. I find it one of the best priced quality cables. It is VERY open and transparent. It is only lacking a tad bit of bottom heft; it is very detailed down below, but my Tranparent has more low end weight. Still, I find the TCC very nice. I run it in my main system. If you Scott is STILL being rebuilt or has not yet gone out, I would seriously consider getting the barrier strips replaced with binding posts (Cardas has some good options). For the price of the connectors above (which really are not that heavy duty - I would opt for the Pat solution before those), you could get a set of binding posts. You would need three posts per side for 4 and 8 ohms plus the ground. This would allow you to change any cable no matter what the system or spade and provide a FAR more secure and tight connection over the adapters. I would also seriously consider adding two sets of quality RCAs (Cardas is good here as well), one for your TT and the other for digital. The stock RCA are not very good and too close together for some RCA barrels. While the labor might be an unexpected addition, you would have some top notch connectors for the life of the amp. Note: Those are NOT Cardas binding posts above. The binding posts would actually REPLACE the barrier strips. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Robinson Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I've wondered, since wiring my living room a year ago, whether I used a speaker cable that is a good match for SET. I used about 65' of Audioquest Bedrock ... It's almost a rhetorical question at this point since there si little change I'll rip all that out and put new stuff in, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I sounds good to my ears but I wouldn't know unless I ran some new cables (about 20' each of a straight run) ... Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Mobile and everyone I'm going to have to put a halt to this. I'm going to have to make this very clear I'm open to upgrades but I will not gut the rear apron of the amp period mark. I am very firm on this !! If someone wants a Audiophile looking rig with high dollar speaker connectors and binding posts your barking up the wrong tree. Its just not worth the effort for the very small improvements you will get and its just against my grain. There is no way to tear all the original posts out and not have to get a die grinder and modify the rear apron to except these offerings. These are not $5000 amps. Your amp would be worth less and give very little improvements in the Sonics department. These are vintage amps and the funky connections are part of the charm and prove to me that inter connects and speaker cable are a last ditch effort type item scrounging after the last 1% of sound quality. Sorry guys Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Charge by the hour and offer an option if they so desire, especially for the POWER AMPS. Having lived with all the connectors over the last 20 years or so (about the first time I got some 5 way posts), I can say the piece of mind of getting rid of the plastic and having the secure connections is worth it. No need to put barriers up here. That being said, I think the SCREWS in the barrier strips offer a GREAT connection and would leave them completely alone. Indeed, they are better than the rig above on the Scott. The problem is, many of the barrier strips have the screws TOO CLOSER TOGETHER leaving you will either ordering special spades or just using cables designated for your vintage gear. Which is fine if you desire. But the connections DO make a difference. This from living with the best to the worst and all in between. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Mobile, Power amps are one thing but these integrates would shoot the cost in the range of much better offerings for very little if any gain at all. Its just not worth it period mark. I'm not wasting peoples money and my time ! The connectors above change nothing and soldering them in on the back side leaves no chance for degragation of sound at all. They just make it easier to connect your speaker cables simple and sweet. Die grinders and me are not going to happen on these amps. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Mobile, Do you have a set of DIYcable The Skinny Ones Interconnects ? Will these fit in HF-81 mounted between AUX 1 and Aux 2 both on the right or left channel ? This spacing is the same as a Scott . I would think that this cable is more than enough to fit the bill and end all the hassles. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 I can NOT fit ANY quality interconnects on my my vintage amps in the AUX A and B. I just tried the several interconnects I had out and unplugged on the EICO. While I could fit each on the AUX A with nothing on B, the MIT, AudioQuest, DIYCable Superlative, and Transparent were a no go with any plugged in A or B (ie two cant go next to each other). Here you see from left to right, output and input connectors of the MIT, and the DIYCable Superlative Kimber Rhodium RCA, also seen on the Skinny Ones as an option. The stock RCA is the same width as well. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Well this leaves me with one question !!!!!! How does your HF-81 sound so good ? EDIT : Oh now I see what you mean they will fit just not with using A and B inputs at once. So you have no connector you feel can do a descent job using A and B inputs on your HF-81 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.