arthurs Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 you should call Frank at signalcable.com. he makes audiohile quality cables at prices that are far below anyone else. He guarantees them so if you don't like them after 30 days you can send them back. He can also wlak you through soem of the physics and engineering of cables and demystify it all for you. You won't be sorry you called him if you do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 I've concluded that wires and ICs help to EQ a system by emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain aspects of the signal. Also, the extent of the effect is predicated on the sensitivity of the components. A few years back, a friend got caught up in the wire wars and purchased some AQ speaker wire to replace his 10+ year old zip cord. He invited me over to help him with the changeover and we listened to his McIntosh MC2100 amp and Infinity speakers through the zip cord and then the AQ wire. To his dissappointment, we really couldn't hear wasn't that much difference and certainly not enough to justify the price ($200). At best, the AQ smoothed out the highs and maybe added a bit of punch to the bass. On the other hand, he helped me move in a pr of Khorns and we listened to them and a SET amp (3 w/ch) through some Monster Cable while we moved the other speakers. Once we hooked the Khorns up to some Cardas "garden hose", the differenece was obvious to both of us. There was more definition and separation, tighter, deeper bass - overall we heard more detail and extension from the Cardas than the Monster. My friend concluded that the Cardas wire was responsible for the more noticable difference but I figured it had more to do with the components than the wires. Just my take on the matter. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRBILL Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 ---------------- On 9/10/2003 9:43:26 AM ric wrote: i would like to use a good quality speaker wire and theres so many to choose from. are there any real diffrences in the wire other than just gage? thanks for the tip. ric. ---------------- PWK didn't think so. In DOPE FROM HOPE he recommended zip lamp cord. I have used it all. Unless you have an urge to spend big bucks, you wont HEAR any difference. There is an awful lot of Voo Doo out there. That's why the Great One issued Bull**** buttons. FATHER BILL+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzannucci Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Again, it does depend on the system. I didn't hear any difference with my RB-5s mated with a Rogue 88. Heard a fair amount of difference in highs with an Adcom 555II mated to either a pair of KLF-30s and Apogee Mini Grands. Heard a lot of difference in the highs between the Tara Labs wire and the braided Cat 5 cables when using my home built speakers that utilize the Morel mdt-33 tweeter and a Jolida 801A I used to have. A LOT OF SYSTEM INTERACTION. Best thing to do is introduce cable changes into your system and then listen. If there is a change and it is good for your liking, then you have a winner. If it doesn't do what you think then make sure you have a good return policy to return the cables. I was skeptical until I had someone changing all the cabling in my system because of high frequency artifacts that I didn't like. Now I am content to have a biwire configuration with Carol Silver Plated ETP copper for the bass section and braided cat-5 for the highs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted September 18, 2003 Share Posted September 18, 2003 Hey. After all is said & done, this 'hobby' or 'disease' as we may call it......its all about fantasy anyway. We fantasize that we are hearing the real thing from the recording. Why stop there? Fantasize about hearing the speaker cables, the connectors, 7Hz tones in spaces the size of our toilets. We know all the tubes & transistors, same model, same manufacturer all sound different, from production batch to production batch. Can you hear the difference from minute to minute too? It has changed you know. Can you say nano? Can you see it? Can you hear it? Some of these people who have never put themselves to a real, controlled (by you), BLIND, test, between any two sets of speaker wire just don't seem to get it. Well, this is the hobby for you! AUDIO FANTASY HAVE FUN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ric Posted September 19, 2003 Author Share Posted September 19, 2003 home depot it is. 16 gage it will be. thanks for all the tips and thanks for not blowing me out!!....Ric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted September 19, 2003 Share Posted September 19, 2003 Do consider how difficult it may be to connect to your speakers and amp. I don't think thick wire does any harm, except this issue can create an unexpected headache. I happen to like white zip cord. It blends in a little better with the walls and carpet. Unless of course you have black walls everywhere, like mOOn. Smile. I was in West Marine and see they have something which looks like Romex. It doesn't have the printing and the wire is stranded. Maybe it would look better in your application. Best, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwoods Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 Here's an artcle for a reasonable DIY wiring solution. http://hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_2/ultralink-CL414-cable-5-2003. ( Sorry, I just noticed you can't tag with html, so your going to have to do this by yourself.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 Ironwoods: is that a qualude? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwoods Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 ---------------- On 9/21/2003 8:00:44 AM bkrop wrote: Ironwoods: is that a qualude? ---------------- Yeah, from days gone bye, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkrop Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 ---------------- On 9/21/2003 8:41:15 AM ironwoods wrote: ---------------- On 9/21/2003 8:00:44 AM bkrop wrote: Ironwoods: is that a qualude? ---------------- Yeah, from days gone bye, huh? ---------------- From some fuzzy memories, just a random guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 ---------------- On 9/10/2003 9:43:26 AM ric wrote: i would like to use a good quality speaker wire and theres so many to choose from. are there any real diffrences in the wire other than just gage? thanks for the tip. ric. ---------------- My recommendation is Carol prosound wire. Partsexpress has a 10% off regular prices. Unless your runs are over 50', 16AWG will work fine. http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&DID=7&WebPage_ID=230#prosound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cn1790 Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 I see reference to "braided cat 5" speaker cable. Is this truly the cat-5 stuff we run for computer networking? -tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 Yes The idea is that you take anywhere from 2 to 5 runs of Cat-5 per side . You then braid the resulting mess (errumm) mass into a pair of cables. Instructions for doing so are to be found in various places on the Inet - TNT audio has an article on this at http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/triple_t_e.html. Some who have done so swear that the result is well worth the effort - Others merely swear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champagne taste beer budget Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 As a newbie here, I have just been reading through old posts. I thought I might add something to this, even if it hasn't seen much activity for a while. The following link is to some thoughts on this topic from Roger Russell, the ex Director of Acoustic Research at McIntosh Labs, and the originator of the McIntosh Loudspeaker. I believe he had the resources at his disposal to do some SERIOUS objective and comparative listening, and follow his advice regarding speaker cables. http://home.earthlink.net/~rogerr7/wire.htm Poke around his sight for a bit, there is some very informative and humorous stuff in there. (edit) My thanks to Roger for posting this information on his site, and sorry I didn't ask permission to link to it here. It's just too good to not share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 Whether you can hear any difference or not, some of that cheap wire at HD has a rather plasticky wrap that has a tendency to split the length of the wire when you strip it, exposing strands of wire. If you are not careful you WILL hear the difference that cheap wire makes. You could buy wire wrap for the ends, but then if you are buying cheap wire you are probably too cheap to buy the wrap. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ygmn Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 ---------------- On 10/14/2003 6:02:03 PM Champagne taste beer budget wrote: http://home.earthlink.net/~rogerr7/wire.htm ---------------- been looking for his site....thanks.....smart man....great company he worked for... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted October 17, 2003 Share Posted October 17, 2003 Size DOES matter ....when it comes to power handling, bass response and wire gauge anyway I have seen solid-conductor, 12-2 & 14-2 house wire (Romex) used on permanent speaker setups in new construction. They terminate at either end of the wall-run in gold-plated, female banana-plug recepticles for appropriate patch cords made from 14 gauge lamp cord (or equivalent). Solid copper definitely carries the current. Stranded copper wire is really only needed in places where the wire will be moved. This setup, although quite eccentric, worked very well and for many years. A wise man once said, "Copper is as copper does." {Huh? } What's in a name, for sure? -Picky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3dzapper Posted October 18, 2003 Share Posted October 18, 2003 I don't want to be "picky" but, do not use solid wire for good audio reproduction. Solid wire is great if you are sending 120V at a fixed frequency to an appliance. However audio signals vary in frequency and amplitude with most content at 1V or less. At the higher audio frequencies hysteresis losses and eddies will occur in the solid wire resulting in a flat sound. Even for in-wall applications a good quality stranded wire of the proper guage for the length of the run should be used. Monster and others make wire for these applications. Solid wire is however used in some 70.7V line level sound systems. However this is far from "hi-fi". Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted October 19, 2003 Share Posted October 19, 2003 ---------------- On 10/18/2003 9:25:45 PM 3dzapper wrote: At the higher audio frequencies hysteresis losses and eddies will occur in the solid wire resulting in a flat sound. ---------------- ?? Aren't both eddies and hysteresis losses both caused by MAGNETIC forces, usually in equipment with iron cores such as motors or transformers?? Both resistance and capacitance would be the governing characteristics for audio cables... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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