gamer Posted August 10, 2001 Share Posted August 10, 2001 Im thinking on upgrading my speaker wire to the Z series monster cable. I current have the original monster cable and was wondering if this would be money well spent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobo Posted August 10, 2001 Share Posted August 10, 2001 I don't know about the z-series but I recently upgraded from radioshack 12 gauge to Monster MCX 1s and there was an improvement. The bass is tighter and the midrange is smoother, along with a little more top-end detail. I didn't really notice an improvement in imaging. What is your current system made up of? ------------------ My bedroom system: YAMAHA CDC-575 CAL GAMMA D/A converter MONSTER IL400MkII ADCOM GTP-400 preamp Monster M350i ADCOM GFA-545 mK II amp Monster MCX 1s KLF 10 TOSHIBA CZ27V51 27" TV TOSHIBA SD2109 YAMAHA RX-V596 for surround KLIPSCH KSW 10 POLK R10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamer Posted August 10, 2001 Author Share Posted August 10, 2001 My systems are as follows: Sony STR-DE705(soon to be AVR-4800). AudioSource EQ200(out of loop at this time). Sony CDP-CE415 CD. Sony DVP-S530D DVD. Sony VCR. KLF10s. KLFC7. JBL sourounds.(upgrading to RS-3s or RS-7s undecided). JBL PSW-1200 subwoofer. Sony 32" TV. ( getting the itch for bigscreen ). Bedroom has: Yamaha GX-505 mini sytem. 27" Sony TV. Sony VCR. Apex DVD. Your bedroom is happy Im sure with those KLFs and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted August 10, 2001 Share Posted August 10, 2001 Gamer---Audiophile wire is a con job. I've taken part in double-blind tests where expensive wire could not be told apart from lampcord. Sighted observations with wire are meaningless. Go to Home Depot and buy thier 12 gauge speaker wire at 36 cents a foot and be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 10, 2001 Share Posted August 10, 2001 I belive the money would be well spent elsewhere. Get a DVD player or new speakers. Or a collection of new CDs. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbobo Posted August 11, 2001 Share Posted August 11, 2001 Nice system gamer. I would go somewhere with a return policy, buy the wire, and test it out. If you don't see an improvement return it. ------------------ My bedroom system: YAMAHA CDC-575 CAL GAMMA D/A converter MONSTER IL400MkII ADCOM GTP-400 preamp Monster M350i ADCOM GFA-545 mK II amp Monster MCX 1s KLF 10 TOSHIBA CZ27V51 27" TV TOSHIBA SD2109 YAMAHA RX-V596 for surround KLIPSCH KSW 10 POLK R10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted August 11, 2001 Share Posted August 11, 2001 In general, the perceived benefits of esoteric speaker wire is directly proportional to how much you pay for it. I agree with Gil - spend your money somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 11, 2001 Share Posted August 11, 2001 gamer,I think jim's answer was right on.Listen and decide for yourself.I have used a couple different speaker wires in my time,none very expensive,but I can say that I noticed an improvement with AudioQuest that I presently use.I do not need to blindfold myself to be able to hear a difference,good or bad.Any change, good or bad,will not be earth shattering. Would the percieved benefits of paying for better speakers also be proportional to what one paid for them? Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 11, 2001 Share Posted August 11, 2001 It's a good point. If you can purchase, test, and return, it is a good deal. Keith has a good point. There can be psychological effects from spending money on any piece of equipment. I try to make a safe suggestion by suggesting changes that are absolutely certain to make a difference. Edit: The problem is that I have never found a problem with wire. Some people report improvements, others none. I've never seen an ABX report supporting a hearable difference. None the less I believe even the ABX people say the test results only prove there is no differnce in that test, not that there can never be. So, this is the basic problem with giving advice. Rather than support a controversial tweek, I take a safe route. Gil This message has been edited by William F. Gil McDermott on 08-11-2001 at 09:38 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted August 11, 2001 Share Posted August 11, 2001 Some notable and reputable people have said that there is no difference between cables. Only a matter of color. Stereophile calls this coloration a different difference. While this money is no objective magazine does love all the esoteric top-of-the-line equipment, the same way a wine connoisseur thrills to a $1,000 bottle, they also recommended the Radio Shack speaker cables from the wrong side of the tracks. Go figure. Since super-efficient speakers (95 dB/w/m or more) are so much more revealing than average speakers, they will expose all of the nuances of the upstream components. I would pay particular attention to the efficiency of the reviewers speakers when reading a cable review. The efficiency of the speakers will color the opinion of the reviewer. Get at least two pairs of cables to compare side by side, then play a wide variety of CDs and test tones. I recently compared a set of low cost Radio Shack cables with gold ends to the top of the line, $300 a set, Monster interconnects. Go to http://www.monstercable.com/mseries/mseries_product1.html#M950. Alternating between each set from the pre-amp to 2A3 tube mono blocks, quickly eliminated the 2-meter Radio Shack pair. Their casual connection was poor. So was the superior sonic performance of the Monster M950is. They squelched dangerously loud when the power turned on. I do not know why. I only know that removing them solved the annoying problem. I did not try them on my subs. The low cost entry-level Monster cable sounded best with the tube amps. My older Monster cable sounded best with the subs. They made a different difference that I liked. ------------------ big old Cornwalls, Bottlehead 2A3 Paramour tube amps, Dynaco series II tube pre-amp, Rotel CD player, KSW200 & LF10 subs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discorules Posted August 12, 2001 Share Posted August 12, 2001 quote: Originally posted by TBrennan: Gamer---Audiophile wire is a con job. I've taken part in double-blind tests where expensive wire could not be told apart from lampcord. Sighted observations with wire are meaningless. Go to Home Depot and buy thier 12 gauge speaker wire at 36 cents a foot and be done with it. I've been down this path with others here and I agree with you. Some people insist on spending bucks on snake oil so hey, to each his own. Perception is too often more important than reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundog Posted August 12, 2001 Share Posted August 12, 2001 I recently bought a set of Monster bi-wire cables for my Klipschorns. Having the cables in a neat package with some nice screw on connectors ( especially a little flexable braid termination that slid securly into the small slots on Al's ALK crossover) was worth the aprox. $100. they cost me. They produced a significant improvement that I suspect was due more to the bi-wiring than the actual wire itself. I have found that some better quality interconnects do make a slight difference between early stage components probably due to better shielding from the power cords for my various components. I have done a-b comparisons on Monster component video cables (one set for $60.; another at $200) vs. Radio Shack Gold (at $40) and could find NO difference. HT-1 Klipschorns w/ ALK crossover upgrades 4 Klipsch LaScalas (surround & rears) Heresy components in custom cabinet /monitor stand (center) Panasonic 32 Monitor W/ component video input 3 Sony CX400 CD changers Sony CX-200 CD Changer Nirvis Slink-e computer interface (downloads cd track info, album covers, some notes and lyrics, programs & controls changers). Nirvis DXS digital controller (auto selection of whatever source is playing) Nirvis CDJ (CD Jukebox Software) Sony Viao Laptop Computer Sony S530D DVD Player Sony 798HF VCR Sony XA1ES CD player Dynaco PAS4 stereo preamp W/ Tesla Tube upgrades (also outputs to HT2) Technics SL3300 DD Turntable w/ Shure cartridges Outlaw 1050 6.1 A/V Receiver Perpetual Technologies P1A Digital Correction Engine (jitter reduction, 16 to 24 bit conversion, future speaker frequency correction, and room acoustic correction ) Perpetual Technologies P3A DAC ( plus 44.1k to 96k CD upsampling) Klipsch KSW-15 sub (for DVD LFEs ) Klipsch LF-10 sub (rarely use with music) Phillips Pronto TS2000 Programmable Remote Scientific American Explorer 2000 Home Communications Terminal X10 computerized lighting controls Radio Shack Wireless Remote Control Extender HT#2 4 Klipsch KT-LCR THX Speakers 4 Klipsch RS-3s (side & rear surround) 2 Klipsch KT-DS THX Surrounds 10 Linaem Tweeters Outlaw 1050 6.1 A/V Receiver/Preamp Outlaw 750 5 channel Amp MSB Technology Digital Director w/ jitter reduction Sony X111 ES CD Player Sony 775HF VCR Sony STR-G3 (supplemental amplification for extra speakers) Toshiba 61 High Definition TV Sony NS700 Progressive Scan DVD Toshiba 4205 DVD Changer Klipsch SW-12II Sub Klipsch LF-10 sub Sony AV2100 remote Scientific American Explorer 2000 Home Communications Terminal X10 Computerized Lighting Vibrapods (vibration isolation for components) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 12, 2001 Share Posted August 12, 2001 I bought a pair of Pioneer speakers at a garage sale last weekend for $4.00 pair.I am convinced that they sound better than my friends KHorns.He doesn't think so.I believe that his perception of much higher quality sound from his speakers is directly related to how much he paid for them,and is pure snake oil. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 12, 2001 Share Posted August 12, 2001 Keith, You better be careful. You're going to encourage comments by "The Anger Police." And she is going to be coming after Y-O-U. Unless you use an emote, thus =8^o. Lurking out there is cyberspace is "The Sarcasm Police" too. We all better be careful. Gil. This message has been edited by William F. Gil McDermott on 08-12-2001 at 07:46 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 12, 2001 Share Posted August 12, 2001 Gil,I appreciate your concern.I sometimes have problems with blanket statements.This was one of those times. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted August 12, 2001 Share Posted August 12, 2001 Keith--well Pioneer horn products ARE considered superior to Khorns by many experienced and astute hornys but if find them at a garage sale for $4 you made the deal of the century. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamer Posted August 13, 2001 Author Share Posted August 13, 2001 I had the opportunity to get a set of Z2 wires for quite a bit cheaper than the $150 they sell for at GoodGuys and I did like the heavy duty connects on them; at this point though I think my money may be better spent towards a psycologist for Kieth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prana-Bindu Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 I have a theory about speaker cable: the differences between cables will be more noticeable the more revealing the remainder of the system is. I suspect that if you A/B some Transparent cables and some Kimber cables in a compact system from Fischer, you won't notice a difference. The same would go if you also compared those cables to zip cord. However, if you performed the same tests using high-quality gear, in a well-treated room, with clean power and adequate isolation, I suspect you'd hear the differences. Part of the theory is that if any of the above-stated conditions is compromised, the difference would be masked by the inadequacies of the remainder of the system. After all, it's difficult to determine whether your mom has a sexier voice than your sister if the comparison is made next to a jet engine. Put some Shakti stones on that engine, though, and you've got yourself a test.... It's just a theory, kids, and I'm one of the ignorants with a modest system, so take it easy on me. ------------------ May the bridges we burn light our way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdecibel Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 I must agree with Prana. I used to be a "cables make no difference" kind of guy. as my system got more and more "highend", I found speaker cables to make a fairly substantial difference. I can't make any suggestion about upgrading to the newer monster cable, other than agree with the others.......try before you buy, it may make no difference at all. Heaven forbid we start talking about power cords...... good luck. My system consists of: Bel Canto SEP1 preamp Art Audio Jota 20w SET Muse 9 cd/dvd Dunlavy SC-IV/a KG4.5 (soon to replaced with bigger klipschs) Kimber monocle xl speaker cable Cardas golden ref connects. powersnakes sidewinders/black mambas API power wedge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 I haven't heard about the power cord thing. You were just kidding, right? KG This message has been edited by Klipschguy on 08-13-2001 at 04:58 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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