Cables (oh no, not THIS topic!)

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WestCoastMLO

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Not meaning to create a firestorm here, or, go over old territory. Please direct me to the appropriate thread if this has been covered, ad nauseam.

1) What cables are you using to connect your MLs to your amp / AVR?

2) Did you "upgrade" your speaker cables to more expensive ones (unobtanium, adamantium, vibranium, etc...) and, if so, did it make any audible / noticeable difference in sound quality?

I'm currently using a combination of SVS for mains, Monoprice for interconnects, and Maxbrite for surround speakers.

Thanks in advance! Happy holidays!
 
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Quality construction need not be expensive = monoprice, Blue Jean Cables, Signal Cables for example. As for speaker cables, given stats capacitive loading I like cables with low capacitive ratings = Signal Cables.
 
To quote myself "Any discussion of cables degrades faster than an audio signal through a Bose speaker"

OK, that out of the way, here is what I do in my system:

Most cables are BlueJeans cable, so unless specified otherwise, that's the brand.
Tons of XLR connections in my system with active crossovers and 18 channels of discreet amplification. None longer than 15', as even though the rack is twin 7' tall Synergy racks, the device spacing works out that way.
Speaker wire is Belden 12 and 10 gauge (subs) via BJC, hundreds of feet worth to Atmos surround setup (bi-amped units) plus 4 subs.
RuiPro fiber HDMI 50' to the projector, most other HDMI is a mix of BJC and Mediabridge, heck, even an Amazon basics cable or two. Longer runs are BJC, such as the 25' from the physical players (in the HT) to the equipment room.

I measure the system regularly with REW and I can say that spending money on fancy cables should be very far down on anyone's list of things to buy. Number one is room acoustics, by a mile.
 
To quote myself "Any discussion of cables degrades faster than an audio signal through a Bose speaker"

OK, that out of the way, here is what I do in my system:

Most cables are BlueJeans cable, so unless specified otherwise, that's the brand.
Tons of XLR connections in my system with active crossovers and 18 channels of discreet amplification. None longer than 15', as even though the rack is twin 7' tall Synergy racks, the device spacing works out that way.
Speaker wire is Belden 12 and 10 gauge (subs) via BJC, hundreds of feet worth to Atmos surround setup (bi-amped units) plus 4 subs.
RuiPro fiber HDMI 50' to the projector, most other HDMI is a mix of BJC and Mediabridge, heck, even an Amazon basics cable or two. Longer runs are BJC, such as the 25' from the physical players (in the HT) to the equipment room.

I measure the system regularly with REW and I can say that spending money on fancy cables should be very far down on anyone's list of things to buy. Number one is room acoustics, by a mile.
Thanks!
 
Jonathan's last paragraph sums it up to perfection !
 
Blue Jeans Company and Signal. Remember that silver coated copper wire is all marketing hype. Signals "Ultra" speaker cables should be very good. Either company will give you top shelf product. You have to determine what you like in looks. People in the high end want something that looks awesome regardless of the price or performance. So you have to marry the two issues into whatever will fit your needs.
 
Cables make a huge difference. I know a lot will dispute but they are wrong as most if not all have NEVER tried other cables. I have to say NEVER. So they have like nothing to add to the subject as they have not tried.
 
I agree that cables make a signifigant difference. However until your room is correct it makes no sense seriously upgrading them. That is the mistake most people make. Not fixing the room with treatments.
 
+1 ^^^^^^

And, Location, Location, Location.

For me it's in the following order:
Location - Free, unless your friends are helping, then you'll need to feed them.
Treatment - Doesn't need to cost a lot.
Everything else - $, or $$, or $$$$, or $repeating to infinity.
 
Cables make a huge difference. I know a lot will dispute but they are wrong as most if not all have NEVER tried other cables. I have to say NEVER. So they have like nothing to add to the subject as they have not tried.
I was astounded by an arrogant moron in a Facebook group, who said to me, “If you think you need to listen to cables, you know nothing about cables.”
 
I was astounded by an arrogant moron in a Facebook group, who said to me, “If you think you need to listen to cables, you know nothing about cables.”

It is an area well everyone has an opinion regardless of the science and engineering involved. I'm not saying you can't spend your money on cables etc that cost big bucks and look very nice. But, I would do that dead last after everything else it at the level you want it to be. If you have enough money, who cares what kind of cables and wires you buy? It's your money to spend as you wish. For those that don't really have a lot of money and need to sort their system out to a higher level, the speakers are #1, then the room is #2 and after those two are good enough THEN go after the other more expensive stuff like high end amps/preamps, mega buck cables and wires, exotic DSP systems and on and on. I say if you have the money, spend it!
 

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