advice or suggestions for beginner on cables

I would definitely look at Analysis Plus Oval 14 Hometheatre. I believe these are about 3.50 a foot but are well worth it. I was loaned these and used them in my system while waiting for the Oval Twelves to arrive. They are very good cables. Audio Advisor has them at audioadvisor.com

I second Ajidamoo's suggestion - I use the Analysis Plus Oval 14 hometheater cables for ~ 50' underfloor runs to the rears and they're just great. I also have the bigger, better Oval 9's as my front speaker cables and absolutely love them. The Oval 14 HTs are CL3 fire rated for in-wall use. These are very natural sounding cables - no vices. The 14 HT's are $3/foot most places.

Would it make sense for Pharsyd to buy less expensive cable for the rear speakers, so he could spend more for the fronts? I'd look in to some used Cardas Crosslink or Twinlink.

Some will count this an heretical suggestion but I propose that you begin with good quality, heavy speaker wire from Monster. Put the connectors on yourself. See how it sounds. If you're happy, get on with your life. If not, try borrowing some cables. Do some very rigorous comparative listening. Don't go apeshit and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars solely on advice from others.

Some folks are going to tell you with religious conviction that cables are everything. Others are going to tell you with the glint of scientific truth in their eyes that cable makes no difference at all so long as it is heavy enough to avoid voltage drop and well terminated. Only you can decide what you hear. The method I've proposed gets you in cheap and leaves you wide open to experiment.

Good luck. Let us know what you decide.

will

I've spent quite a bit of time recently in the realm of this topic (producing systems for new audiophiles + commercial installation systems - both on the watchful dollar), and have a couple observations:

Last I checked, a 100' spool of CL3 rated monster cable on Ebay was $100-$150 (higher retail, of course). That's $2-$3/foot (vs. $3/foot for the analysis plus) and the sound quality is markedly lower - I've used both. That aside, the advice a couple of us have offered re:Analysis Plus is still in line with bishopwill's main intent - to be inexpensive, leave room to terminate yourself to save costs (and learn something, absolutely!) and see where it leaves you at the end of the day.

I agree heartily with bishopwill's suggestion that if you can borrow some cables from someone, *do it* - that was how I got started and really started hearing the differences between cables. Keep in mind that what you audition on your mains may not be feasible in an in-wall or surround run due to price.

There are exremists on both sides (cables are the end-all, cables don't matter), but I think most people would agree that cables matter. I don't mean to be catty, but bishopwill probably isn't running monster cable, and a new audiophile needn't either, given better sounding options at that price. The real drive of his point seems to be: don't break the bank listening to people telling you you won't hear "xxx" or "yyy" until you spend "$ZZZ". At the same time, I would add - you won't even hear "www" without at least some halfway decent cables.

As for the suggestion to put better cables on your fronts, that's a natural. Like many of us, you may find youself listening in 2-channel most of the time, using the rears only for home-theater or DSP-infected "4-5 channel" listening, depending on your setup and listening environment.

As always, best of luck, and remember - however misguided we all may be, we're still free.

mwilson

Editorial error (duh) - the monster cable (bulk) is $2-$3/foot retail. Street (ebay, best bet for lowest price, good luck on a trusty vendor though), it's $1-$1.50/foot.

At this price against other low-price cables (a.plus 14 inwall, aquest 4+, but I don't think it is cl3 rated) you're between $1-$3/foot on inexpensive bulk cable, and the sound difference between $1/$1.50 cable and $3 cable is significant. If you could, buy or borrow a few feet of each to compare!

I merely argue that our friend should decide for himself what is significant and what is not, rather than having that decision made for him. Perhaps he will end up with something hugely expensive but that should be his call, not ours.

will