Some people are impressed by bling. Most of these non-diy cables have lots of fancy marketing blurb but little in the way of real technology. They throw around terms like nano, and quantum like it means anything at the bulk level of an AC signal. It doesn't. If they had ant real tech they would talk in terms that actually mattered ... But ever notice they rarely do? Look at SRs factory tour videos. They don't have the equipment to do anything that looks like real R&D. There is barely anything approaching real electronics test equipment. It's barely hobbyist stuff. I expect many DIY cable builders are equal or better equipped.
Affordable cables
We all know and can't dispute that SR and other uber expensive cables can do magic with your systems however most of us aspiring audiophiles simply can't afford them. So I would like to hear from some of our colleagues who worked their way up the cable chain what if any cables priced at $100.00 or less made or make the most difference to a system. Interconnects specifically. Thanks
Audiomaze
Audiomaze
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That $250 RIGOL scope and that $35 multi-meter inspires almost as much confidence as the cheap varistat and hand soldered PCBs .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yzjA9ZYYNk |
Some people are impressed by bling. Most of these non-diy cables have lots of fancy marketing blurb but little in the way of real technology. They throw around terms like nano, and quantum like it means anything at the bulk level of an AC signal. It doesn’t. If they had ant real tech they would talk in terms that actually mattered ... But ever notice they rarely do? Look at SRs factory tour videos. They don’t have the equipment to do anything that looks like real R&D. There is barely anything approaching real electronics test equipment. It’s barely hobbyist stuff. I expect many DIY cable builders are equal or better equipped. the only new things since the dawn of electricity as we know it, is the Teo Audio cables, with liquid metal conductors. It’s the only ’not wire’ in known human existence. All wire is a frozen lattice of atoms. So is any infused wire like a jacket or some semi etc crystal material. Still a solid or frozen lattice. the fluid metal alloy is a true and actual atomic level fluid. As fine as water, it is. (close enough, that is). and that infers a fundamental change in electrical conductivity within and upon the conductivity system to something that is quantum kinetic. A wholly different beast. math so complex we don’t have the supercomputing power yet to calculate it. Nor do we truly know what to do to model it. Only partial and only in sections, and only with a few atoms. So stands as the first time anyone ever gets to hear the difference of wire as audio cable. The first actual ’not wire’ that anyone gets a chance to experience. So there is all cables, all conductors, all materials on one side, be it DIY or pro or commercial or home depot, or cat 5 or car audio or high end audio types, all the same and all on the one side. And on the other, is just one thing --the Liquid metal audio cables. It exits outside of the stated norms of audio LCR, and that... is a reality that is impossible to intelligently dispute. So yeah, there really is something new under the sun. The newest thing in conductivity technology for wire type applications -the first fundamental change in over 150 years. |
And next on the shopping channel .... Does it slice, dice, and Julienne? No wire exists outside LCR no matter what someone wants to write or claim whether a room temperature liquid metal, solid state or quasi. It will have R (significant at that) as well as L and C. If you are claiming otherwise, being the only new thing in 150 years (it's like superconductivity does not exist), I am sure you have lots of data to back it up? |
Hi audiomaze, putting some pressure on me, I hope you do like the Mogami. I can only tell you that in my system I did not like how the Belden LC-1 speaker cables I purchased from Blue Jeans sounded, but loved how the Canare speaker cables I purchased through Blue Jeans sounded and also how the Mogami interconnects purchased through another outfit sounded. I liked the Mogami interconnects better than Canare, Cardas Neutral Reference and Meitner interconnects. |
"....If I were in the market for a new set of cables, I'd look into some of the smaller, cottage industry types who don't have the market exposure and need to factor all of those ads into their pricing." Nonoise, That's exactly what I did when I needed some interconnects. I had Take Five Audio make several sets using cryoed Mogami 2534 and Furutech connectors. Excellent quality/value and they outperformed all the expensive ICs I had on hand. |
"Nonoise" mentioned "Music Metre" cables. Did that company go out out business or did some other entity take over and change the name? The company's web site went offline circa 2009. I'm asking because I rather like(d) them: attractive design and (as far as I can tell), decent sound relative to lower-end Kimber at least. |
I think the guy who ran Music Metre moved on some time ago. I remember going to his place (I believe it was in Glendale, Ca.) and he made his cables in his work shed behind his house. At the time, he had every connector made and spools of wire and sheathing. He'd lay the cables on his table, put a load on them, and measure them with his multi meter. Then, he'd flip them around and measure again. He did that with every cable he made and made sure that both runs ran in the same direction, before final assembly. He'd then mark them for directionality. And this was back in the early '90s. Seems some people were ahead of their time. All the best, Nonoise |
Back to the original question... There are many companies that have an entry level tier all the way through “reference”. If you have a good local hifi shop, see if you can audition/demo some cabling. Audio Advisor has a 30 day return on pretty much everything I believe. SVS has some good cabling, even the McIntosh rep at my local shop recommends them. Transparent Audio has a trade up system, Audioquest does some good cables as well. I’ve got a set of Blue Jeans Belden 5000 10g on my Marantz/B&W system that sounds great. Great cable for the $. So many options... I will say this, for all the cable craziness, hands down, the best cable “upgrade” I have made is power. Both at the wall outlet and cable. I was astounded by the absolute difference. |
colnagofan1 posts12-18-2019 3:46amKimber PBJs are great interconnects that work well with a wide range of equipment. A classic. No, they are definetly not. Sounds wolly all over and kills dynamic |
audiozenology68 posts12-18-2019 6:11amHow exactly do they "kills dynamic" and "sounds wolly all over". Through the speakers I think. |
@marqmike PBJ cables are interconnects, not speaker cables, so their interaction is with the electronics. In my experience, with good electronics, they are relatively neutral. So, if a listener finds them 'wolly, dynamic killers', I'd surmise the user has dull speakers and a very bright cable/electronics combination. |