The best "bang" is the Silversmith Fidelium Speaker Cable.
Hands down!
Hands down!
Bang for the buck vs. “money no object” cable recommendations
Latest system consists of Musical Fidelity A308 integrated, Arcam irDac and Revel F30 speakers. Looking for speaker cable and RCA interconnect recommendations that are best bang for the buck. Also asking for ideal “if money we’re not object” recommendations.
54 responses Add your response
I have some Mogami wires. I’d think they represent very good quality and value. Love the flexibility and ease of use as well. I tried them on recommendation from Audiogon poster/lawyer/EE/audiophile/music lover laureate Almarg. Look up his posts on topics of interest for typically one of the biggest bangs for the buck regarding solid hifi advice. I will also probably try Signal Cable products in the near future for same reason. In general I like popular and well reviewed fundamentally sound products used by professionals when it comes to doing fundamental things well in a system, like wires, where aesthetics for home use do not come as much into play. |
Yes, I have been using mogami cables for a while now. W3082 for speaker and 2549 for interconnects. I recently changed gear with the most significant change being speakers... now having Revel F30’s. So far, everything sound good. Just curious if there is something better out there in the sense of “mating better” or “better sonic chemistry” than what I have now. |
I’ve always used Mogami cables on the “professional” side of music, mics, PA etc. One day I might have to give them a shot on the home gear. They are used in just about every studio out there, no reason they couldn’t be great in the home. Having said that, I think to use an unshielded cable in the home opens up a possibility for more noise interference. |
Just read up on Wireworld , their purity of metals ,lowest dielectric Litz,not stranded lowest eddy currents the Eclipse series has several models ,excellent sonics as well ,and their connectors are silver copper ,not brass and can change spades,or bananas just screw in tips excellent technologies and value per $$ spent . |
I work strongly recommend MIT Muic Interface technolgy cables. The least expensive MIT cables are light years beyond anything else on the market. Actual science and measured results. The nice thing about MIT cables is thye are always better if you buy new ones.I strated in a $200 range for speaker cables and $100 for interconnects and I am now at the $4000 range for each. Every upgrade was clearly better. Before you go crazy look at AC line conditioning and room accoustics |
I've just been down this road again myself. I continue to be baffled by all the "one off" small companies that get recommended on this site. Cables in particular are hard to evaluate as they are expensive, seemingly no end to the number of companies in the business, and system and "EAR" dependent. The Cable Company provides a great service in being able to test multiple cables in your own system. You may pay a higher price for the cables, but trying before you buy takes a lot of doubt out of the deal. However, I suggest you RUN the transaction, picking cables to listen to you have researched and want to hear versus what they may want to sell you. (Not sure if I've ever had a recommended list of cables to try from them that didn't include Synergistic Research and Shunyata). If you want to go it alone you can buy well known cables used and resell them here at very little cost. If you buy well known cables new and they don't work out you can still recoup a large part of your investment if you sell them here. If you choose one of the many less well known cables and they don't work out it may be hard to recoup any of your investment. My final cable comment is that I was enamored for a long time with the "detailed" sound I heard from silver cables. I also was ignorant as to where the ringing and sibilance was coming from in my system when using silver cables. Not all silver cables ring, but many do, so be careful. A few weeks ago I bought two pairs of very expensive copper interconnects from a big name company and I now have details and musicality. The law of diminishing returns is at play in cables big time, but once heard great cables are hard to ignore. Good luck with this journey! Done right it will lock in the sound of your system, or maybe, just maybe it will drive you into bankruptcy and insanity! |
Posted this on one of your older threads in error... As an experiment try a solid core copper cable no larger than 20 gauge (I'd try 22 gauge if your speaker cable lengths are 12', or less). This can be purchased as hook-up wire @ many online sites on the the WWW. I've only used Michaell Percy (sp?), but it's readily available @ different venders. Anyway, try something inexpensive as an experiment. Doing so may flesh out the LF's of your setup while retaining the mid/HF's. If it sounds better then look into better solid core cable. Cool speakers that would probably work well in our living room as I generally roam while listening. DeKay |
I’ve mostly stayed away from this type of recommendation in the past for my own reasons. However, after a gazillion years in this hobby I experienced my own example of “bang for the buck” cables. I was the first to review this cable in an “e-zine” and was, by request from the manufacturer, comparing them to my reference somewhat cost no object speaker cable, After a long enjoyable review wondering if was really hearing what I thought I was hearing- I concluded that this $1k cable was the first to beat, by a noticeable margin, my $12k reference cable, that had not been beat over a 14 year period. Yes, my reference cable was beat by a $1K cable by the SAME manufacturer! For me, it was the “Steal of the Century!” As it turned out, every reviewer after me, including Greg Weaver with a $700K system, also came to the same conclusion and Greg proclaimed it beat his $27K reference cable and he too, switched to the new $1K cable! He even has a detailed video where he explains his inclusions in his review. That cable was the very first cable recommended in the first response by eichlerera!!!! I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a “cost-no-object” speaker cable manufacturer come out with a cable costing a tenth of its previous reference cable and claim the cheaper cable is superior to its reference cable - and then proves it!!! But, as always YMMV Frank |
The OP asked us for 'cost no object' recommendations, so here goes: Most of us don't have the money even to rent these cables so we won't have heard them but I did 10 minutes googling. Siltech Triple Crown power cable costs £55,000 for 2m. Price of a very luxury car. Anyone heard it? (not that you can listen to a power cable). Please read my previous posts on power cables before reaching for your wallet. By a strange coincidence Siltech price their Triple Crown speaker cable, 2m stereo, at £55,000. Clearly the manufacturing costs of these different cables are not the same. So the £55,000 price has been plucked out of the air for the mugs to latch onto with both hands. Siltech Triple Crown interconnect, 1m XLR, is a relatively affordable £25,880/pair. By the way Miller, did you get to hear any of these? I disclose that I have used Siltech interconnects for 25 years. Much cheaper then and certainly not the flagships (no funny metal boxes). I like them and have seen no reason subsequently to experiment or change. |
Is that a recommendation or a rant clearthinker ? If I were to recommend I'd choose chord music as an outstanding good speaker cable and yes I've had them in my system along with the same series signal cables and have not found anything better yet... If its the most expensive you can buy, then Transparent opus magnum should be in that list of pure stupid.. IMO.. And as always let YOUR ears decide ! Cheers |
Many high end choices, would like to hear Acustiks. https://www.in-akustik.de/en/cables-and-accessories/reference-air/speaker-cable/ Buck bangers, lower end offerings by Shunyata, and R. Grosts Cerious Matrix. |
I have the Inakustics 4004 Air Ref cables. They are very nice. Bought them on the recommendation of a dealer I trust. Never led me astray. I have not compared to others. My feeling is that you need great cables, and you get 98% if what you are going to get with many excellent ones out there. Chasing that last 2% is expensive. Same goes for many hi end items. Synergy of your system and room acoustics are very important. |
Ignore ALL recommendations. Cost is no arbiter of sonic quality in any particular system. Cables are system specific. They interact with the connected components. see ieLogical CableSnakeOil and ieLogical Audiophilia Redux Cable Quest, written nearly 20 years ago. It's always been true. |
Mogami microphone cable is excellent. The shield is good and it is easy to separate for termination. The insulation is cross-linked polyester, IIRC, and that is pretty much as good as teflon, but it is easier to bend and safer to work with. Canare Starquad has even better shielding, but it is hard to separate for termination. It is otherwise similar to Mogami. I use Starquad L-4E6S for line level cabling with ETI plugs in a system with 4 modern Quad ESL's, air bearing TT, Koetsu, etc. It comes in 10 colours for easy coding - no more kludgy labels which come off when you least expect it. Works for me on a high end system. YMMV |
the OP has been around here for a while and should understand that there will be many options / suggestions when it comes to cables. no different when looking for a equipment or speakers.....everyone will have their own suggestion. the OP just needs to find a cable that is in his price range, try it and if he doesnt like it, resell it. he has done the same thing with equipment ,so this would be no different. |
If money is no object. Then I would be happy to fabricate custom silver cables. Air tube suspension, Sealed tube, and full spectrum shielding for starters. My work has replaced most of the cables listed so far in this thread. I have a showroom with examples of my silver cables in use and I expect to show cables at several shows this year including Munich. There is a dealer in Maryland with my copper cables in showrooms. |
A lot of cable opinions. MIT is a cable manufacturer that gives a better preforming speaker/interconnect cable if you spend more money. If you have a good system, addressed AC noise to some degree, address room acoustics to at least a mid-level degree, MIT cable will easily improve the sound of your system at any price point. I have found them to repeatably be the best bang for the buck if you are trying to improve the musicality of your system. If you are looking to flavor your system, then many of these posts will help you. If you are looking for a lower noise floor, original sounds stage, full depth of note/octave with the correct transient’s decay and initial instrument attack MIT is an excellent choice. |
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SILVERSMITH FIDELIUM Lively, oozing color and tonal richness... I could go on and on about the qualities these cables bring to the table... but I won't. The FIDELIUMs are the first cables I've put in my system that made me forget about critiquing all the things audiophiles typically obsess over and just surrender to the gorgeous immersive musical experience unfolding around me. Probably the best money spent in my whole system. |
This forum has been valuable in many ways. Not only has it been a fascinating daily read, it has directed me to several central things vis a vis my system. Now the latest: speaker cables. I first knew Silversmith Audio’s Jeff Smith 20 years ago when I was a dealer. Have always admired his work in cables and, although not cheap, felt his cables were are good value and great performers. Now he has developed a cable that, IMO, will take the industry by storm. The Silversmith Fidelium. A speaker cable and soon IC. From talking with Jeff and reading the reviews so far, I am convinced that Fidelium cables are amazingly affordable and perform at a level that challenges (or blows away) cost no object cables. Seems to be greatly centered around the lessening of “skin effect”. Whatever it is, comments of reviewers and what Jeff has to say paints a product priced at $1200 for an 8 foot pair that outperforms $50K+ ones. Reviewers comments are unique and consistent. Not the usual “highly recommended” but that these cables are a slam dunk, one of a kind. Jeff Smith is one of the unquestionably straight shooters in Audio. He tells me that he auditioned Fidelium cables in, literally, a million dollar system replacing its cables. The result was the Fideliums were better. I have ordered Fidelium speaker cables and feel confident that I will be very happy. If not, they have a 30 day warranty. |
I've used these with good success and this dealer is great and fast. I thought I got a lot for my money with these cables. https://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPRA-QUADRAX-2-meter-factory-terminated-stereo-speaker-cables-MADE-IN-SWED... |
Take a low cost cable which appear too warm in your system, put on it 10 grams of very small Herkimer diamonds (between 20 and 30), and call it a great Hi-Fi cable now... Cost:10 bucks I know that my post is provocative in a thread with "cost is no object".... But i bet you would be surprized to compare my recipe with any costly cable.... This is the goal and experiment i suggest to the OP... Dont thank me.... |
