I would like to hear opinions on speaker cable...Anti-Cables vs. Mapleshade vs. Morrow vs. Bettercables. If any of you have tried them and which do you feel perform the best.
Are we talking about speaker cables or interconnects?
I had - have - Anti-Cables. But, I use speaker cables much more like the Mapleshade. They are DIY ultra thin copper ribbons. Following the Anti-Cable disdain for dielectrics I kept the insulation to a minimum - almost nothing.
For interconnects, I use the Speltz Anti-Cable IC. I have not heard anything appreciably better on my system.
i also used the anti speaker connects, i liked them, the sound was very good, but they are abit funky if you can see them readily and are not easy adjust , if you have any length. i admit they are minimal but the red wire and rigidity of the wire itself was not flex enough for me...i loved the sound, but they are funky to work with and look at...if you want to see them in my system ..go to dwhitt and look at budget jazz system, i have them show with my totem ,cayin system...good listening...dwhitt
i also used the anti speaker connects, i liked them, the sound was very good, but they are abit funky if you can see them readily and are not easy adjust , if you have any length. i admit they are minimal but the red wire and rigidity of the wire itself was not flex enough for me...i loved the sound, but they are funky to work with and look at...if you want to see them in my system ..go to dwhitt and look at budget jazz system, i have them show with my totem ,cayin system...good listening...dwhitt
Re: the original question any of Morrow, Mapleshade, or Anti would be a good choice. I have the Mapleshade Double Golden Helix on the HF of my Selah speakers... detailed yet pleasant presentation. Very good cable. the Elf cables appear very similar, some using gold over copper instead of silver over copper. Ernest tends to use an enamel insulation.
I left Kimber Kable years ago. Anti-Cable was a big jump up from that. Ribbon SCs like Mapleshade uses were the all out winners.
Muralman1,
I have pondered installing different cables for some time now. Ive read so many articles on speaker cables that I cant help but be a skeptic. If I cant actually hear a difference really hear it, without having to go back and forth between cables to discern any minuscule differences, or perceived differences then I dont want to lay out any cash. Therefore, I want to ask you specifically what the big jump or difference between your Kimber / Anti-Cables / and ribbon-type cables was. I am currently using four runs of Kimber 4TC in a double-shotgun configuration. I cant afford to replace the Kimber with really expensive cables, so I have been curious about all the hype given to these other affordable cables. Any thoughts on cables (single or bi-wired) in the $600 range (need 12 each side) that would provide a discernable difference??
2chnlben, My goodness, your request went unanswered by me. If this thread was not pointed to by a different, but similar query, I would have never seen your post.
Frankly, on most systems, cable difference can be hardly discernible. That is, unless the radically different cable is introduced. Magnet wire is one example. Cerious, on the expensive side, is another example with their viscous ceramic conductor.
The Kimber Kable was not really bad. I couldn't really tell much difference between it and other normal cables in systems past. With my former Pass gear, I couldn't tell the difference in any cable.
It wasn't until I acquired my present system when cables divulged their true identities. Though the hose cables remained similar, they all erred on poisoning the conductor. The worst were the most expensive, like MIT, Cardas, and Jenna. Anyone can hear the hiss when using hose cables, the Jenna being the least offensive.
The magnet wire reveals magic in the mids, but leaves the frequency extremes lacking. The ribbon retains the clear mids, and brings the hi's and lo's to equal baring.
I must make it clear, I am talking about findings in my own system. Your need for 8 feet runs makes the ribbon possibly unusable. The magnet wire changes not over the same distance.
Yeah - we really need a price point. Mapleshade has $7,000 speaker cables as well as the Clearview Golden Helix, about which I've heard good things and are reasonably priced.
Personally I can't figure out this cable stuff at all, and I've gone 100% Kimber because there does seem to be general consensus (above comment acknowledged) that their stuff is really, really good. I use Hero interconnects for most everything, very middle of the road, until recently they were around 90 - 120 per pair depending on details. I figured this got me 'enough' up the totem pole that I could stop thinking/worrying about cables and have been very very happy with that decision.
I recently put together a 4k system for a friend and we did 100% Blue Jeans cables for everything as at 4k total I wanted to focus on the speakers and amp and let everything else evolve over time.
I personally think along these lines:
Blue Jeans Signal Cable MapleShade (lower end, not the 7k ones!) Kimber
Depending on total system cost. Anti-cables seem like they are similar to Signal Cable, but that is mostly speculation.
I have tried other expensive cables in various places in my system on loan from stores, and silver definitely made the highs too high for me, I always went back to Hero. Some call the Hero the poor mans KS series.
That said - if you want to be different and exotic, which I'm all for, Mapleshade does some really incredible things. You have to ignore a lot of the nonsense claims they make in their catalogue, but their recordings, for instance, do seem to be the best recordings I've ever heard including the Kimber recordings, Telarc, 2L, etc. A lot of what they do that seems crazy actually seems to work... So if you want to be different go with Mapleshade! Otherwise, I say Kimber up! (The other different/exotic thing to do is the Van Den Hul, they do some interesting things...)
And if your total system cost isn't high don't feel bad at all about going Blue Jeans/Signal/Anti/Better etc. Its mostly about your speakers, then DAC, then Amp. Unless your speakers are really hard to drive, then its speakers, amp, DAC :)... IMHO... I really think people should put 50% or more of total system cost into speakers then go from there...
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