Cables for high efficiency speakers?


I've started to look at speakers to replace my Thiel 3.6s. I'll be putting almost all my dough towards the speakers, so I'm looking for good value in my choice. The speaker contenders are Horning Aristotles and Bastanis Mandalas. I know that Stealth cables are recommended for the Hornings...but $$$, so maybe next time. I need 4 meters!

Any other suggestions? I currently use mid-nineties Wireworld cables and I was told not a good choice for high efficiency speakers.
kennythekey

Showing 3 responses by stanwal

Why not? Exactly how do the requirements of high efficiency speakers differ? I would think that ,if anything, they would be less stringent. Why not try what you have now and see what you think.
Did you ask the manufacture if his speakers were wired INTERNALLY with silver? And if not, why not? The best cable will depend on your amp, your room and your taste. I distrust blanket statements by manufactures or anyone else. Did he tell you why the Wireworld would not work? Did he give you a plausible rational as to why the high efficiency speakers had special requirements? I suppose that if they draw less power then a smaller gauge wire could be used but is there any other design factor involved? I use Homegrown to the Tweeters on my Spendor S 100s, Cardas copper to the woofer and mid. The best cables I have seen reviewed or have used have been copper but I haven't tried or used everything. My point about trying what you have first is related to my idea that there are two approaches to assembling a system. The first is to look for a sound that you like and are happy with; the second is to look for the BEST possible sound. I recommend the first as both cheaper and easier on your emotional state. In the first approach you try what you have and if you like it you can stop there. In the second you have to have at least two; you select one of these. But there still may be others you haven't tried that are better so you are on a never ending quest to compare them all. My advice is to live with your present cables for a while and THEN try to borrow or try out from one of the lending companies and see if there is a big difference.
That sounds very reasonable. I was a little dubious of the idea that a special cable is required for higher efficiency speakers for several reasons, one being the experience with my friends current systems. Friend A has a system not unlike mine in general principal, I have a CJ 350 driving either Spendor 100s or GamuT L5s, he has Lamm hybrids driving Wilson Sasha. Friend B has a very different system, custom tube amps from Brazil driving large AvauntGuard horns. Yet we all independently ended up using Cardas Golden Reference as speaker cable. I don't think that there is any question that THEORETICALLY silver is better. Several years ago B&W had one of their speakers made with all silver internal wiring and there was general agreement that it was a considerable improvement over the standard version, albeit at a much higher cost. But in practice this will vary. I have some Siltech long crystal pure silver ICs that I bought years ago when such things were semi affordable; but in my current system I am using Van den Hul ICs that are, in fact, non metallic instead. IN THIS APPLICATION I like their sound better.