Chinese fake cables How fake, how good?


I have noted a number of warnings about cheap Chinese fake cables on this site but curiosity led me to the Aliexpress site where I found a number of presumably fake big name cables from predominantly Cardas, Nordost and Siltech at about 15% of the USA or Australian price. I found Cardas Clear Light interconnects at about US$100 and decided what the heck let's give them a try at that price. Before buying I asked the seller the daft question as to whether they were genuine and got the reply that they were an OEM and constructed the interconnects from genuine Cardas cables and connectors. They arrived in a plastic bag rather than the Cardas box , not a great start but the cables looked real, and when connected, much to my surprise, they sounded really good. After 100hours or so burn in they sounded great and better than the Nordost Quatre Fils I had been using. I then took them to an Australian hi end dealer who sold real Cardas and asked rather ingenuously whether my cables were the real deal. The dealer would not commit but agreed to compare them to the real thing on a set up costing at a guess around A$100,00. Neither I nor the sales person could tell any difference so he then tried them against the Cardas Clear. Then there was some difference, not extreme but subtle, and certainly IMO not worth the price difference even if you bought the genuine Cardas Clear Light. So are these cables really fake and even if they are given my experience they are well worth a try. Maybe I'll try Nordost Odin or Siltech 770i next.
mazian

Showing 2 responses by nonoise

If you tried as many times as you've said, only to be referred to a Chinese company, one would wonder why you kept on trying. 

That was your very first post on your first day on A'gon which can make one wonder what your beef was about. How many times were you going to bang your head against that wall, expecting a different result?

As for my "high horse"...there are now three threads actively bashing Chinese made cables to add to all the others that came before and those that will keep on coming. If you don't want Chinese cables, don't buy any. How hard is that?

All the best,
Nonoise

Sounds like you’re a mite disgruntled trying to find a bargain cable for your media needs and came here to vent as Alvin’s Cables only deals with professional videoing needs and they appear to use Chinese made cables.

There are many well made Chinese cables as members here have pointed out. What started out as knock-offs many years ago has to led to some nice personally branded cables that offer value for the money.

Your political rant kinda turns people off as it’s been discussed here to death.

All the best,
Nonoise