Higher end value cables
1) PSB Imagine T3 speakers 2) Wells audio Innamorata power amplifier 3) Jolida Fusion Preamp level 1 modified 4) Simaudio moon neo 380d dac (non dsd version) https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/644-simaudio-moon-neo-380d-digital-to-analog-converter 5) Musical surroundings nova phonomena phono preamp 6) PS Audio Perfectwave CD transport 7) Questyle 600i headphone amp/dac 8) Lumin D1 streamer 9) Melco N1A server 10) Project Xtension 10 turntable with superpack 11) Shunyata MPC-12a power conditioner Was thinking of interconnects in the $60 to $125 range or so. Haven't figured the other details out yet, but just looking for a general brand(s) in that price range that gives good performance without charging my retirement |
Audio Art Classic interconnects. I think, they are $100-$120 new for 1 meter pair. I tried them out of curiosity, excellent for the price, not harsh or bright, reasonably good balance and tone, good bass. If you get them just make sure to point arrows on the jacket in the right direction, they are very small and hard to see. Audio Art has 30 days return policy, as I remember. The cables require 170 hours of burning in time, they don't sound terrible brand new, by the way. I don't use mine, keep them just in case. |
do you want ’tone controls’ cables or more neutral cables ? Some cables alter the purity of the recording or add sonic characteristics such as warmth, extended or "rolled off" highs, or how the soundstage is presented. This may be done intentionally by the manufacturer to create a "house sound," or it may be due to the materials used in the construction of the cable. Cables can be used like a tone control when the components don’t have good synergy, e.g., if a system sounds too lean or analytical, cables with a warmer sonic signature may be used to provide a full-bodied or smoother presentation. A neutral cable provides a transparent and accurate presentation of the system’s sonics. The goal here is to present the recording as accurately as possible; the way the producer and engineer intended. This includes interconnects, speaker cables, digital, and power cables. |
Check out Cullen Cable. I'm very pleased with the sound, build and service from them. Excellent high value cables. http://http//www.cullencable.com/copper-series-interconnect/ Cheers, Scott |
For my amplifier - LAvardin IT - both types of DNM cables work very well - in fact I use and have some Nordost Heimdall 2's and I found that the DNM's gave a better sound with better flow and cogency. I spoke to LAvardin on the premise I required cables longer than they manufactured and they recommended the cheapest Nordost cables - called 2 FLAT - they told me to save my money and not waste them on more expensive cables. I came across some cables by a company called 'wire on wire' and in the set-up I heard them in they were good and very affordable. There is another cable that I have used by a company called 'Missing Link' in the UK as well |
If you know which aspects of sound reproduction are most important to you and/or know areas in your system you'd like to improve, read some reviews to see which cables seem to excel in those areas. When you find one or two that seem interesting, just buy some used cables and give them a shot. If not a big improvement over your BJC you can likely sell them at little or no loss and move on. Some usual suspects would be Acoustic Zen, Audioquest, Synergistic, etc. Another route would be to try those manufacturers who sell direct and offer in-home trial periods. Morrow, Triode Wire Labs, Grover Huffman, etc. Hope this helps and best of luck. |
Lots of good suggestions. Call Steve at The Cable Co. and see what he recommends, as well. They do have a lending library that will let you audition candidates at home. https://www.thecableco.com |
Ah. Sorry I misread your post. So, just for reference and now that we know what you're looking for, what interconnects and speaker cables are you currently using? It just helps to know what your current reference is to help make better recommendations. That said, in my experience you're looking for a tough combination of traits at that price point. Off the top of my head and if I'm you, I'd demo some Morrow Audio MA2 interconnects and maybe also SP2 speaker cables. You might be able to strike a deal with multiple cables as well and very low risk to demo on your system, which is invaluable. I'd be surprised if you're disappointed, but if you try them make sure they're broken in before making any firm judgements. Again, best of luck! |
Great system! Wells is at the top of my list if I ever feel the need for more power. If you use some components much more than others, it might be worth it to splurge on those connections (and skimp on the least used, at least temporarily). Of course, if you're into DIY, then your budget will go much farther. FWIW In MY system, I found entry-level Cardas to sound significantly better than Audioquest, Belden, Mogami & Wireworld, and not at all like what some reviews would have made me believe. To me it's full, dynamic & detailed--the oft used term "laid-back" does not come to mind. I'm not trying to suggest that it's therefore right for you, so much as it's definitely worth the time to try at least a few options out. Good luck! |
Okay. Cardas and cerious technologies. Well, am looking for the best cable I can get for the money. Used cables for a better price will certainly help. Going to search now. Thank you, and yes, the wells is a great amp. Not sure what power you currently have...the wells is 150W per channel. Good power but not up there with a number of mono blocks and some other amps |
I have a First Watt M2 (25 watts Class A no feedback) & Croft Micro 25 (tube preamp), but that's no guarantee what works for me would work in your system. Nonetheless, here's a couple of cheaper Cardas options: Cardas Crosslink (slightly warm) https://www.ebay.com/itm/CARDAS-CROSSLINK-1I-RCA-to-RCA-Stereo-Interconnects-by-Corpse-Cable-1-5ft/3... KAB / CARDAS "SpiralAir" All Litz Coax (more neutral, at least with the Eichmann bullets) https://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/ For used products, https://www.hifishark.com/ allows you to search multiple sites at once (including Audiogon). |
Everybody has their own favorite. I went with DH Labs silver Sonic BL-1 some time ago. They work well for me, I diy speakers and cables and wanted something affordable that passed the signal fairly neutral and these fit the bill. Wires are like french fries, there are a lot of good ones and some not so good but in there somewhere is your favorite. |
+1 for DH Labs cables on a budget for sure. Used them myself before upgrading. One way to get a lot more cable for your money though is once you have semi decided what you might like to buy, go look for them used here or on eBay. That way you get a lot more bang for your buck. For example if you had a budget of 125 for a pair of interconnects you most likely will get a used pair that originaly cost at least 250 for your 125. And they should be nicely broken in to boot! I have only ever bought one new pair of speaker cables in my life, and they ended up being returned...lol. All my cables and subsequent upgrades have all been purchased used but not abused! Good luck and welcome to the ever maddening group of "cableguys" |
Just remember that the sound will be as good as your weakest cable. I suggest going higher with at least your main source interconnects. Also, with better power cords interconnects suddenly start sounding better. Power cords on preamp and dac are often though not always most important. I think, $300-$500 new is where performance starts. |
Experimenting is always a good thing, but yes, to begin with I would put the best interconnects on the phono stage or dac. Sometimes, though it’s not clear which one is best, that’s it might be component dependent. Best for phono stage might not be best for dac, best power cord for dac might not be best for power amp. I have a simpler system and it is easy to figure it out. Speaking of phono stages, you somehow would want to match the cable that goes from phono to preamp to your tonearm cable. I now have two very high level about equal performance different brands interconnects in the system, and one works slightly better with phono stage than another, and I believe it is because it matches better with tonearm cable. |
Having had quite a few of the recommended cables mentioned so far, Darwin cables were the first interconnect that were considerably better sounding in all ways than Morrow MA-3 & 4, Crimson, DNM, Kimber PBJ, Magnan Type 2, Signal Cable to name a few. The Darwin Silver ICs were my first Darwin, followed by the Ascension, and Ascension Plus. The Ascension was better yet than the Silver and the Ascension Plus was even better yet. I still have all 3 ICs which got replaced by Teo Game Changers ($500 each) that have a more organic sound but otherwise are similar sounding in detail, beautiful mids, transparency, great dynamics and bass. The Darwin have a very simple, straight forward approach to building their wires, and they don't look too impressive, but the sound is WAY above their cost. If you read up on them, there are many great reviews on their website. The 2 Ascension ICs are 1 mtr. long with RCAs, and the Silver is 1/2 mtr. with RCAs. The 3 sets I'd let go for $495 total. It's a little over your budget but the sound is well beyond anything mentioned. The 3 listed for over $1500 total. They are about 4 years old. I used these with a TRL DUDE, Nuforce Ref 9 V3 SE monos, Modwright 5400, West .30RDT SE phono, and VMPS RM40 BCSE speakers. |
I am new to the list and starting out with high end audio. rotel CD player 1572 with radio shack cables connected with RCA jacks and sound great for my ears. I am a classic rock fan. Pioneer receiver. Vsx94thx hdmi $100. Switch PlayStation 4 hdmi. Cable box hdmi VCR/DVD combo RCA jacks from box Oppo player. u203 hdmi sonos connect amp for patio speakers Looking too integrate sonos connect for interior audio only. Pioneer kuro 5020fd All controlled by control 4 Any opinions on this for someone starting out? |
I also have the DH Labs BL1, and it's a good interconnect for the money but not really what you're looking for sonically. Although not absolute, I generally agree with your instinct to go with copper interconnects given your stated preferences. Reviews of Morrow cables seemed to sync with what you're looking for sonically, which is why I recommended trying them, but Dorkwad preferred Darwin and Teo so they may be worth a good look too. And yes, this is like opening Pandora's box, but it's a worthwhile effort that will be an interesting learning experience and reward you significantly in the long run. And hey, wires are about the easiest components to ship and flip, so at least there's that. Not to start a controversial sidetrack here, but I think you'll find those that say wires make no difference are, um, different. Unfortunately in this hobby absolutely everything makes a difference. In fact, ironically, this may be the ONLY absolute in audio. Again, best of luck and enjoy the journey! |
You might want to watch this video before you make a purchase decision https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lG-3KyURXqk |
I had been happy with AntiCables copper speaker cables until I tried a pair from Analysis Plus . Their patented geometry makes a difference and it's available in all their price ranges . They also make Pro Audio cables and have favorable reviews from a lot of professional musicians as seen on their website . Best prices on eBay , from authorized vendor(s) .Have not tried their other cables yet . Look at their Proof online ! |
Yeah I actually have watched that video. As I am looking at budget cables, I think I am right in line. I am not so sure that there is NO difference in interconnects between various levels of purchase and methodology. I do however believe that when it comes to speaker cables there probably isn't that much, if any difference. Many articles support this. I have been told by the cable company that in budget cables analysis plus and DH labs are as good as it gets...with DH labs getting the nod between the two |
This guy has it right..... His suggestions for Kimber & T worked for me. Just upgrade to the equivalent ( updated) if the post is too old http://audiophilereview.com/cables/5-cable-combos-that-wont-break-the-bank.html jeff |
Anticables should be on your list I feel. I use only their cables except for ethernet which they don't make. I have their reference level electrum cables which may be a bit above your budget. Perhaps you could get something used at the reference level or try out their lower level ones. If you buy from them directly they offer a 30 day home trial. Service is superb. And a 50% trade in value for upgrades if you want to trade up. I can say that their reference electrum cables easily bested more expensive cables in my experience, and are said to be as good as nearly any available and much cheaper to boot. |
Prefacing the comment I am about to make below to state that I am not affiliated with the person/company, but I have used their interconnects There is a current auction for a Gabriel Gold Refection V2 which I expect can be won at a very good price - this is by far better than any cable that has been recommended to you thus far. |
