Monster Cable

All right then...
Didn't help with the comparisons between the Sigma cables though.

Debated whether or not to ask this question solely because it's Monster cable. Didn't want this to end up a Monster bashing thread.
Was just looking for some honest feedback from those that have first hand experience between the two Sigma line of cables.

Then bam, the first response.

But, I do appreciate your response... and candor.

No worries.
An honest and sincere response to a question.
No need to apologize... I did not take any personal offense regarding your feelings toward Monster products.

I am not familiar with the Sigma line but at the price they ask, I would advise you to look elsewhere. My reason is if you ever want to sell them, the "Monster" name will either hinder the sale or force a greater depreciation in the audio market. Looking at their website a 1.5m pair is 750.00 MSRP for the Retro's, I just think that is a lot of money for a IC, not to look at many other brands. Just my opinion on Monster, they may be great, but I had never heard of them till today. See if they will let you do a 30 day MBG in home demo.

Some of us need to lean back on the caffeine a bit.

off the topic a bit here. I tried Acoustic Research Pro II RCA. After that my Kimber Hero, LAT, Cardass and whole bunch others just go to a secondary system. Best part is that it cost my $4.99 from Ebay. New from part express is $20. !!!!Save your money.!!!!!

Monster Cable reminds me of Bose...that is...they are both consumer driven rather than audiophile driven.

Is there anybody who has experience with these 2 cables that can provide a comparison? Preference? Difference?

Do appreciate the comments.
All seem to be honest opinions.

Sure would like to hear from those that have had experience with both Sigma cables.
Please don't be shy if you feel you may be the lone stranger.

I have both and would like to hear from others.

Thanks again all...

Monster=Bose, spend your money elsewhere. BTW I often wondered why Monster didn't sue the Boston Redsox for their
"Green Monster" wall in left field.

I discovered the following on the audioholics site:
http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/blue-jeans-strikes-back
An extremely thought-provoking letter, actually, which calls out Monster's alleged shakedown practices and raises some very significant philosophical questions about the promiscuousness of our legal system.

Elizabeth, NO need to appologize.

I've read the original demand letter AND the BJC reply and they are classics.

No Monster for me, and I'm not sure a retraction by Lee would be enough

The lesson in the story about Monster Cable is that audio cables is 99% Marketing and 1% vigorous protection of trade marks/packaging and other aesthetic features, as well as plenty of specious technical claims.

Sadly there is no actual "technology" in audiophile cables versus regular good quality wires and connectors. However, like consumer products brands in foods, beverages, cleaning and personal care, there is enormous marketing "spin" on the benefits of certain "brand name" products. A classic example is the Ivory Soap "So pure it floats" tag line which confounds an unrelated technical property to authenticity as a superior soap. This is EXACTLY the kind of advertising that audiophile cable manufacturers do - any and all sorts of irrelevant technical claims are used to justify to the customer why said cable is superior and worth $500 more.

i won't touch the "all cables are the same" debate, tho i will defend ivory soap. ivory actually is different than most other branded soaps in that it doesn't contain any moisturizers, perfumes or other additives (thus the "99.4% pure" part); it's also cheaper than most of its competitors. a better example might be clorox bleach which, i believe is chemically identical to every other bleach on the shelf, yet dominates the market and commands a substantial premium. such is our suceptibility to hype.

To sum up: Use Ivory soap, not Monster cable.

Shad, you're correct.
Isn't that what Edison said......'Invention is 99% marketing and 1% persperation'?
or something like that?

A must read on the subject are the letters exchanged by Monster and BJC which I'm hoping have reached 'legendary' status. Since the owner of BJC was a former intellectual property attorney, he knew EXACTLY how to answer Monster's letter. And I think he was spoiling for a fight.

http://www.audioholics.com:8080/news/editorials/blue-jeans-followup

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

I checked the archives and there isn't much regarding any of the Monster Sigma speaker wires or ICs.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr_srch.pl?&1&procsrch&3&4&

I guess with all that has gone down with Monster all these years has made audio enthusiasts a little leery of their stuff. The Monster website has the Retro Sigma Gold speaker cables listed at $2500 MSRP. For anywhere near that kind of money I'd look somewhere else.

I only bought Monster cables when they were very deeply discounted.

Sorry about that.

I'm hoping this is a better link to the Monster Sigma archive results.

Monster Retro Sigma search results

If this link doesn't work the search in the forum archives I did was Monster Sigma and selected Match All Words from the drop down menu.

Hey Jedinite24,

Thanks for the input.
I have checked out those posts but weren't quite what I was looking for.

I would like hear about any differences between the Sigma Retro's & the original Sigma ME2's.
If anyone has had the opportunity to have listened to both.

Have had the original Sigma's for quite some time. Was just wondering if the Retro's were different in some way. Better. Worse. Same Same?

Have had Kimber, Analysis Plus, Cardas and some others, can't recall right now at my age, but kept going back to my original Sigma interconnects and speaker cables.
Maybe they're just so well broken in, over 10+ yrs., and I'm used to their sound???

Thank you...

I have a 1 meter pair of m1000 interconnects (circa late eighteies early nineties) and the best way to describe their "sound" would be to listen to" Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra" GRP RECORDS. Although live, it will give you a rough idea to their "sound". I'll let you be the judge.