Not Chinese Fakes But Not big $$$ Either

@carlsbad No worries Jerry. We're just two guys having a conversation about cables.  I enjoy hearing other opinions and try to learn something new every day.  That part is easier than i like to admit. 😂

Eric

Thanks for the nice comments to all who have looked.  A review of the sound will have to wait until next spring.  My stereo (version 4.0 since covid started) is awating the arrival of a pair of SoundLab Majestic 745's.  Made two pairs of cables so I can bi-amp off a pair of Hegel H30's running in stereo mode.  I'm excited but it will be a long winter.  In the meantime.................

I reckon a few of those who have disparaged Bose speakers in the past will be eating crow.  🤣

@carlsbad re name, i was hoping to attract the legion of posters who are buying knock off cables and demonstrate there is a wsy to buy local, cut costs and have some fun at the same time?  But that's just me. 7

@carlsbad  I have a stripper/crimper tool but it doesn’t go below 20 awg. With a new box cutter blade as shown, I only needed to put very light pressure on the blade and simply roll it over the wire. The covering came off easily and not one wire was knicked. I was surprised at how easy that part of the job was.

@jrbirdman333 Skipped the gloves as I knew I would clean the wires before securing the spades.  Cleaned them and used a polishing cloth.  

@dekay  Thanks.  In a perfect world, I have just build my last set of cables.  🤣

@dekay Any standard wire stripping tool has the crimping feature built in.  On the link to the spades, click on the install instructions and you'll see a pair.  You use the grove for 10 - 12 AWG.  It does not take much pressure to put a solid crimp in these spades.  At $5 a pair, order an extra set for trial.  

@carlsbad Re the copper purity, the Banana Plugs are 93% copper but the SP series spades "utilize C11000 100% IACS Copper which are the highest conductivity coppers available for their respective designs".  Note sure how much of a difference it makes but I did like the idea of 100% copper.  

@carlsbad My experience with Banana plugs has not been that great.  Not keeping a tight fit has been my big complaint.  I have liked the locking style Furutech makes and the BFA style looks to be an improvement.  Right or wrong, I thought the high-quality copper and conductivity would work.  Really amazed they sell these spades for $5 per pair.  They are solid and well constructed. Makes you wonder what kind of magic dust goes into the connectors you see for $200 each.

@curiousjim  Ha Ha.  New speakers don't arrive until next May.  But I will post at that time.  

@thyname  If you scan up a dozen or more posts, you will see the Bose set up I'm using right now. It's Sweeeeeeeet. 

On Tues I head to Mexico until the end of April, so there is that going on.  There's a place you would never want to own high end equipment as the heat and humidity ruin everything in time.  But not to worry, as I have the same Bose set up there. 🤣

In the meantime, I go to sleep each night dreaming of these coming in the spring.

SoundLab Majestic 745 with Garnet Red Grill

@curiousjim The weight question is above my pay grade.  I can only opine that the sum of all material required to build these monsters adds up to 185 pounds. If you are really interested in a detailed answer, contact Roger at roger@soundlabspeakers.com   He will usually answer within a couple days.  It's nice that the founder of the company still answers his own emails.

@tksteingraber They sound as good as any cable I have owned.  Was able to switch in and out with XLO Signature 3 - 5.2 and Silversmith Fidelium cables.  I couldn't really tell the difference between the three sets.  Maybe I don't belong to the Golden Ear Club, or maybe it's really difficult to hear a difference once you start comparing well build cables.  Cost wise, I spent +/- $1000 (CDN) for an 8 foot pair.  That made them the least expensive of the three sets by quite a bit.  I really enjoyed the project.  For me, building is always more enjoyable than simply buying.  So in summary, I would say the cables are a winner.  I have sold the XLO and the VH Audio Chela speaker cable is now in the system long term.