recommended speaker cables and interconnects

SARCASAM to the ENTH DEGREE!

I hope!

the cost has to be HIGHER then your system components together for good speaker cables.

so when you go on the website, buy the cable that has the highest cost and you will experience the truth about high end audio....

why? because the cable should be perfect. and you pay a price for PERFECTION.

Honestly, Chris at VH Audio has amazed me with his capacitors. He also sells cables, and his prices are good. I am basing my recommendation based upon his capacitors. Sounds wrong, but follow my logic. He has single handedly moved the needle with regards to capacitors. His ODAM capacitors are the best capacitors I have never heard. I call capacitors sound sponges, they do unbelievable damage to sound, but he has developed a capacitor that has corrected that like no other I am aware of. He's not going to suddenly compromise when it comes to cables. I'd call him and let him guide you, he's a listener first, dealer second. Great guy, great caps, and soon I intend to find out about his cables, buying an expensive DAC first though. Good luck regardless of what you buy or from whom. There is a lot of snake oil out there.

the cost has to be HIGHER then your system components together for good speaker cables.

so when you go on the website, buy the cable that has the highest cost and you will experience the truth about high end audio....

why? because the cable should be perfect. and you pay a price for PERFECTION.

Lots of recommendations here. It is all very system-dependable. I would add Zu Audio cables to the list. I prefer them to Cardas, Cord, Transparent and Wireworld. They are very friendly and have a great no-questions-asked 60-days return policy.  

Don't underestimate power cables, Shunyata is quite special here. Avoid cheap/budget aftermarket power cables, they are mostly marketing exercise, at least I have never encountered a good cheap power cord, that was worth the money. Fun starts when you splash a bit of your hard earned cash.))

Sometimes technology gets in the way. So, I’m starting to rethink everything. Simple is much better. We do all of these modification back and forth. Then without realizing what we’ve done, there has been 1000 different configurations just to come back to the beginning were we see that this what I wanted all along. Sometimes the man in the mirror is playing tricks on you!!!   We don't need to cable to add anything.  We just need the cables to get out of the way!!!!

calvint
i totally agree with you.

it just i haven't deal with my system for awhile , so i just wanted some brands name to check and decide.

unfortunately i got too many of them 😀 

Stone1 this is a very subjective topic.  I've been around this hobby for 39 years now.  I've had everything from Monster Cable to Kimber Kable.  I've found that the same cables will sound different on different equipment.  It's all about how they get along with each other.  Like husbands and wives.  Just because she was a bad wife to you, doesn't mean she will be a bad wife to someone else.  Same for your system(s).  You would be surprised to find out which brands I find bunch WAY above their weight class.  My main system consist of:  Source:  Oppo 103 / Sony x800, Amplification: SMC audio custom upgrade/w Synergistic Research Purple Fuse, Speakers:  Audio Physic Plus, Subwoofer: 2 - SVS SB3000.  All connections (digital & analog) are Blue Jean Cable and speaker wire is Monoprice Monolith.

When I say this systems kicks some ass and bunches WAY above it's weight class, I mean IT!!!!!

thanks bwguy

I also recommend Jason at the cable company. If you call him, Mention Steve put in a good word.

@mitch2, provided some good information but just a cautionary note to all regarding the first link he mentioned. The Furez stuff he carries is great and at a very good price and if it interests you then there are many other places to buy from. I had a problem when I bought from this ... this .. person.

First order was fine but the following order for the same components was shipped to me at a higher shipping cost which when questioned was told that the package was heavier than before. WTF, it was a repeat order. Crazy for a business owner to provide a good product at a good price and then treat a repeat customer as an idiot and try rip him off on the freight. The overcharge was refunded with no apology.

The FUREZ lugs are pure unplated Cu and very difficult to find. They are available with standard size jaws but have various sized barrels to exactly fit the wire used for a superior connection. This lug to speaker wire union is paramount to the end result. FUREZ also have low-mass very tight fitting banana plugs. The plugs/lugs can be crimped and/or soldered. I do both with the solder used primarily to exclude oxygen.

For all connectors avoid the cheap and very nasty brass based rubbish on offer. And yes these dreadfull things damage the signal. You have brass of dubious purity which is usually coated in nickel because it polishes up nicely so that it looks good when gold plated.

You now have different metals with very different IACS that you intend passing your precious signal through that you have paid huge amounts of money for, with the component manufacturers using high quality power supplies, short signal paths, resonance control and other attempts at keeping the signal pure, only to be sabotaged by crap connectors. You would be horrified at just how many, even very expensive components cheap out on the connectors. Some fit huge beautiful looking things but understand that this extra and unnecessary bulk has extra and unnecessary eddy currents in addition to the extra and unnecessary plating 🙄

IACS for various metals (international annealed copper standard) with pure Copper as reference at 100%

Silver 106%

Copper 100%

Brass 28%

Nickel 22%

Cupro-nickel 5-15%

Dissimilar metals are how diodes are formed. I do not want my signal travelling through this mess!

Richard Vandersteen has what looks like a cheap way of providing speaker termination. His designs have, or did have, screw connectors on the back which will accept lugs. Note though that he eshews the ubiquitous 5-way binding post for a low-mass terminal that can be securely tightened with a large screwdriver.

I have my own way of terminating cables to my DIY amp but it’s not for everybody.

Duelund has not been mentioned, is inexpensive and definitely sounds best with no connections. Just strip off the insulation and use unterminated. There is much on the net to entertain re: Duelund speaker cable.

If you can DIY then visit Chris at VHaudio for some proven recipes and components. I see lots of advice to stay with one brand which does not make sense to me.

@tom2015 😊. Yes they have, I don’t know why they don’t come up? Maybe they aren’t into marketing. 

@ghdprentice 

Thanks for the input. The company has been around for 30 years, but seems rarely mentioned.

Boy, cables can be a quagmire. There are good cables for your system at all price ranges. The difficulty is finding the right match. 

I'm off the speaker cable search with Fideliums now for 2 years. Not inexpensive, but not stratospheric in price.

IC's - have eliminated Gabriels, Cerious, Teo, High Fidelity, Jena Labs, JPS Labs, and some Stealth models. Without breaking the bank, the Silnote Morpheus III cables are extremely well balanced for $400/pair. I'm trying to score a pair of Silent Source to give them a try. Used is your best bet.

Older products worth searching for are Jade Audio and Sablon.

Morrow Audio makes pretty decent cables. Stay at the MA3 level or higher.

Cables are very subjective and that is OK. 

Some people are also subjective in their opinions and that, too, is OK.

Other people are objective.

fredcdobbs
what do you mean by digital cables?
optic cables?
o don't use it

You didnt mention Digital cables but I just compared a $440 Kimber D60 to a $45 Mogami 2964 and the Mogami is amazing for ten percent of the Kimber price. Available on Amazon so 30 day return.

I find the Giant Killer comment so funny.

Silversmith Fidelium speaker cables..a giant killer 

..Silversmith Fidelium speaker cables..a giant killer 

I have had numerous interconnects and speaker cables over the years and I absolutely love Audio-Envy !  Cap the owner is very easy to work with, and yes they do have a return guarantee, although I've never had to send anything back.  They are very reasonably priced and are very high performing.  Their cables have low capacitance which doesn't attenuate the upper frequencies.  I have turned several of my audiophile friends from their expensive interconnects and speaker cables to these.  Highly recommended !  And yes...  I believe you can return them if you don't like them.  Just call and speak  with Cap...  

Not a sensible question OP.

Most people accept that interconnect and speaker cable changes can have effects on the sound.  These effects arise mainly because of the interaction of the cables with the active components they are connecting rather than by the attributes of the cables themselves.

Further, each of us favours a different kind of sound.

So it is useless and damaging to take recommendations as to which are the 'best' cables for every system and every listener.  You are very likely to be disappointed.

The only way forward is to listen to a lot of different cables in your system and choose the ones that sound best to you.

A dealer or widely experienced audiophile can help by using experience of different cables in different systems to narrow down your choice by eliminating combinations he knows are unlikely to be synergistic.

Synergistic Research "Foundation" series seems to be a sonic bargain as per online professional reviewers:

and

Another vote for DH Labs.

@tom2015 

I have a number of Straight Wire interconnects. These were recommended as my first high end interconnects. My first big purchases of interconnects. The sounded terrible in my system. This was forty years ago. I bought something else… anyway these have been in my cabinet for decades. A couple years ago, I found them. I thought, “what the heck… let’s see what these sound like?” I put the in to my system today… I was shocked.. they sounded fantastic… better than my DH Labs, Cardas, Harmonics,…. And a couple others. 
 

Analysing what happened. Well, in general, the interconnects were too good for my system. My system had too much high frequency hash and distortion and my speakers were extremely fast and accurate which these very high quality interconnects transmitted thorough the system. I ended up putting warm copper interconnects and a really warm Cardas speaker cable to make my system sound good. 
 

‘Thirty five or so years later… I imagine the current versions are probably amazing. I would check them out.

Audio Envy. Their new(er) ribbon type has incredible resolution. sounded thin for about a week, then Bam. slammin tight bass with the great resolution. Pass 250.8 and Legacy Sig SEs. 1/3 the price of the wire they replaced. very happy with them.

+1 on Audio Envy.

Look at materials and construction style.  +Zanfino.  Wireworld describes each series very well to see this.  Educational.  Usually, OCC $$$ better than OFC $$.  Teflon/PTFE and cotton better than PVC for lead insulation.  Connectors matter too.  Or, if you're handy, save money, or want satisfaction, go DIY.  It's not really hard.  Can avoid soldering with clamp/screw style connectors or not.  Start with speakers.   Then do ICs.  Source materials via  internet like Soniccraft or Parts Connexion.  Look here to learn/see one plan  http://www.image99.net/blog/files/category-002ahelix-image-speaker-cable.html.  I did these first attempt.  Extremely happy.  Saved $$$.

Check the Internet for Zavfino. I am very pleased with their products.

I’ve tested many in-home demo cables with my Gryphon Diablo 300 and my B&W 803 D2’s, including medium and high end options from AudioQuest, Nordost, Clarus and others. Cables most definitely can make a system sound “right”, or can make things sound totally off.

For a medium range very high value speaker cable, I highly recommend the Clarus Crimson (I’m using the biwire version). I would say the same as others and pro reviewers - very engaging, musical, very good bass, and so forgiving of various electronics. Not the last word in speed but not bad either. I also purchased the Clarus Crimson high current power cord, but I’m not so impressed with that cord (boring, constrained).

After testing Dragon and Firebird cables from AudioQuest, I wasn’t impressed. Not bad but also I didn’t get that sense of cohesion.

For the last word in the most perfect speaker wire I could find, it was the Nordost Valhalla 2’s. These were just awesome. Super fast, warm and neutral, and just does as little as possible to the signal. I just placed an order for these after being happy with my Clarus Crimson’s for a few years. I do think that if you are not trying to correct problems with the tone of your electronics with speaker cables, which I don’t recommend, Valhalla 2’ speaker cables are the last you will ever need. Unless you can afford the Odin’s, which I can’t! The Valhalla’s do so little to the signal that I think if you are happy with your signal chain electronics, I would guess that the Valhalla 2’s would suit just about any gear.

Of note, while the mid and high range of the Valhalla 2 power cord was the most exquisite I’ve heard, I also found the bass to be missing when compared with other power cords from Transparent and other brands.

One honourable mention goes to the Nordost Frey speaker cables.  These sounded great with excellent timing and a natural cohesive sound with no loss of bass.  They just didn’t have the detail, air, and transparency of the Valhalla 2’s but then again, the Frey’s are a fraction of the price.

Are there other Straightwire users here? I visited one of the DC area dealers that carried the brand, which I was not familiar with, and spoke highly of them. Pricing even for the highest end Crescendo seems rather reasonable vs the Transparent which he also carried. Sound was good, but his room and system.

Since I am a Transparent user look at the following depending on budget

Transparent Music Wave Plus $$

Transparent Music Wave Super $$$

Transparent Music Wave Ultra $$$$

After Ultra it might be the point of diminishing returns. I currently have Ultra but upgrade from Music Wave Plus and then to Super via their upgrade program. If I were to describe the sound of the Transparent cables in my system it would be warm, full bodied or lush. For what is is worth I have been a Transparent customer since 1997.

Cables are very subjective and that is OK. The most important thing is you like the sound in your system. See if you can borrow some for a few days in your system at home. This is what I did. 

"jpmanomet" is right on target with Mogami.  For interconnect cable I recommend the W2549 matched with the Neutrik NF2CB RCA's.  The Mogami W2549 is a microphone cable with 2 jacketed conductors made of ofc.

The soldering required for the neutrik nf2cb rca's is not easy as you have to solder the braided ground before the 2 conductors to the center cup.  You could opt for the Rean  Neutrik NYS352G Gold RCA's that use a satisfying/satisfactory crimp for the ground.

Once broken in, these cables are stunning and deliver the goods!

I use all Kimber Kable Base in my system with the WBT connectors for the interconnects and phono cable. (sounds better than the balanced in my opinion. (I have them in both and use all the SE cables now). They are fine and don't break the bank. 

I would start with a inexpensive quality cable from a respectable manufacture to use as your base line.

A great candidate would be the 12ga Mogami 3103

You never know - you might decide your money is better spent on something else

Before I moved to Kii Three Active speakers I was really happy with my The Chord signature reference. Used them on my Tannoy 15” K3808 Professional Syncsource  model M1000. 

I would go with Blue Jeans Cables...high quality and they make them up to order. Reasonably priced.

I've been searching for the "right" cables in my system for quite some time and have tried all the usual suspects.  I don't remember which forum I came across Belden cable, but on further research, they are a massive company and have been making all kinds of cables for over 100 years.  That is impressive, but what was more impressive is digging deeper and finding that a former EE (Galen Gareis) who worked at Belden for many years wanted to make audio cables that actually measured better, therefore sounded better.  Apparently he worked for 3 years to come up with a design that he could actually show through measurements they were better.  To clarify, the Belden Iconoclast cable is made by Belden, but only terminated by Blue Jeans Cable.  On another note, I've tried Blue Jeans Cable and it's definitely NOT garbage. It may have some shortcomings based on my ear, but so have numerous other uber expensive cables that I won't mention. BJC provides really good sound for an exceptionally reasonable price.  Here's a link for Iconoclast:

https://www.iconoclastcable.com/story/index.htm

I hear so many claims about cables that can definitely make your head spin, but unless you can actually show they are better, I'm leaning toward it all just being "snake oil".  Galen has 3 patents on his cables based on science.  How many other companies can say that?  I have no affiliation with Belden or Iconoclast cables, but I'm going to give them a try.  The great news is they offer a trial period and when you talk to Bob Howard, he's one of the nicest (and knowledgeable) people in the business.  I do believe that not all cables will work with each system and everyone hears slightly differently or likes a different type of "sound" whether it's neutral sound or something else. I guess I'm just getting tired of marketing claims based on using this type of copper or this type of silver or......you get it. 

So I should have a loom of the Iconoclast cable coming in the next few days and I would be happy to report back what my thoughts are.  Happy listening!

I have a tube system with high efficiency horn speakers. Mostly listen to vinyl. I read the Stereophile article that Art Dudley (RIP) wrote about Luna cables and decided to give them a try. Ended up with their Rogue turntable cable and interconnects. Very natural timbre, tight bass and “you are there” vocals. I’m going to evaluate their speaker cables next. 

I just purchased  Van Damme Hi-Fi Series LC-OFC 2x6mm from Lucasoundvision. The wire has excellent specs and love the Airloc crimp termination.

btw i use most of the time analogue vinyl's.
sometimes cd's  , but not DAC or streamer 

The British make some of the best audio cables, as well as some of the best components. However, they are seldom mentioned here...I personally love and use both Atlas and Chord cables, also Qed. 

NVA makes some pretty good speaker cables

https://nvahifi.co.uk/

Well na NACA five is by far the best vat priced speaker wire I have every heard. I also had a set of Tara labs off the roll speaker wire. I found Kimber 8tc on the brightside. Same with 4pr. Audioquest midnight lacked resolution lots of body in not terminator 2 I like transparent super I have a pair of transparent plus on my rear surround home theater set-up. In the main system I have used transparent ultra reference and reference xl. Each step the sound quality goes up. I have reference and reference xl interconnects and second generation super power cords that was there topline powercord back them. Changed the ends to the top furutech IEC and plugs. Also used a reference Xlo on the turntable and cd player. I have also started to play a bit with the furutech line of cables so far I really like them as well. 

Regards 

Straightwire - recommended to me here on Audiogon - is very good and great value. https://www.straightwire.com/mobile/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstraightwire.com%2F

I use Audience Ohno cables for $160 M. I also use their speaker cable or Kimber TC12. My digital coax is a Kimber D60 but for ten percent of the cost and most of the sound a Mogami 2964 digital coax from Amazon is quite good for only $45. 

@stone1 

another way to think of it is good food. The source. Everything comes from that. Feed the plants. Give them good food. That is why I am so happy I have a dedicated line with a nice dedicated cable. Of course many will say that is useless. In my opinion, it is not. I am always chasing white noise, and that crappy film in the sound, like a bad TV fuzzy view. I hate noise. I am a classical violinist and really hate fuzz in sound. Power cables and dedicated line go after that for a cleaner listening experience. 

@stone1 

i mean power cables vs. interconnects and speaker cables.

i have heard a tremendous change from changing the power cables. Of course interconnects and speaker cable matter, but I noticed the biggest noise riddance with power cables, then speaker wire, then interconnects. Meaning I would put your money at the source. Power cables first then speaker, then interconnects. I was told by a dealer, first speaker cable and interconnects. I could not disagree more. Power power power. Cables from the front end make a huge difference. So I suppose I would pony up big on that end. Then add interconnects and speaker cable. That is of course only what my ears hear. Noise really goes away when adding great power cables. 

Check out Stager Silver Solids interconnects, also speaker cables,

Great reviews and user feedback (including mine).
These are a true high-end bargain.

website: https://stagersound.com/silver/
review here at Audiogon:

I’ve heard a bunch of recommendations for the same stuff over and over, yet when it came to where I dropped my hard earned $ for interconnects it was Hapa Audio that blew everything else away. Known more over on AudioCircle, Jason is a one (possibly two) man show and does phenomenal cables. They are not real cheap, but comparatively speaking I have been able to put off big time gear upgrades because the cables boosted performance beyond what I ever thought could be done. At that point, his cables are an absolute bargain.

Hapa Audio

For speaker cables, if you’re handy with a soldering iron then have at a DIY set for pennies on the dollar. I made a set that took me most of a day to build, and were a big improvement over the Audioquest I was using. I finished mine in KLE banana plugs, but most importantly just don’t use gold or anything plated over brass. Yuck.

DIY speaker cables

Another option for DIY or if you feel like just paying someone else to make you a top notch set of speaker cables, look at the GR Research. It’ll run you a few hundred $, but again a bargain compared to a similar performing option from another big name operation.

GR Research cables

Anyone a fan of Pangea "no shortcuts" XLRs