Signal Cable or Transparent ?


Im looking at Transparent cables and interconnects for a 2 channel sysetem with Plinius amp and Totem Hawk speakers.The Transparent cables are $500 and the interconnects are around $130 a pair. Signal Cable's products will cost about 1/3 of the cost of Transparent's. Reviewers have said nothing but good things about the Signal Cable wires. Quality is my priority, with cost being secondary, though. Any thoughts on whether to go with the less expensive Signal Cable's??
tomascal
You do not need Transparent cables for this system to sound great. There are plenty of cables on the market that will match well. However, I do not have experience with Signal cables.
You need to start with the Signal Cable stuff. Great value for the money and if they don't match, send them back within thirty days for a refund. Given the quality of Frank's cables though, you might be pleasantly surprised.
The quality of Frank's cables is very high. I agree with Triumph, you need to make it your baseline cable, it really is outstanding in this bracket. Transparent is great cable, but why spend the money without testing the waters in another fantastic and less expensive brand.
what type of sound are you looking for compared to what you have ?

it is not a question of which one is better. it is what sounds best in your system ie, synergy..

most cables fall into 2 camps.

1. laid back/bloom/"slow cable" -cardas is a great example here. laidback with little image specificity and has a midbass hump.

2. "fast cable"/ detail/images well/bass- xlo is a great example here.

transparent cable is a good cable in some systems..it is a lttle rolled off in the top but is extremely cohearent ( you have to compare it to others to know what i am referring too)

i would go to the local shop and try as many cables as you can to get a idea of what you like / works well with your system. audtion a cable before you buy it. if you cant, pick it up used at a good price, so if you have to sell it, your lost will be minimal. i try to break even or lose $25 maximum.

for example i use xlo signiture II between pre to amp ( it is a very fast, revealing cable that is very neutral and has incredible bottom end). and i use wireworld eclipse v between cd to pre that is neutral with a incredbile midrange. this is the best combination i have found to date. the point being..........in my system...

if you use the same type of cable in your system ( such as cd to pre, pre to amp, speaker, and power cable (btw that is the cable heiarchy) then whatever sonic signiture that cable has, is grealty magnified. what this means, the more you use a certain cable the more of that sound you hear ( 1+1=3) your components are taking that signal and amplifying as it moves down the chain. so if you find a cable you think you like......be careful if you deciede to go with one brand for everything...audition and compare everything.if you havent picked it up by now, cable matching to a system is a art form. there is a learning curve invloved and it is fun to experiement.

i would suggest buying used when you find something you like. the markup in cable is horrendous and depeciate the fastest of all audio components. i picked both pairs of interconnects for $400 used vs. $1000 new.

if you are looking for neutral players - try coincident or wireworld products. the coincident interconnect is a bargain @ $150 used.

also be prepared to change your power cables....i was quite unprepared when i changed just 1 power cable in my system. it made that big of difference.

in regards to speaker cable.. call the manufacture and ask them what they used when they designed the speaker or what works well with the speaker. tell them what amp/pre you have and what you are looking for. that is a good starting point.
you can also check with fellow audiogoners..

hope that helps !!

mike
I have used signal cables: bi-wires, xlr interconnects, and power plugs (3). I thought that they sounded great but I didn't really compare them to anything. I tried my friends Transparent Wave Plus cables on my system, and presto, it kicked the crap out of the Siganl. They are not in the same league and don't let anyone fool you into thinking that they are! I purchased a pair of Audioquest Cheetas and guess what, it kicked the crap out of the Signals! Again, not even in the same league. I bought a pair of Transparent cables along with the Cheetas and a set of Virtual Dynamic Nite XLR's(which put the Cheetas to shame)and it was probably the best upgrade that I have made in all the years of switching components around! My next mission is to get rid of the Signal power cords and buy some Virtual Dynamic plugs. So please do yourself a favor and stick with the Transparent, the Signal's are no match! Hope this helps.
Odd - The opinion you express is subjective, but I am happy that you found what works best for you. That's the most important thing. I hope you demo'd your friends' interconnects "blind" otherwise the opinion offered is useless and 100% placebo.

I found that the Signal is not up to the level of my 2CH only IC's, as I use MIT S3 in that rig. Double blind comparisons of the MIT and the Signal is easy to distinguish...probably along the lines of your Transparent demo, beings they are heavily influenced by MIT in the first place.

Hey, it's a great cable, and a great bargain just like many other DIY based designs. I don't think there is any need to bash it due to your "mission". lol

Mikesinger - Good post : - )