Speaker Cable Recommendations - Under 2k

A used pair of Audience AU24SX can be had within your budget. Great cables.  

That's exactly what I am using, and I have no "grass is greener" urges. I also bought them used.

Thin and really thin cores should be avoided regardless of how exotic the metal material is claimed as the lack of metal in the core conductor will increase resistance.

As good of a speaker designer as Shaw may be, the above is an example of how wrong he can be on closely related topics. Much like his earlier claims of being agnostic about amplifiers, Shaw is wrong in his over-emphasis of metal content.

I have been using Audience cables, which are well-known for being quite thin, on and off for many years. I also used them with Harbeth 30.1 speakers, and compared them to at least two other well-regarded brands that happen to have higher metal content. The Audience won, and I still use them now within my current system.

I’m not trying to push Audience, but there are reasons why they have been highly-regarded for decades now, and why their resale values are strong, etc.

Take a look at the reviews of Silversmith Fidelium cables as well. I’ve never heard them, but many apparently swear by them, and their metal content is obviously very low.

Don’t be fooled by Shaw’s poorly informed opinion.

All other brands cables sound veiled, glare, and unnatural because they are made by people (and machine) who don’t know how to make audio cables.

Wait – you own a cable business and write for The Onion!?

Seriously, that’s a very poor way to attract customers.

@akg_ca

I agree with your "TAKE", though I never suggested that the OP shouldn’t consider all options, nor that thinner wires are intrinsically superior to those with higher metal content.

I was simply responding to Shaw’s unsupportable, sweeping claim that "thin and really thin cores should be avoided". So it was he who was speaking in absolutes, not I!

Cheers!