Speaker Cables? why all the hype for expensive speaker wire?


After listening to many speaker cables, I am listening to basic 14 Gauge, high purity copper speaker wire and find myself shaking my head.  Does this basic speaker wire sound better than cables many times the price?  I am really starting to ponder that question.  I think I am hearing things on my records I never heard before and better balance of sound.  What are your thoughts?
tzh21y

Showing 3 responses by danvignau

Whoops, I included one too many words in the edit  Omit "effects" after "prices".
oldhvymec  "$17,000 cables vs $27000"   This is a perfect example of someone who is not happy with his system, and thinks that an extra $10,000 for wires might cure it.  I am sorry, but if you guys want to spend a small fortune on speaker wire, go ahead, but when you start changing without doing some serious AB testing, you are simply proving that a sucker is born every minute,  If anyone thinks there is, or worse "Might be" a lot of, o r worse a little, difference between $500 cable and $10,000 plus cables, ask your self why you are so obsessed with the equipment, rather than the music.
     Maybe I should do a survey:  Let's compare the ability to play a musical instrument well with whether people need to continually upgrade their cables or equipment. My hypothesis in an inverse relationship.  I played a trumpet for 20 plus years.  There were certainly better trumpets, but mine, which was sold from the 1930's through the1960's, was certainly more capable than me.  I could have bought one after the other, but lessons worked quite well.
     There is a lot of obsession with toys. I really like my autocross suspended and tired Supercharged S2000 for two reasons:  It is 75O pounds lighter than a Boxter or Corvette, and drives best when screaming to its heart's content, like a 600cc or 750 cc sport bike.  Would I try a different supercharger based on the opinion of bloggers, for maybe a half percent horsepower gain?  No!  AND:   If I had $17,000 speaker wire and felt it needed to be upgraded, I whould see professional help... and I do not mean from a commissioned sales person, who is the key to continuing this obsession.  I do not need his approval, no matter how much he owes on his credit cards.
Named after the economist who first studied it, Thorstein Vleben, The Vleben Effect is the phenomenon that higher prices effects create a higher perceived quality.  There is an entire industry of designer products offering consumers the comfort garnered from this perception.  Designer branded products are thr perfect example.  For me, the name McIntosh has continued to personifie this effect longer than any other audio company.   If their prices were lowered to coincide with manufacturing costs, people would not think it is as good, and buy something more expensive.  How much does anyone really think wire costs to make, and/or, stamp with your name?