Do they sell direct?
No.
Just curious,
Why hasn’t anyone mentioned Audioquest cables?
What cable companies make the best cables and sell them directly?
What cable companies make the best cables and sell them directly?
I have a good quality system and I am looking for better quality cables for all connections.
Denefrips Terminator DAC
Martin Logan Expression ESL 13A Electrostatic Speakers
Pass Labs 260.8 Mono Amplifiers (2)
PS Audio BHK PreAmplifier
Sony Blu Ray UBP-X800 CD/Blu Ray Player
SVS PB 16-Ultra Subwoofer
I am looking for good quality cables sold directly to the consumer. I am currently using no name, better than average, cables. I refuse to pay the 100 % markup of the better line of cables that are sold through middlemen. I am looking for companies that have had very good reviews.
This is NOT to be a discussion as to whether or not cables make a difference.
Thank you to all for your assistance.
129 responses Add your response
@jerrybj |
@firstonetallguy I know you have a lot to work with here but I too think Signal Cable does a good job, and it is a small business. Frank is great. I went with Raven Audio (Texas based, also a small biz) for the Amp AND all Cables for my analogue kit. Their power cable is actually supplied with their amps (who else includes a premium power cable?) and I ended up using their interconnects for the phono stage and 2 REL subs & speaker cables. I think that’s called a full loom? I cannot say either brand are the BEST but both are DIRECT ONLY. The Raven’s are a bargain and they offer a 45 day in home trial on some amps and all cables I believe. James @ Raven is great but backed up with emails so best to call if you have questions, otherwise order online. |
How many people spend countless hours swapping cables but won't spend a few minutes working with speaker placement or invest in room treatments? Cables should be the absolute LAST thing you worry about after EVERYTHING ELSE is perfected. In other words, you should never invest in high end cables unless you have an infinite amount a money or telling your friends how much you spent on cables gives you great pleasure. buy some cables from Benchmark, or make them, and be done with it.
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because I see endless debate on things like cables and very little if any discussion about optimizing a room (which includes speaker placement) granted, I don't spend much time here anymore so maybe I'm wrong about that, but historically my view is accurate
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Sometimes a direct seller is less likely to discount so as to avoid being accused of undercutting their secondary retailers. Sometimes returns are only accepted for replacements and not refunds. When dealing with a direct seller those replacment options can be much more limited than can sometimes be the case with a secondary reseller that might carry additional lines. |
I have used Audio-Envy cables for all of my RCA analog interconnects and speaker cables. I have found them to be really musical and balanced across the frequency spectrum. Captain is the owner and is happy to work with you and I believe they still have a return if not satisfied policy. I highly recommend them for sound and price. |
Audioart Cable speaker, power, and interconnects have worked well for me. And Rob at AudioArt Cable is a great help. My woo audio wa22 headphone amp uses a anticable powerchord. I have been playing with considering the fidellium speaker cable. Jeff there is a great guy to talk with. I have mixed gold and mixed silver and rhodium between different components and noticed I could tune my system that way as others have mentioned in this thread. Hence the anticable power cord on the headphone amp (a tube amp). However, i did spend a bit on usb with wireworld platinum (started with a audioquest carbon). I also agree with others here that if you have the time and money to find the right synergy to your system, the Cable Company rentals can be helpful. I also found cable does get better with a little time; makes a quick analysis on new cables in a comparison a bit difficult. I have a friend using silver smith and fidellium and loves them in his system. Definitely look for some video reviews on some of the brands you are reading here in the thread.that is how I found AudioArt Cables (a New Record Day video review put AudioArt Cable on my radar). My system is a mid system, schiit mono aegirs, and bedini amps, to shahenian obelisk speakers, a schiit yggdrasil, and a freya+ with the woo wa22 and audeze headphones. I don’t think my system is in the same league as yours. However, there is a theme here with my system, how much sound value can I obtain at what is a reasonable cost to my income. I have tried a few other cable brands (cullen Cable, nordost heimdal II, blue jean, audioquest, and they are all in a box. ;) but you know this hobby…. Sky’s the limit and diminishing returns and all. i tuned my system to where I was enjoying the musicality and called it a day. Cheers and good luck.. |
Hello: Have you thought of making your own cables? Get the raw cable from Beldin, mogami, or other company that make the raw cables. Then get the connectors from company that make connectors like Furutech. Get your solder and soldering iron and you are on your way. Most companies that make interconnects don't make the cables or connectors, they just assemble them and make them look pretty. I have purchased very expensive cables for my audio system and upgraded several times. But it came to a point where I performed listening test with my executive cables and cables I made up myself using Blue Jeans cables, mogami and Belding cables and I when I compared my DIY cables with my expensive cables I couldn't tell any difference. The reason I went DIY is that after purchasing the expensive cables I immediately heard a difference in the system, but after a few weeks that excitement wore off and I began to wonder why. No answer than to say because it's expensive it must sound better. Nonsense. Try some DIY cables and judge for yourself, only you can decide what sounds best to you. There is no magic bullet in this hobby. |
I have had good experiences with Morrow Audio MA7 IC's and speaker cables. reasonable prices and a nice sounding wire. I preferred the MA7 to MIT shotgun 1.3's and Audience Au24 speaker wire, both of which are also great. Morrow punches above its weight class and they give you a large credit if you want to upgrade. Very nice company to deal with. I have to disagree with @fpomposo in one respect. I highly doubt that one cable "blew away" another cable. The differences between cables are not "OMG, its a different system" although there is clearly a difference between cables. Plus, it is a function of how resolving your system is. The more resolving -- like in the stratosphere, the more things like cables can be noticed. I had Focal Diablo Utopia III's with a Pass Labs 250.8 and an MSB DAC, and I could prefer the MA7's over the MIT's for example. Was it a "blew me away" difference? No. Was there a subtle improvement? Yes. When I got Wilson Sabrina X's, I upgraded by speaker cables from the MA7 ($700) to $4000 Shunyata Alpha's. There was a solid improvement -- definitely better. But was I crying with dissatisfaction with the MA7's? Not at all. I was perfectly content with them but got upgradeitis, and there was really nothing more to futz with besides the cables. So take all of this with a grain of salt. Cables in your system will not "blow you away." They can and will make an audible change, but how audible is ear and system dependent. |
Hi I have found that Blue Jeans Cable Company puts together a great cable. They use Canare and a great 12g wire by Belden. I have heard the difference ( for real) over other brands. The turn around is fast too! If you visit their web pages you will be provided with an excellent product description etc. Good Luck |
Ear and system dependent definitely. The difference in the same system can vary wildly, the steps up can be very significant. Besides, there are usually quite a number of cables and power cords in many systems, and if you do it the right way the improvements accumulate with each move you make. But whatever you do with cables it won't radically transform your system, true. |
I have a pretty decent system, and I've yet to use any cables that make me say "wow, that's an amazing improvement". I have a few high-end cables, but they didn't make the system sound "better". My goal with cables is to buy what meets my needs, which are fairly basic: - Do no harm to the sound - Don't change the sound - Have good build quality - Have the right connectors with good fit and solid connections There are some other things I consider, like shielding, flexibility, gauge, etc., but "sound" isn't usually one of them. I don't want them to change the sound, I want them to not degrade the sound. Which in my experience, Blue Jeans Cables do, at least their speaker wires and single-ended interconnects. I would not recommend those, unless you have a relatively entry level system. I think BJC is a great place to get subwoofer cables and other less critical cables, but I have taken all the ones I have out of my systems, except for a couple of subwoofer cables. In regards to this: "I refuse to pay the 100 % markup of the better line of cables that are sold through middlemen." Do you go buy meat and vegetables directly from the source? Do you think they would be cheaper if you bought them that way? Easier to get? Would it cost you more to go to the farm than the nearby supermarket? Distributors and dealers make money because they make it possible for the products to be widely distributed, advertised, demonstrated, supported, and so on. A small boutique cable manufacturer will most likely have much higher costs than a large manufacturer that is manufacturing and selling large quantities of cables. You can choose to not support that dealer and their employees and families by not paying "markup", but you'll be missing out on some things that a direct seller may not be able to provide, like comparisons with other similar products or in-person listening. And chances are, you'll spend just as much or more to get the same level of quality from a small company that can't achieve the economies of scale of a large company. Those large manufacturers are typically going to be selling them in bulk to dealers at a much lower price than they would to someone buying direct from their website. You might want to stop and take a look at your prejudices against dealers. If you find a good one, they may actually save you money in the long run, especially if you're new to the hobby. My favorite dealer has told me more than once "you don't need that" or "that won't be an upgrade from what you have". If your goal is to get the most value, buy used. Let someone else pay the "new car" price. Usedcable.com is a great option, or buy them here on Audiogon. For speaker cables, Dueland wire is really nice. You can find a lot of assembled cables, put them together yourself, or have a dealer do it for you. Gig Harbor Audio made me a nice set of bi-wire cables that were reasonably priced and stand up well against some of the more expensive brands. |
"Best"? There is no answer to this question. Your equipment & room combination is unique as are your tastes so the answer is rather personal. Your question implies you don't want to go on a long hunt though. But it's personal so you have to. Really, beyond properly assembling a cable from quality components, and matching electrically, the differences are mostly tonal. They're all "the best", just different. There are known generalizations about copper, silver, etc. to consider. Call your component makers and ask for suggestions at different price points? Call their dealers and ask the same question. Might get you a good starting list. In the meantime buy a set of Blue Jeans. As others have said they use industry recognized quality components and do a great job of assembly at a reasonable price. No functional reason to spend more or change them out. Use them as a quality starting point. To shorten the hunt call The Cable Company or someone like them that has a broad selection of both new and used. Tell them your component list asking for a system opinion at various price points. Ask what they think of the models on your list. Buy a new or used set or portion of one and then return/exchange with them until you find what you like "best" or they stop you. You'll either find what pleases you more than the Blue Jeans or you'll sell the last set on the used market and stick with the Blue Jeans. |
There is NO BEST CABLE. It is FALSE that the more you spend on a cable the better is gets. That said, there are many excellent cable makers out there. You could try Morrow Audio, they have a number of lines at different price points. They are well made and fairly priced (at least most of them are). You should expect to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple of hundred bucks on up for say a one meter pair of RCA connecter cables. |
If I had it to do over again, I’d buy used Acoustic Zen Silver Reference interconnects and Satori speaker cables (double barrel shotgun if you can bi-wire). Buying good, used cables is one of the best bargains you can get in audio because you can sell them at little/no loss if they don’t work for you unless you happen to have a good dealer nearby. If you can beat the AZ cables, buy them. |
I was lucky enough to try 100+ different cables. Nothing get close to High Fidelity cables. The price bites, but these are the best of the best of the best. Rick is the owner. You can deal directly. If grade his tonearm Helix Ultimate Reference as 10, the next in line would be Graham IC-70 with score 5 and next Hovland Music Groove 2 with score 4. I got his power cables and RCA interconnects that are awesome addition to my line up too. Didn't have room behind my rack and money to try speaker cables. |
My experience. I can afford about $50 on RCA cables. Audioqest Evergreen had a bad connection after the first removal. The Worlds best cable had no issues. Speaker cable =install gear 10ga oxygen free copper. My friends joke and call me "ears" I notice nuances in music, love music, accuracy in instrumental reproduction. a Sax, bass, trumpet cymbal, voices, sound right. These are cheapo alternatives for people like me that have little cash, but like quality and excellent sound. This works for me. It is always fun to hear other people’s experiences. |
I will add one more thing to the conversation. Your age and your hearing may impact how much difference cables make. I don't disbelieve people that say they notice major differences between cables however at my age and with my hearing rolling off around 12,000 Hertz those things they notice may not be apparent to me. So besides all the other decision factors that have been mentioned I would suggest taking that into consideration. |
I think VH Audio? is another standup, high-value option to check out. So many options at this point it’s a bit mind boggling. Read reviews to thin down the herd and then buy used and/or go with a direct seller with a good trial policy. To me, both these strategies are almost identical price wise if you negotiate good used prices. |
