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What would you use ?

Hi all,

I'm in the process of upgrading some elements of my system and am investigating cables. I need to make a bi-wire 12' run to my Snell E.5 speakers. Will be upgrading the amp at the same time. I like the Snells for their accuracy, taut bass and nice soundstaging. However, they can lean a bit toward a cool sound. At present, I am using an old Sansui amp which has a warmer sound so the balance is nice. I am also presently using 12 gauge 'regular' old speaker cable. All that being said, my goal is to get cables that will be in the $2-$3 a foot price range, preserve the deep taut bass, and open up the high end spaciousness without adding harshness or fatigue. What would you all recommend?

Thanks in advance,

Chris
cdelplato6dd2
6 responses Add your response
sean
6,231 posts
 
For the kind of money that you want to spend, i would keep your 12 gauge cables on the bottom end and look for some type of low inductance design for the top end. I agree with others in that buying used will get you a lot more for your money.

As to the Analysis Plus cables, the Oval 9's would make nice jumper cables for your car. I would not use them for a stereo though. I would rather listen through zip cord. ANY zip cord. Sean
>

PS... sorry if you find this offensive or upsetting, but that's just my opinion. Take it for what it is worth, which is slightly less than $.02
karls
332 posts
 
In general, thicker gauge gives better and fuller bass, so don't look at cables smaller than 12ga, or you will probably be disappointed. And buy used, your budget will go a lot farther. If you are going to biwire for a net cost of $4-$6 a foot per side, or can stretch the budget a little, definitely go looking for a set of DH Labs Silver Sonic Q-10, internally biwired. You will not find anything better for less than ten times the price.
rosros
3 posts
 
I would second the notion of choosing your amp first, then listen to the sound. If the speakers still lean towards the cool end, you can warm things up by switching speaker cables. In order to warm things up, you would want to round off the highs (not necessarily open up the highs more)and beef up the bass. A good start is the Cardas Gold and the MIT Terminator 2 Biwire.

You may also want to investigate room treatments, your source, and interconnects.
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
I agree with Soix. I use Cardas' Lightning L15 digital cable and Golden Cross interconnect, and they are warm without losing a lot of detail. And I also have an 8 foot biwire run of Analysis Plus Oval 9 speaker cables that I don't ever foresee replacing.

Cardas and Analysis Plus [their copper cables at least] will add warmth and an overall fuller sound, but I wouldn't count on them totally to fix all the nasties. I ended up changing amps and power cords too to get where I wanted. How all the components, cables and cords synergized definitely made a big difference for my setup.
gthrush1
241 posts
 
Rack 'em up Joe
He's tough, though
But I'll play him one mo'
soix
9,456 posts
 
Make sure you choose your amp first, then figure out which cables work best with the new amp/speaker combo. That said, both Analysis Plus and Cardas are reputed to be a little "warmer" than others, so these might be worth exploring but may stretch your budget unless you can buy used. Best of luck.

Tim
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