Where to purchase cables?

For speaker cables, I’m using Zu Audio’s cheapest line. There really is a discernible difference. For interconnects, I use an eBay item labeled “McIntosh Silver plated shielded hifi rca audio line bla bla. They have no affiliation to the US Company, they are inexpensive, but on close inspection, these are incredibly well made. These use top grade shielded two Pair wire.  

The lowest price to performance ratio is from on-line cable makers keeping down costs by not charging and passing along dealer and distributor markups. 
Sometimes you can find top quality gear from small custom shops who do not do much advertising - costs which are passed to the buyer.
One interconnect maker of pure silver cables which makes some of the best money can buy - and they are not crazy expensive is at
silversolids.com

What have you ended up with? Or are you still searching cables?

Thank you all again for your thoughtful suggestions!

I'm another who utilizes the Cable Company.

It’s become my default approach.

I've found someone there I trust and I always work with him.

I suggest you investigate Analysis Plus. They make cables for audiophiles as well as NASA and other reputable organizations. They rarely advertise because they reputation precedes them and they thrive on referrals. They are not pricing cables compared to many companies that do advertise as esoteric cables, but they are outstanding. After a customary break-in. I believe you will find they are musically excellent

I've got WyWires (Blue series), Morrow (online) and recently Cardas. All are great cables---I've been very impressed with Cardas so far. I purchased the Cardas from Dedicated Audio (online)---they are excellent to deal with. The WyWires I purchased from other smaller local dealers. Let us know what you get. 

@squared80 Bet your rig sounds awesome.

NOT!

Head on back to AVS or ASR or whatever rock you came from. 

Power cords: whatever came with your system, because anything else won’t matter one single bit.

Speaker wire: any well made 12AWG OFC. Monoprice and Blue Jean Cables are cheap and effective. A coat hanger would literally sound just as good as any expensive snake oil brand but may be tougher to work with. :)

@rikkipuu 

+1 I have Blue Jean cables collecting dust as well… they sounded the same to me a the budget Best Buy or Amazon. Typically that is the experience I have had with budget brands.

Marching cables to system level is important.  Cheap cables don’t work on a resolving system.  I have a lot of “inexpensive” cables including Blue Jeans collecting dust.

Each company and line within a company has a signature that should be used to enhance or balance to your preferred sound.  A Dark system usually isn’t helped by dark cables.

That means trial and error (me and Blue Jeans), borrowing cables from a dealer or used cables.com or the like.

There is a big difference between most $500 and $1000 cables just like there is a big difference between $1000 and $1500 cables or not depending on the system and your ears.

I have experimented with lots of DIY and commercial cables without spending too much money. For commercial cables, I buy and sell almost exclusively on A’gon and USAudiomart. If you’re patient, you can buy, test and resell virtually any cable you want and break even. Good luck!

Generally speaking, one should purchase cabling at the same level as their audio chain. For instance, if one has a 100k system, high quality cabling is needed to prevent sonic bottlenecks. But if one has an entry system, then minimal should be spent on cabling.

@thermal

1. Are you asking where I personally purchase my cabling OR
2. Are you asking for low priced cabling OR
3. Are you asking for cabling that matches the level of your audio chain? We’d need to know the components in your chain to make relevant suggestions

Yes, sifting through cabling is very confusing beyond the marketing hype. 

Schiit Audio sells good cables at very reasonable prices.

+1 for Morrow Audio

Power cords: whatever came with your system, because anything else won't matter one single bit. 

Speaker wire: any well made 12AWG OFC. Monoprice and Blue Jean Cables are cheap and effective. A coat hanger would literally sound just as good as any expensive snake oil brand but may be tougher to work with. :)

DHLabs, Zavfino, Morrow Audio, Anti-Cables....all make excellent cables at affordable prices, and at different levels of cost and quality. Great places to start

I agree with @lak who posted above about Veritas Cables. I started with one set of their Magnus XLR cables and love it so much that I just ordered a set of their higher end Argentum R silver RCA cables. I'm also considering power cables and maybe a few others from them. Just very impressed with their sound so far, as well as their customer service.

I can also recommend other small brands like Audio Art and Triode Wire Labs, they both offer great value. 

Audiogon and USAudiomart both have lots of other nice options. I enjoy Black Cat Cables, Cerious, Decware, Audience, Waveform Fidelity, and DH Labs among others. 

Tellurium low budget like the blue and black are very very good.if you can find used.

DH Labs Silver Sonic Cables with a 30-day trial.

              Without a doubt:

      https://www.usedcable.com/

              Happy listening!

Hello,

I'm a DIY'er and prefer to assemble my own cables.  Using this option allows one to assemble high end audiophile cables at a 50/70% savings vs the same ready made cable(s).  Another benefit is making them the length that is needed.

Here are my primary sources for raw cable and various terminal ends.

webstore@performanceaudio.com

https://douglasconnection.com

If you have not yet diy'd cables there are several videos that serve as tutorials/guides.  No special tools or soldering needed, just good quality wire cutters, wire strippers, Phillips screwdriver, heat shrink tubing (various colors to give the cables your "signature"look) and a heat gun.  Take your time and you will produce cables you can be proud of.  Oh and the bank that you save can be invested toward other elements of your rig.  Enjoy

Blue Jeans interconnects are pretty darn good. They’re not the ultimate in resolution or focus, but they are smooth and natural and throw a nice soundstage. The sound, to use a vague, subjective term, "normal." And you can easily order custom lengths. Their Belden speaker cable is okay too. For a second system, the combination will "let the music" out without a lot of expense or fuss. ;-)

For my main system I use Harmonic Technologies. I buy used from eBay or Audiogon or USAudioMart. As long as the seller has decent feedback I’m not too concerned about being ripped off. There’s really no reason NOT to buy used cables. They don’t "wear out" and people get rid of perfectly good stuff all the time in the quest for whatever they think they need to hear. ;-)

If you want high-end cables, the Cable Company's lending library is a pretty good way to try a variety of things.

Thank you for your comments.

A little hard to sift through the marketing but a "necessary evil".

I appreciate the feedback.

Thank you.

I too am using Morrow cables.  Great cables at a reasonable cost.  Plus,  they offer the option to burn them in. I was using the lower models of Audioquest previously,  and the Morrow cables are a definite improvement. 

https://audio-connexion.com/

I have Morrow cables in all of my interconnects and speakers. My power cables were made by me using Furutech components. No complaints. 

This thread was started on Audiogon: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/veritas-cables-a-new-brand-that-i-found

I found out this new smaller cable maker (Veritas Cables) is the real deal and their products are giant killers at very reasonable prices for what you get considering their products compete with the big names that cost $1000-$2000 etc. Your going to spend in the neighborhood of $400-$500 per cable, so they are not inexpensive but purchase once and then enjoy the music. Check out their website and read their philosophy and introductory pricing with a trial/deom period.

Unfinished website: https://veritascables.com

Ads on AS Audio Mart.

Sorry for sounding like a commercial, just trying to pass on some good information.

I used the cable company lending library to evaluate numerous cables. Prices are reasonable and you have a couple of weeks to evaluate; but then I’ve mostly bought used.

I have no local dealers who stock cables I am interested in so I always borrow from the. Cable Company to see what does or doesn’t work in my system. 

I’ve done a fair amount of a/b testing with Zu and 12 gauge cable.  I personally feel cables are complete ripoff’s. But there are audible differences.  They let you try them for two months for free. 
 

 www.zuaudio.com

I've been extremely happy with my Pinetree Audio cables/speaker cables Excellent quality for the money and a pleasure to look at 

I think you are requiring the assistance of a dealer. 

Or if you are going to go it on your own, since you posted here in Audiogon you might as well browse the cables ads. 

For my main system I tend to purchase from my dealers. They will let me audition, but most are Transparent and I have most recently upgraded to the most recent. I usually keep old interconnects and use on my secondary systems. Upgrade your main system and use old ones on.
 

But for a secondary system I would go to the Cable Company… you can get used for half price. You can try also from their lending library. I am not a fan of most of the budget brand… I have found most to be no better than what comes with the component or you get at Best Buy.

I bought my 4-conductor 12 awg OFC bulk speaker wire from Monoprice, and DIYed them.  Amazing bang for the buck.

Cables I get almost anywhere - custom made local guy, Amazon, Audiomart, Ebay, AliExpress, Craigslist, FB Marketplace, Reverb

Frank at Signal Cable has Great cables at very fair prices . I use no other anymore!  sales@signalcable.com / 917-957-8508

Audiogon, US Audio Mart, TMR Audio, The Cable Company. 

I use this company: https://www.bluejeanscable.com . Their products and service are outstanding IMHO.