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XLR cable recommendations needed

Hi,

I would like to purchase 2 pairs of xlr interconnects but would like them to be silver plated occ copper with good connectors.  Budget is $200-$500 per pair but would like to stay on the lower end.  They must be silver plated occ copper and from a reputable manufacturer.  They will be used from source to preamp and preamp to amp in a hybrid 2 channel and surround sound system which share main front speakers.

I was using some older low cost ZY silver plated xlr cables that were an Amazon special about 10 years ago and they sounded okay and were built decent but Im looking to upgrade.  I recently made a mistake of buying an ofc copper only cables without silver plating and although the build quality is very good, they arent doing it for me.  Low and mids are good on these cables but the high end is extremely lacking.  I will break them in some and keep them for other applications but know I will need to upgrade to something better.  

Please provide me some recommendations on good sounding cables that are silver plated occ copper with good connectors.  Thanks in advance. 

audioman2015

Showing 2 responses by vonhelmholtz

vonhelmholtz
911 posts
 

@audioman2015

Is there such a thing as a universally good sounding cable independent of which components are used? None of my XLR cables are silver and I haven’t heard any complaints regarding “the high end”. Using the cable as a filter might better be handled by using a vendor that allows returns. There are some very knowledgeable sales people that can be useful in this regard. Great sales advice and a reasonable return policy served me well for all power, analog and digital cables. My sales person cheered me on and was a wealth of information. Some members/dealers such a @blisshifi that is Juan, is another resource that I have relied upon for advice and for supplying me with some incredible components. There are other members with decades of experience that can be depended upon for advice, but all of this would be facilitated if you could post your system under your profile.

vonhelmholtz
911 posts
 

@audioman2015

I understand your logic. Cheap silver cables “OK”, but new more expensive cables without silver lack in the higher frequencies therefore I need silver.. and if cable is also “better” my system should sound more “OK”.

Others here are more knowledgeable than myself, but I believe that most top manufactures design their cables to be neutral and quiet. To quote one of the more experienced members here:

Your system is an active variable in what sounds best.

Which is why I suggested that you post your system. I just have a bit of a nagging question as to what about your system makes you think that you need silver? Will you be using silver for your speaker cables? There is a major gap between a system sounding OK and sounding really great and I wonder if silver in the interconnect can do that.  I’m not suggesting that better cables are a bad move.  You want a cable that when you upgrade your other components, the cable doesn’t “filter” what is heard.

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