I don't know if there are many Stereophile readers out there or not on this forum but was curious as to if anyone has tried these interconnect cables from AR . Number is (AR HT 130) . A Reviewer stated that these Interconnects are a great bargain and recommends them. They go for a cheap price of 19.99 . So , anyone tried these out? I am contemplating on buying some , I figure for 20 bucks what the heck I'll try em out.
I haven't tried these but I believe they are made by RECOTON, an accesory company I've never been a big fan of.
Why? Would you find the Stereophile description more credible if the selling price was $199.99 instead of $19.99?
I've bought a pair; they are on their way. A little hard to find on-line. Many google search hits seemed to end up at a link on "AbtElectronics", but when you clicked on that link, it led to a different series - the AP series. This one is available at Best Buy; the HT is not. Missed out on the $11.99 price here - sold out. I did end up paying $20 plus $6 shipping (with insurance). I'll let you know how they sound in my second system (Arcam Alpha 9, Arcam Alpha 10, Jean Marie Reynaud Twin MkIII). Regards, Geoff
A friend of mine in Indiana has tried these, but prefers the more expensive MS230 Master Series model (see link). http://www.araccessories.com/masters/subcategory.asp?category=1 I dunno... that bulb-looking thing in the cable makes me slightly skeptical, but a great conversation piece for the audiophools, I'm sure.
Stereophile liked them? Really? Hmmmm, maybe I'll try out their Component Video connects.... Anyone ever try them?
I used to work for Best Buy & the number of returns for RECOTON accesories was huge. The things I've bought from them rarely made me happy & never astounded me. A few of them became defective within a year or 2 (something that has never happened with cables that came with the unit). I'm a little biased when it comes to the Monster Cables Reference 2 series [$75]. When I bought my stereo SACD the clerk threw in a pair for free, before hearing them I never would have thought a cable would add such a difference. As far as $200 cables go I will never know because I will never be able to afford them. I know price doesn't always mean quality, but I know when I haven't been happy with something.
Did they have spots on the racks where the HT-130 model lived? Did you talk to a store assistant? I've been to three BBs in my area and they did not stock this line - I think it's the "Professional Series". They only stocked the "Performance Series" which have serial numbers starting with "AP-". Regards, Geoff
Best Buy doesn't handle the Professional Series, Geoff, just the entry level stuff. You can get a complete list of dealers by going to the AR website, and then clicking on the "where to buy" button. But, as it turns out, few, if any, of these sellers with web sites actually lists them there. B&H Photo does (at full list). There is one ebay seller listing 6 ft pairs for $23.99; no 3 ft pairs there this week though.
Yes, I did exactly that, and I agree with your comments. I ended up finding one seller which did have them. Regards, Geoff
Sam didn't go into much detail in his "review" of these cables, no idea what characteristics they have or how they changed (or didn't) the sound of the system he was listening on. No comparisons. Nothing really, but insider "whisper whisper... get a load of these" stuff. Hardly worth meriting a mention on the cover, which strikes me more as sensationalism than good reporting/reviewing. I'm interested to hear a real review of these, but I'm dubious.
I wonder if ol' Tom Gillette (real name for Sam Tellig) was pulling our collective legs with an April Fools' joke... They have a nice look to them. I use the MS232 to connect my preamp to my amp. I was able to get the 12 foot pair from etronics.com for $60.00. That must have been a deal, because they no longer offer the 12 foot cable. The MS230 series has locking RCA's (actually it is a threaded compression fit). I can't verify Acoustic Research's claims, but I can say I have had no problems and the cable rejects noise very well.
Here is an update on the AR HT-130 Interconnects. Well, I went ahead and ordered a from an on line Company called Bsless.com. They came this morning via FED EX. Here is the problem. After opening the package I looked at the AR Package and they were PR-130 . Looks identical to the HT-130 from what I can tell anyway. I hookded them up to the HK FL8370 and NAD C-370 and they sound Pretty good at first listen anyway. I will be able to tell more in the coming days of course. I emailed Bsless this afternoon and informed that this was not the cable that I ordered and would like to send them back. They returned an email promptly and stated that this was the replacement for the HT-130 and that the HT-130 had been discontinued and that the PR-130 was the replacement for it and that the specs and the quality was identical. I guess I will hold on to them and hope for the best . I guess it just kind of ticks me off that they are advertising the HT-130 though on their site. I emailed them back and suggested that they update their web site so no one else is mislead in thinking that they are purchasing the HT-130 when in reality they are getting the PR-130's. If anyone has any further information regarding this Cable I would love to hear about it.
It is likely that the HT130 version has been completely discontinued, even though they appear on the AR site (see link above). The PR130 version (according to friends who have both) is markedly superior to the earlier version too.
Yes Gary , I will be doing that but I plan on waiting a week or two to allow ample break in period before taking any serious listening to them. I'll report back with my input after that.