If you DON”T believe in nice speaker wire or interconnects please don't come into this thread

Want me to break your heart or is ignorance bliss?

 

Lay it on me!

 

I can second the AQ Golden Gates. I originally had the Tower and the Golden Gates were a very noticeable improvement. I finally settled on the Yukon. This was before the price increase and the shop gave me a bit of a discount because they're great.

 

Where are you getting your RCA plugs? I have access to lots of Belden cable types I use for DMX lighting control that I want to try as interconnects. I have lots of Neutrik XLR’s as I also use them for DMX, but I don’t trust so many cast RCA’s as they can be death grips.

 

Probably another thread lol.. Casa Azul is fake. Sorry. The distillery smashes the Pina so they get an unusual amount of agave juice (so its 100% Blue Agave) but its 5-6 times the volume of juice they usually would get, so they filter it to death.. then it literally tastes like nothing, so they add additives back in (as in chemicals) to consistently make it taste the same way each bottle. Many high end expensive brands are fake... Google Tequila Additives. If you want something that amazing but REAL, Try Riazul Anejo. Or privately I can send you lists of amazing Tequilas at all different price points.

 

I had no idea. I haven't really bought tequila since I moved from Albuquerque but the info is good to know. I really liked the taste of that stuff too!

 

Resistance in an 8 foot speaker cable of 12-14 gauge is negligible, never gonna hear it. As for capacitance or inductance, you'd have to work to make a difference in the audible range.

 

Just say no to 818.

 

I've been using these, and now I see they are on sale and may grab a set:
Furutech, WBT, KLEI, and ETI Connectors - VH Audio

Very top entry, "KLE Copper, PURE and ABSOLUTE Harmony RCA (male RCA)" and I just use the Copper Harmonys.

I like the low mass, plastic design and the way the ground works on them. Plus for building, they couldn't be easier. I have a set of real WBT barrels that I absolutely love the look and performance of, but I hated trying to build on them as a beginner.

The KLEs do have quite a grip, though. And a word of caution - don't heat that ground pin for too long, it'll melt the plastic. Ask me how I know

For XLR I've been using some rhodium jobs I got on eBay. They seem to work ok and were relatively easy to build with, plus they accommodated what I thought was going to be a pretty thick, 10mm cable inlet. What I ended up having was more like 6-7mm.

 

In my limited knowledge there are only these things in play:
Signal: V, I, phase angle (determined by cable)
Basically comprised of sinusoids in the range of 20-20000 Hz, 50 V and 20 A

The cable: R, L and C

These can be accurately measured.

a typical speaker xover characteristic
Low end 2-10 Ohm, 0 to -40 deg
High end ~same Z, 0 to +40 deg

Low end X/R ~ -0.8 at -40 deg
If Z is 8 ohm, R ~ 7, X ~ 5.9

High end ~+0.8 at +40 deg
R and X the same as low but opposite phase

cable
The cable X/R >100,000, 90 deg
X 10,000+, R 0.x
Very little influence
And ANY cable will not vary much

The difference between 2 cables can easily be measured

 

I think there are probably known synergies that are commonly used in the high end. I bought all Kubala - Sosna for my system. I had various other cables, some pretty expensive. Joe Kubala came over with a bag full of cables. I heard a difference. The end. I haven't thought about it since.
In my vintage system, I wanted to come as close as possible to period without using crappy throw away stuff and with a pair of restored Quad 57s and Quad II amps, use Canare 4S11 speaker cable and Analysis Plus interconnects-- not their high priced stuff, just the standard issue RCA type connectors. It's fine for that system. The turntable has a captive cable on the arm I'm currently using-- whatever the standard wire is that Kuzma now uses.
One guy I know who has several big systems that cost more than most new exotic cars (in fact, a few of the turntables or speakers alone would qualify) uses Rat Shack speaker cable and "I dunno what it is" interconnect. He thinks audiophile stuff is colored, uses no tweaks, footers, isolation devices (other than mass) etc. I can't say he's wrong either. At the level of stuff he's using it should sound good with anything, and he can probably hear the difference.

 

I have been switching two sets of interconnects for the analog output of my Denon SACD feeding into a passive gain attenuator.
Ixos 103 are overall more toward the high bringing out the delta sigma dac into a colder mood more analytical. Not a goodmatch.
Mogami 2497 on the other hand bring the overall tone lower and listen to very nicely.
Now there could be a differncein capacitance between the two cables that has an effect on the impedance loads between the elements. Itis passive no active preamp afterall.
Ihave really no idea as i do notknow anything about electrity.

 

Yep.. so a real artist who distills and stores and carefully selects barrels to fine tune the outcome..loosing 30 to 40% due to evaporation to come up with an amazing vanilla creamy Anejo has a hard time selling against another distillery who bulk makes it doesn't car and then purées cake batter into the tequila to make it taste great.. and we gringo’s eat it up and stand in line with our money. The real ones are just as amazing but actually good for you. Unlike Budweiser a tequila plant has to lovingly be cared for for 7 to 9 years to even make a crappy bottle of Jose Cuearvo.

 

Well and I’m really wanting to talk 8ft interconnects not speaker wire.

 

I’ve used different makes/models across many different components over the years. I’ve settled on Blue Jeans (at least for now) when it comes to interconnects and speaker wire due to what I feel is exceptional build quality at reasonable prices. Sonically I find their cable to be neutral - based on recordings I’ve done in my home studio - which is a goal of mine, I want to hear the components, not the cables.

 

Cheap cables generally put a mattress in front of your speakers, when you go expensive, you replace the mattress with a pillow. It is something that words can't convey, you need to try it personally.

If you wanted me to tell you there is a little gremlin inside pushing the soundwaves then sorry I can't, better is just better, there isn't much to explain it would be a waste of time as I have no interest in convincing you of anything.

If you have a serious interest you would try yourself instead of looking for reasons on why it is impossible that a cable can sound better than another, even if it is 10 cm long.

 

They really do make some quality affordable stuff. I’ve used some of their stuff. A buddy of mine went all that way,

Funny story about my buddy, kinda paints a picture of the many different dogmatic opinions in audio.. He tried tri-wiring and bi-wiring at his house. I was there too. You know there really was no difference in sound at all with his gear at that time.. but here’s the thing.. so now his opinion is fact to him... Tri-wiring or Bi-wiring is a joke, it doesn't do anything.. thats his opinion now. He’s probably had ten different sets of speakers through his house since that experiment and not once did he care or try tri or Bi wiring. Every single one of the speakers he’s tried since has had different crossovers and different metal coatings on the speaker terminals, who’s to say some of those would have sounded amazing with tri or bi-wiring? He’ll never know.

In Audio we all get assertive because we try something.. bu there are so many different variables.

 

In the price range you've mentioned I like the Atlas Equator, the only thing is that if you have tried that many cables already unless you are prepared to spend more you are making sideway movements. Best thing, buy second hand so you can resell at little loss and be careful as there are lots of counterfeit cables.

 

Math states Silver is the hands-down best conductor for audio signals. Consider checking out Tempo Electric to get the most bang for your buck.

 

Nah man when I said 150 to 200 per try, that was used, and I’m very thrifty when I buy even used. I also was able to borrow some stuff out of my price range. One set of speaker wires I brought home was some Norse god stuff with batteries in the cable.. No thanks. That was marketing crap in my opinion. In fact they sounded very veiled and boxy.

 

These made a big difference in my system and are reasonably priced:

Studio Prestige (Matched Pair)

 

Jolidas are integrated amps? Passive pre (with volume control all the way up) or power amp in single ended connections I assume.

My go to cables are AP so ... Analysis Plus Copper Oval-In Micro Interconnect (Pair) – The Cable Company may be too $$$

Analysis Plus Chocolate Oval-In Interconnect (Pair) – The Cable Company or

Analysis Plus Oval One Interconnect (Pair) – The Cable Company are closer to your price.

Don’t forget good speaker cables. Oval 12 recommended.

 

Yeah silver defiantly has a sound print. I tried some silver interconnects along time ago with a different preamp and it brought an unwanted metallic sheen to the nice romantic sound of my ear preamp. For that set up it wasn't a good choice, but I would like to try some now.

 

I’m very happy with my Atlas Equator interconnects, and Ecosse biwire speaker cable (though I use it in reverse configuration ie copper strands for upper and solid core for lower, manufacturer suggests other way around!). I have just realised both companies are based in Kilmarnock, Scotland .

To connect pre to power amps I still use a VdH carbon ‘The First’ original.

 

What makes you think I haven't tried expensive cables? What do you consider expensive, because I have a closet full of cables with $500+ price tags.

And no, I didn't expect you to tell me what gremlins are inside pushing the sound waves because there aren't any.