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I finally have some gear that might benefit from anything other than Rat Shack interconnects/cheezy speek wire. Where do I start? (Don't pile on or I'll leave my crap cables on and wonder why I even bothered to ask!)...I have a Decware Zen Triode Select and Klipsch Forte speakers, basic SET/high efficiency speeks setup...what interconnect(s) should I try first to see if I want to spend more? Or, alternatively, which interconnect will I buy, fall in love with and never switch? My DAC (schiit bifrost) sits right beside my computer in terms of length, so lengthwise let's say the minimum with a tad bit of slack to do the job. Same for speaker cable, let's say around 8-10 feet to be safe. I'm intrinsicly poor so let's try to take a fixed-income budget into consideration when suggesting. I want to really determine if it's at all necessary with the level I'm currently at gear-wise. Thank you in advance for any and all input (hehe)...
Freedom is the right to discipline yourself.
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Set a budget, then call The cable company for advice and some trial cables. You can also try before you buy with several online dealers. Only you can decide since the component/system-room interface)s) dynamics are to unpredictable to calculate objectively. Even a supercomputer would have a difficult time recommending THEE correect cable for any particular application. Often times, a combination of brands, each playing to their strengths, are required to deliver satisfactory results. I use primarily MIT cables, but I have Audioquest PC's and a Monster Cable Retro Gold IC in the mix as well! Listen to your ears and your budget:O) FYI, for MIT products I recommend Equus Audio online...class act, terrific discounts and invaluable FREE information!
dave_b
Of the dozens of IC's and types of speaker cables I've tried over the years, Audioquest has the most consistently balanced sound. I'm not saying they're the best, because there is no such thing. They're not the cheapest, either, but nowhere near the most expensive at the entry level. There is a steady progression of improvement as you move toward the more expensive models, but at every level there seems to be a solidity and evenness to the sound. IC's make more of a difference than speaker cables, so start there. See their website and you'll learn a lot.
Buy used. You don't need the latest version. They have made a good product over the years, and many upgrade fanatics will dump perfectly good cables at half-price in order to get the latest fashion. Stay away from eBay unless you trust the source. There are lots of crappy imitations and knock-offs available, and lots of fads that don't provide any payoff in sonics. My advice is to stick with copper and avoid anything silver. Teflon insulation is nice but not essential, polypropylene is okay, PVC is not good. Don't get sucked in by fancy cosmetics and finishes.
Spend $100 - $200 on a pair of used IC's. Double that if you want to try speaker cables instead. Don't get the shortest length IC you can get away with in your current setup. Half-meter is minimum, but will restrict future flexibility and is a little tougher to sell later.
Power cords are last, and very easy to make yourself if you have time and energy and little money. It's very easy to do with no special tools or knowledge. They do make a difference on most sources and some amps.
Peace,
Tom E
Morrow MA2 IC's and ClearDay Shotgun for speaker cable. I've left this combination alone in my system for a few years and feel no need to upgrade. Actually I use the ClearDay Double Shotgun, but those with lower power SET based systems seem to favor just the Shotgun. Both have liberal audition policies.
For power cables , I've had good luck with both the Shunyata Venom and Analysis Plus Oval. Both can be found for a shade over the hundred dollar mark.
Cables seem to be the most maligned audio upgrade for some reason. They are an important aspect to any system. I have been optimizing my main system for years and it sounds fantastic. The leftovers have been making it over to my home theatre system. The main components are an 8 year old $500 Integra reciever into an Outlaw 5 channel amp, a $200 Sony Bluray and a Dish netowrk satalit box. Cables have made very noticable differences on all of these components. Power cords, interconnects and speaker cable. Even an optical cable upgrade on my Dish box made a huge difference. I got the top of the line acoustic research optical ($25). For interconnect I would start with the Audioquest King Cobra. Fot power cords I like VH audio flavor 2 and 4. The Pangea AC-9 and AC-14 are very good for low cost. I like the Signal cable Silver resolution for speaker cable.
In practice, there is little reason other than possible cost constraints of premium cables for just about any audiophile quality system. For example: I have control over other components in my system, but have no choice other than to use a Motorola digital cable terminal supplied by my cable provider. While the particular digital cable box is not bad sounding, it's not high performance compared to my digital transport/DAC. That said, I use a premium power cord and rca interconnects with the cable box that are on par with other high performance cables in my system. When lesser performance cables are substituted, the subjective audio quality declines in a similar manner as a component downgrade. So, in my experience, while the laws of diminishing returns might be a relative thing, there's nothing that keeps me away from trying to achieve better optimized performance based on the inherent sonic limitations of less than stellar gear other than what I'm willing/able to spend.
If you state a target price range for your wants/needs, folks might be better able to help in your search. Also, you need to be more specific about the length of rca interconnect cables and the per channel length of speaker cables, and what type of connectors are needed on each end.
You mention premium power cords in your post. What, in your estimation, separates a premium power cord from a lesser cord?
Higher grade connectors such as Wattgate or Furutech make the most difference in the sound of a PC. Geometry is also a factor: I favor the Flavor configuration of an opposing twist, spaced ground. Shielding is usually superfluous, sometimes even harmful. I believe the wire itself is of least importance. Any stranded copper 14 gauge for sources or larger for amps will suffice. Anything larger than 10 gauge is ridiculous unless your amp is rated by horsepower instead of watts. Type of insulation doesn't seem terribly important.
Peace,
Tom E
Howdy,
"Higher grade connectors such as Wattgate or Furutech make the most difference in the sound of a PC."
Not the most (IME), but high performance AC connectors are an essential aspect of audiophile power cord designs.
"Geometry is also a factor: I favor the Flavor configuration of an opposing twist, spaced ground."
Thumbs-up. The Flavor designs (and the AirSine) are classic.
"Shielding is usually superfluous, sometimes even harmful."
I can generally agree.
"I believe the wire itself is of least importance."
Contraire: Wire is the heart of cabling, so how can it not be a fundamental thing?
"Any stranded copper 14 gauge for sources or larger for amps will suffice. Anything larger than 10 gauge is ridiculous unless your amp is rated by horsepower instead of watts."
Contraire: Optimum audiophile conductor gauge is often a matter of phenomenon rather than EE specs. A low current application can sound great via a large AWG power cord, and often does, IME.
"Type of insulation doesn't seem terribly important."
Contraire: Insulation can sometimes have an even greater role in how a cable actually sounds than a particular conductor material such as OCC.
just my 2 copper pennies :-)
Cheers, Duster
The poster asked about elements of power cords that affect sonics. Of course, IC's and speaker cables are a different matter entirely. In power cords, I can't hear differences between wire types or insulation types. Perhaps you are more discerning than I, but I think fancy wire and teflon is not a good value in PC's. I'm not saying they're unimportant in general, but less important for PC's only. However, every extra dollar spent on better connectors will yield better sonics almost every time.
I'm sure there are exceptional applications, even low current draw components, that sound better with grossly oversized wire, but in general it's a marginal improvement and the cost and inconvenience of stiff, bulky wire is not really worthwhile. Again, quality connectors, not shiny Chinese eBay junk, on decent size wire will probably be a better investment.
Peace,
Tom E
nt
As I personally see it, and as it may relate to just about any product, the notion of a premium product is often based on market value. It may pertain to special processing, manufacturing, and/or material costs that may deem a product to be superior to mundane product offerings with cost limitations based on lower-price level markets. The notion of a premium audiophile product applies to just about any type of device that provides a discernibly superior performance level vs an entry level product, such as what high-end gear tends to provide, often with price points that reflect the costs of research, development, manufacturing, and material costs, as well as lower customer demand for premium products vs. the mundane consumer electronics marketplace where lower-priced products have a much higher percentage of sales within the industry. my 2 cents
Blue Jeans LC-1 intercons, and speaker cables are a safe bet for little money.If you're willing to go quirky, the Mapleshade ribbon ICs are outstanding for $125. The Neotech 3002 IC can be had at a reasonable price DIY and are also very high performing. The new Black Cat morpheus looks promising too at $125. Tried the Anticables IC and speaker cables and found them to be poor for the money -- dynamically limited, tonally monochromatic, not very transparent (particularly the ICs). Some people love them though.
Also look into power cords. VH audio type 4 is a very good one and reasonable to DIY.
Edits: 05/12/12 05/12/12
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