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Speaker Cables

107.77.230.17
Posted on July 16, 2020 at 12:24:44
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020
 Hi,

I know there are many seasoned experts here. I'm just curious what speaker cables
you have tried over the years and what you settled on. I understand to some degree
the bottleneck maybe the fuse.

I know these kind of questions tend to lead to endless debates and hopefully not stir up
anything.

I have used basic 12AWG. Is it worth to try Moagami 3104? It will be 8 feet cables.

I won't touch anything above $100 for speaker cables, just out of reach.

Maggies being power hungry, does anyone use 10AWG or larger?

I've never seen a Maggie demo set up with Bryatons, any idea what speaker cables they use in their set up?

All this mainly curiosity...

 

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$100 per foot or meter? , posted on July 16, 2020 at 16:52:26
farfetched
Audiophile

Posts: 957
Location: Cleveland!
Joined: October 13, 2010
That is a fair budget. What's the total? 6ft runs? 8ft? 3 meter?



/ optimally proportioned triangles are our friends


 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 16, 2020 at 17:07:28
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020
 I wish I could afford $100/ft., LoL
It is around $7/ft for the Mogami. I meant $100 for a pair of cables.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 16, 2020 at 17:51:15
Green Lantern
Audiophile

Posts: 16952
Location: San Diego, Ca
Joined: November 12, 2002
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2003
 which Maggies do you have?









 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 16, 2020 at 18:14:35
shumi
Audiophile

Posts: 155
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 11, 2020
 Easy...

BJC Ten White (5T00UP) (White jacket, 10 AWG), Ultrasonic BJC welding, locking banana plugs.

https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm


Done. Save your money!

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 16, 2020 at 18:33:21
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020
 Hi GL

1.7i

Btw, my fav super hero as a kid was green lantern. Then that guy, won't mention
his named ruined it with that movie they made.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 16, 2020 at 19:02:41
grantv
Manufacturer

Posts: 7724
Location: B.C.
Joined: January 15, 2002
 Have tried a few. Tara, Monster, generic of different gauges, another I think... and Anti-Cables. The latter sounded best in my system, and they are priced nice.
Only interesting tidbit, I prefer the older thinner model than the new.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 17, 2020 at 03:50:12
Green Lantern
Audiophile

Posts: 16952
Location: San Diego, Ca
Joined: November 12, 2002
Contributor
  Since: June 17, 2003
 once you go from a lamp cord or home depot stock speaker cable to a 1/2 decent speaker cable (ie bluejean or anti-cable) you'll see the difference through Maggies.

I suggest asking on the cable asylum where there's tons of advice on low price cables.











 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 17, 2020 at 08:58:55
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020
 Thanks for the info :-)

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 17, 2020 at 15:33:32
FX35
Audiophile

Posts: 151
Joined: March 6, 2020
 I've listened to dozens of cables over the years, anything from nobody's up to the big boys, but nothing anywhere near 100 bucks............. if moneys that tight the best advice I can give is to clear up that signal path, dump the fuse, fuse holder + those crappy Maggie connectors and cold shrink bare wire with silver paste.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 17, 2020 at 17:49:44
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020
 At what price range did you hear a difference? Was it night and day difference or subtle?

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 18, 2020 at 08:23:25
FX35
Audiophile

Posts: 151
Joined: March 6, 2020
 At what price range?? every price range! It can be night + day, it can be subtle, there are just so many factors involved, but I always hear a difference between any 2 cables, be it speaker, IC or power. I think you're looking for someone to tell you at what price point you start to hear a difference in cables, unfortunately for you, it just doesn't work like that. A cable has zero sound, it (should) just pass a signal from A to B without adding or subtracting, but in the real world, that never happens.
In general, the higher you climb the(price) ladder, the more revealing, open + detailed they become. Does that mean expensive cables guarantee great sound? Nope, they just give you more insight into what your system can and can NOT do. Its all about balance, does your system justify a more revealing, detailed cable? or will it just start to show your systems weaknesses?

In all honesty, if you can't go higher than 100$, you're committed to 2nd hand cables, and then you would still need a miracle to find anything half decent, but thats the fun of building a audio system, there are no short cuts, its a long road of trial + error....... good luck!

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 18, 2020 at 09:16:38
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020
 I understand. There is a synergy/matching along the entire chain of the audio signal. Hit and miss regardless of price point,

Have you tried those flat ribbon cables?

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 18, 2020 at 18:23:39
Dawnrazor
Audiophile

Posts: 12587
Location: N. California
Joined: April 9, 2004
 Do a search here for "magwire" and there should be some recipes there. I replaced 12g zip cord with kimber 4tc. Then those got replaced with 28g magwire.

Yeah yeah mags need current blah blah. What gauge are those wires inside? And there are hundreds of feet there...



Cut to razor sounding violins

 

Mogami W3103, posted on July 19, 2020 at 09:36:11
kh6idf
Audiophile

Posts: 1474
Location: Texas
Joined: May 2, 2001
 Mogami W3103 is 2-conductor, each conductor is 12 gauge. 3104 is 4-conductor if you want to bi-amp.

I think they are both good, well worth the modest price. I am using 3103 for my living room system.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 19, 2020 at 11:24:22
Norman M
 This cable craze started when Mark Levinson introduced his flat cable (to fit under carpeting?). At the time my Maggie dealer had a financial interest in ML and had his cable on demonstration. I don't remember what he used in comparison, but I do remember not being able to hear any difference. I also can't remember the speaker(s) or amplifier(s) used. Not being able to hear any difference back then, I most certainly couldn't hear any today, when I'm pleased just to hear the speakers playing at all.
IMO once on Medicare and receiving your Social Security Pension you shouldn't even try.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 19, 2020 at 11:49:52
BDP24
Audiophile

Posts: 1070
Location: Vancouver, Washington
Joined: September 12, 2013
 Robert Fulton beat Mark Levinson to market with his "Brown" speaker cable. Fulton was a loudspeaker designer/manufacturer (Gordon Holt reviewed his Model 80 and Model J. I bought a pair of the J to replace my Tympani's in '74.), a recording engineer (his ARK label LP's are fantastic), and amplifier maker (he offered a modified Dynaco Mk.3 mono amp). He died at the relatively young age of 63 (Cancer).

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 19, 2020 at 12:21:37
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020
 Hi Norm,

Very true.

I gave up on audio gear for many years. I was doing fine without it. Then
I hit a bottom point in my life and go so bored. Ended up wasting money on different brand gear that does the same thing, play 2 channel audio. Should have used those funds for more practical things,

Learning from others on these forums is kinda like window shopping. lol.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 19, 2020 at 17:42:58
tortjohn@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 204
Location: MA USA
Joined: March 28, 2018
 I just switched to Canare 4s11 only $1.28 per ft from Redco truly outstanding with my 3.7i. I'm running bare ends.
Joto

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 19, 2020 at 17:44:09
FX35
Audiophile

Posts: 151
Joined: March 6, 2020
 "Have you tried those flat ribbon cables?"

Well, lets clear something up first. There are flat cables that are not ribbons, and there are ribbon cables that are by nature.........flat! So you actually have "flat cables" and "ribbon cables"!

Most "flat" cables just have their litz conductors laid parallel to each other as opposed to winding them, and then you have ribbon cables where the conductor is flat and wide, kind of like a.........ribbon!

Yes, I have tried flat, ribbon, solid core, litz, clock wound, counter clock wound, pure copper, pure silver, copper- silver merged, silver-gold merged, shielded, non-shielded and whatever else there was.
Funny you asked this, I actually use 2 ribbons in my system, but also litz constructions. There is only one cable manufacturer that really impresses me today, they have taken cable development to another level and are very open about how they do this, and are miles ahead of the competition, but as you probably guessed, they cost more than 100$

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on July 20, 2020 at 09:02:10
G Squared
Audiophile

Posts: 8474
Location: Washington, DC Metro Area
Joined: November 16, 2004
Contributor
  Since: May 23, 2023
 Keep you cables. Make sure the connections are good.

Save up another $50 and get a Schiit Loki. Then you can tune the EQ of your system yourself instead of putting a fixed EQ in your system and hoping for the best.

No offense to those of other leanings.


Gsquared

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 5, 2020 at 10:58:26
TwoTurntables
Audiophile

Posts: 250
Location: Central Indiana
Joined: January 28, 2008
 All- I was in this predicament a few years ago. I run 3.6 Maggies with high current solid state mono blocks... My friends and I did testing on speaker cables. I like blind testing so the physiological part doesn't change the outcome. We tested several popular speaker cables and the Kimber 12TC Biamp ended speaker cables came out on top no question. I am still very happy with them. If you haven't tried them, I highly recommend it.

Jim
My Pronouns are: Conservative, Patriot and Two Turntables

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 6, 2020 at 19:59:30
shumi
Audiophile

Posts: 155
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 11, 2020
 Kimber 12TC are great cables for 3.6s. Jim, waht impressed you the most when you compared them to other cables? Thanks

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 11, 2020 at 10:07:23
TwoTurntables
Audiophile

Posts: 250
Location: Central Indiana
Joined: January 28, 2008
 Hi Shumi... I believe it was the fact the cables opened everything up more. It was more then obvious the Kimber was the right cable for my setup. More depth, width, clearer etc. Highly recommended cables.
My Pronouns are: Conservative, Patriot and Two Turntables

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 15, 2020 at 12:10:20
tortjohn@yahoo.com
Audiophile

Posts: 204
Location: MA USA
Joined: March 28, 2018
 I used Knukonceptz 8 guage cables but felt Canare 4s11 did a better job with my 3.7i. I'm using bare wire on the amp and bananas on the speakers.
Joto

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 15, 2020 at 17:56:13
TitaniumTroy
Audiophile

Posts: 626
Location: Mishawaka, Indiana
Joined: October 14, 2006
 Kimber Cables is one of the few, cable companies that publish spec's on their cables. So there is that to consider, Gene over Audioholics has some just for the look, calls it audio jewelry.

I'm a 10gauge Blue Jeans Cable guy myself

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 16, 2020 at 03:18:53
Aspheric
Audiophile

Posts: 170
Joined: March 12, 2001
 Recently wrote a long posting in the Cable Asylum - see link below.

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 16, 2020 at 03:21:19
Aspheric
Audiophile

Posts: 170
Joined: March 12, 2001
 Somehow the link disappeared. Try again...

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 16, 2020 at 22:08:00
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 I use VERY short lengths of 10.
2x of <3feet per speaker.....with a stereo amp right there.
Too much is never enough

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 22, 2020 at 11:20:30
aneumayr
Audiophile

Posts: 17
Location: OH
Joined: March 14, 2020
 Aspheric, thank you for the very detailed posting over at audioasylum. I'm now using Furez cables, and am very happy. Amazing sound difference. :-)

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 27, 2020 at 14:33:14
owkone
Audiophile

Posts: 53
Joined: April 9, 2015
 12ga is more than sufficient for runs like yours.

If you like to try cheap DIY experiments here are two. Twisted pair is better in RF noise rejection than standard speaker wire.

Experiment 1- Get 12ga speaker wire enough for two sets. Cut into two lengths one slightly longer than the other. Take the longer one split the insulation between two conductors down the middle then lightly twist the two conductors together just tight enough so both sets are about equal length. Then try comparing the audio quality of the two. You can also try adding a ferrite core at the speaker end of the cables.

Experiment 2 - About 10 years ago I DIY'd this four twisted cable version. The regular Cat5 I got from Home depot. I think it was Southwire brand. https://www.audioholics.com/gadget-reviews/diy-speaker-cable-faceoff. Compared to the 12ga Belden speaker wire I was using this was like lifting a sheer veil. I also added ferrite cores for good measure. I am still using the cables!

 

RE: Speaker Cables, posted on August 27, 2020 at 14:42:07
Taki888
Audiophile

Posts: 47
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: May 15, 2020



Ferrite cores sounds interesting. So I decided to go with Mogami 3104, it is twisted pair.
It was quick project to distract myself from the crazies of life.

I will have to see if they sell the ferrite large enough for these cables and low cost enough, lol.

 

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