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In Reply to: Blue Jeans Cable, Belden 5000 posted by ariaslives on November 26, 2006 at 12:22:27:
First, I think it is important to acknowledge that you did hear a difference between the Nordost Red Dawn and the Belden 5000.In your words, it was slight. However, that is what it sounds like to you at this particular point in your journey of appreciating music and artistry.
Looking at your system, it is apparent that you feel that music playback is for more than just background music, or you would not have invested in the other components you have.
So it is entirely possible, that at some later date, either when you have more sheer experience with listening to well reproduced music, or have acquired even finer quality audio playback components, or some combination of both, that you might also find that you will appreciate that slight difference more than you do now.
My point is, that what does not seem to be worthwhile at this point in time, you may later feel to be a worthy addition or change to your playback system. It would be unwise to dismiss such things out of hand, and to close the door on improved audio performance permanently.
Note that each incremental improvement in sound quality does not cost the same amount, it costs more and more to reach each level of quality. Thus, in order to gain slight improvements, the cost difference can be significant.
How much each level is worth to you is, of course, what matters, but my point is that the relative worth can change too, it will not be a constant for all time.
PS., I noted that your system description has Monster cable listed for the speaker cables, I am assuming that you upgraded to the Nordost Red Dawn speaker cables. If this system and room are the only ones you listen to/in, then it might be difficult to hear the advantages of a well portrayed sound field that presents a solid stable and panoramic image, and thus, probably half of what one can hear with high performance audio cables may be absent, or at the least, greatly reduced, compared to playback in a larger room with acoustic treatment.
Just some food for thought.Best of luck and happy listening on your journey!
Follow Ups:
If you are arguing that I should keep the Nordost because I may, in the future, come to like them more, then why not keep everything that I dont like, because you never know? Also, if I dont know how I will like/dislike them in the future, then how do you know that I wont dislike them more as I get older?You say that my current path is "unwise" but I think that most people tend to follow the same path of keeping what they like and selling what they dont like. You dont find too many people who audition a speaker, dislike the sound, and buy it anyway because they may like it in the future. Which sounds more unwise?
I am not closing the door on future sonic upgrades, as you say I am; but I have found a poor dollar/sonic improvement ratio in the Nordost, ie diminishing return. This is not a value statement, eg "all Nordost is worthless," rather I am just posting my experience with these 3 cables. Since there is no "right" answer, I hope readers dont misconstrue my choice as absolute truth...this is just what I have chosen and why.
I think if you disagree and love Nordost, you could say that and why. Your mileage may vary is quite a popular phrase here and I believe that it is fitting. I didnt post my comments to berrate Nordost, rather I just wanted to put the word out on a cable that I find to be money saving and not well renowned. Some people, myself especially, love to hear of alternative ways to saving cash while not affecting, or not too adversely affecting the performance. Cash saved for me translates to more cd's to buy...you?
I am not arguing that you should keep them, just that you should not write off high performance cables for the long run.Maybe now, the Nordost cables do not offer enough of a sonic difference on your system, with your current tastes and experience. However, at some point in the future, when such a high performance cable might offer that last bit of extra realism that makes the music that much more enjoyable, they could be worth every penny.
BTW, I am not at all a big Nordost only fan, they make excellent cables which provide very high performance, but they are pricey. In case my name does not sound familiar, I am the guy who made Belden 89259 so popular as a raw coax for DIY.
See:
http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/i1.htm
and
http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/s1.htm
and associated pages.So you see, I am all for saving some money to buy more music, I just want to hear every little detail and nuance possible along the way.
I see what you are saying...as my sytem is upgraded I may appreciate the high performance/cost cable. But as a Do-It-Yourelfer, do you ever see yourself buying the Tara Labs Zero or Nordost Valhalla before you hit the lottery?
First, I don't count on hitting the lottery, or even fantasize about it, waste of time.Second, no, I would probably not be in the market for either one of those, since I have some very excellent DIY audio cables, of custom length (just long enough to reach the various components), and custom construction. I think that the biggest thing I have going, is that ALL of my audio system's cables are well beyond "stock" or OEM quality levels, and so, as a whole, they tend to not limit what the system can do.
However, my secret weapon is that I am a professional loudspeaker system designer, and have a one-of-a-kind near SOTA speaker system, and a room well treated with acoustic treatments. (See:
http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/a.htm
particularly,
http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/a1.htm )
Jon Risch
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