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Wretched excess - cable department

216.228.191.161
Posted on August 12, 2021 at 19:48:04
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 13976
Location: 97701
Joined: September 23, 1999
 Our latest wretched excess component comes to us from Nordost, and is not
yet available in USA. It was introduced at the Hong Kong HiFi Show - no
doubt there are more "golden" ears in Asia than here - or perhaps there
are more golden pockets there than here. Or more suckers ...

And the price! Only $34999.99 for a 1.25 meter speaker cable! Additional
1.25 meter lengths available for the low low price of only $9500! So lets
do a little math here: let's say you need two 2.5 meter speaker cables;
your total outlay for these sonic wonders will be a paltry $89k USD!
Piffle! A mere trifle! Hurry to get in line for the privilege of being
shorn of your money! And if we try to figure what the gross profit for
Nordost will be, we come up with ... oh never mind, we really don't want
to think about it.

I am sure Mr. Barnum, wherever he may be, is smiling at the thought of
this little enterprise by Nordost ...

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/nordost-introduces-new-supreme-reference-cable-range-odin-gold

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

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RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 12, 2021 at 20:27:46
cdb
Audiophile

Posts: 2948
Joined: April 6, 2001
 You got your cable type or prices jumbled up.

Nobody who has been around the block pays full boat for cables. My last purchase was minus 17%. The "S" in MSRP is "Suggested."

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 12, 2021 at 20:28:45
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4310
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 Why does it matter? Either some one rich will buy it and it will survive or if no one buys it will go away. Does it really matter? I'm not going to buy it. The average Bugatti owner owns 47 cars which has to add up to over 25 million dollars or more. Do you care about that. Can you do anything other than rant? It will not stop. Ignore it.

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 12, 2021 at 22:00:28
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46302
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 If the buyer keeps them long enough they might go up in value ;-)

I paid a couple hundred bucks for a pair of 1M silver Kimber KCAG interconnects a couple decades ago. I saw in The Absolute Sound for Sept 2021 that these same Kimbers are now $1200/pair.

I should have bought more back then!



 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 13, 2021 at 01:39:50
Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37333
Location: SW United States
Joined: November 2, 2000
 There has to be someone here investing in cryptocurrencies, who might be making monster profits... Just in order to try one of these ultra-pricey cables...... .... .............

I'd only be curious just to find out if these cables are really $33,000 better than a good $500 set of cables.........

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 13, 2021 at 01:41:21
Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37333
Location: SW United States
Joined: November 2, 2000
 I guess the price could be tracking with the prices of precious metals......

 

Yes, price difference, posted on August 13, 2021 at 04:10:22
Joe Appierto
Audiophile

Posts: 1051
Location: Central NJ
Joined: January 3, 2004
 The price used was for the power cord. For the speaker cable it was:

Odin Gold Loudspeaker Cables are terminated using Nordost's gold-plated HOLO:PLUG® spade and Z-plug banana connectors. The retail price is $54,999.99 for a 1.5 meter length; additional half meter stereo increments are $8,000.00.

So, a 2.5M pair of the speaker cables would be USD$70,999.99

Not that these stratospheric prices make any difference to the average Joe.


Joe

 

it's for people who are rich enough to separate themselves, posted on August 13, 2021 at 04:33:26
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10458
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 from the rest of us. It's why places like AA exist, to declare mine is better than yours because I paid 5 figures US so it must be better. It's 'high end' and the rest of us have only a hifi festivus.

I've gone back to my plain old Teflon insulated Kimber 4tc and I've forgotten how much I paid, it rocks.



 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 13, 2021 at 05:01:47
Byrd69
Audiophile

Posts: 2881
Location: East Syracuse, New York
Joined: August 23, 2004
 The Home Depot extension cord cables a friend made do me fine on the office system....and I got more than 2.5 meters.

Homemade SET 6SN7gt preamp
Rebuilt early 60s Zenith 6BQ5 SET console amp
Homemade full-range speakers - 8" Fostex

Next, I may have to try the Lowes brand of extension cord wire.


Your interest may vary but the results will be same. (Byrd 2020)

I can't compete with the dead. (Buck W. 2010)

Cowards can't be heroes. (Byrd 2017)

Why don't catfish have kittens? (Moe Howard 1937)

 

Festivus for the rest of us!, posted on August 13, 2021 at 05:57:22
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6604
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 Frank Costanza's holiday applied to hi-fi. And now, time for a statement of grievances. I love it!

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 13, 2021 at 06:40:10
Grinnell
Audiophile

Posts: 709
Location: Front Range
Joined: December 23, 2007
 Are they Cryo'd?

 

Binding posts on the mil+ speakers, posted on August 13, 2021 at 06:55:03
Rocket_Powered
Audiophile

Posts: 439
Location: East Coast
Joined: May 15, 2020
 It would also make sense if Nordost would make the corresponding binding posts those said cables would be connecting. Otherwise you have an $80k pair of cables connected to posts that are a few hundred - the horror.... I have no clue what kind of posts come in the ultra high end speakers, but surely not in the realm of $80k cables.

 

RE: Festivus for the rest of us!, posted on August 13, 2021 at 07:02:05
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10458
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 I'm quite happy with the legacy that early hi-fiers left for others to follow and improve upon, like Quad, Dynaco, CJ, and many many others. And I've always been happy with being and living middle class because we've always had plenty of good things to live with in a glass half full. A nicely crafted cage it is with flaws and all, but it worked well not very long ago.

And many too many have been sour pusses about this and want to make socialism the ruling word. What a huge mistake that will be when the super crusties will continue to hide their huge fortunes like they do now in the stock market and play their fucking games with it to avoid taxations and fair share.

Another true revolution is here and it ain't gonna turn out good if you ask me. My grandparents left Russia to Ellis for this very reason. You don't know what you've got till it's gone.

please excuse my story Rod, I'm just venting



 

You have a very good point there, posted on August 13, 2021 at 09:31:50
Mike K
Audiophile

Posts: 13976
Location: 97701
Joined: September 23, 1999
 And if you replace the binding posts on your speakers to be concomitant
with those $80k cables, then don't you have to open up the speaker and
change the wiring and the caps and whatever in the crossover to be of
similar quality to the cables and terminals? Of course you do! And at
the other end, you'll need to do the same to your amps! Just think of
the never-ending improvements you can make!

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

WBT makes the best bling binding posts, posted on August 13, 2021 at 11:56:21
Brian H P
Audiophile

Posts: 1291
Location: Oregon
Joined: December 18, 2012
 Found only in the bestest and blingiest speakers!

 

the takeaway for the average Joe, posted on August 13, 2021 at 15:11:56
farfetched
Audiophile

Posts: 963
Location: Cleveland!
Joined: October 13, 2010
 Should be, yes, people with tons of money will do stuff like this, they do it all the time, and if the opportunity ever presents itself, dig in, because they are paying. Remember that. No one asked Nordost to rip off people except the people who do so by purchasing their products.

It is a strange hobby.



/ optimally proportioned triangles are our friends


 

RE: WBT makes the best bling binding posts, posted on August 13, 2021 at 16:27:40
Don Reid
Audiophile

Posts: 890
Location: Rural NW Georgia
Joined: February 2, 2001
Contributor
  Since: April 1, 2010
 My old Audioquest Type 4 speaker wires serve my needs quite well on the wide range and super tweeter drivers of my fully horn loaded, three way, tri amplified DIY speakers. Speaker wires to the woofer horn drivers are big fat AudioQuest wires I found in one of the drawers of a large tool box I bought at a bankruptcy auction after a large Atlanta audio video dealer went broke.
I was willing to spend enough to obtain a pair of drivers, AER BD3 eight inch drivers, which now go for around $8,000.00 or up a pair. Loaded into my Oris 150 horns I oould hear their superior SQ. But speaker wires, nah, not so much.
I dream of an America where a chicken can cross the road without having it's motives questioned.

 

What I Believe Wire Manufacturers Do!, posted on August 13, 2021 at 18:27:40
thetubeguy1954
Audiophile

Posts: 6112
Location: Orlando, Fla
Joined: January 7, 2001
 I believe when a wire manufacturer invests their time & money into R&D, they do it until they develop a wire that sounds amazingly good. Now I could be 100% wrong, but I honestly believe once they've developed their new amazingly wonderful sounding cable, they intentionally do or don't do things to be sure the wire still sounds very good, but nowhere near as good as the wire they've actually developed. I believe all the wire manufacturers do this in order to be able to create a complete line of wires from entry-level to what they'll call their new "state-of-the-art" wire and then they release their new line of wire.

Then slowly as the years pass they start to do or don't do various things they knew from day 1 they should or shouldn't have done! Why? because they knew these things were preventing every wire in their line from entry-level to their "supposedly" state-of-the-art wire from sounding as the wire originally did when their R&D was done! The sad part is as they do or don't do the various things they knew prevented the wire sound from sounding as good as the original wire did, they begin publishing new ADs in audio magazines about the wonderful new things they've "recently" discovered and how this now allows for sonic improvements to be made to all their wire. And now as years pass their wires become GSW-MKII, GSW-MKIII, GSW-IV, etc. Yet every time they "supposedly" made a new improvement in the wire all they're really doing is something they knew from day 1 they should have done to allow their amazing wire to sound as it originally did when their R&D created the wire many years earlier!

Finally, after more than a few years pass they release their most expensive version of the wire yet the absolutely new GSW-GOLDEN DREAM wire! But the sad part is this wire is the wire their R&D originally made all those years ago, finally released as-is! This is the wire they used to launch an entire line of wires. And now as many years passed and they've been able to yearly raise the price of every wire in their entire line. As they've claimed to be improving the sound of these wires by doing or not doing things they knew from day 1 they should or shouldn't have done to improve the wire's sound, it finally allows them to ask for an exorbitant price for their new GSW-GOLDEN DREAM wire! A wire they knew they NEVER would be able to ask this price for if they had released the wire as-is all those years prior.

What do you guys think? Are wire manufacturers doing this...



=======================================================================

Following the music signal from source to speakers my system consists of:

1)YBA Genesis CD4 CDP/Transport - Snake River Audio Cottonmouth Signature power cord & custom Mike R. digital wire.

2)Musical Paradise tube MP-D2 DAC - Stealth Audio M21 Super, power cord & custom Mike R. ICs

3)Don Sachs Custom SP14 tube Preamp -Sablon Audio Gran Corona power cord & NBS Professional ICs. (custom Mike R ICs soon coming)

4)Mastersound Reference 845 SET Amp - Hi-Diamond 3 power cord & Snake River Audio Cottonmouth Signature speaker wires.

5)Reference 3A Taksim Speakers

Thetubeguy1954 (Tom)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society
Full-range/Wide-range Drivers --- Front & Back-Loaded Horns --- High Sensitivity Speakers


 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 14, 2021 at 02:24:31
Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37333
Location: SW United States
Joined: November 2, 2000
 "Are they Cryo'd?"

No..... That option raises the price to $44,000.......

 

RE: Binding posts on the mil+ speakers, posted on August 14, 2021 at 02:26:28
Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37333
Location: SW United States
Joined: November 2, 2000
 Man, what about the wiring inside the speakers..... And the crossover components......

With that money spent, should go whole hog.......

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 14, 2021 at 08:27:20
Goober58
Audiophile

Posts: 5590
Joined: November 15, 2016
 I'd only be curious just to find out if these cables are really $33,000 better than a good $500 set of cables.........

Is "$33,000 better" greater than the difference between a bad $500 cable and great $500 cable?

 

Sure wish my wife would let me play in that sandbox, posted on August 14, 2021 at 08:37:38
Goober58
Audiophile

Posts: 5590
Joined: November 15, 2016
 On the other hand I'm confident my enjoyment of music would be minimally enhanced in the very best case. For everyone else I'm sure their mileage will vary.

I wish Nordost gobs of money & profits with their new cable/interconnect series.

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 14, 2021 at 14:27:24
Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37333
Location: SW United States
Joined: November 2, 2000
 You wouldn't believe how many "awful $500 cables" are out there..... I've tried enough of them (and more expensive cables) to find this out the hard way.........

 

So what else is new? Nt, posted on August 14, 2021 at 15:01:13
geoffkait
 Nt

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 14, 2021 at 18:12:47
xsb7244
Audiophile

Posts: 428
Location: Hawaii
Joined: May 17, 2011
 NASA made two spacesuit, cost 1 billion. If NASA needed an audio cable I would charge 1 million.

 

Not much, posted on August 14, 2021 at 19:02:31
Goober58
Audiophile

Posts: 5590
Joined: November 15, 2016
 If I was moderator these kind of posts would end up on whiners woad.

It's an awesome hobby - if folks don't want to pay for SOTA features, connectivity, overbuilt build quality, high power, 20 lb. face plates, super costly interconnects, etc - don't. Get the same sound for 1/5-1/4 (or less) of the price.

This exact same discussion was going on 40-50 years ago. Nobody ripping anyone off.


 

Got to push the envelope, posted on August 15, 2021 at 06:53:07
BillH
Audiophile

Posts: 3913
Location: Baton Rouge
Joined: December 23, 1999
 While the rest of us stand back and watch. And chortle.

 

Pertinent aphorisms, posted on August 16, 2021 at 16:51:41
Brian H P
Audiophile

Posts: 1291
Location: Oregon
Joined: December 18, 2012
 The placebo effect is real. If you think a fancy wire will improve your sound, you will hear improved sound.

Products are worth what customers THINK they are worth. Sale value reflects perceived value.

Religious and quasi-religious beliefs are impervious to facts and logic.

You can't defraud a willing victim.

Fools and their money are soon parted. ("There's a sucker born every minute" -- P.T. Barnum) In the case of wealthy fools, this implies a moral obligation to facilitate such separation. ("Never give a sucker an even break" -- W.C. Fields)

 

RE: Festivus for the rest of us!, posted on August 20, 2021 at 22:36:50
rmilewsk
Audiophile

Posts: 534
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: January 10, 2008
 What's your definition of good?

 

RE: Wretched excess - cable department, posted on August 21, 2021 at 02:29:53
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Excess- Yes!
Wretched - No!

 

RE: Festivus for the rest of us!, posted on August 21, 2021 at 04:11:54
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 10458
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 my Quad esl 57's without any doubts whatsoever. The midrange is glorious and supremely revealing of everything and I am not the only one who thinks so. How's that for a definition.



 

Ripley's "Believe It Or Not" museum might happily accept those cables after your death..., posted on August 21, 2021 at 08:31:01
peppy m.
Audiophile

Posts: 2242
Joined: February 19, 2021
 .., or even before.

Why waste an opportunity to educate impoverished plebians about the wonders of the world ?

 

A wire is a WIRE!, posted on August 21, 2021 at 13:51:37
JohnKutheRN
Audiophile

Posts: 529
Location: MO
Joined: September 16, 2019
 Only AWG matters!

John Kuthe, RN, BSN...

 

RE: A wire is a WIRE!, posted on August 21, 2021 at 13:53:52
JohnKutheRN
Audiophile

Posts: 529
Location: MO
Joined: September 16, 2019
 All that matters is AWG!

John Kuthe, CS,EE,BSN

 

RE: Festivus for the rest of us!, posted on August 21, 2021 at 17:08:50
rmilewsk
Audiophile

Posts: 534
Location: So. Cal.
Joined: January 10, 2008
 Not too good for me. I've never heard those speakers nor talked to any of those other people.

 

Amen Brother [nt], posted on August 31, 2021 at 15:48:09
Simon Templar
Audiophile

Posts: 605
Location: Infinite Rider On The Big Dogma
Joined: November 9, 1999
 .....sT

 

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