Cable confession

[Diapason]

I'm not sure why I feel compelled to share this, and I know the response I'm deservedly going to get in this forum, but I've just spent some fairly serious money on a 3m pair of Nordost Heimdall speaker cable.

Historically I've always been a cable nay-sayer. I've told people till I was blue in the face that cables don't really make a difference. I've read many articles that illustrate quite clearly that you can't hear a difference in a blind scenario. I have a degree in theoretical physics and have a reasonably good grasp of what's going on under the hood as well, and I know deep down that it makes no sense.

But I still bought them.

Of course, when I put them into my system I thought I heard a difference, but I'm absolutely willing to accept that such a difference would disappear under controlled testing, and is all in my head. The thing is, for some reason I don't care. I sleep easier in my bed knowing I have them, and it's not just for bragging rights. Truly, I'm ashamed that I've done this and that I didn't have the courage of my convictions. I'm keeping them, though.

I feel a little better now that I've got that off my chest. Am I still even allowed to lurk here? Is this the stupidest thing you've ever heard?

Si

 

[Seth=L]

It is the second stupidest thing I have heard.

I think you can stay, so long as you don't do the stupidest thing I have heard.......buy a Blose system.

I have some straightwire cables, but I am not using them because they are too hard to remove from the jacks and they are also too short.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

That may be crazy but I fully understand. As silly as it seems; I would like to have some bad, giant speaker cable coming out of the back of my speakers just for the wow look. I had all my gear pulled away from the wall last night so I could clean up my wires so I thought this will be a good time to add some "cool" speaker wires. I ran to 3 stores looking for 10 gauge but couldnt find anything. I then ran to my high end dealer and he wanted 14 bucks/ft so I lost interest.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I am ashamed to admit that if I was rich I'd probably buy Nordost Vhallhalla, too. They just look so freakin' cool, and it would be fun to see people sputter and stammer when I told 'em what they cost!

 

[mike c]

it's not stupid if you show us what those cables look like

 

[darien87]

Wow. I've never heard of Nordost, but I just searched a bit for them. Did I see the pricing right? $4,000 a meter for a damn cable!?!?!?!?!?

Jesus. For that much, I'd better bust a nut every time I turn my stereo on. AND sex with Salma Hayek and Jessica Alba better be included. But hey, it's your money. If you hear a difference great.

How the hell can you afford that much just for cables? A better quesion: Will you adopt me?

 

[mtrycrafts]

...
but I'm absolutely willing to accept that such a difference would disappear under controlled testing, and is all in my head. The thing is, for some reason I don't care. I sleep easier in my bed knowing I have them, and it's not just for bragging rights. Si

Hey, that is all that matters. We all need to sleep well.
Besides you didn't make any testable claims for them, yet

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

If you really want to look cool, buy a set of these for $260, cut off the ends, and float them across the carpet with martini glasses.

Just don't ask me how to get the 1ga. 800 amp wire hooked up to a banana plug.


http://www.arizonatools.com/tools/jumper-cables-booster-cables/detail/BAYCOSL-3010/

 

[Haoleb]

For a while i was using some 4 conductor 8 gauge cable for speaker wire. It was previously used to power our entire house off of a generator.

It was a bit cumbersome so i decided to switch back to my much less impressive looking AudioQuest Type 4's

 

[mtrycrafts]

If you really want to look cool, buy a set of these for $260, cut off the ends, and float them across the carpet with martini glasses.

Just don't ask me how to get the 1ga. 800 amp wire hooked up to a banana plug.


http://www.arizonatools.com/tools/jumper-cables-booster-cables/detail/BAYCOSL-3010/

I bet it is stranded cable. Use one of the strands for the banana plug. If that is still too thick, well, that needs more work to make it fit.

But, I don't think those cables are as cool looking as what he has.

 

[Diapason]

Wow. I've never heard of Nordost,

Dude, you're reading all the wrong magazines...

but I just searched a bit for them. Did I see the pricing right? $4,000 a meter for a damn cable!?!?!?!?!?

[snip]

How the hell can you afford that much just for cables?

That's probably about right for Valhalla pricing, but even though I'm stupid, I'm not insane! I spent about $1800 for the terminated 3m pair of Nordost Heimdall. I know, I know, silly money that could have bought me lots of music. Still, I'm getting married next year and it seemed a small amount compared to the price of a wedding!!

Incidentally, Nordost recently announced their newest cable, at a higher level again than Valhalla: http://www.nordost.com/news/news.cfm
From what I've heard, it will be *significantly* more expensive than the $4,000 a metre mentioned above.

Thank you all for your support in this difficult time!

Si

 

[mike c]

heehee.

http://www.nordost.com/news/news.cfm

quote from the above page:

No matter how long one burns-in cables in a hi-fi system, they will never sound as good as cables burned-in on a VIDAR. This is due to the use of a proprietary technology which comprises a number complex signal patterns designed to stress the cable in a particular way.

who needs a joke thread in the steam vent when there's a nordost webpage. there's more on that page. knock yourselves out.

 

[Diapason]

It is, as you say, a cracking read. I particularly love the fact that they trumpet their scientific credentials, complaining about the pseudo-science spouted by other cable manufacturers. Great stuff.

Of course, I will in due course drop the cables back my dealer for 24 hours on the cable cooker. I may as well go the whole hog! I'll also send my physics degree to the forum moderators for destruction.

Si

 

[highfihoney]

Of course, I will in due course drop the cables back my dealer for 24 hours on the cable cooker. I may as well go the whole hog! I'll also send my physics degree to the forum moderators for destruction.
Si

I know a guy who uses a Easy Bake Oven to cook his cables,he also installed an IEC plug on the back of his refridgerator so he could plug his new power cords into the fridge & burn them in.

 

[obscbyclouds]

I love their website, all kinds of good stuff to read there. No matter how much extra money I had, I don't think i'd ever spend that much on cables, l just don't think it's worth it. Of course if you're happy with it, thats fine, but you do realize the amount of Kona coffee you can buy with all that dough, right?

 

[dave1490]

That may be crazy but I fully understand. As silly as it seems; I would like to have some bad, giant speaker cable coming out of the back of my speakers just for the wow look. I had all my gear pulled away from the wall last night so I could clean up my wires so I thought this will be a good time to add some "cool" speaker wires. I ran to 3 stores looking for 10 gauge but couldnt find anything. I then ran to my high end dealer and he wanted 14 bucks/ft so I lost interest.

if your looking for 10gaw you might want to look at these,thier silver plated,ofc,413 strand,megaflex tube,to reduce magnetic edies in the center of the cable.

 

[dave1490]

That may be crazy but I fully understand. As silly as it seems; I would like to have some bad, giant speaker cable coming out of the back of my speakers just for the wow look. I had all my gear pulled away from the wall last night so I could clean up my wires so I thought this will be a good time to add some "cool" speaker wires. I ran to 3 stores looking for 10 gauge but couldnt find anything. I then ran to my high end dealer and he wanted 14 bucks/ft so I lost interest.

if your looking for 10gaw you might want to look at these,thier silver plated,ofc,413 strand,megaflex tube,to reduce magnetic edies in the center of the cable.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Silver-Speaker-Cables-10-for-New-McIntosh-Amps-Pair_W0QQitemZ140116330884QQihZ004QQcategoryZ14966QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Those are nice but I dont think I could actually make myself buy speaker wires for > 100 bucks.

if your looking for 10gaw you might want to look at these,thier silver plated,ofc,413 strand,megaflex tube,to reduce magnetic edies in the center of the cable.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Silver-Speaker-Cables-10-for-New-McIntosh-Amps-Pair_W0QQitemZ140116330884QQihZ004QQcategoryZ14966QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[stratman]

I'm not sure why I feel compelled to share this, and I know the response I'm deservedly going to get in this forum, but I've just spent some fairly serious money on a 3m pair of Nordost Heimdall speaker cable.

Historically I've always been a cable nay-sayer. I've told people till I was blue in the face that cables don't really make a difference. I've read many articles that illustrate quite clearly that you can't hear a difference in a blind scenario. I have a degree in theoretical physics and have a reasonably good grasp of what's going on under the hood as well, and I know deep down that it makes no sense.

But I still bought them.

Of course, when I put them into my system I thought I heard a difference, but I'm absolutely willing to accept that such a difference would disappear under controlled testing, and is all in my head. The thing is, for some reason I don't care. I sleep easier in my bed knowing I have them, and it's not just for bragging rights. Truly, I'm ashamed that I've done this and that I didn't have the courage of my convictions. I'm keeping them, though.

I feel a little better now that I've got that off my chest. Am I still even allowed to lurk here? Is this the stupidest thing you've ever heard?

Si

You'll have to flog yourself 100 times with the cables while repeating at the top of your lungs : "I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!" AUDIOHOLICS I'M NOT WORTHY!, I'M NOT WORTHY!, then write Gene an apology (at least 400 words) and publicly reject your blasphemous urges for cable fantasies. Then absolution will be yours, remember 400 words.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You sure that's fair? I only had to write 200 words when I bought my Servo-15.

You'll have to flog yourself 100 times with the cables while repeating at the top of your lungs : "I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!" AUDIOHOLICS I'M NOT WORTHY!, I'M NOT WORTHY!, then write Gene an apology (at least 400 words) and publicly reject your blasphemous urges for cable fantasies. Then absolution will be yours, remember 400 words.