Audioquest?

[Unregistered]

So quality of cables doesnt mprove sound? Just te build quality? So $10 interconnects vs $18-- audoquest cable would make no diffference in sound?

 

[gene]

Quality cables do not improve sound. However poor quality cables can cause sound degradation or altered sound from the original signal. Quality cables need not be expensive and price does not always indictate quality, especially surrounding cables.

 

[Leprkon]

if you just want to get your feet wet

here's some decent low-cost cables if you just want to see what happens without breaking the bank

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=2022&sku=29176

 

[gene]

Actually if you goto their home theater cable specific website you can get a 20% discount on their products at: Impact Acoustics

 

[Scizz]

is it worth spending $700 on transparent interconnects? Can u get the same sonic results with lesser cables? Is all the mumbo-jumbo on the bvoxes just hype? What about the different dielectics and purity of copper ect?

 

[Rob Babcock]

Even the head honcho of Audioquest says cables can do no good things, only bad. The perfect cable would be no cable, so the role of an IC should be to do the least harm possible. My idea of the "perfect cable" is one that doesn't try to editorialize. I'd rather not have the cable designer speculate upon the FR of my system or recordings. You'll likely never see me dropping big bucks on cables. Unless I win the lottery- then you'd see a pretty high "Howard Hughes Factor"!

 

[mtrycrafts]

is it worth spending $700 on transparent interconnects? Can u get the same sonic results with lesser cables? Is all the mumbo-jumbo on the bvoxes just hype? What about the different dielectics and purity of copper ect?

John Dunlavy, speaker maker on cables:

http://www.visi.com/~asm/Newsletters/asm_feb_97.PDF

Transparent Audio Cable owner/maker:

http://www.vxm.com/21R.64.html

Chicago DBT listeing test:
http://groups.google.com/groups?oi=djq&selm=an_405262383

No, it makes no sense for you to waste $700 on cables, unless you are wiring a studio and that is the final cost for all the cables

Dielectric, purity, crystal makeup of copper, silver, you name it, all marketing to win over already gullible consumers. No different form the consumer marketplace. Audio is not immune from the Barnum Effect

 

[Mudcat]

Gene,

Now that CEDIA's over, you gonna post my findings? Big wake up call.

PS, you can edit my write-up if necessary.

 

[rodamyot]

I don't want to discuss the fact that good cable sound better but just to give you a hint on if you should spend 300$ on cable: here's the cable they use in professional studio for all the interconnection.
http://www.delcowire.com/pnspecrev1.php?part=390085&pdf=43
It's about a 100$ for a roll of 500ft. Make your own decision from that. One rule I can give you, keep it as short as possible.

Rod

 

[philh]

but Audioquest claims they terminate the RCA's by welding them. Maybe that makes a differnece, I know the strength of a weld far surpasses that of a simple solder.....alex

Welding, WOW! Can't think of any valid reason to weld. From a processing stand point, it's more likely to result in a poor connection then soldering. Solder is a no brainer, that most 5 year olds could do. Doesn't take much of a processing mistake to create a bad weld.

Funny side story about welding wires. Years ago I was working with a motor supplier for 6-way power seats. During an OEM corporate quality audit, they found a bad motor. This motor had managed to pass through several quality audits without being caught. Supplier was one of the best in the business too! Apparently during electronical verification testing, plant suffered a power failure. When power came back on, robot picked up the bad armature and placed in into the good bin. It saw the part sitting there and automatically assumed it was good. Every other in sequence test, verified operation, and noise level, never current draw. It just so happened during the OEM audit, the motor was stopped exactly on the cold welded tang. Every single motor was serialized and test results stored. When they went back to review the test results it was glaringly obvious it was a bad motor. Pretty easy to track the process failure.

 

[j_garcia]

If you know some 5yr olds who can solder, let me know. Soldering correctly is not that simple. I use all Audioquest interconnects, both analog and digital and I have no problem recommending them. I've tried more expensive cables, and less expensive cables (Monster), and while SPEAKER WIRE may make relatively little difference, interconnects can make a very noticable difference. I don't advocate $500 pair of interconnects, and it has a LOT to do with what the rest of your gear is capable of. If you have basic gear, say <$2K for speakers, source, cabling, etc... the cabling isn't going to make much difference. If you've spent $10K, I've noticed that you can start hearing the effects of smaller changes within the system. The rule of thumb has always been 10% of the total system price for interconnects, and I feel that is a pretty good reference.

Next, there's a lot to be said about the synergy of the entire system. Interconnects and wire are the LAST place anyone should be looking for improvements or to alter the sound. I look to the speakers and sources first, then proper SETUP and CALIBRATION, then amplification, then everything else.

I think the Diamondbacks are excellent cables, though pricing could be better. The "welded" ones are not exactly welded, they are more like "fused" together, like fancy soldering, I guess you could call it. I don't know exactly how it works, but it makes for a very well built cable.

 

[Audiosouse]

...Home Depot carries RCA brand for less than 10% of that. (For some reasone HD isn't consistent as to what they carry store by store and online.)

-Bruce

I thought I was the only one that knew about RCA brand cables at Home Depot. They are very well built.

The highs are airy and transparent, while the lows are tight and authoratitive. (That's for our fellow golden eared cable soothsayers...it's called sarcasm)

Funny, I've seen many "high end" cables that look suspicously identical and retail for about 1000% more.

 

[Audiosouse]

I've tried more expensive cables, and less expensive cables (Monster)

LOL!!! That's the first time I've heard Monster cables referred to as less expensive!

...interconnects can make a very noticable difference.

Please submit scientific proof, such a noticeable difference will be easily measured.

If you've spent $10K, I've noticed that you can start hearing the effects of smaller changes within the system.

That's called the placebo effect, you're hearing what you think you want to hear, not what you are actually hearing, which is nothing. A correctly implimented DBT is the only way to truly trust your ears. If what you are saying is true, it will be reflected by your accuracy in the test.

The rule of thumb has always been 10% of the total system price for interconnects, and I feel that is a pretty good reference.

Who's thumb? The cable manufacturers?

Interconnects and wire are the LAST place anyone should be looking for improvements or to alter the sound.

At least you got that one right!

I don't know exactly how it works, but it makes for a very well built cable.

Always good to believe whatever the cable manufacturer tells you. You can trust them, they'd never lie! Your best interests are their only concern.

 

[jaxvon]

Actually, in some of the setup tips here at AH, a general rule in the lower end budgets is to spend around 10% on cables (not just ICs though).

 

[8118]

Actually, in some of the setup tips here at AH, a general rule in the lower end budgets is to spend around 10% on cables (not just ICs though).

how about high end system, if someone speed 400K for Mcintosh gears or JBL synthesis system, what cable or interconnector should be used? 40K?

I got an audioquest cable for my sub. It's an indeed good and "very nice" looking cable, but i wont buy it again, then why I bought? becoz i don have other choice at that time. Audioquest is over pricey stuff.

 

[aspaceintime]

my 2 cents

I found a 27 page oration regarding the audioquest sales pitch...sales pitch... snake oil I say...

 

[jaxvon]

Yeah, I've actually read that entire Audioquest "Cable Theory" thing. Interesting, but definitely a ton of BS. They throw in lots of numbers to make it look scientific, even though they seem to lack a lot of knowledge (or maybe not, they just want to make money...)

Regrading 8118's question, obviously $400k is NOT a lower end budget. If you spent that on a 2ch system (which is entirely possible to do), then heck, why not spend a few thousand on cables? If it were for a synthesis system, and even if it was a 2ch system, I would just get the best broadcast-quality cables I could get. That basically means calling up Blue Jeans Cable and having them make stuff for you. The speaker cables though, I'd just have to spend the extra cash (if they were exposed) to make them look nice.

 

[gene]

Actually, in some of the setup tips here at AH, a general rule in the lower end budgets is to spend around 10% on cables

We never recommend spending 10% of your budget on cables. If you did find an article we wrote saying this, please let me know so I can fire the author

Beyond a certain price point (very low price point actually) you are paying for nothing more than cosmetics and marketing appeal.

IE. Decent speaker cables with good terminations shouldn't cost more than $150 for a 10' pair,
2 Meter Interconnects, no more than $50 or so, etc

Of course there is nothing wrong with spending more if you desire the exotic look, but realize any claimed benefits are likely to be snake oil or non applicable to their intended use.

Of course you can make them yourself much cheaper, especially if buying in bulk. In my new home for example I am using 3000ft of 10AWG Bluejeans speaker cable to wire up all of the speakers in my home. Nothing fancy, just quality belden type cable and canare terminations.

 

[jaxvon]

Ah...it looks like you've edited the tips on how much to spend Gene. I remember it being 10%, but now the cable budget guildlines say 5-7%. My bad.

 

[gene]

Then it looks like I need to fire myself Even 5-7% might not be very good advice since the law of diminishing returns happen much quicker than it does with electronics and speakers. It is also difficult to know how much cabling a person would need for their application so it must be visited on a case by case basis.