HDMI cable

[highfihoney]

OK. I called back to get some clarification. They told me the cable from "MIT" would run me $375 for 30 ft. How does that sound?

It only sounds good if it comes with a family size jar of vasaline, thats the bend em over price

 

[AVRat]

Sheesh, you could even go with "Monster" for half of that.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Sheesh, you could even go with "Monster" for half of that.

Hey, I may have to start recommending Monster

 

[mtrycrafts]

OK. I called back to get some clarification. They told me the cable from "MIT" would run me $375 for 30 ft. How does that sound?

By the way, you may want to tell them that there may be lots of fish out there for those wires, you are not one of them.
If they don't offer the cable you want, find another installer.

 

[zumbo]

Bluejeans. Series-1 recommended for in-wall long runs. Prices are half-way down the page.

30ft Series-1) $84.75

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/hdmi-cables/index.htm

 

[roshi]

I got a more general question about this subject. How important are cables anyways? Specifically HDMI, since it's all digital does it even matter how good of a quality the cable is as long as it gets the signal across? I understand with long runs that it probably matters due to loss in signal, but if I have a 3ft HDMI cable does it matter which brand it is?
Also another question regarding cables, would you terminate speaker cables or not?

 

[aberkowitz]

I got a more general question about this subject. How important are cables anyways? Specifically HDMI, since it's all digital does it even matter how good of a quality the cable is as long as it gets the signal across? I understand with long runs that it probably matters due to loss in signal, but if I have a 3ft HDMI cable does it matter which brand it is?
Also another question regarding cables, would you terminate speaker cables or not?

Somebody else may be able to give you a more technical answer, but the general impression that I've got (and based on personal experience of an expensive Monster cable vs. a monoprice cable with the same AWG) is that there's little difference between the brands. Before I found this site and really started my audioholic education, I used to buy nothing but Monster cables. So when I discovered monoprice and bought a $25 22 AWG HDMI cable I was curious to see if I could even tell if there was a difference. I tried hooking them both up to my 46 inch HDTV and my upscaling DVD player and sat and watched. Neither my girlfriend nor myself could find any discernable difference between the two. For two hours we tried this out with a variety of movies- no difference.

Cables are an easy way for electronics companies and big box retailers to make up profit margin since most consumers have ZERO understanding about them and are easily sold on the "higher price higher quality" line of BS.

As for terminating speaker cables- everything I've read on this board seems to come down to personal preference. As long as your connection is tight then it doesn't seem to matter if you use bare wire or interconnects. Check out this thread for some good info- http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35320

 

[j_garcia]

As for terminating speaker cables- everything I've read on this board seems to come down to personal preference. As long as your connection is tight then it doesn't seem to matter if you use bare wire or interconnects. Check out this thread for some good info- http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35320

Interconnects generally refer to analog or digital signal cable not speaker wire, so you are sort of mixing two things in that response.

I always terminate my speaker wire with banana plugs, locking on the receiver side and at my mains to prevent loosening. Does it make a difference in the sound? No. Does it make it convenient if I need to disconnect and reconnect and am I assured there will be no stray wires shorting? Absolutely.

I bought a $21 HDMI cable from Bluejeans and it works perfectly. So good in fact, that I bought 2 more from them for other devices and will continue to buy from them.

 

[aberkowitz]

Thanks for the correction- I am still working on my terminology!

 

[solomr2]

I'm by no means an expert on this, but I'll tell you what I think about the subject. Maybe someone else with more technical knowledge can correct me if I'm out of line.

HDMI cables carry several different signals on one physical cable, including multiple video carriers as well as sound. This is convenient for the consumer because you can replace multiple interconnect cables with just one cable. However, the quality of the cable does have some effect on the quality of the signal and also on the capacity and bandwidth of the signal. The lower the grade of cable, and the thinner the cable, the less capacity it has to keep the signal intact, and the more likely that the signal can degrade and possibly drop out before it reaches its destination. That is why for longer runs it is advisable to use a thicker gauge. Shielding helps to prevent interference from other electrical or magnetic sources, preventing the signal from being corrupted. Also, the terminators on the cable can degrade due to corrosion. A high quality gold connector is more resistant to oxidation and corrosion, which makes it more reliable over time.

Having said all that though, the Monster cables don't seem to perform any better than the much lower priced Monoprice or Bluejeans cables, although they might look prettier, and they may give you some kind of bragging rights.

When it comes to Monster, since the market is willing to pay it, then Monster is willing to collect it. Those that know the score don't contribute to Monster's coffers.