$16,600 on cabling...is that a joke?

[corysmith01]

So, I'm not going to call anyone out specifically..to each his own. But I was over at Audiogon earlier just glancing at peoples systems and came across a few where I was interested in clicking on the individual items...I had never heard the names and wanted to read a bit more. But, what I also noticed was the STAGGERING prices listed beside them. Is this a joke? Are those prices listed inflated prices to make a point, like "hey, look how much cabbage I spent on my system." Here's an example (and this came from one system

ElectraGlide Fatboo 3ft power cord: $2100
Transparent Reference MM balanced Interconnect (1.0 M): $4350
Transparent Reference MM balanced Interconnect (2.0 M): $4450
Transparent Reference w/XL Speaker Cable: $5700

That's $16,600!!!! Can some please, please, please explain to me how 1) it's possible to spend that much on cabling, 2) how any sane person can think "yeah, that sounds like a wise use of my money" and 3) if this is or is not a complete, utter waste of money.

I admit that I am fairly new to this and perhaps someone can put me in my place and explain that I am the fool and that I just simply haven't experienced audio nirvana until I've dropped $20K on cables? This probably sounds like a rant a bit, and in a way it is...I just look at this stuff and at first I laugh, and then I get really frustrated...frustrated b/c I try to put myself in the shoes of the person buying these things and understand their thought processes...but I can't. It seems like madness to the highest degree.

So what's the deal? Can $5700 speaker cable really sound that much better than the $35 cable I'm using? Am I missing something?

Oh, and P.S....that list above is only a FEW of the cables...there were actually a few more, so I think the total would have been closer to $20K for cables. Insane.

 

[JoeE SP9]

Like you I think that cable prices are silly! There is no way any cable should cost more than the amplifier or even any percentage of the cost of an amp. Those snake oil merchants are just making lots of money.

 

[jaxvon]

No, it's not a joke. It's just an example of another unfortunate sucker. Heck, I'm pretty sure that Transparent's top of the line cables cost over $20k for the pair. Yeah. JPS labs makes stuff with their "Alumiloy" cable...their "reference" power cord, the Aluminata costs $3500...here's a review of it from Audioreview. It sickens me.

Having had JPS Labs' Kaptovator power cord for quite a while now on my (Unison Research) amp and their Digital AC power cord on my (Wadia) CD player I learned the Kaptovator was also optimal on CD.. So I was a power cord short. I decided to take the big leap for my amp to the ultimate JPS Labs has in store: their Aluminata Reference AC cable. This is a rather huge and heavy, but remarkably flexible big black 'reptile', that actually sounded good right out of the (aluminium) box and was less 'problematic' during the always needed break-in periode than I earlier experienced with the Kaptovator cord, and the Power AC+ I once owned. This Aluminata AC power cable turned out to be so beautiful that I want to share this with you. Once you forget about the investment (the price of a very decent amp..) and found a way to hook this physically very heavy cable on to your equipment (I found some support was needed to prevent this big snake from falling its own way down because of its weight..) you will probably be very happy about it as me and own it for life. No need to ever upgrade this piece anymore.. And it will probably feed many amps to come. This is a beautiful cable indeed, Providing the amp with the best AC supply one can wish for. The sound character I find is detailed, very detailed, but beautifully round as well. Instruments come out their best; as they are. Actually this cable leaves me nothing to wish for; it is there without showing off its appearance (audiowise that is..) It is everything at the same time; detailed while smooth, powerful while sweet, strong while gentle.. It is wonderful and I think that is what completely(!) justifies its top price. I am very happy with it. Never known I would be so happy with such a unknown investment. I went all the way up through the range of JPS Labs (and others like TARA Labs, Chord and Cardas) cables and decided that whomever said 'cables come first' was right. Better invest in these once and for all and then go for the rest of the equipment, that can sound to its full potential then most people will never be able to hear from it with their more or less dire level of cabling. I must tell you as well that I have built a dedicated AC line directly from my meterboard and use a decent outlet center (very advisable!) in combination with the good powercords. I combine this with the Superconductor2 interlinks from JPSLabs and just recently switched to their Superconductor+ speakercables as well. They all match very well together. All info is on www.jpslabs.com where also many other reviews can be found. Not many on the Aluminata though. I think it is still a rather rare cable to find in the world and a sort of big secret . Possibly because of its price, but I think anyone who has the equipment and the money to buy it should really give it a try. You really never heard it sound like that before!
Take the time for a decent break-in of at least a hundred hours or more (pref. 200+) though, to really let it flow the way it should and is capable of. Auditioning cables is not an easy job. That is why I am so happy it is RIGHT this time.

 

[JoeE SP9]

Although I am more a subjectivist than a lot of responders here, I have got to say that the whole cable thing is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

 

[Tom Andry]

I like to visit Audiogon just to see the systems and how much people paid for them. It's honestly like watching a snake swallow a deer whole, you know it did it, but you still can't believe it. It's all just so surreal. Plus, whenever the wife gives me flack about how much I've spent on my Axioms {shakes head incredulously} I send her a link to the virtual systems and all of a sudden, I'm mrthrifty.

 

[corysmith01]

This is all very good to hear...wanted to make sure that I wasn't alone in thinking that this is insanity. In fact, I thought about it some more. I mean, you really have to be a fool. Seriously. I don't care how much money I have, if some guy looked me in the eye and said, "yeah, to see significant improvement in your sound, you're gonna need to drop $5000 on this speaker wire" I'd start looking around for the Candid Cameras that would surely be filming me for a later show. This seems like straight up robbery. But, I guess that's capitalism for you. If you can make a product for $20, then turn around and sell it to some fool for $5000, why wouldn't you? These people clearly drank the kool-aid.

What would be really interesting is to hear the point of view of one of these cats...to hear, in their own words, how they explain it, how they justify it. High comedy would ensue.

 

[mtrycrafts]

That's $16,600!!!! Can some please, please, please explain to me how 1) it's possible to spend that much on cabling,

That's easy The seller makes cables and puts a price on it. A buyer comes along and pays it But, he got 3 cables for that price. Some single cable is in the 5 figures


2) how any sane person can think "yeah, that sounds like a wise use of my money"


Now this is a bit difficult.
Can you explain human nature in the consumer marketplace? Not me.

and 3) if this is or is not a complete, utter waste of money.

This is simple too. Yep, it is
I would consider anything more than about $.30/ft for speaker cables a waste, unless you must see the cables and show them off as an art object The, it becomes a Mona Lisa


So what's the deal? Can $5700 speaker cable really sound that much better than the $35 cable I'm using? Am I missing something?

Missing nothing. You are right.

Insane.

A relative term to you and me, yes, insanity.

 

[philh]

their Aluminata Reference AC cable. This is a rather huge and heavy, but remarkably flexible big black 'reptile', that actually sounded good right out of the (aluminium) box and was less 'problematic' during the always needed break-in periode than I earlier experienced with the Kaptovator cord, and the Power AC+ I once owned.

Huh, now power cords need breakin? I've been doing this all wrong, and here I thought it was my F* up room configuration, LOL

 

[JohnA]

Cory...the cables that you listed are junk...you NEED this (from the same company):

http://j-walkblog.com/index.php?/weblog/posts/expensive_speaker_cables/

 

[corysmith01]

Very funny. But if you read it and actually ponder it, it really brings up a good point; you're only buying speaker wire to link your receiver to the terminals on the back of your speaker...but what about the speakers' internal wiring? Doesn't sound like the argument for "noise-less" speaker wire is all that convincing when you think about it that way...that there's still wire inside the speaker that may not be up to Transparent standards and it's not being replaced with an after-market product. "Think McFly, think!"

 

[Audiosouse]

I think this is it...the best thread I ever read!

And here I was, distraught thinking I was the only one realizing audiophiles paying new car prices for cable were insane! That's why I'm poor, I'm too smart to be rich!...gotta hit the booze, kill some brain cells and bring myself down to thier level...success will be mine at last!

There must be a point at which they institutionalize you for complete and utter social irresponsibility. I'm no mother Teresa, but I bet this guy never gave a penny to help his fellow man (or animal for that matter). And here he is bragging about it! I can't even look at Audiogon anymore...it is utterly dissappointing and further depletes my faith in humanity.

 

[Frustrated]

LMAO at W#nkers pulling their 16k cables

The studios are using the cheapest stuff they can get in a spool, and these guys are shelling out 16k for cables.

I think Im going to market "Holy Cables"..........

These cables have been dipped in the blessed waters of Caravaggio and will not only bestow your sound system and music with the holy spirit, but your house as well.

Anyone want to invest or buy, lmao? For 100 US/ meter these cables are a REAL bargain.

 

[mtrycrafts]

The studios are using the cheapest stuff they can get in a spool, and these guys are shelling out 16k for cables.

I think Im going to market "Holy Cables"..........

These cables have been dipped in the blessed waters of Caravaggio and will not only bestow your sound system and music with the holy spirit, but your house as well.

Anyone want to invest or buy, lmao? For 100 US/ meter these cables are a REAL bargain.

That's real sweet But I just had a change of hart on your deal

 

[sts9fan]

it does not matter to them

The point you are missing is after a person spends 100k+ on a system they don't care what the cables cost. They are not being chumped they are throwing the bone. Money is really no object to these people. If they like the box or color they have gotten THEIR moenys worth because a dollar is worth less to them.

 

[mtrycrafts]

after a person spends 100k+ on a system they don't care what the cables cost. :

I don't think they post here

 

[warnerwh]

Actually I've seen people's wiring cost equal 25% of their system cost and I'm referring to systems costing 50-80k. Thousands in cables could be spent elsewhere like having Rives do your room for you. Much better return on the investment. Then again it's their money and as far as I'm concerned whoever earns it can spend it any way they want. Just wish I got in the cable business 20 years ago.

 

[sts9fan]

"Much better return on the investment"


To you maybe but maybe not to them

 

[claudermilk]

By the time someone's spending that kind of money on cables, it's more of a status thing. The amount they spent is more important than anything else, just as bragging rights. To me, it's plain foolish & a good example that common sense does not go along with lots of money. I always say if you want to flush money that way, just give it to me & I'll put it to good use

 

[furrycute]

I wonder how much those cables cost the manufacturer?

Manufacturers of expensive cables usually purchase cables in bulk from the cheapest sources they can find (usually in China). Ship them to the U.S. Put on fancy jackets, re-label them, put them in fancy boxes. Then come around and put up a MSRP of thousands of dollars, making a 1,000% profit.

People will actually pay this much for cables.

And people still brag that they got a bargain by paying $800 for a $2,000 MSRP cable on audiogon. Simple marketing BS. I can sell you my home brewed cable with a MSRP of $10,000 for a measly $100. What a bargain.

 

[Sleestack]

Over here! I am one of those people using relatively esoteric cable. I have my entire 2 channel setup done with Cardas Golden Reference. Am I wasting money. Most likely. Is it mostly b/c I don't want to use generic cable on my relatively high end system. Yes. Do I care that I spent 2000% too much. No.

Foolish it may be, but, I really don't mind being a fool if it means I can spend too much money on cables and not think twice about it. My system sounds great, my cable looks nice and my bank account is still healthy.

The shock!! The horror!! The ignorance and stupidity!! Guilty as charged... but not losing any sleep over it.