An other speaker cables question

ummaya

ummaya

Audiophyte
I just ordered a pair of Harbeth C7E-S3 speakers and will get them in the middle of Mach.

I am looking for speaker cables and as far as I see there are different and opposing opinions about speakers cables. From "use anything you have available" ,"it does not matter, any decent copper wire will do a great job" and to "cables and interconnects are critical to the sound of your system: do not ruin your $10000 system with cheap $5 meter speaker cables". Some call $200 meter cables, snake oil and exotic and other call $4 meter cables exotic. The importer of Harbeth recommended me some Straight Wire Virtuoso speaker cables, which he of course imports, for $1000. What is your opinion on the speaker cables issue?
 
Pyrrho

Pyrrho

Audioholic Ninja
You might want to read this:

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

The long and the short of it is this:

ABSOLUTELY NO ONE has EVER demonstrated an ability to tell the difference between special wires and ordinary wires of comparable gauge with normal lengths. Excluded from that are "wires" that add circuits that degrade the sound.

Many people have claimed such ability, but when properly tested, they invariably fail. Believing people who claim to be able to do something that no human being has ever been able to demonstrate the ability to do is like believing someone who says that he can run faster than a speeding bullet or leap over tall buildings. Somehow, though, when an audiophile claims to be able to hear a gnat's wing at a mile away, many suckers are ready to believe them.

Once a wire is good enough to make no audible alteration to the sound, any "better" is pointless.

I personally use some very revealing speakers. I use ordinary speaker wire and interconnects, and a CD changer with them. The difference between a poorly recorded CD and a well recorded CD is dramatic. But there is no need for magic wires or other such nonsense.

You have put your money in speakers that are supposed to be good, and that is where you should put the majority of your money, if what you want is good sound. You then need amplification adequate to drive them (in your case, that need not be expensive), and a decent source (in the case of digital sources, they need not be expensive).

The manufacturer of your speaker seems remarkably sensible regarding these matters:

http://www.harbeth.co.uk/uk/index.php?section=products&page=faq#8

http://www.harbeth.co.uk/uk/index.php?section=products&page=faq#5

Most manufacturers are afraid to say such things, in order not to offend the crazy audiophools. Frankly, taking a look at this has gotten me to respect them very much, even though I do not recall ever having seen any of their speakers, much less heard them. (I have, however, heard of them.)
 
H

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
From that link, "responded to our post by offering $1 million from his James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) to anyone who could scientifically prove in double-blind testing that those exotic cables sound any better than run-of-the-mill Monster cables."

Too bad they didn't try the wire coat hangers to use as the alternative. I have read that the hangers sounded just as good as high priced cables.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Nothing at all wrong with the wire from Monoprice either...

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10239&cs_id=1023901&p_id=2817&seq=1&format=2

$100+ a meter isn't exotic, it's moronic...
as is $4.00 a foot.

It's been shown time and time again that decent cable is decent cable. Spending a bit more on silver cables may not be totally insane as long as you aren't getting ripped off and are comfortable with those aesthetics.

But seriously, when a coat hanger is compared to $1,000 cables and NOBODY can tell the difference, then there is no reason to get anything other than just inexpensive quality cables.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
...

Too bad they didn't try the wire coat hangers to use as the alternative. I have read that the hangers sounded just as good as high priced cables.
They also work with digital CD interconnects. The only problem is keeping uninsulated coat hangers separated and preventing a short.;):D
 
H

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
They also work with digital CD interconnects. The only problem is keeping uninsulated coat hangers separated and preventing a short.;):D
I got two words that will help- DUCT TAPE. Handyman's secret weapon.
 
Pyrrho

Pyrrho

Audioholic Ninja
They also work with digital CD interconnects. The only problem is keeping uninsulated coat hangers separated and preventing a short.;):D
I got two words that will help- DUCT TAPE. Handyman's secret weapon.
That is way too much trouble. Cheap interconnects are far easier, and don't cost much different from hangers and duct tape. And almost anything would look better than hangers covered with duct tape. So I don't think it is a good idea to do that, but not because of the way it would sound.
 
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