Cables... cables???

[sepandee]

Just bought a 2-ch system: Infinity Beta 50 speakers, NAD int. amp and NAD CD-player. The whole thing came to around $2000, maybe a bit less (converting from another currency).

Now it's time for cables... I have NO clue what to get. I went to one store and they said they have cables ranging from $1/meter to $4/meter, and then some other place saying $1.2/meter up to $50/meter. What should I get? I was looking at the $4/meter, can't spend that much on cables. The brand was something like Cobra.

Any kind of help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[avaserfi]

Go to bluejeanscable.com or monoprice.com and get cables there. They will be as good as anything as expensive and you won't be wasting money . Name brand cables are overpriced jokes.

 

[sepandee]

these are being purchased in Iran. I can't buy from a website or anything.

 

[OttoMatic]

Hi sepandee,

You're talking speaker cables, right? I don't know what country you're in (posted before your previous post), but here in the US, I get Carol brand "flexible" 12 gauge cable. It's plenty large enough and very functional. It's about $0.50/ foot, so that's about $1.50/meter. I find 12 gauge to be an excellent wire size, and you will not need to question if a larger diameter wire would improve things. If you have exceptionally large runs (greater than, say, 10 or 20 meters), we might want to discuss further. But for anything under that, 12 gauge will suffice.

Big-name brands like Monster don't offer anything above and beyond other "cheaper" cables, like the ones I'm using; you're paying more for the branding that Monster and friends are doing. Other people will disagree, and believe that different cables make a difference in a system. If you can, ask your dealer if you might be able to borrow both and see which ones you think sound better. A good dealer should be able to set you up with something (especially if you pay a deposit that will be refunded when you return one or the other). I think you'd end up with the less expensive models.

Good luck!

 

[mtrycrafts]

these are being purchased in Iran. I can't buy from a website or anything.

Speaker cables: buy by conductor thickness for the length of run. No need to buy it for more than that $1/m= $.30/ft here. US 14ga is fine for up to 10m or so.

Interconnects between components don't need to be expensive either. In reality you can use inexpensive video cables or RG type cables.

 

[tom67]

Oxygen free cable....

another selling point that is worthless since even the cheapest wire at Home Depot is oxygen free and most has been for years....

 

[Ampdog]

...and C, L and R of cables.

Since we are trying to help the friend, also note Sepandee that sometimes everything is thrown in to befuddle you. Just in case you read of "low capacitance", "low inductance" - every possible thing to lure you but low cost.

Just a simple summary: Inductance, capacitance and resistance (in any half-decent cable; we are not talking flea-size) plays no role whatsoever in audio, especially in loudspeaker cable. Not to expand, there are threads here which amply explained that. I use thick twin-flex.

As per the preceding posts, don't waste your money. Rather go buy CDs.