Cobalt Cables..

[azsoundman]

Just ordered a set of the 3M 'Ultimate Speaker Cables'...Have a Jolida JD801A
Tube integrated and a set of Energy Veritas V2.3i speakers. Have been using
'Monster 1.2 Bi-wires' at the moment. Anyone have any experiance with the Cobalt speaker cables vs the Monster product on a tube amp?

 

[Privateer]

Anyone have any experiance with the Cobalt speaker cables vs the Monster product on a tube amp?

Well all monster products are over priced junk which are sold by fancy advertising. When it comes to speaker cable as long as the gauge and resistance is within the parameters for your system copper is copper.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Just ordered a set of the 3M 'Ultimate Speaker Cables'...Have a Jolida JD801A
Tube integrated and a set of Energy Veritas V2.3i speakers. Have been using
'Monster 1.2 Bi-wires' at the moment. Anyone have any experiance with the Cobalt speaker cables vs the Monster product on a tube amp?

How much are you spending on these cables? If more than about $.30/ft, you payed too much

 

[azsoundman]

RE:Cable Costs...

Guy's I respectfully disagree.. Price is Not everything.. However as we all have learned 'U get What U Pay For' and my 35 plus years of working in the Audio biz tells me and more importantly my ears tell me there is a difference
between basic speaker wire and a good set of well terminated interconnects!
Read the speaker cable face off on this board, which proves its more than 'smoke & mirrors'. My interest is with these specific cables and tube amplification. I also own a Musical Fidelity A-300R integrated amp which is currently running my Energy Veritas V2.3i speakers and a Philips SACD-1000
DVD/CD transport. Changing cables between these pieces has made a hell of a difference!

 

[jaxvon]

You know, in the world of tubes, I could find that believeable. Since most tube amps have higher output impedances than solid states amps, a cable change might just be the right thing for them to achieve good linearity and performance. Course, I might be hella-wrong, but that's my theory anyway.

Also, with the price thing, that's just your opinion. While I may be the DIY kind of person as well, not everyone is. If you want a high-quality cable that won't cook your equipment with excess capcitance, has low resistance, quality termination and construction, and a really sweet look, I don't think you can do better than Cobalt Cable. River Cable is another option, but at that point, it's a matter of personal taste.

As far as hearing differences between cable, most of it (hell, pretty much all of it) is just psychology. It IS possible to have audible differences between cables, but that would only be because one of the cables is very poorly designed, or you have a very unique piece of gear that will only work properly with a specific impedance on it. Is this the case for most people? No.

But to AZsoundman, I think you made a good choice. You got a great product at a decent price and it was what you were looking for. That's what counts. I'm glad you didn't get sucked in the Transparent Audio Cable crap. They actually use networks on their cables that limit the bandwidth...

 

[Irvrobinson]

I think azsoundman is right, price is not everything. Do you guys wear plastic watches too? Sometimes I like quality just because I like things that are built with high quality. It works in cars, in furniture, kitchen appliances, clothing... lots of things. I value a WBT banana plug a lot more than a bare wire termination into a binding post, and I'm willing to pay for it. The notion that we have to be cheapskates in a/v is bogus. We simply have to be rational about performance claims.

I use Cobalt Cable XLR interconnects, and they're good stuff. Cobalt spends more on cosmetics so their prices are higher than, say, Blue Jeans stuff, but if you want quality you're going to pay. I also use Blue Jeans cables and the performance is identical, but the Cobalt stuff looks much more expensive. Pay your money, take your choice. The only bad value I've seen with Cobalt is their composite video cable. This is the exact same stuff sold by Blue Jeans and Ram Electronics at a much higher price. For shame! On the other hand, Cobalt speaker cable, interconnects, and power cables aren't unreasonable.

 

[Privateer]

Changing cables between these pieces has made a hell of a difference!

Hey what ever you say.

As far as hearing differences between cable, most of it (hell, pretty much all of it) is just psychology.

Bingo.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Guy's I respectfully disagree..

That is allowed here


Price is Not everything..

At times, that may be the case but many other times it is a lot[/b]

However as we all have learned 'U get What U Pay For'

That is wat I read and hear but rarely I am convinced. One has to read Consumers Report to find out that this is not the case.

and my 35 plus years of working in the Audio biz tells me and more importantly my ears tell me there is a difference between basic speaker wire and a good set of well terminated interconnects!

Perhaps you are biased because you are in the business? What would happen if you told your customers you don't hear differences and they will not either? You think they will but your expensive cables, or compontns? And, as a plumber so aptly showed me that even he can be wrong even if he taught plumbing school and was in the business for 20+ years. So, one can be wrong for a very long time and not know it.

Or, you are just biased because it is human nature, human psychology that human senses are unreliable frequently and you will never knwo when.
I bet you never compared wires bias controlled listening, under DBT conditions, right? There is just no audible differences between comparable cables. Most are comparable but 24 ga is not with 16 ga.




Read the speaker cable face off on this board, which proves its more than 'smoke & mirrors'.

I am not sure what the 'cable face off' proves. That cables measures differently??? Is that what we are discussing here or cable audibility?
If the latter, how is that proven???


My interest is with these specific cables and tube amplification.

You still want to lowest resistance speaker cable.

I also own a Musical Fidelity A-300R integrated amp which is currently running my Energy Veritas V2.3i speakers and a Philips SACD-1000
DVD/CD transport. Changing cables between these pieces has made a hell of a difference!

What kind? How did you eastablish that it is audibly different? Did you really do a proper comparison??? Your perceptions are fallible no matter how long you are in the business.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I think azsoundman is right, price is not everything. Do you guys wear plastic watches too?

Does it look nice? Is it accurate? Stores telephone numbers? Multiple alarms?
How much, what brand, where???


Sometimes I like quality just because I like things that are built with high quality. It works in cars,

You mean that if the car is expensive, it will be more reliable? More fuel efficient? More stylish?




kitchen appliances, clothing... lots of things.


That is why I subscribe to Consumers Report to see if you really get what you pay for. Usually not the case.


I value a WBT banana plug a lot more than a bare wire termination into a binding post, and I'm willing to pay for it. The notion that we have to be cheapskates in a/v is bogus.

Who said we need to be cheapskates?


We simply have to be rational about performance claims.

What does that have to do with $$$



I use Cobalt Cable XLR interconnects, and they're good stuff. Cobalt spends more on cosmetics so their prices are higher than, say, Blue Jeans stuff, but if you want quality you're going to pay.


You mean more cosmetics imply quality? Or just looks, a stile you like more?


I also use Blue Jeans cables and the performance is identical, but the Cobalt stuff looks much more expensive.

So, you pay for looks, not performance or quality? Nothing wrong with that, by the way, if looks is important enough.

 

[Irvrobinson]

mtrycrafts, Consumer's Reports? Oh come on, these were the folks that judged a 1992 Corvette partially by how well a wheel chair fit into it. They named the worst car polish I've ever used the best in a test. (That crap in the orange bottle, whatever it's called.) These are people you'd trust to choose your next refrigerator? Why?

I do think you enjoy being difficult. I can deal with that, but phone numbers in your watch? Don't you store phone numbers in your phone? And as for plastic watches, I think you missed my point. All watches tell time, but I'd rather have a nicely made one just for asthetic reasons. And I'd rather have an asthetically nicer cable if it performed as well as a cheap looking and feeling one. That's all I said. You argued for 30 cents a foot.

You know, just because some damn fools pay $1000/ft for speaker cable doesn't mean that we all have to buy the cheapest junk around that measures right and terminate it in a bare wire in a 50 cent binding post, as in some bizarre 60's-style protest. So, yeah, one quality of quality is asthetics. And sometimes it costs more. Not always, but sometimes. And it's not just looks, it's look and feel. But you know that. You're just being difficult, and you like it.

 

[mtrycrafts]

mtrycrafts, Consumer's Reports? Oh come on, these were the folks that judged a 1992 Corvette partially by how well a wheel chair fit into it. They named the worst car polish I've ever used the best in a test. (That crap in the orange bottle, whatever it's called.) These are people you'd trust to choose your next refrigerator? Why?

Would you please give the reference month and year for that Corvett review? I and skeptical of your claims. As to the wax maybe you didn't have what it takes?
I am surprised you read it.

phone numbers in your watch?

Why not? You mean you don't have such a watch? I do and I like it a lot, including the numerous alarm features, stop watch capability, etc. Now, If I could get those features for less in a plastic watch I'd be all over it.


Don't you store phone numbers in your phone?

Nope, easier in the watch and it is with me where I go.

And as for plastic watches, I think you missed my point. All watches tell time, but I'd rather have a nicely made one just for asthetic reasons.

Ah, the real issue, aesthetics. But, if that was not mine, or the next persons, why shouldn't plastic option be pointed out?

And I'd rather have an asthetically nicer cable if it performed as well as a cheap looking and feeling one. That's all I said. You argued for 30 cents a foot.

Actually, I pointed out that the $.30/ft cable will perfom well compared to the more expensive ones. Equally well sonicall, actually. Now, if you have other reasons, aesthetics, then, it depends on your priority, cost, aesthetics, or whatever. I never said otherwise. Besides, aesthetics is a personal issue and differs from person to person.

So, yeah, one quality of quality is asthetics.

Well, I would call aesthetics not quality but a subjective appearance. Adds nothing to the cable performance or build. But, it is an art issue, very subjective and valid.

 

[azsoundman]

I think azsoundman is right, price is not everything. Do you guys wear plastic watches too?

Does it look nice? Is it accurate? Stores telephone numbers? Multiple alarms?
How much, what brand, where???


Sometimes I like quality just because I like things that are built with high quality. It works in cars,

You mean that if the car is expensive, it will be more reliable? More fuel efficient? More stylish?




kitchen appliances, clothing... lots of things.


That is why I subscribe to Consumers Report to see if you really get what you pay for. Usually not the case.


I value a WBT banana plug a lot more than a bare wire termination into a binding post, and I'm willing to pay for it. The notion that we have to be cheapskates in a/v is bogus.

Who said we need to be cheapskates?


We simply have to be rational about performance claims.

What does that have to do with $$$



I use Cobalt Cable XLR interconnects, and they're good stuff. Cobalt spends more on cosmetics so their prices are higher than, say, Blue Jeans stuff, but if you want quality you're going to pay.


You mean more cosmetics imply quality? Or just looks, a stile you like more?


I also use Blue Jeans cables and the performance is identical, but the Cobalt stuff looks much more expensive.

So, you pay for looks, not performance or quality? Nothing wrong with that, by the way, if looks is important enough.

Consumer Reports?? I doint think a magazine that rates peanut butter & underware should be a 'guide' for objective Audio/Video equipment! As far as being biased because
I work in this business, Actually I think it helps me be more objective, being around gear
and listening to it 8 to 12 hours a day lets me notice the suttle differences between products that may not be apprent upon initial listening. In reality I guess this all boils
down to personal preference, after all do we all taste and smell things the same? NO..
Thats what makes us all unique and different. I also know I havent been Wrong for 20 plus years.. I know 'poop' when I hear and see it, I doint need to step in it. As for a 'proper comparison' give me some credit for my intelligence level and experiance. The cable face off does show that there are differences and because of them they will have an effect on the 'end product'. Last point.. To a degree I will say, If U have the time to sit around and "listen" to cables, I guess U doint have much of a life to start with and perhaps are missing the point as to why we all really 'Buy' A/V gear to begin with, that is to relax and enjoy ourselves with what little spare time we can find!
BTW.. My Philips SACD 1000 took a dump and will not open or close or play and I have been searching on the net to see if its worth repairing because I guess parts are no longer available. If anyone has an idea besides using it as a $2000.00 dollar door-stop,
I'm open for suggestions.. Thanks..

 

[Irvrobinson]

The issue of the Corvette review? Hell, I don't know, it was 14 years ago. I remember buying it because I had just purchased a 1992 Corvette LT1 just like in the test, so I was curious. I remember laughing out loud at the wheel chair fit test. Find the issue yourself. I think it was a comparison test between a Nissan 300ZX and the Stealth, along with the vette.

The wax was Nu Finish. I tried it once on a Bronco. Pure crap. I can't prove to you "I'm up to it", waxing-wise, but one of my cars is at this URL. See for yourself:

http://www.fikse.com/yourcar/street12.html

I know a good polish or wax when I use one, and Nu Finish isn't one of them.

I finally figured out why you'd be interested in a watch that stores phones numbers. You must not have a cell phone.