How do you guys shut the monster cable lovers down?

[lsiberian]

Hi NJ,

You are welcome. No offense taken. I'm having fun.




I believe that Boston Acoustics makes a very nice one for about the same as the Bose, and it sounds much better to my ears. I have a friend with a smaller one (maybe about $200, but not sure) It sounds great to me. I think that if you were to look hard enough, you'd find that there are quite a few more out there that are better than the Bose.




They weren't/aren't bad. I just liked so many others better. And many of them were cheaper. (even 30-40 years ago)





I had a friend who had a set of the 901's from the late 70's till the early 80's. I spent many hours at his house playing pool. It was a huge upgrade IMO when he switched to a set of JBL towers. They still weren't the best, but it was like night and day to me.

I have a Bose system in my car. It sounds pretty good, but it's nowhere near the sound of a system from many other manufacturers at the same cost.




Fair enough. Ditto.


OP,

Sorry to have jacked your thread. I didn't mean to.
I do have a set of Monster wires as well as a Monster optical cable. They do a fine job, but I could have gotten the same (if not better) quality for much less.

this post reminds me a lot of LOTR. You don't happen to know him do you.

 

[MinusTheBear]

The ultimate in home and portable audio.

Apple iPod Touch
Bose Sound Dock
Monster Beats by Dr. Dre headphones

 

[gmichael]

this post reminds me a lot of LOTR. You don't happen to know him do you.

I don't think so. Who is he?

 

[gmichael]

I do question the quality of their products. I've had speaker cable that had plastic in the middle of the copper. For the price I paid it should have been all copper.

I've seen that. Must be to make their cable seem thicker.

 

[njedpx3]

Viagra for cable

I do question the quality of their products. I've had speaker cable that had plastic in the middle of the copper. For the price I paid it should have been all copper.

Isiberian,

You are so so correct ... but it makes a 14 gauge cable look like a 10 gauge

 

[njedpx3]

You are all right - Gmichael

Your "excellent" must not be the same as mine.



Why yes. I have. Not my cup of tea, but if you like them, you go for it.



Bose basher? If I express my oppinion I'm labled a Bose basher? And now I'm a "group think" person too? Does this mean that you are saying that I have no oppinion of my own? I just go with the crowd? Hmmm... Have you ever met me? If not, then you have no leg to stand on. Just as I would not have IF I have never listened to a set of 901's.



You have a great day too. Peace to all who say things without thinking.

You are all right - Gmichael

 

[highfigh]

I good friend of mine got taken in at a big box store, when he purchased a complete HT a couple of months ago. The package included a very nice Samsung LCD, a lower-mid-range Yamaha receiver, a good Sony BR player and a Polk Audio RM 6750 5.1 speaker system. He isn't all that demanding of audio performance, so those speakers are fine for him and fairly priced. HOWEVER, for the cables, they convinced him to go with Monster.

I had tried to convince him to go with a better set of speakers, but he got a bit testy about it, so I dropped the subject. When he said that the package included Monster cables, I told him he could get the same quality for MUCH less. He had actually questioned the salesman about the need for such expensive cables and was told, "Time and time again, people buy the cheaper cables and then bring them back because they aren't happy with the performance. When they go home with the Monsters, they are much happier." So, my buddy went with the Monsters.

He didn't like it when I said that the great deal he got on his components went down the drain when he bought the Monster cables. The package also included installation. I was afraid to ask what that consisted of. I imagine that it consisted of plugging everything in and little else. No wonder people brought their cables back - with nothing calibrated, of course they would be unhappy. They'd have to blame something!

I never mentioned his HT again when my friend said, "How can you say there is no difference in the wires, but that there's a difference in speakers?" Sigh...

They charge extra for calibration. I don't know what that entails but they have a SKU, so it must be good.

 

[GlocksRock]

I do question the quality of their products. I've had speaker cable that had plastic in the middle of the copper. For the price I paid it should have been all copper.

That is more of there marketing gimmicks...
"Our special winding construction more accurately transfers music signals. XP's exclusive Magnetic Flux Tube and Special LPE Insulation let you hear more of the music with deeper, tighter bass, better imaging, and powerful dynamic range that easily surpasses ordinary zip cord and many more costly "audiophile" cables."

Magnetic Flux Tube... really? It looks like plastic to me.

 

[skers_54]

That is more of there marketing gimmicks...
"Our special winding construction more accurately transfers music signals. XP's exclusive Magnetic Flux Tube and Special LPE Insulation let you hear more of the music with deeper, tighter bass, better imaging, and powerful dynamic range that easily surpasses ordinary zip cord and many more costly "audiophile" cables."

Magnetic Flux Tube... really? It looks like plastic to me.

A magnetic field will exist in the tube, so calling it a magnetic flux tube isn't strictly wrong. Just inaccurate and misleading to consumers . That tube will probably increase the capacitance of the cable, so it could act like a high-pass filter. Will it affect the audio band? Not audibly, and if there is an (perceived) effect, it would only be to make the sound less accurate.

I think most who buy Monster at big box stores do so because their only other option at those stores is stuff similar to what is packaged with an HTiB. Most people don't know about internet options, so they buy Monster because it looks to be higher quality (aka will last longer). They only become ignorant and annoying when they claim performance benefits over cheap, high quality options such as Monoprice or Blue Jeans.

 

[CraigV]

…have them post in the appropriate section of the forum…

 

[jinjuku]

I had a BB employee pushing Monster cables to a friend that had me along.

I let the BB guy know that if they could demonstratively show me the difference on the Sony TV my buddy was looking at we would buy it.

They wouldn't, we didn't.

 

[lsiberian]

I had a BB employee pushing Monster cables to a friend that had me along.

I let the BB guy know that if they could demonstratively show me the difference on the Sony TV my buddy was looking at we would buy it.

They wouldn't, we didn't.

He's just doing his job. The cables are where all the markup is in big box stores. I won't bust a guys balls for trying to pay his bills with a little marketing.

As for those who love them. I find ignorance is bliss unless advice is asked for. I've seen so many homes with bad sound systems that it really requires me holding my tongue. There are more important things in life than my hobby. Now if someone brings it up I suggest you mention you go yours on steep discount from a wholesaler or Blue jeans cable.

 

[jinjuku]

He's just doing his job. The cables are where all the markup is in big box stores. I won't bust a guys balls for trying to pay his bills with a little marketing.

Funny, when I worked retail my job was to provide the best solution for my customer not necessarily my wallet.

Most times if I did right by the customer they would be back. You can sheer a sheep many times but only skin it once.

If you as a retail sales person have strong convictions in something like the Monster brand then you shouldn't be afraid to demonstrate that difference. I mean you are only selling that cable because it makes a difference

 

[MinusTheBear]

Funny, when I worked retail my job was to provide the best solution for my customer not necessarily my wallet.

Most times if I did right by the customer they would be back. You can sheer a sheep many times but only skin it once.

If you as a retail sales person have strong convictions in something like the Monster brand then you shouldn't be afraid to demonstrate that difference. I mean you are only selling that cable because it makes a difference

Agree. As the saleperson you can suggest the cheaper priced interconnects, explain to them that they will perform exactly the same within your application. The salesman would make some commission, you are not cheating the consumer and providing great customer service all at the same time. It is a win-win for both the seller and the buyer....its just good business.

 

[krzywica]

He's just doing his job.

Sorry man....I've never bought that statement for a minute.....usually an excuse for lack of character in most of the applications/situations I have seen it applied to.

 

[MatthewB.]

I own many Monster products and not because of brand name but because I bought them when they were dirt cheap. I was one of the lucky ones to buy two Monster AVS2000SS for 299.00 when Circuit City was closing them out, I bought it because it was cheaper than the Tripplites I was considering for 350.00 I also managed to buy a buttload of Monster speaker wires because at what I paid for them (also CC closeout) they were cheaper than Home Depots standard 12 gauge wire and the Monsters included terminated banana plugs and lifetime warranty. I also got a free 6 foot Monster HDMI when I saw a brand new in box Sony Bluray player for 99.00 at a pawn shop and they had taped the HDMI cable to the box, so I figured what the hell. BTW the Monster HDMI worked worse than my 3.00 PartsExpress HDMI cables not for pisture or audio but loose connection to my TV.

When installing HT systems I always recommend cables from anyone but Monster and if I didn't happen to stumble on to the great deals with each Monster purchase, i would have definatly gone elsewhere. But they are good products but I would never pay full retail for them.

as for Bose, my mother tried to give me Bose acoustimas 15 setup and even for free I wouldnt take it. I told her to give it to my idiot brother whom I'm not a fan of.

 

[highfigh]

Agree. As the saleperson you can suggest the cheaper priced interconnects, explain to them that they will perform exactly the same within your application. The salesman would make some commission, you are not cheating the consumer and providing great customer service all at the same time. It is a win-win for both the seller and the buyer....its just good business.

Most retail operations have the salespeople sell from the top down. If they present the best first, it's easy to move down the line to something that's in their price range but starting at the bottom tends to only sell the cheapest, which they don't make as much profit on. With most people, trying to sell up is literally like squeezing blood from a rock. Some actually take it as a personal affront.

 

[mtrycrafts]

....
I never mentioned his HT again when my friend said, "How can you say there is no difference in the wires, but that there's a difference in speakers?" Sigh...

That is a tough challenge indeed. Unless he is a worthy friend to keep, don't bother explaining.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...

Priceless

 

[mtrycrafts]

..
Bose 901 speakers sound very good ----have you heard them ??
...
Yes Monster is way over priced, but actually their quality is very good.

njedpx3

I have many years ago I doubt that is what they are referring to though.

Yes, their quality may be that good, but that is where it ends and that is not what people here object to but rather the unfounded claims they make for their products from the beginning. And, their business practice is most shameful; it is a bully company suit happy.