MONSTER Rant

[Gaius Caligula]

So they are Canare cables with Canare plugs? If not, then they are not the exact same cables.

Yes. All the prices in the OP include Canare Cables and Connectors, custom fit and sized per order via Blue Jeans.

Also, check-out these interesting sites re cable issues (top two argue for the practical, bottom two argue for the esoteric):

Snake Oil in the Cables

The Truth about Interconnects and Cables

An Audiophile Review of High-End Cable

An Audiophile's Visit to Transparent Cable

 

[xrayeyes]

That audio/video cable may not be the same specs, regardless what they say. The audio cables don't need to be coax, 75 ohm cables. Hence it can be of cheaper cable, hence the price differences.
Component cables are all three video cables, 75 ohms

Are you kidding? You don't want to believe the tech support response- to justify spending more for the same thing? This is exactly why the high end cable business exists, because some people believe they must be getting something better if they are paying more. In this case, both products are exactly the same! You can satisfy yourself by unscrewing the gold ends and looking if you like.

 

[Leprkon]

Hey Shiner,

you're telling me you need about $ 15 K startup money, $ 10 K startup beer, and a slick name like maybe "CandleStick Cables" for your new business ?

 

[Shinerman]

Hey Shiner,

you're telling me you need about $ 15 K startup money, $ 10 K startup beer, and a slick name like maybe "CandleStick Cables" for your new business ?

What the heck are you talking about?

Reverse those numbers. $15K for startup beer and $10K for Startup money.

I like the "Candlestick Cables" name. A sly dig. Yes, I like it.

Shinerman

 

[Leprkon]

What ? No lifetime discount ? (can you tell I'm getting close to 900 posts and really am reaching to get there ??)

 

[Shinerman]

What ? No lifetime discount ? (can you tell I'm getting close to 900 posts and really am reaching to get there ??)

Fine, you got the discount.

Man, it's still just an idea and I am already in the hole with you guys.

That's it, no more future speculative lifetime discounts from this point forward. Although I can be bribed with Beer and I think everyone knows my favorite.

Shinerman

 

[HookedOnSound]

Nothing like a cable discussion to bring up the count!

Being serious for a moment, I have read all the comments made by everyone and I can say that almost everyone had some good points.

What I have retained from this discussion is that most everyone chooses cables based on:

Past experiences (successful or not)
Value and/or 'perceived value'
Reliability
Ease of Use
Aesthetics
Quality
Performance
Specfications
Budget

Bottom line, everyone chooses based on their priorities. If we all thought the same way, we'd all be driving the same car design!

The best that I have gotten out of this is the fact everyone has pooled from they're own experiences and offered their insight on the matter. I am definitely better 'armed' with knowledge for my next cable purchases.

I don't think I'll looked at cables the same way again.

Anyhow, I just wanted to say thanks.

 

[Privateer]

I simply don't see why I would want to spend money on a more expensive cable when the one I have is fine and why would I spend more money for the same thing at a higher price?

Same thing? So you are saying that radio shack can take the 10 different cable designs that blue jeans offers and cram it into one magic cable?

spend more money on fancier cables

Once again you do not see quality.

Oh, and since you require it of me below, do you have proof that the Blue Jean cable is a superior cable? Huh? What? None? Ok, let's move on.

Ah yes I do, go to the site and they have the construction layout, the materials used, electrical measurements of the cable, and if that is not enough you can go to the manufactures web sites.

However, I am also in the "camp" that believes cables do not have any audible effect on sound, barring defects.

I never said cables make a difference.

 

[Privateer]

After re-wiring my whole system I will tell you what cables I replaced with blue jeans cable.

- 1 Transparent Premium Digital Link (digital coax)
- 2 Cardas Neutral Reference (interconnect)
- 1 Straight Wire Rhapsody S (interconnect)
- 1 Straight Wire Rhapsody S (speaker cable)
- 2 Nordost Red Dawn (speakers cable)

I have played the cable game and I know that cables make no difference. From time to time I do put the "high" end cables back in just to remind my self that there is no difference.

 

[Shinerman]

Same thing? So you are saying that radio shack can take the 10 different cable designs that blue jeans offers and cram it into one magic cable?



Once again you do not see quality.



Ah yes I do, go to the site and they have the construction layout, the materials used, electrical measurements of the cable, and if that is not enough you can go to the manufactures web sites.



I never said cables make a difference.

So Privateer,

Why the unprovoked attack against me in your past thread? Why did you find it necessary to say these things to me.

Are you that cheap were you can not afford and extra $10 for a superior cable?

and

No you may not be anti-blue jeans cable but you are cheap beyond respect and one who can not see quality.

Just curious? I'm kindof hurt.

Shinerman

Oh, P.S. Whatever....... In regard to your most recent post. You sure have spent a lot of money on cables for someone who does not believe they make an audible difference. LOL!

 

[Privateer]

Oh, P.S. Whatever....... In regard to your most recent post. You sure have spent a lot of money on cables for someone who does not believe they make an audible difference. LOL!

1/2 of those purchases were made in the past when first buying into the high end audio spectrum. The rest were bought just to prove to myself that a cable would make no difference. If you think that is allot of money you should see the rest of my system. If you think "cheap" is an insult you should play hockey with me or come out for a rough night at the bar.

 

[Privateer]

Cables do make a difference but not in the audio spectrum and that is the main point that people miss out on. The 20Hz-20KHz frequency of sound that is produced is not high enough to the point were cables will hinder the signal transfer. Go into the mega or giga hertz frequency range and then the cable design and materials used will make a difference in signal transfer.

 

[paparam]

Nice breakdown. However I do not understand the degree of anger. Practically every product in this country has similar type of price gouging...whether it be breakfast cereal, medications or gas for your car. I do agree with the thrust of your comments i.e. the consumer needs to be educated....there however will always be a segment of the population that will equates performance with price.
Al in SE CT

 

[mtrycrafts]

Nice breakdown. However I do not understand the degree of anger. Practically every product in this country has similar type of price gouging...whether it be breakfast cereal, medications or gas for your car. I do agree with the thrust of your comments i.e. the consumer needs to be educated....there however will always be a segment of the population that will equates performance with price.
Al in SE CT

Are you sure there are cereals with a price range of 100% to many fold more, like 1000%?
I am looking for that Home Depot priced cereal Which one is it?
Same for the medicines, the real ones, not homeopathic ones
Same for gas, they are after all, closely priced down the streets, for a long streach, certainly nothing like 12ga wire
Or, perhaps from the raw material to final product, but that is an unfair comparison, no.

 

[jaxvon]

Just out of curiosity Privateer, what is your system setup? If you can drop that kind of coin on cables, you must have a crazy system.

 

[Shinerman]

Cables do make a difference but not in the audio spectrum and that is the main point that people miss out on.

So if you can't hear it why do you care? LOL!

Shinerman

 

[BMXTRIX]

(In reference to Monster 14/2 @ 20 cents a foot) Is that when you buy a large roll or can you do that with 100ft purchases???
The price is very good indeed

You are correct, 20 cents a foot for a 500 foot roll. It looks like 1 foot sections are 33 cents a foot (99 cents for 3 feet). Still not a horrible price, but I wouldn't pay that much.

100 bucks for 500 feet of VERY easy to pull, very flexible, nice to strip wire is fine in my book. Maybe I end up paying 30 bucks more because I got a full spool instead of an exact amount, but I know that over the years anything left over will be used for something, or a friend will buy some from me for what I paid. It all balances out in the end. It's a really nice in-wall cable though, especially if you are doing a lot of cable runs.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Here is one DBT comparison with 120V power extension cables

http://www.pcavtech.com/abx/abx_vid.htm

Check the length of the power cables used, 50ft to 150 ft

There simply aren't enough tests like this, and franky, that test should have included photos and specs of the reference video cable as well.

It just would be great to use a fair amount of test equipment and test tones with reference cables and a bunch of other cables to make carefully documented tests. Also, an audio switcher in-line so blind audio tests could be made with not only different audio cables, but different lengths.

A strong focus on blister pack cables (cheapies from Radio Shack/Wal-Mart/Target, etc) and common Home Depot cable such as 12 gauge electrical wire. I really think a very serious test of that nature, especially if the opportunity for some magazines and other publications to participate would be, at the very least, interesting. In reality, I think it would be eye-popping for how few people would be able to tell the difference visually or sonically between the cheapest of the cheap and the best of the best.

I still think Blue Jeans is overpriced - but if you can't make it yourself, the quality of the materials used by them is excellent - even if the A/V quality between Blue Jeans & Target blister packs are identical.

 

[ducker]

Are you that cheap were you can not afford and extra $10 for a superior cable?

Yes.

Just because the mfg quality of the cable might warrent the extra $10 for the same length, doesn't mean I want to pay that extra $10.

Seriously, if you don't see the cable, who cares.
I'd rather that that $10 and put it towards paying off for a better speakers, or better sub, or better recevier. Something where I can actually HEAR where that extra $10 went in to.

There are just so many places to put money in to a HT system... cables seem like the last place to drop hundreds of dollars of money.

When I was at Tweeter browsing I looked through their misc cables, all I could find is Monster... While gawking at the prices, I saw this older woman there looking as well, with a couple of cables already in hand... I nearly told her not to bother and to go to Radio Shack and get the same type of cable, but the generic type; I just felt I didn't know enough about the differences. If put in that situation again, I think I would of told her.

Perhaps for some money isn't a limiting factor, for me it is. $10, $5, whatever. it all adds up.

 

[Gaius Caligula]

I'm seeing a lot of comments that cables don't affect performance. Any educated audiovisualphile, audiovisual enthusiast, or electrician should disagree with these comments, to a point. There are many, many cheap (as opposed to inexpensive) online and retail cable / wire products that are built with such low quality, impure copper, if even copper, and built so poorly that the result is a significant amount of resistance, which certainly does have an effect on the both sound and picture quality--especially if you've long runs. Now, between cables such as Radio Shack Gold Series, Canare, Belden, Transparent, etc., I can stomach the argument that there is virtually no difference in performance (durability is an entirely different subject). But make no mistake, there are sneaky cable and wiring manufacturers out there that cut enough corners to make a product that, without question, will affect performance.