Speaker Cable Hype ???

[greggp2]

I've read many posts about the hype with speaker cables. Seems I bought into it a while back, as I purchased Audioquest Rockefeller cables in 15ft length for $500. They retail for $1500.

I am now considering bi-wiring my 802's and am debating whether I can use Impact Acoustic cables to my top binding posts or should I try to purchase more Audioquest cables? Do you really think that Impact Acoustic cables are as good as the Audioquest Rockefellers?

Also, are the Impact Acoustic Sonic Wave 10 gauge cables any better than BlueJeans 10 gauge cable? The BlueJeans cables are more than 50% less...

 

[Shock]

Copper is copper, no amount of money is going to change that. To answer your question, the 10 gauge blue jeans is just as good as any other 10 gauge copper cable anywhere.

Solid core, stranded, it doesn't matter what you use as long as you use the correct gauge for your application.

 

[greggp2]

I'm trying to make a 10 foot run from my Amp to the high frequency posts on my B&W 802's. I'm going to keep my Audioquests running to the low frequencies and put spades onto the amp end so I can use my Audioquest bananas and bi-wire my speakers.

Would you say 10 Gauge is the right application for this?

 

[markw]

Personally, I think 10 gauge is simply overkill unless you're going great distances. 12 gauge is more than adequate for home use.

It seems you're in the perfect position to solve this mystery for yourself by doing an informal test.

Simply get some reasonable cables and try them in that bi-wired situation. Heck, just get some 12 gauge from Home Depot for starters. After the prices you paid, or are prepared to pay for the others this should be essentially, if not literally, pocket change.

Since they will both be run to the same posts on the amplifier, switching them at the speaker side for testing should be a snap. If you have an interested friend to do the switching for you, you might try an informal blind test.

Please report back with your results.

 

[Shock]

I'm trying to make a 10 foot run from my Amp to the high frequency posts on my B&W 802's. I'm going to keep my Audioquests running to the low frequencies and put spades onto the amp end so I can use my Audioquest bananas and bi-wire my speakers.

Would you say 10 Gauge is the right application for this?

10 gauge is actually quite a bit more than what you need. 16 would be fine, you might even be able to get away with 18, but I don't have my resistance chart handy.

I use 14 for everything I have, just because I find the thicker gauge easier to work with. My longest run is around 20 feet.

 

[greggp2]

Funny thing is, I had Monster Cables before getting the Audioquest. They were the best I could buy at Best Buy They had a super thick shielding on them and were 12 gauge. I thought they sounded good, and when I put the Audioquest cables on, it made a big difference. To me, the sound stage opened way up and the clarity increased. The best example I can give, is it sounded like a curtain was lifted up from over the speakers.

Do you really think it was just psychological? I really think there was a difference and believe me, I really want to believe there wasn't. Especially when I'm considering this new bi-wire application.

 

[markw]

Do you really think it was just psychological? I really think there was a difference and believe me, I really want to believe there wasn't. Especially when I'm considering this new bi-wire application.

Well, now is a pretty good time to try to see what's real and what's not. A lot of times our expectations do color what we perceive, and this carries over to medicine, too.

 

[greggp2]

Good point. I'm going to do a test with my old Monster cables and let you guys know if I hear a difference. I need a few days and will report back when I do. I'm almost afraid to do it, I think I'll be pretty pissed if they sound the same!!!!

 

[deedubb]

Google "Monster cable vs coat hanger" and have a read.

I remember reading an article on an interview with a fellow who founded a company making audio gear cables. He recommended 30% of your entire stereo budget be spent on cable. Yeah, and I've got some swamp land you might be interested in.

 

[gene]

10 gauge is actually quite a bit more than what you need. 16 would be fine, you might even be able to get away with 18, but I don't have my resistance chart handy.

Don't EVER use 18AWG speaker cable for high end audio. Follow the guidelines in this article:

http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/speaker-cable-gauge

 

[Seth=L]

Good point. I'm going to do a test with my old Monster cables and let you guys know if I hear a difference. I need a few days and will report back when I do. I'm almost afraid to do it, I think I'll be pretty pissed if they sound the same!!!!

Have a friend help, make sure it's a blind test (meaning you won't know which set of cables is connected). It would be a good time to make use of banana plug terminators, since swapping cables would be time consuming otherwise.

 

[Shock]

Don't EVER use 18AWG speaker cable for high end audio. Follow the guidelines in this article:

http://www.audioholics.com/education/cables/speaker-cable-gauge

"As you can see in the graph, once your distances exceed about 10 feet, you should consider speaker wire 16AWG or lower."

Quoted from that article. Would that not mean 18 is fine to 10 feet?

 

[highfigh]

I've read many posts about the hype with speaker cables. Seems I bought into it a while back, as I purchased Audioquest Rockefeller cables in 15ft length for $500. They retail for $1500.

I am now considering bi-wiring my 802's and am debating whether I can use Impact Acoustic cables to my top binding posts or should I try to purchase more Audioquest cables? Do you really think that Impact Acoustic cables are as good as the Audioquest Rockefellers?

Also, are the Impact Acoustic Sonic Wave 10 gauge cables any better than BlueJeans 10 gauge cable? The BlueJeans cables are more than 50% less...

Here you go- this link is a good read:
http://www.passlabs.com/pdf/articles/spkrcabl.pdf

 

[mike c]

"As you can see in the graph, once your distances exceed about 10 feet, you should consider speaker wire 16AWG or lower."

Quoted from that article. Would that not mean 18 is fine to 10 feet?

that's for an 8ohm load speaker. but all nominal 8 ohm speakers actually dip down to 4 ohms at some frequencies.

seriously though, we audioholics, should be arguing who has the biggest gauge speaker wires, not who has the smallest

price difference between the 18 and 16 should be next to nothing. (difference between 14 and 12 was negligible to me)

 

[ParadigmDawg]

We all know that I have the biggest.....

seriously though, we audioholics, should be arguing who has the biggest gauge speaker wires, not who has the smallest

 

[Shock]

We all know that I have the biggest.....

It's true...I've seen it.

 

[Hipnotic4]

It's true...I've seen it.

you aint seen nothing..yet

 

[gene]

the article is a general guideline. You should also go for better than the minimum recommendation in a way that Jennifer Aniston should always wear more flair than the minimum in the movie Office Space

 

[lsiberian]

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

Required reading above. You spent 500 dollars on a cable?

 

[Hipnotic4]

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

Required reading above. You spent 500 dollars on a cable?

Whats your profession, that your able to waste* that much money on cables?

Take a metal clothing hanger and use that for speaker wire, then use your holy impact acoustics cable lol..yes its THAT similar..