This is how you budget for a home theater

[Steve81]

Crazy as it is, I'm not 100% opposed to denying that there isn't "something" to cables in some systems and setups. I've told the story before but an electrical engineer friend of mine said it with a set of Nordost cables. He told me that he heard a difference... it was subtle, but it was there. He said that from all his years in engineering, his head couldn't explain it but his ears were telling him something was there.

It's not all that mysterious; it's quite possible to manufacture speaker wire that sounds different from ordinary zip cord of reasonable gauge & construction. The problem is that different doesn't equate to better. An 8 foot run of 12AWG zip cord from monoprice is going to be effectively transparent to the signal flowing through it at audio frequencies; as such, if something sounds different, the implication is that the other wire is altering the signal in some fashion.

 

[internetmin]

It's not all that mysterious; it's quite possible to manufacture speaker wire that sounds different from ordinary zip cord of reasonable gauge & construction. The problem is that different doesn't equate to better. An 8 foot run of 12AWG zip cord from monoprice is going to be effectively transparent to the signal flowing through it at audio frequencies; as such, if something sounds different, the implication is that the other wire is altering the signal in some fashion.

Of course, but I like to understand the real science behind it all. I've owned Revel speakers for almost a decade and in the manual they are fairly specific about the gauge of the wire to use dependent upon distance, but that's based on scientific principles--just like you're saying.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Just don't buy into crystals helping your system. I've tried them, they don't work. But Voodoo... don't mess around with Voodoo!

 

[internetmin]

Just don't buy into crystals helping your system. I've tried them, they don't work. But Voodoo... don't mess around with Voodoo!

That's absolutely hysterical. Sometimes the tweaks get more attention than the core stuff.

 

[Steve81]

Of course, but I like to understand the real science behind it all. I've owned Revel speakers for almost a decade and in the manual they are fairly specific about the gauge of the wire to use dependent upon distance, but that's based on scientific principles--just like you're saying.

This might give you some ideas:
Speaker Cable Face Off 1

 

[twoeyedbob]

As regards video 2 of bob's listening tests

$1500 spkr cable..
But it's cost effective cos he does'nt have to bi-wire
;-)

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk 2

 

[internetmin]

This might give you some ideas:
Speaker Cable Face Off 1

I've been following the site for a while and have never previously come across that article before. Thanks for that!

 

[Steve81]

you need to watch the other two videos. The first one is kinda boring, but quite pedantic.

I found them all pretty entertaining. Then again, I like watching infomercials too, so my tastes might be a little suspect. Still, this guy might be my new hero.

 

[MidnightSensi2]

I think this article is good in the respect that it brings up things that a neophyte might not consider.

However, I think one important thing to consider in budget is SCALABILITY. How much will it cost me over a period of time. For example, a nice set of LCRs may be purchased with the idea in mind that they would become rears when budget allowed for what they ultimately wanted as fronts.

Not all things can you do this, but, it saves money in the long run.

 

[Karen Molinares]

 

[vinod.r]

I am from India and I have been following your forum for quite some time.

I have in fact almost done the same. Equipment out in India is usually 2 to 3 times the cost out in the US (You guys are lucky!!!)

Most of my equipment is pre owned (Except the speakers) and I have a reasonably good system after what you have just said in your video. I did this in 2005 and still use the same system today.

Got a Denon AVR 3803, it does not have DTS-HD MA, so I have it hooked up to the Pioneer BDP-51FD which does the decoding and hence I get the latest codecs that I can think of. Of course atmos and other new codecs have made this obsolete, but I can live with this!

My TV is also pre owned. My speakers I got at a good bargain 40% discount as they were display pieces.

Based on a rough estimate, I would have had to spend at least 40% more if I had bought everything new.

Vinod