cable help | Stereophile.com

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Submitted By: cwoll

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Joined: Sep 20 2005

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cable help

Posted: January 9, 2006 - 2:11pm

I can't belive that I am getting sucked into the world of cable. I recently purchased a new set of speakers (paradigm studio 40's). I hooked them up to my system with the Monster cables I bought in the mid eighties, at a dollar a foot. Sounded great, but I thought why not spend a few bucks and get some new Z1 cables. The sales lit made it sound like the technology had improved a lot and it was only two fifty a foot.

I was amazed that the new cables sounded tinny, almost brittle. I was also mazed buy the decrease in the amount of copper in the cable from old to the new.

Anyway now I have gone from the highly skeptic camp to the believer camp and would like to know some suggestions for warmer sounding inexpensive cables. I have already got a lead on some demo-able Transparent cable.

Thx CW

My system should it matter

Adcom GFP 1a pre
Adcom GFA-2
Kenwood POS cd player (soon to be Cambridge 640)
Paradigm Sstudio 40's

Submitted By: Monty

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Joined: Sep 16 2005

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Re: cable help

Posted: January 9, 2006 - 2:44pm

Cables sound just awful until they have had 100-200 hours of continuous current to settle them down and moving them around doesn't help either.

I'm not a big fan of the low priced Monster stuff at all.

How inexpensive, how long and are you bi-wiring?

Submitted By: cwoll

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Joined: Sep 20 2005

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Re: cable help

Posted: January 9, 2006 - 3:39pm

I need about ten feet and I would like to stay under 200 clams

Submitted By: cwoll

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Joined: Sep 20 2005

Posts:

Re: cable help

Posted: January 9, 2006 - 3:45pm

oh yeah I'm not going to biwire right now. The master plan as it stands now would be to get a second amp and go that route.

Submitted By: Monty

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Joined: Sep 16 2005

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Re: cable help

Posted: January 9, 2006 - 5:12pm

If you are willing to go the used route, Cardas Cross can sometimes be had for around 2 bills and would be a cable that could last you for another 20 years like your old cables. Another cable that is very easy on the ears with high freqencies is Tara Labs Reference cable. I've seen this cable go for 2 bills on audiogon, used.

I still like Audioquest Type 4 as a good all-around cable; you don't get any kick in the frequency extremes, but you don't lose any frequencies either. It's just really good, inexpensive cable that leans on the warm side while maintaining resolution. You can get this stuff new for about $4.00 ft. and it is practically given away used.

You might check Audio Advisor, they sometimes run cable specials and I know they used to carry the Type 4 and will terminate it any way you want.

Submitted By: k512

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Joined: Sep 1 2005

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Re: cable help

Posted: January 9, 2006 - 7:31pm

Signal Cable's Silver Resolution Series.