cabling for 803d

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  • swayback
    Member
    • Feb 2010
    • 38

    cabling for 803d

    Ok, I've been reading about cables and am not convinced that $1000 cables are any better than $100 cables, other than the ability to say you've got "insert brand name here" cables.

    Opinions?
  • Space
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2009
    • 118

    #2
    You should know it's against forum rules to have discussions that are entirely about cables. See this link.

    But since you asked for opinions, here's one: I don't really see the point in spending as much as $100 for an individual cable, let alone $1,000. A cable's job is extremely basic and no special technology is required. Anything super exotic may well be worse than lamp cord. After all there shouldn't be anything added to the signal by the cable, or anything changed by the cable. It's not supposed to do anything but conduct electricity.

    Comment

    • swayback
      Member
      • Feb 2010
      • 38

      #3
      oops, my bad.
      Enough said.

      Comment

      • RedRock
        Junior Member
        • Jan 2010
        • 29

        #4
        I believe the "rules" allow for personal opinions to be expressed - as long as they're not intended for marketing purposes.

        Being new to the world of higher end audio, I quickly learned about the intense controversy associated with claims of significant audible improvements due to cabling. I'm an engineer, so the engineering basis behind any such claims are very important to me. From a engineering perspective, I found the effects of one high quality wire over another are generally reported as insignificant by many competant sources (outside of subjectivist audiophile circles), including engineering experts in various fields of electrical, audio, and loudspeaker engineering.

        When I evaluated different cables, I focused my attention on the following issues:
        • What established scientific knowledge supports the design?
        • How is science applied to provide an engineering solution?
        • Does the solution produce significant audible effects that warrant design effort and cost?

        Based on my own personal assessment, I chose River Cable, because of the specifications, quality assurance, and attention to detail in their finished products (i.e., it has a very nice "tailored" appearance). However, if looks aren't important, in my opinion Blue Jeans Cable and Ram Electronics produce excellent cabling based on science and not outrageous, subjective claims.
        Last edited by RedRock; 13 February 2010, 03:13 Saturday.
        B&W 804Di (L/R mains)
        B&W HTM4Di (center)
        B&W SCMs (surround)
        Arcam AVR-600
        Arcam DV-137
        Arcam irDock
        Velodyne Optimum-10
        Furman Elite 15 PF

        Comment

        • swayback
          Member
          • Feb 2010
          • 38

          #5
          Red Rock,
          I've been following your posts and believe that you and I have similar thought processes regarding the introduction and evaluation of Hi-Fi. I'm a surgeon with an undergrad in Chemistry so I don't have the background knowledge like you or anyone with the engineering backgrounds do. This type of opinion is exactly what I'm seeking. Objective data. If the product is "different" than another product based on a laboratory analysis that's one thing, but is it truly perceptible to the ear...which is another thing and the most important thing to me.
          Thanks again for the input!!
          -swayback

          Comment

          • emig5m
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2008
            • 646

            #6
            I'm not a believer in exotic cables. Especially when the cable inside the speaker isn't all that fancy to begin with. You would have to assume that if an exotic speaker cable is actually better, it would be negated by the internal cabling in the speaker. I use Radio Shack Megacable 14GA and I can hear the same detail out of my speakers that I can hear through my headphones, lol. :lol:

            Comment

            • MikeFL52
              Senior Member
              • Oct 2007
              • 118

              #7
              I have found all types of Blue Jeans Cables to be very good. Remember that for B&W speakers you really need bananas or bare wire termination since the posts are very large and normal spades will not fit. For using bananas you have to remove the small red and black plugs from the posts (PITA).

              Comment

              • mb225
                Senior Member
                • Jan 2009
                • 131

                #8
                Originally posted by swayback
                Ok, I've been reading about cables and am not convinced that $1000 cables are any better than $100 cables, other than the ability to say you've got "insert brand name here" cables.

                Opinions?
                Swayback,

                Just try to get cables that aren't trying to alter or enhance the signal. I bought a set of cables (by accident b/c I didn't know what I was doing) that were making adjustments to the signal and it was very odd. It made some music sounded amazing, while making other music sound weird!

                I'm in this boat, right now. I'm trying to find cables that sound good and at the same time I'm trying to make sure I'm not buying snake-oil.

                I do think that cables can make a difference. Not all materials are created equal. IMO, a cable should deliver the signal from the source to the destination without losing or adding anything. The problem with that is a cable has resistance. The longer the distance the greater the loss.

                Comment

                • stuofsci02
                  Super Senior Member
                  • Nov 2009
                  • 1241

                  #9
                  Originally posted by mb225
                  The problem with that is a cable has resistance. The longer the distance the greater the loss.
                  For runs less then 30 ft, any cable with size 16 awg or greater will have insignificant amounts of resistance. Buying an expensive cable will not reduce resistance.
                  Main System:
                  B&W 801D
                  Emotiva USP-1 Pre-Amp
                  Chord SPM-650 Stereo Amp
                  Oppo BDP-105
                  Squeezebox Touch


                  Second System:
                  B&W CM7
                  Emotiva UMC-1
                  Emotiva UPA-2
                  Oppo BDP-83SE
                  Grant Fidelity DAC-09

                  Comment

                  • dknightd
                    Senior Member
                    • Mar 2006
                    • 621

                    #10
                    B & w specs a wire with less than .1 Ohm. So for 30' you should use 14 gauge or larger.

                    Comment

                    • swayback
                      Member
                      • Feb 2010
                      • 38

                      #11
                      thanks everyone!
                      I love this site! It's as if everyone wants the other guy to have the best possible system. Everyone has been so helpful.

                      Comment

                      • jamesdaman
                        Senior Member
                        • Apr 2008
                        • 136

                        #12
                        Well my opinion is cables make a huge differnce ive spent money on cables and everyone ive bought have made a great deal of differnce. Ive done demos where ive started with i/c at £40 or so pound a metre all the way up to nearly £1000 and everytime it when up the differnce was there. You cant measure these things with numbers it doesnt work like that, a £100 cd player has an almost identical signal as a £10000 but they sound worlds apart

                        Comment

                        • wettou
                          Ultra Senior Member
                          • May 2006
                          • 3389

                          #13
                          Originally posted by jamesdaman
                          Well my opinion is cables make a huge differnce ive spent money on cables and everyone ive bought have made a great deal of differnce. Ive done demos where ive started with i/c at £40 or so pound a metre all the way up to nearly £1000 and everytime it when up the differnce was there. You cant measure these things with numbers it doesnt work like that, a £100 cd player has an almost identical signal as a £10000 but they sound worlds apart
                          Well I won't start an argument, but no one needs to spend loads of cash to get good sound.

                          I use Mogami cables they are price reasonably and are used through most recording studios around the world. If it is good enough for them to record the music and movies that we buy its good enough for me:T
                          Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you're a thousand miles from the corn field."Dwight D. Eisenhower

                          Comment

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