Would Cables make my 703's sound better?

[perla4u]

Hello Folks,

It has been a while I dropped in here. Just been busy with life. Anyways, I think this is the first post after I baught my speakers (703's) and they are about 5 months old now. I love them. I listen to them regularly. I have a pure 2 channel setup (without the sub) paired up with a brand new Rotel receiver. Music is devine and movies (in moderately high volume) comes to life with this setup. I just hope to add a sub soon to this system.

How ever, when I play the music, sometimes I feel the sound might be little better. I did toe in the speakers and they are about a foot away from the wall (any more would be coming into the walk way).

I am using the cables from the original purchase (Dealer has provided them). Basic ones. Would upgrading the cables make any difference to my listening experience? Does the cables really have a good impact on the system?

If so, can you guys tell me few that I can check out (I did see few here in the forum) but wanted to know what cables would go well with BW703's.

Thanks for all your help.

Regards ;x(
Perla

[Aussie Geoff]

Hi,

Try Cattails from forum sponsor Cat Cables... for example http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=20239

Geoff

[dknightd]

I don't know what Doug uses in his Cattails. I use Canare 4s11. The specs look similar, but his have a nicer cover.
I suspect you'll notice a bigger difference by changing amplifiers. The 703 really benefit from an amp that can deliver lots of current when needed. I'd also consider room treatments before I started worrying about speaker cables (unless the dealer provided ones are too small). In fact, I'd look at the room first, then the amp, finally the cables.

The Cat cables appear to be a well made product, and helps sponsor this forum, so seems like a good place to start if you want to try out something different.

The rules here say we are not supposed to discuss cables. I hope I did not overstep. Feel free to delete my post if you think I did (but please do not delete me).

[gostan]

Upgraded cables will definitely make a difference in your 703's.

I have tried a number of different cables before settling on my present speaker and IC cabling.

See if you can get some demos'. Demos are the Best way to try a number of different cables. Then you can self determine is different cable make you happier.

[wgriel]

I suspect you'll notice a bigger difference by changing amplifiers. The 703 really benefit from an amp that can deliver lots of current when needed.

I think this is good advice.

At the moment I have 703s powered by a Rotel receiver (RX-1052) - it sounds amazing, but I know that it will sound even more amazing when I upgrade amps :T

It's not in my budget at present, but when I can, I am going to upgrade my amplification, possibly keeping my receiver for use as a pre.

Bill

[Stevebez]

To answer your question, in my opinion, No.

[jack667]

Steve, I couldn't agree more. Minor changes maybe, but as AVI have put it best in the past:

If we score on a scale of 0-10 the difference in sound made by various components of a Hi Fi system, cables would score 0.1, electronics 10 and speakers a 100!

We have heard of one customer who spent £2,500 on his speaker cables and £300 on his Five Star CD player and then rang us to find out why the sound was “harsh and fatiguing” – He even asked if it might be the cables!

[nicky]

From my experience and IMO...no. And no REAL scientific studies (not pseudo science or theories or "audiophile" opinions) have proven otherwise that I am aware of.


But if you can prove it...based on REAL science (ie REAL science) that expensive cables do make a big difference and that they perform the "magic" that cable companies claim with their pseudo science statements, then head over to http://www.randi.org/

The guy has been offering a 1 million dollar prize/challenge for some time now to anyone who can give REAL scientific proof that cables make a difference and perform "magic" as all these companies claim.....in this case comparing a really extreme case of $7,250 Pear Anjou speaker cables and the ordinary typically $80 pair of monster cables (which are also way overpriced) that a lot of people buy and use from best buy, etc.

[amdan]

Cables do make a significant difference. However the difference is also dependent on your other components. It is pointless spending #2500 on cables and #300 on a CDP.

I believe there are two possible reasons some people don't believe in cable differences. Firstly, they may be incapable of hearing the differences either due to a closed mind or inadequate hearing/training. Secondly their other components are simply not good enough to show the differences.

I owned the 703s and found them to be a revealing speaker that easily showed cable differences. Please audition a few for yourself. If you find that they make no difference, spend your money on what ever other component is weakest in your system. Then come back to auditioning cables when you have improved the rest of the system.

Cables are simply another component in your system. They may not have the impact of a new pair of speakers however they do make a significant difference. I found that even changing the jumper speakers on my 802N made a significant difference.

[toddm]

I come down on the side of believing thousands of dollars on cables, solely for auditory purposes, is silly. There are other reasons why people may want to spend big bucks on cables--ego, style, etc., and those reasons are perfectly legitimate IMO.
Having said that, when I bought my 703s the dealer tossed in some very cheap zip cord--it might have been 18 gauge. After a month or so I bought some fairly ordinary 12 gauge monster stuff and noticed a difference pretty easily. Much beyond that and I just don't believe anyone can tell the difference...

[Briz vegas]

I can :T

[Aussie Geoff]

Hi,

Sadly this thread seems to be already falling into the two camps of:
1) There can't possibly be a difference that you can hear; and
2) Absolutely there is a difference...

This is one of the main reasons we normally end up having to lock threads like this... Because the two cam[s seem perminantly irreconcilable!!!

Personally I suggest you try changing cables (some dealers will lend you a higher end pair)... If you hear a different then try posting again with the question...

I can hear differences... But hey.. Everyone is different

Geoff

[caleb]

It is sad that these cable debates almost invariably end up in the two camps as you rightly say Geoff.

It would be my siggestion that any further "cable debates" be trashed at the outset, as there can never be a sensible debate.

By the way - I do beleive that I can hear MINOR differences between good and poor cables.

[Iggurk]

For me the worst thing in all that is that there is no freedom on this forum to write what we want to say about cables, and all that just because one of the sponsor is making cables.

Where's democracy?
where's freedom expression?

For me, as long as we respect each others and don't insult people not having the same opinion, we must be able to write what we want about our feeling/experience/opinion regarding cables.

Sponsoring is a good thing, but IMHO that must be limited to an advertising, nothing more.

Just my 2 cents...
Yves, who believe in cables :-)

[RobP]

For me the worst thing in all that is that there is no freedom on this forum to write what we want to say about cables, and all that just because one of the sponsor is making cables.

Where's democracy?
where's freedom expression?

I think that you are off base here with the freedom statement, cable discussion is allowed as long as it is kept withing certain boundrys and with respect to our sponsor and site owner, the CAT Cables brand is huge part of what keeps this forum going. And for that alone, I think a bit of understanding and respect should be taken into consideration.

Ok, now that was said,
My take on cable selection is this, you want to get your foundation built first, your speakers, amps, etc.., once you have done that and settled on a core sound that satisfies, you can then choose your cables that work well with what you have built whether it be silver interconnects, Bi-wire, etc..., In my system it just happened to be silver interconnects that added that last little detail that I was looking for.

[Russ L]

Theres people who say they can't hear a difference between CD players or hear a difference between Amps also. I've heard $800-$1000 cables that were no better than $2/ft. cables. Then again I've heard moderately priced cables $500 that were amazing. I've heard really expensive cables that were beyond belief. Problem is that theres alot of expensive brands that don't sound any better than cheap cables. So you have to stumble across the right brands. I believe this is one of the reasons theres such a difference of opinion about cables. I demoed alot of cables and I almost gave up because I found no improvement. Then I found a good brand and the difference was equal to a major upgrade.

[caleb]

Hey Soundgravy,

Great to see that kid with the square wheel back here again!

[RobP]

Hey Soundgravy,

Great to see that kid with the square wheel back here again!

:lol: Thanks Caleb

[Alaric]

From my experience and IMO...no. And no REAL scientific studies (not pseudo science or theories or "audiophile" opinions) have proven otherwise that I am aware of.


But if you can prove it...based on REAL science (ie REAL science) that expensive cables do make a big difference and that they perform the "magic" that cable companies claim with their pseudo science statements, then head over to http://www.randi.org/

The guy has been offering a 1 million dollar prize/challenge for some time now to anyone who can give REAL scientific proof that cables make a difference and perform "magic" as all these companies claim.....in this case comparing a really extreme case of $7,250 Pear Anjou speaker cables and the ordinary typically $80 pair of monster cables (which are also way overpriced) that a lot of people buy and use from best buy, etc.

Nicky ,"real science" in this area is pretty tenuous. My profession involves making engineer's drawings into functional items. Frequently a pretty big leap. Besides , I don't listen to paper-I listen to music.
What is all this "scientific proof" crap? Are we buying audio equipment based on spec sheets , so we can "prove" system A sounds better than system B ? Therefore , the owner of system A "wins" ? I like my little budget stereo because I like the sound .
I love my CAT Cables and wouldn't use anything else. I listen to music , not the rustle of papers.
Iggurk , this is a privately owned forum. The First Amendment only applies to Government censoring of expression. Democracy is Mob Rules Anarchy. Having said that , the only restrictions I've seen are as follows: You don't get to trash the owner's product or profession.

[OttoMatic]

Nicky ,"real science" in this area is pretty tenuous. My profession involves making engineer's drawings into functional items. Frequently a pretty big leap. Besides , I don't listen to paper-I listen to music.
What is all this "scientific proof" crap? Are we buying audio equipment based on spec sheets , so we can "prove" system A sounds better than system B ? Therefore , the owner of system A "wins" ? I like my little budget stereo because I like the sound .

All the "real science" refers to is the ability to statistically determine which cable is which. So, someone claims they can hear a difference in cables -- cable X is great, and sounds so much better than cable Y. Now, can that same person tell which is which when they are in a scientifically administered double-blind test? If not, why not? It should be easy, based on some of the claims made by whomever is making the claims. James Randi will pay out US$1M for someone that can do this.

The claims that are made about cables are pretty exciting sometimes. Surely, one would be able to hear the differences in a double blind test, especially if everything else is held contant. Indeed, there were at least a handful of people in this thread alone claiming to be able to hear cable differences. Won't anyone take steps toward applying this easy million?

[ThomasW]

I can't see dead people, but I can hear a difference in cables...

Randi's challange is bogus because it's contingent on him hearing one wire/cable as being "better". No one knows what his definition of "better" is.....

I do find it interesting that Randi offers several $1,000,000 challenges, but needs to ask for PayPal donations on his website...... :roll:

It would seems this thread has pretty much covered all the bases, we thank everyone for their contributions....