which speaker cables for N802 + Classe

[JoeTheLion]

Hi there,

I have B&W Nautilus 802 speakers which are driven by Classe CAV-180 (5 x 180W) and some no-name thick speaker cables. I like both acoustic (jazz/latin etc) and electronic music. I would like to upgrade the cables to something more matching, but unfortunately having several cables home for demo is not an option, I just have to go and order them through ebay etc. Is there something 'safe' on the market for under 1000$ ?

Also do you think it's worth bi-amping (with two 180W channels each from the CAV-180 to each 802) ?

Many thanks

[Glenee]

Let me try and give you some suggestions and then you pick.
Copper very popular if large enough good base, but a little more lively in the Highs than I like.
Silver (Coated and pure) Very much a live sound maybe too much for the Classe. Very good on laid back electronics i.e. McIntosh.
Carbon Base maybe just what the doctor order with the Classe equipment smooth and clear and no High hash. Look at Van Den Hul speaker wire Carbon infusion.
Just some suggestions.

[wettou]

Hi there, I have B&W Nautilus 802 speakers which are driven by Classe CAV-180 (5 x 180W) and some no-name thick speaker cables. I like both acoustic (jazz/latin etc) and electronic music. I would like to upgrade the cables to something more matching, but unfortunately having several cables home for demo is not an option, I just have to go and order them through ebay etc. Is there something 'safe' on the market for under 1000$ ? Also do you think it's worth bi-amping (with two 180W channels each from the CAV-180 to each 802) ?Many thanks

Here we go again cable rip off,

Canare, Belden, Mogami all used by professional studio recordings and less than $1 a foot save yourself money and buy better speakers 800D

[Glenee]

Your right Wettou my mistake. Forget everything I said JOE just go get some lamp cord from Home Depot and be done with it. If you hook it up and you get sound that's all that's needed.

[Relentless]

I did the cable company thing, tried many big name cables and Cardas speaker cables worked best in my system. I wasn't a fan of there interconnects but there speaker cables are worth a try.

[IceG]

I cannot recommend bi-amping enough. I have used it with 802MatrixS3 and 802Ns. Amplifiers have included Audiolabs (flimsey), Meridian 557s (brilliant value for money) and Chord (better but only marginally than the Meridians).

I don't know if it just because there is more power or the way it is distributed through the separate parts of the x-over but you should absolutely experiment, especially as you have a serious quality multi-channel amp to try.

Regarding speaker cable, I am not convinced that the high-end is more than snake-oil but I am convinced that professional quality industrial-strength attachment of bananas/spades to the cable is worth paying for. Currently I "only" use Audioquest that cost £5/$8 a yard/metre but am intending to replace it with Van den Hul or Chord.

I would never consider the looney end (Valhalla, etc) but I have satisfied myself that high-end mains leads can be a noticeable upgrade so I believe that there are differences between cables, albeit they may not be a direct price/quality link. Whether they are a rip off depends whether you believe $20k+ of power amp/speaker are justified investments.

Perhaps the nay-sayers could describe their personal experience and comparison method to put their opinions into context?

[Horacio]

Glenee: I'm looking into solid core wire for speaker cables to be used with 804S and McIntosh MC275 (tubes). Per your comment and experience, would you say solid copper, solid silver, or copper coated with silver would be best?

After digging into Anti-cables and DNM it seems worth first trying with magnet wire or any other such type of insulated wire.

What do you think?

Thanks much,
Horacio

[Alaric]

It would be worth checking with Lex regarding cables. All I currently own are CATs , and my WireWorld stuff is permanently retired. My $.02

[Alaric]

Your right Wettou my mistake. Forget everything I said JOE just go get some lamp cord from Home Depot and be done with it. If you hook it up and you get sound that's all that's needed.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[RobP]

It would be worth checking with Lex regarding cables. All I currently own are CATs , and my WireWorld stuff is permanently retired. My $.02

:T My thoughts as well, Doug makes a great cable, the build quality is excellent and rivals the high $$$$ boutique stuff.

[Glenee]

Glenee: I'm looking into solid core wire for speaker cables to be used with 804S and McIntosh MC275 (tubes). Per your comment and experience, would you say solid copper, solid silver, or copper coated with silver would be best?

After digging into Anti-cables and DNM it seems worth first trying with magnet wire or any other such type of insulated wire.

What do you think?

Thanks much,
Horacio

Horacio, I Have not had any experience with solid core wires, but if you do it let us all know how it works out. I'm always trying new things. This is what makes this Hobby great.I would think,although I don't know, that you would want to stay in the solid material line no coatings.

[JoeTheLion]

I cannot recommend bi-amping enough. I have used it with 802MatrixS3 and 802Ns. Amplifiers have included Audiolabs (flimsey), Meridian 557s (brilliant value for money) and Chord (better but only marginally than the Meridians).

I don't know if it just because there is more power or the way it is distributed through the separate parts of the x-over but you should absolutely experiment, especially as you have a serious quality multi-channel amp to try.

Regarding speaker cable, I am not convinced that the high-end is more than snake-oil but I am convinced that professional quality industrial-strength attachment of bananas/spades to the cable is worth paying for. Currently I "only" use Audioquest that cost £5/$8 a yard/metre but am intending to replace it with Van den Hul or Chord.

I would never consider the looney end (Valhalla, etc) but I have satisfied myself that high-end mains leads can be a noticeable upgrade so I believe that there are differences between cables, albeit they may not be a direct price/quality link. Whether they are a rip off depends whether you believe $20k+ of power amp/speaker are justified investments.

Perhaps the nay-sayers could describe their personal experience and comparison method to put their opinions into context?

Many thanks for all comments, there are some Kimber 8TC, XLO Ultra and Cardas Cross options at ebay, and new Cattails at Lex all within the same level of budget (300-500 $). I will be thinking on these.

Also, for bi-amping would it be a better idea to pick two different sets of cables for bass and mid/high, or the same type would do ?

[Alaric]

Honestly , for the money , I would lean towards the CATs. I got to hear a bunch of cables recently , and the detail and focus of the CATs was well beyond their price point. IMO.

[RedWolf]

Most dealers offer loaner cables for the high-end brands. Go to your local dealer, borrow a few pairs and decide for yourself. I ended up swapping several times before I was happy. The living room is open to the kitchen in my home. My spouse is very patient and thought I was crazy with the cable thing, but when I made my last swap between two high-end cable brands, my spouse heard the difference in the kitchen. That is no snake oil. Bottom line, balance cost with benefit and test them out in "your" home. I do not know anything about CAT cables but they are a site sponsor so you may want to consider asking them if they participate in a loan program as well. There is a reason that B&W uses silver in their signature line of speakers.

[Briz vegas]

If Cat is up and running again then that would be the way to go. In the past he had a return policy if they did not work out.

Otherwise all I can say is I home demoed my cables and after a weekend bought what I could afford out of the cables I tried, then I did a further home demo 4 months later and upgraded to the ones I currently have. But you really have to home demo cables and get used to them as well if you are serious about evaluating their performance potential. Our hearing is far less reliable than we think. How many times have I been at a listening demo session with the music playing for almost a whole song before someone says "Shit, one of the speakers ain't working".

I really like what I have and to be honest I am baffled at the variety of opinion on the issue. People who say "snakeoil", well obviously just don't hear anything or their system and room may be different. Where as for me, I had no interest in going back once they were in.

[JoeTheLion]

The thing is, I live in Brazil and here anything imported costs an arm and a leg. Everything is much cheaper in the States. I picked something more or less safe, secondhand through audiogon and ordered it to be delivered to a friend in NY who will visit me soon and bring it. Let's see how that will work out.

Many thanks to all who posted

[IceG]

Hey JoeTheLion,

I would look to the bi-amping first and worry about speaker cable issues after. To my ears speaker cables make a marginal improvement (or not) while bi-amping is not a subtle change (and, IMHO, improvement). Have you tried it yet and what do you think? I am interested to find out if it is just my imagination or whether others find bi-amping to be a substantial improvement.

Best IceG

[Eliav]

Hi Guys

I too was very cautious with my approach to cables and how much to invest in this. in order to get some objective sense for this I did the following experiment : I bought my system with relatively cheap cables ( Audioquest), I later got two different cable sets made by two different brands and had my wife hook one of the three sets up for me ( after meticulous instructions and drawings..)
I entered the room with my eyes covered, and listened to a the same tracks on a CD,each time with different cable set.I wrote my notes, and left the room for cable change, than got back in again, I could not be biased by the look of the Cables since my eyes were covered. interestingly, I found one brand to sound consistently dull and bloated, taming down the highs, other brand was live and detailed, and the cheaper ones to be just OK, yet "thin" and lacking depth. Surprisingly, the cable i liked was not the most expensive or any kind of a "hot name",I got a good deal on the ones I liked and I felt comfortable paying for a product that made a difference for me. ! :T