What's new

Cable Upgrade? (1 Viewer)

Joined
Oct 26, 2004
Messages
24
I have done lots of research on this, but wanted to get some opinions here.

My system:
Denon 3803
Def Tech BP2002TL towers
Def Tech 2500 center

I am currently running some generic 12-gauge wire with Radio Shack gold banana plug terminations but was looking to possibly upgrade. The speaker cable I have found that I really liked (upon reading reviews and being "somewhat" affordable) was the JPS Labs Ultra Conductor Bi-wire.

I listen to probably 95% HT on my system and some music. My question is whether this cable (or another recommended)cable would justify the hundreds of dollars in cost? Not being the best ear for this stuff but wanting the "maximum" quality, is this upgrade really worth it?

Thanks!
 

Jack Briggs

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 3, 1999
Messages
16,805
Jarret, there's no reason to upgrade. Your generic 12-gauge wire is fine. Electrons don't remember what kind of wire they have flowed through. The exotic speaker-wire cottage industry is one of audio's notorious rip-offs. And people who claim to hear a "difference" are demonstrating a psychological trait, not hearing accuity.
 

Ted Lee

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
8,390
i agree with jack, but i'll add this caveat.

1. go ahead and buy the wire.
2. have someone switch the wires so you don't know which ones you're listening to.
3. if you still hear a difference, then the choice is obvious.

i have some decent, 12g monster wire and it sounds just fine. to be honest, i haven't even tried my own above suggestion, but i'm pretty sure i wouldn't hear a difference. plus i'm too poor to afford nicer wire anyway. :D
 

Allan Jayne

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 1, 1998
Messages
2,405
How long have you owned and used your existing wires?

If for several years, if you undo and redo the banana plugs (f not soldered on) on the wire ends you will probably get more sonic improvement (if any) compared with getting all new wires. If the banana plugs were not soldered on, there is a slight chance of oxidation that degrades the electrical path.

Many new wire and boutique wire salesmen get away with selling their high priced stuff because the new wire with fresh connections happens to give better sound than someone's old wire with old oxidized connections.

One other reason for getting new wires -- if the old wires are starting to look ugly because the copper is turning green inside the transparent sheath, or if the old wires were ugly to begin with.

Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm
 

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Moderator
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 5, 1999
Messages
6,818
Location
Corpus Christi, TX
Real Name
Wayne
Jarrett,

I agree with the others. Personally I’m not big on esoteric speaker cables to begin with, and I especially think, given your equipment, that you will not hear a difference.

I suggest you go back and take another look at the “research” you’ve already seen. Were they using equipment similar to yours, or did it cost ten times as much?

I think that’s the “big omission” when it comes to stuff like this: It seems the people who enthusiastically advocate the sonic qualities of cables never take in consideration (a) the quality of equipment they’re using, and (b) whether or not their conclusions will “trickle down” to lower-level gear. All you get is a generic and unqualified, “these things are great!” endorsement.

Of course, there is always a chance you will hear a difference with those cables, but as Ted noted, you won’t know until you audition them first hand. However, I wouldn’t take them out the door unless you have an iron-clad return policy from the seller. I’d even pay with a credit card to further guarantee my protection.

Ted also noted:
What he was saying, of course, was if the expensive ones sound better, then go for it. Personally I wouldn’t jump quite that fast. At that point, the question would move from “Do they sound better?” to “Is the improvement worth the price of admission?”

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2004
Messages
24
Dang it, I just wrote a really long post but it got deleted since I can't post URL's until after 15 posts or something.

Basically, I appreciated everyone's feedback.

Part of my wire is exposed on the "dual" bananas that I have from Radio Shack. Do I need to do something with it (i.e. spray something on it) or just try to trip it short?

I have clear and extra thick 12-gauge wire, so maybe I could at least switch to a thinner insulated coating.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2004
Messages
24
Thanks for the replies.

Wayne,
I think you make some goood points. It is amazing to me that you spend several thousand dollars on some HT equipment, and to lots of people, you're at the low-level quality of things! :frowning:
 

Chu Gai

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
7,270
That's because the audio industry is rife with snobbery. I believe it has something to do with this meterosexual trend among males which attempts to remove them from their testicular pouch. Now they can be just like women who fawn over nailpolish, wrinkle removers, the latest diet craze except that they fawn over wire with manly sounding names like Valhalla, Transparent, Stealth, and all that.
If you don't like a clear sheath, try the KnuKonceptz wire which comes in an attractive blue color. It will give your system that 'je ne sais quoi' for somewhere in the vicinity of 0.50/foot.
 

Jack Briggs

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 3, 1999
Messages
16,805
Remember when, in the 1970s, cult audio designer Mark Levinson marketed his silver speaker wire at $200 per foot. And, of course, his echo-chamber gurus over at The Absolute Sound magazine raved about how the stuff "improved" the "sound." Makes me sick.
 

Ted Lee

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
8,390
very good point ... i usually try to remember to include that little caveat. :)

---

side note (since the guys i like to hear from are in this thread already), do you guys think strand count makes any diff? is it better to have lots of thin strands, a few thick strands, etc?
 

Chu Gai

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
7,270
Whose Levinson shacking up with now since he's no longer the Sex in the City man? I'd love to see the particulars of that divorce settlement!
 

Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Moderator
Premium
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Aug 5, 1999
Messages
6,818
Location
Corpus Christi, TX
Real Name
Wayne
Work with me Ted, I’m trying to keep a straight face here! :D

Seriously, though, it’s true. You’ll find that cable with fewer strands (usually cheaper fare) doesn’t lay out nearly as neatly as the super fine stuff. It's one of the reasons I’ll pay $1/ft. for something like Radio Shack’s Megacable instead of 35c/ft. for the cheap stuff.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
 

Chu Gai

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2001
Messages
7,270
So basically Wayne, you're saying that to get a good lay, you've got to pay more?
 

Ted Lee

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
8,390
:laugh:

jarrett - don't take our shenanigans (sp?) too seriously. most of us actually know what the *beep* we're talking about.

:)
 

John S

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Messages
5,460
Gotta love audio and ht enthusiasts!!!!


Great thread here.... To freaking funny.


I met Mark Levinson once in person, and even he bags (pokes fun) on himself for the Silver Wire phase of his life. lol
 

StephenHa

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 28, 2003
Messages
364
my theory on the whole wire issue is when you spend umpteen dollars for the new gadget your brain tells you it had better sound better or you got screwed, so it "does" it's psychosomatic
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,806
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top