Is there an alternative to the high price of monster cables. (1 Viewer)

[ChuckM]

I'm trying to find speaker wire(50 feet) and a fiber optic cable(4 foot). That's good,but not freakin' expensive. Any advice!
TIA!

 

[JamesHl]

You can buy pretty much any old fiber optic cable, as long as it's good enough to transmit the signal, they're equally good, and if it doesn't work you can return it. Opinions vary on speaker wire, but there are a ton of brands other than monster.

 

[Clark F]

Acoustic Research seems less expensive that Monster.
I saw GE component cables in a Target the other day. Have no idea what the quality is like.
Did you look in the tweaking, connections and accessories forum? I am sure this topic has been discussed there...

 

[ross ish]

check ebay and type in IXOS search. There are ixos hospital grade fiber optics at give away prices. These are well received cables, in fact, ixos is a very underrated company producing some highly praised wires; sort of like an audiophiles secret.

 

[MikeTz]

Chuck:

You might try www.hcmaudio.com/hcm.asp they have close out prices for AudioQuest speaker cable. HCM offers an assortment of termination options at no additional cost and their build quality is very good. These cables are a reasonably priced option between DIY and exotic (high priced).

If you are comfortable with a soldering iron and shrink wrap, there are many DIY sites that offer cable kits that are high quality and cheap. Search on DIY cables.

Good luck

MT

 

[David Gibbons]

Dear Chuck,

Please read my rant on HT cables at www.sonic.net/~dgibbons. Speaker wire should never cost over 50 cents/foot, unless you like blowing your money, or telling people how much you spent for something. 14 or 16 gauge type SPT-1 lamp cord does a fine job.

Spend the money on better speakers; you will get far more improved sound for your money.

For fiber optic cables, Radio Shack's are good enough. Spending more on fiber optics is bogus too.

Grumpily yours,

David Gibbons,
Home Theater Tune-up

 

[MichaelBJ]

Chuck,
Check out Radio Shack, but I would second Acoustic Research. They are (comparatively) inexpensive and well made.
Without getting into an endless debate on the merits of .50 cent zipcord vs. higher end speaker/optic cable, I would suggest trying both in your listening environment and deciding what is best for you. Keep in mind that room acoustics and speaker design can usually impact the sound you hear more than what cable you use (zipcord or higher-end).
Happy listening, Michael

 

[Chu Gai]

Well for speaker wire you could consider 12 gauge from a variety of sources.
Home Depot
www.Partsexpress.com
www.knukonceptz.com
The last alternative has what some may feel is a welcome alternative, visually speaking, from the clear PVC in that it's blue.
There is something else to keep in mind and that is that one should look at the statement, "You get what you pay for" in the context that quite often price does not equal performance but has a more than intimate relationship with paranoia.

 

[ChuckM]

Thanks guys! I have just one more question. I can understand when you talk about the quality of speaker wire, sub cables, coax, etc. But is there such a thing when refering to fiber optics.