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Monster brand coax VS coax from HOME DEPOT (1 Viewer)

Anton Check

Auditioning
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I just purchased a 5.1 system: DENON 2803 and Boston Acoustics CR series with a PV700 12" sub. The guy in Tweeter loaded me up with very expensive Monster cable brand coax cable for the sub and an optical line for DVD to Receiver. Here are my questions:

1. Do I need the expensive Monster brand coax or will HOME DEPOT brand do just fine for the sub?

2. Receiver to DVD connection: which is better, a digital coax line or an optical line, or are they indicernable?

3. They also told me I needed a "line conditioner" to keep the signal clean. Basically this is a surge protector that is supposed to reduce noise from the power. Is this really necessary? Will is make a huge difference if I am not an audiophile?

Thanks,
Anton
 

SethH

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Generally speaking Home Depot wire is perfectly fine as long as it is a large enough cable. Monster is generally overpriced unless you get a really good deal on Ebay or elsewhere.

Optical and Digital Coax should offer identical performance, so either is fine. Coax **can** pick up RF signals if placed to close to certain equipment, but this is usually not a concern. Others argue that optical is more fragile, but again, either should be fine.

You probably don't need a line conditioner, but it won't hurt anything either. I would certainly hook everything up to a surge protector with a high joules rating, but in most cases a line conditioner is not required. (If you decide to get one buy on Ebay. I got a Monster HTS-2500 brand new for right at $100 while it retails for around $300)
 

Mark Shannon

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As Seth said, Coaxial cable can pick up RF signals from outside sources. IF you choose to use coax, try not to run it parallel to power cables (if you must, cross them at right angles). Being more fragile than the former, you must make sure that if you choose to use optical cable, that you don't bend it too tightly, and allow it to curve as wide as possible.

Unless you regularily operate heavy machinery in your house while watching a movie, it is unlikely that you do not need a line conditioner. True, refrigerators and the like do add line noise, but it is very rarely noticeable. If you do have a problem with this after you've had your system for a while and you find you are concerned, you could always get a seperate line for your HT, as many other HTF'ers have done. It just sounds like the people who sold you your equipment were simply trying to milk more money out of you.
 

Bob McElfresh

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Well, your video system may be more noticible.

Ever go to a gas station and notice the hose you are using jerking as someone else is clicking their nozzle? But it affects yours? This is because the pump system is tied together.

Your AC power is tied to everyone else on your block and how 'clean' or 'dirty' your AC service depends on the time of day. A power-conditioner has little effect on one system in the suburbs, but a noticible effect on a system in a inner-city apartment.

You just have to try one in your home and decide if it makes a difference.

Try this: see if the store has a 30 day return policy with no restocking fee. If so, buy their conditioner and bring it home.

On a day/night/weekend where you normally watch TV, watch for about an hour. Then slip in the power conditioner. Do you notice any difference? Do you thing the difference is worth the money?
 

dougW

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Be very careful with budget line conditioners. Not because they will damage your equipment, but because the fact is, if it's cheap, it's likely not much more than a surge protector anyway. Good line conditioners are like everything else, you get what you pay for.

Seth, I'm not personally real fond of the coaxial digital is the same as optical statement. There are many considerations including the quality of the digital componentry. But just looking at the cables alone, the fact is, the plastic optical are inferior to digital coax in all but the potential RF transfer. Glass optical cables can be much better though.

In reality, I've personally not seen digital coax actually pick up RF myself. I've sold quite a few, never a complaint. Certainly, it is possible though.

Doug
 

Ted Lee

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i agree with everything that everyone already said. gosh i hate getting into a thread late. :)
 

John S

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But the red light shooting out of the end of optical is way cool... lol
 

SethH

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I have mixed feelings about this. While they are obviously different mediums they are carrying digital content. Digital content is transferred in 0's and 1's. Every bit that is transferred is either a 0 or a 1. Only a flaw in the cable or on the disk (assuming DVD) can change this. Now if the discussion is about which can be more easily damaged, then sure there's a difference, but I have doubts that anyone could tell the difference between a quality coax and quality optical cable.
 

John Garcia

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I hear the difference between optical (plastic not glass fiber) and coax in my system, and even between different quality coax cables, so there IS more to it than just 1s and 0s. Digtial may be digital, but each still has a path of circuitry to pass through as well as a margin of error to contend with.



But you don't SEE it when it's plugged in...:D
 

ChrisWiggles

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I use coax for several reasons:

1) it's way cheaper than good glass optical cables

2) you can run it long distances and not have to mortgage your house for optical cables that long

3) I am of the opinion that if they work it shouldn't matter and/or that any differences would be inaudible

4) Because the audiophile freaks who claim to hear all these differences swear by coax, and throw around numbers about the bandwidth of the spdif on optical versus coax, and say coax is better.

5) did I mention how much cheaper coax is? And any basic coax should be well-shielded, so interference isn't really a problem at all compared with optical.

So yeah, IMO just use 75-ohm coax and you're good to go.
 

Chu Gai

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Jun 29, 2001
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7,270
If you go with the HD coax, just don't get the one that's copper over steel. Get the 100% copper.
 

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