what speaker cable to buy for my new paradigms. (1 Viewer)

[EddyObregon]

Ok guys I just bout a pair of paradigm mini monitors with the cc370 and atom fro surrounds. I have a denon receiver. Now I am looking to buy really good speaker cables that I can afford. I do not want to spend hundreds of dollars. I am looking to get 14 guage speaker cable as i was told to get 14 guage. Now what braqnd of speaker cable produces the best quality for a fair price. I do not want to spend more than 100 dollars. I need about 100 feet of cable. SO I am looking on spending about 1 dollar per foot what do you guys recommend. I heard monster cable is over rated. Can anyone help. Also when you suggest a speaker let me know where i can buy it as well.

 

[Jack*Mains]

Go with the stuff you can get at home depot.
You probably won't notice the difference.

 

[EddyObregon]

there has to be better than home depot or monster cable right. Should I go with 14 guage. People say cable is cable but for compnent cable i have a silver serpend component cable from better cables and you can see a difference in pq compared to other cables. So does anyone know some decent price cables thatare good quality

 

[Ernest Yee]

Just get some 12ga Oxygen Free Copper cable. You could probably get some Sound King off partsexpress for like 50-60cents/ft.

Video takes up serious bandwidth from the cable whereas the audio bandwidth is usually pretty insignificant.

 

[Robert Cowan]

these threads are so pointless. cables make a HUGE difference. i cringe everytime i hear someone mention home depot "wire". its sad.

 

[WayneO]

And others cringe when they hear some fool paid $150 for a 6ft. length of cable. To each his own. I would argue more for better cables than speaker wire either way. Me, I have $1.25/ft. 14ga. MonsterXP for my center and mains since I only needed 25ft. I just bought some Home Depot 16ga. CL2 wire for my surrounds at $.30/ft since I needed 85ft. to run in-wall to each speaker after using Monster CL2 16ga. at $.69/ft. out of wall and was too short for my new speaker position. No sound difference, half the cost. Buy what you can afford and think is reasonable.

 

[Chu Gai]

SoundKing over at PartsExpress is a nice wire. It's got a high strand count that facilitates lay-out and installation. An alternative is KnuKonceptz that comes in what some consider an attractive blue exterior. If only for the sake of quelling any future doubts, go with the 12 gauge.
If you're buying online, s/h charges apply. So give some thought to picking up some bananas, spades, maybe a spare svideo cable, some contact cleaner in order to spread those charges around a bit.
Now with the money you saved, buy a couple of DVDs, 2 pizzas, some beer, and invite the boys over to enjoy your new system.

 

[ChrisPATT]

Not that it really matters since there are many different cable brands, but I use Canare with Paradigms.

 

[Robert Cowan]

sounds like a plan!

but make sure you get dominos pizza, pabst beer, and if you watch late night infomercials, you can get some free dvd's. i mean, its just pizza (just bread, cheese and toppings), its JUST beer (it all gets you drunk), and a dvd is just a plastic cirle that plays sound and video. there isnt a difference.

 

[WayneO]

No need to get offended by someone else's opinion that wasn't attacking yours. Your analogies are off. Anyone can easily taste differences in different brand food and alcohol, not much so with cables or we wouldn't be discussing this now would we.

 

[Chu Gai]

Well it tasted better than that Schlitz you had!! Don't be so sure about that beer tasting. I've got links to some informal blind studies on canadian beers and wines!

 

[WayneO]

Not to get off topic, but I'm an avid micro/craft brew drinker and go to many tastings, so I'd know the good stuff from the garbage. I'd be interested in a link. Mmmmmmmmmm......McAuslin's Oatmeal Stout is a great Canadian beer.

 

[Robert Cowan]

and as you guys claim to taste different beers, i could pick out different speaker cables. its not just because i sell the stuff. i WISH i could put audioquest out of busienss with cheap "OFC", but it sounds like crap to me, and to MANY other people.

 

[Mark gas]

After 3 or 4 beers can you still tell the diff?

I use Home depot wire.

 

[Ernest Yee]

Well - I agree w/ the difference in interconnects as I use Canare cable w/ Canare ends. But as far as "wire", I just use car stereo 12ga OFC cable that I got in bulk off Ebay. Sounds just the same as my older Audioquest wire.

If you want to do the "broadcast quality thing" with speaker wire, just get the Canare Starquad and terminate w/ some decent ends and even the wire gurus will back off.

 

[WayneO]

If you say you can, who am I to disagree. Take any average joe off the forum and I'll wager he won't. Also, I would love to know if you've ever done blind testing without knowing what any of the cables were? Like if I brought all cheap cables without you knowing, you'd say they were all cheap after hearing them.

 

[EddyObregon]

ok if i go 14 guage do i need to use banana plug tips. Also this guy told me that this company called axicom i beleive makes good speaker wire... its like 40 cents a foot. for 14 guage. actually its found in the paradigm dealer.

 

[WayneO]

$.40/ft. sounds reasonable. You don't need banana plugs unless you want the convenience they offer of wiring your speakers.

 

[EddyObregon]

so just stick the 14 guage into the speaker and receiver would it it fit. or woudl i have to shave the edges. I heard banana plugs help out in terms of a cleaner connection

 

[WayneO]

Cleaner as in looks, not performance. Sticking yet another connector between all your equipment could hurt more than ever help. But can you see behind your receiver or speakers or really care to? Binding posts can vary on AVR's or amps, but 14ga. shouldn't be a problem. You can wrap it around the post instead of through it if it was, don't shave the wires to fit.