Best interconnect full stop for under a hundred pounds?

[Anonymous]

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/1828

Such a bargin im going to buy some even though i dont need them!
Just to please th missis!

 

[highfidelity]

ALL expensive interconnects are for people with more money than commonsense. The best value interconnects come from Maplin called NIKKAI totally transparent Disbeliver

 

[JoelSim]

highfidelity:ALL expensive interconnects are for people with more money than commonsense. The best value interconnects come from Maplin called NIKKAI totally transparent Disbeliver

I think that the fact that the WHF team found substantial differences in blind tests would suggest that not all cables sound the same.

 

[plastic penguin]

JoelSim:

highfidelity:ALL expensive interconnects are for people with more money than commonsense. The best value interconnects come from Maplin called NIKKAI totally transparent Disbeliver

I think that the fact that the WHF team found substantial differences in blind tests would suggest that not all cables sound the same.

Too true, not all cables sound the same. By contrast, the differences between a good £70er and a good £30 set is not significant. However, if you need to change the character of your system, spending an extra 30 - 40 quid will make a difference.

Comparing, let's say, Chord Chryslis (£40) or Cambridge Studio Ref. (£35) which are very good cables, with Merlin Chopin and the latter demonstrates more transparancy, oppenness and 'soul' than the Chord or Cambridge. Although it is fairly subtle when it comes to the bass and lower mid-range.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[Anonymous]

I use some Acrolink mexcel, but you can start with the basic Acrolink A2050 II.

 

[Anonymous]

I've had a great experience with Mark Grant cables

www.markgrantcables.co.uk

He makes them to order, if a fantastic value manufacturer and uses top quality components. Quality is fantastic on top of which Mark is a really nice helpful guy.

Keep trying to get them tested by What Hi-Fi but no luck so far. I often wonder whether independents create fear in the really high cost cable merchants.

The cable is there to preserve the signal. That's the best it can hope for --> Zero losses. The cable cannot add anything to the music. There must be some science to this.

I've bought a lot of Mark Grant cables, he even makes odd cables as custom builds. Very helpful indeed.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Will Harris:Keep trying to get them tested by What Hi-Fi but no luck so far. I often wonder whether independents create fear in the really high cost cable merchants.

Nothing of the kind - if the manufacturer wants to submit the cable for review, we'll consider it for review.

 

[Thaiman]

Will Harris:

The cable is there to preserve the signal. That's the best it can hope for --> Zero losses. The cable cannot add anything to the music. There must be some science to this. .

Good Posting.

 

[Anonymous]

The cable is there to preserve the signal. That's the best it can hope
for --> Zero losses. The cable cannot add anything to the music.
There must be some science to this.

Yes I concur, the single most sensible thing said in the whole cable debate.........

 

[Thaiman]

MENISCUS:

The cable is there to preserve the signal. That's the best it can hope for --> Zero losses. The cable cannot add anything to the music. There must be some science to this.

Yes I concur, the single most sensible thing said in the whole cable debate.........

and from that believe can we draw some conclusion that if the conductors used are the like of 99.99% copper (or silver), the termination of cables are good and well screened to keep any interference to minimum................they all should sound the same or very similar that even bat couldn't hear the different!

 

[Clare Newsome]

Three key variables there, Thaiman:

1) Materials

2) Terminations

3) Screening

Are you suggesting that most cables get the quality of all three of those variables to the same level?

 

[John Duncan]

Thaiman:MENISCUS:

The cable is there to preserve the signal. That's the best it can hope for --> Zero losses. The cable cannot add anything to the music. There must be some science to this.

Yes I concur, the single most sensible thing said in the whole cable debate.........

and from that believe can we draw some conclusion that if the conductors used are the like of 99.99% copper (or silver), the termination of cables are good and well screened to keep any interference to minimum................they all should sound the same or very similar that even bat couldn't hear the different!

I did post this with only the bold font above but obviously it doesnt like empty posts.......

So here's some text.

 

[Thaiman]

Clare Newsome:

Three key variables there, Thaiman:

1) Materials

2) Terminations

3) Screening

Are you suggesting that most cables get the quality of all three of those variables to the same level?

Good morning Mss

I know for the fact that many company have order copper (from the same place) in and made there own sleeves and come up with pretty names to sell them!

I don't want to up set no one here

but I find it very hard to believe that thousands of cables that you have been reviews all sound different! How can you listen to cables? Hifi have been hobby for a long time and I NEVER come across one person that can pick out their interconnects in my system yet!

The fact is there are not many ways to make cables, certainly not over thounsand ways. One company have been selling over 200 different interconnect cables! and still keep coming up with new range all the time, what's are there in the cables that this company keep come up with new idea to improve over older design?

 

[Anonymous]

1) Wire - just make is as oxygen free as possible using the largest crystals you can (not hard) produce. Anyone with a basic understanding of materials can do this.

2) End bits - use quality soldering and good conducting material

3) Sleevey plastic bits - just use a good insulator. Which most plastics are.

Market the nuts of it and see if anyone will pay £1000 a metre for it.

Go to the pub and buy some champagne, chuckling intermittently.

 

[Anonymous]

Will Harris: The cable is there to preserve the signal. That's the best it can hope for --> Zero losses. The cable cannot add anything to the music. There must be some science to this.

Will - that's very much my stance on the subject with interconnects. The very best interconnect should transmit 100% of the source signal with 0% distortion.

IMHO any interconnect that fails to do this (or at least closely approach it) cannot be classed as HiFi.

So interconnects "fail" my "acceptance test" if they don't pass the signal faithfully and or if they introduce or allow distortion to corrupt the signal in some way.

That said a lot of folks seem to like a measure of controlled signal modification by the use of exotic cables. All well and good but it's the same IMHO as smothering your gourmet dinner in brown sauce.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

welshboy:
Will Harris: The cable is there to preserve the signal. That's the best it can hope for --> Zero losses. The cable cannot add anything to the music. There must be some science to this.

Will - that's very much my stance on the subject with interconnects. The very best interconnect should transmit 100% of the source signal with 0% distortion.

IMHO any interconnect that fails to do this (or at least closely approach it) cannot be classed as HiFi.

So interconnects "fail" my "acceptance test" if they don't pass the signal faithfully and or if they introduce or allow distortion to corrupt the signal in some way.

That said a lot of folks seem to like a measure of controlled signal modification by the use of exotic cables. All well and good but it's the same IMHO as smothering your gourmet dinner in brown sauce.

Will missed something out though and no one seems to want pick up on it. The cable cannot add anything to the music but they all take something away. Surely it's the cable that takes the very least away that is the best. The majority of cables take a lot away and therefore the very good ones might sound like they are adding something to the music even though they are taking the least away from the music.

Thaiman. I don't understand your contradictory views on interconnects. You mention that you don't understand what different cables can do but you use ones that 99.9% of people would find obscene to pay for. Please tell the forum how much your Cardas and co cost you??

 

[Jason36]

Hmmm OK,

So what interconnects, should I buy for my system

I made my interconnects myself and I must say rather badly, in fact I am sure that the inbox cables were much better.......but do you know I have been using them for ten years...Doh!!! They really are bad, I will take a photo and see if I can post it and give you all a huge laugh. So personally when I upgrade my connects I am hoping to hear a HUGE difference......even if I by £10 Gotham cables.

So having upgraded my speaker cable at the weekend, and surprisingly heard a difference.....I think I should upgrade my really badly homemade interconnects. The QED ones look good from superfi at £20.00 and I have also seen some Black Rhodium Harmony Cables at £29.00.

At least when I emigrate to the US I can actually take my speaker cable and interconnects with me to integrate into my new system

 

[Thaiman]

OK Mr. Nails.

I believe that many cables sound the same because the copper/silver are from the same batch!

The price of my cables have nothing to do with anything! if I think ("THINK") they add something to my rig it's would be my right to buy them (just like your right, JD, DM or whoever!) Please understand here that I am not try to change anyone's mind, I simply post what I have experienced with my be-loved hobby.

The Myths that I couldn't understand are below

Why Computer industry never recommending supercables for joining bits of equipment together, yet it's as concerned about accurate data transmission as the hi-fi industry.

Do electrons really care what type of conductors they will be travel in? Have you open up your electronics (please don't if you are not sure of what to do) and inspect the jump leads between the pre and power section? or a lead that pass signal from Transport to DAC? All of them are just a cheap skinny copper!

PS....I am still waiting for my ART speakers to arrive and when they are here please excuse me if I wouldn't be log in for few days

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Thaiman:
OK Mr. Nails.

I believe that many cables sound the same because the copper/silver are from the same batch!

The price of my cables have nothing to do with anything! if I think ("THINK") they add something to my rig it's would be my right to buy them (just like your right, JD, DM or whoever!) Please understand here that I am not try to change anyone's mind, I simply post what I have experienced with my be-loved hobby.

The Myths that I couldn't understand are below

Why Computer industry never recommending supercables for joining bits of equipment together, yet it's as concerned about accurate data transmission as the hi-fi industry.

Do electrons really care what type of conductors they will be travel in? Have you open up your electronics (please don't if you are not sure of what to do) and inspect the jump leads between the pre and power section? or a lead that pass signal from Transport to DAC? All of them are just a cheap skinny copper!

PS....I am still waiting for my ART speakers to arrive and when they are here please excuse me if I wouldn't be log in for few days

I agree it's your right to pay what you want. Enjoy your new (demo) speakers TM.

 

[Anonymous]

quote user="Gerrardasnails Will missed something out though and no one seems to want pick up on it. The cable cannot add anything to the music but they all take something away. Surely it's the cable that takes the very least away that is the best. The majority of cables take a lot away and therefore the very good ones might sound like they are adding something to the music even though they are taking the least away from the music.

I fully agree with the cable that removes nothing and adds nothing is top dog view that you express. I don't think in the real world you need to go too far up the price range to find the cable that will do this. Particluarly when you consider that we are really only talking about a cable that can transmit in the 5Hz to (lets say for the sake of argument) 40kHz range. While I agree that some budget cables are likely to only reach the 99th percentile of perfection once you start into the decent cable terretory you'd expect to be at the 99.99th percentile of perfection at least. So now I'm back to my standard issue ears aregument where I doubt that I personnally can here that last 0.01% anyway.

For the this is one area where measurement would clear up the confusion.

Now speaker cable is a different matter. You can't avoid the fact (due to it's length and the relatively current it carries as it's a "power" cable) that the cable has electrical properties which can potentially have an audible effect on what you hear. The cable has some slight resistance, given it's length and configuration it has capacitance and to an extent it has inductance. Depending on how you design it you can easily change the capacitiance and inductance of the cable and this may give rise to audible differences with given combinations of loudspeaker and amplifier. However if the designer of the cable has held true to the HiFi principle he should be seeking to minimise these. This is not always the case with speaker cable and you only have to look at some of them to see that.

 

[professorhat]

Jason36:I think I should upgrade my really badly homemade interconnects. The QED ones look good from superfi at £20.00 and I have also seen some Black Rhodium Harmony Cables at £29.00.
I have to say, at these prices, I tend to just go with WHF reviews - I don't think I'm missing out too much and it's more likely a system upgrade is going to be necessary to change the sound as opposed to cables. When it gets more expensive (in the realms of £100+), it's probably more worth auditioning to ensure the cables match your system.
At any rate, I buy most of my cables from hificables.co.uk which have a 30 day money back offer.

 

[Anonymous]

DM, are you considering used cables at this price point? if so i would recommend you try the Crystal Cable Piccolo. a very neutral sounding cable that reveals loads of detail. can be found s/h for 50 notes.
goodluck

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
Three key variables there, Thaiman:

1) Materials

2) Terminations

3) Screening

Are you suggesting that most cables get the quality of all three of those variables to the same level?

Couldn't agree more. As different cables vary with respect to the above variables it is easy to see how cables should sound different,and, IME they do sound different. I think the differences are generally more apparent in a higher quality system vs budget, so it surprises me that some comments regarding the perceived lack of differences come from some of those who have 'high-end' equipment.

<p> With regard to the comment that 'the best a cable can hope for is zero losses' - I'd suggest that it is not so easy, and probably impossible. The better cables add the least colouration, but at least different colouration of cables allows us to fine tune a system (making a system less bright, more bright etc etc.). A lot of technology can and is applied to cables (which I think sometimes is overlooked by the sceptics) and some of the more expensive ones reflect that in their pricing (although some take this to an extreme!) <p>

 

[Anonymous]

JAXON5:Clare Newsome:

Three key variables there, Thaiman:

1) Materials

2) Terminations

3) Screening

Are you suggesting that most cables get the quality of all three of those variables to the same level?

Couldn't agree more. As different cables vary with respect to the above variables it is easy to see how cables should sound different,and, IME they do sound different. I think the differences are generally more apparent in a higher quality system vs budget, so it surprises me that some comments regarding the perceived lack of differences come from some of those who have 'high-end' equipment.

<p> With regard to the comment that 'the best a cable can hope for is zero losses' - I'd suggest that it is not so easy, and probably impossible. The better cables add the least colouration, but at least different colouration of cables allows us to fine tune a system (making a system less bright, more bright etc etc.). A lot of technology can and is applied to cables (which I think sometimes is overlooked by the sceptics) and some of the more expensive ones reflect that in their pricing (although some take this to an extreme!) <p>

But I thought that's what the tone controls on a pre-amp were for?

Cables have been made to transmit the tinyest signals faithfully for years and years. Just look at the bit of coax (probably buried in your wall) that brings a signal as complex as a TV picture into your living room all the way from the roof. Even high end commercial coax is cheap as chips compared to almost any interconnect you care to name (even Gothams!!!!) but it works just fine for years and years. Same with the cable that delivers Sky HD or whatever you have.

Now as Thiaman has said the quality of any transmission system is as good as the poorest (or cheapest) component in it, and I always try to remember that Hi Fi is about fidelity and the definition of that is faithfullness to the original. So I think the statement a cable that transmits 100% of the input signal with no loss or distortion is the ultimate aim of a HiFi cable is correct and it's not at all immpossible to do at a realistic price or at least it shouldn't be.

Don't get me wrong here if you personally want to adjust the sound you hear by using a particular amp or CD player or cable or speaker or wire then that's fine. It will influence your choice of gear and that's great and its exactly what our favourite mag is there to help us with.