Can someone convince me as to why these expensive rca interconnects such as Nordost, Audioquest, etc. are actually worth it? Or are they a joke? I bring this up because I just had a somewhat expensive Audioquest Evergreen cable go bad. I had an audible hum coming from my speakers and I starting to troubleshoot. When I jiggled the evergreen cable it started literally raising hell, serious static. So naturally I removed it and installed the next best thing I had laying around and the noise was gone. These Audioquest cables go for about 80 bucks. They aren't nearly as expensive as some options out there but definitely should not fail like that, imo...
Expensive RCA cables
- Thread starter spl84
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Al ears
Well-known member
You are unfortunate. I don't think I have ever had a RCA cable fail, regardless of cost.
I'd be sending it back
twinkletoes
Well-known member
As said above its very unusual there really isnt alot that can go wrong with a cable. With the right tools it would probably be a very simple fix.
Most of my branded cables were given to me free when buying equipment and some of them are very old 20+ years, the cheap red and whites ones in the boxes don't last nearly as long but that has everything to with the plugs not the wire.
I can't answer your question if there worth it or not but in my experience they give years of trouble service.
Most of my branded cables were given to me free when buying equipment and some of them are very old 20+ years, the cheap red and whites ones in the boxes don't last nearly as long but that has everything to with the plugs not the wire.
I can't answer your question if there worth it or not but in my experience they give years of trouble service.
abacus
Well-known member
There is no evidence (Apart from the placebo effect) that an expensive interconnect is better than a good quality basic interconnect, so don't worry about it. (The exception would be if you like bling, as some expensive ones do look nice)
Bill
Bill
Fred1958
Well-known member
I made my own using Shark wire. Made to measure and to my ears sound extremely good. A 50cm pair cost around £8 all in and took about half an hour to make up and a bit quicker on the second set. I then borrowed a pair of reasonably expensive QED Performance RCAs ( £70) from a friend to see if there was a £62 difference. If anything (and I maybe biased) the difference was negligible if there was any 'difference' at all. Blue Jeans Cables is a place to start https://www.bluejeanscable.co.uk/ for DIY or AV Online are reasonable and always have a sale on https://www.av.com/stereo-phono-rca-cables?page=1.
Fred
Fred
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record_spot
Well-known member
Not sure if it's as bad now, but for a while, Audioquest were seriously pirated. Not saying that's happened in your case, but one to bear in mind if you hadn't bought via a dealer.
Of late, I've taken up offers from Peter Tyson in Carlisle for some Chord cables - I used to have the Chorus years ago and it was a nice wire. Well built and I got it for a song. So, while I've been a dedicated Fisual user in recent years, their price has now gone up to about £45 for a 1m Havana XL Iwhich is still great VFM IMO), this week I've splurged on the Chord Shawline and the Clearway which were both heavily discounted.
Currently running the Shawline betwixt my DAC and passive switch box. The Clearway will go between my old Kenwood and switch box and the other Clearway between the Cambridge Alva ST turntable and Musical Fidelity phono preamp.
Fandango Andy
Well-known member
Putting asside your faulty cable and just looking at the age old question of whether cables make a difference; there will always be some variation from one cable to the next, conductivity and resistance in the wire. How well are they put together, ie the join between the wire and the connectors. Shielding. In other words build quality and quality of the materials used.
However, how big a difference does it make? I would suggest small, and the less revealing the rest of the equipment is, the less of a difference it will make. If you listed all the ways you could improve your sound in descending order they would come towards the bottom of the list with getting speaker position and room resonance sorted wouldnbe top. (Would speaker cables go above, below, or equal to interconnects? That's something for a small corner of this forum to argue over!) At the end of the day, this is only my opinion, the problem comes when people state opinion as fact.
I
Friesiansam
Well-known member
The latter. The top end, super expensive cable manufacturers, are just taking advantage of those who are rich and gullible.
SallyB
Well-known member
Friesiansam
Well-known member
Take a look at the prices of Nordost cables and, you'll see why I said that...
Oxfordian
Well-known member
Why is someone who has a lot of money deemed to be gullible because they want to spend their money on a cable that costs more than what you would be prepared to pay?
Gray
Well-known member
Come on, be honest.
I really think you must know the answer to your question.
Let's take the example of that undeniably expensive, Z8 camera.
It's abundantly obvious what costs the money on that.
Not only is it a joy to use, but what it does will be provably better.
You don't need to be gullible to buy that.
You do need to be gullible to pay the same or more for a cable - because, under no circumstances can its price be justified.
I really think you know that, but just like to play devil's advocate.
Maybe try to think of gullible in a less negative way - because they can't be anything other than gullible.
record_spot
Well-known member
Indeed. And of course, companies like Nordost may be aware of this...
Nordost Odin 2 Speaker Cable - Factory Terminated Pair
Nordost's Odin 2 range is the 'Supreme Reference' for top-of-the-range audiophile equipment. Each component of the Odin 2 range is meticulously crafted to ensure the most performance out of your system. The Odin 2 Speaker cable is designed to ensure the purest audio signal transfer to your...
www.futureshop.co.uk
And the above speaker cable is yours for just £37,500 per 1m pair.
If you need something a little more useful lengthwise, then a 3m pair will set you back a whisker over £59,000 and that's assuming you don't want any burn-in or contact enhancer options added.
Edit: but yeah, I think they'd be as gullible as f***.
Last edited:
Revolutions
Well-known member
Friesiansam
Well-known member
Can anyone honestly believe, that a person who has been convinced to buy a pair of 1 metre speaker cables for £37,350, can be anything other than gullible?
record_spot
Well-known member
See, I'd like to see the speakers that need such a cable. I don't mean that they'd be brilliant or anything - that should be a given as they're going to be £350,000 at least, but how many speakers are made that small, that are so expensive, they only need a 1m speaker cable?
I'll stick my neck out here and say none. So the reality is, these are sold in quantities of at least 3m as the speakers they'd normally be attached to are huge, bespoke, esoteric designs that fill rooms. And even if I did have that kind of money that I could afford a £2m system, I'm not spending £55k on a pair of speaker cables - that can go into the kids' inheritance.
Oxfordian
Well-known member
It’s about choice, you may believe that the person buying expensive cables is gullible because you believe that there is no discernible difference between a modestly price set and an expensive set, they in turn may believe that you are a cheapskate for not investing in good quality cables as they believe that there is a difference.
I get really fed up with people on this forum spouting off that anyone who pays more for a cable that what others believe is necessary must be gullible or a fool or any other insult that can be attributed. Well you’re wrong, it is about freedom of choice, if I choose to splash the cash on a pair of interconnects or speaker cable costs many hundreds of £’s what the hell has it to do with anyone else?
You can have an opinion on what you think I am for buying these cables, and that is fine we are all entitled to our opinions but to call out and say that someone is gullible because they choose to spend their money on something that you believe is wrong is not acceptable. Have an opinion by all means and I fully respect your right to have one, but it’s your opinion please keep it to yourself.
I understand that you believe that there is no benefit in spending more than what is necessary on cables and that’s fine but what is the figure because what works for one doesn’t work for another, what is expensive for one is modestly priced for another.
As individuals we have a right to spend our money how we see fit, I wish that people on this forum would respect that right and not demean those who choose to spend more on an item that what others deem necessary.
Apologies for the rant but this really does ***s me off.
Oxfordian
Well-known member
If you’re a member of the billionaires club, that could be cheap.
It’s all about perspective.
Friesiansam
Well-known member
Most people who get that rich, do so by being hard-headed and shrewd. Those who are, comparatively, frivolous with their money, don't get that rich.
record_spot
Well-known member
Chris Rock summed it up nicely when he referred to bling. You've got the ones who go out and buy rims, and you've got the ones who've got real wealth.
DougK1
Well-known member
Gray
Well-known member
It's not about me believing that there is no proven benefit.
It about them probably having never proven that there is a benefit 👍
Now surely when YOU buy something, you'd want to know that there is a proven benefit - and if you didn't, then you could be rightly described as gullible.
You just need to ask yourself why the vast majority of people on forums think that anyone that spends thousands on cables is gullible.
And please believe me, certainly in my case, it is nothing to do with being jealous of people with plenty of money - I don't care what you - or anyone else spend your money on.
But I stick to what I say about proven benefit - if someone buys something with no proven benefit....tell me how you would describe them.
DougK1
Well-known member
Show me the science behind your claims and I might change my opinion. Until then it's just a bit of copper, if you spend more than necessary then it's purely bling. My cables are bling cos they match my decor perfectly.
Gray
Well-known member
...but you've got an opinion that they cannot be gullible.
Most people here believe, strongly, that they are gullible.
You will never hear me ask you, or anyone else to keep their opinion to themselves - so please don't do that.
One more question for you.
Purchasers of £4000 or £8000 fuses....are they not gullible?
If not, why not....I would really like you to explain.
Yes, as you repeatedly say, it's all about choice. I agree.
But are they gullible?
Revolutions
Well-known member
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