Interconnect & Speaker cable help needed

[pravstar]

System - Musical fidelity A3 cd & A 3.2 amp +Castle Avon speakers

Having decided to take out my old hifi gear after some years, I am now seeking some much needed advice and guidance, on how much I should budget towards accessories. My budget would ideally be £200 -£300 for an interconnect plus biwire, 2 to 4 speaker cable

I have been testing my mates meridian separates with different components, one amazing difference we noticed was hearing the van den hul d102 outperform it's pricier first ultimate mk 2 interconnect, which was baffling, but true, using six different cables

Ideally I would like to have auditioned items, but this may not happen. I have heard that chord and nordost work well in Mf system. I've looked at the chord oddesey 4 and chord chameleon, nordost blue heaven with nordost flatline as examples, or mix and match, kimber, ecosse etc.I am not a big qed fan though.

I am really open to alternative suggestions. Second hand kit in good condition doesn't phase me, my equipment is over twelve years old and in good nick, and like all people I love a bargain. Any recommendations will be much appreciated.

 

[abacus]

Bi-Wiring will only take the speakers outside their design specifications, therefore stick with single wire or go for bi-amping instead.

Pop down to your local professional music store, (Avoid Hi Fi cablemanufactres and most dealers) as they will be able to give you suitable cable and interconnects for your system. (The cables that professional music studios use to produce the music you are listening too)

When comparing cables, always use the double blind test, as otherwise you will hear differences that don't exist. (Human Beings are very poor at identifying real and imaginary differences on their own, hence all cues have to be removed first)

Hope this helps

Bill

 

[drummerman]

I have used Naim NACA5 for a long time. I got it cheap and like it.

Were I in the market for speaker cabling then VDH's CS122 Hybrid would be my first call. It seems to work well in different systems and combines a number of innovative methods. Not expensive either.

As for interconnects, I have a number but use Profigold's Oxypure throughout. Superbly made it is shielded and even includes ferrite rings.

Good luck

 

[The_Lhc]

Bi-Wiring will only take the speakers outside their design specifications,

Err, what exactly does that mean?

 

[TrevC]

If you have more money than sense then you buy expensive fancy cables. The after market cable industry was invented with people like that in mind. I wish I had more money.

There are no performance improvements to be had over and above suitable inexpensive ones.

 

[Anderson]

Some of the bling cables do look kewl

 

[Gazzip]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

 

[TrevC]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

From their website; To minimize vibration and noise, each RCA connector is sealed with an anti micro-phony compound to damp excess vibration in that part of the signal path. This helps to enhance the silent background in your system.

They fail the honesty test.

 

[Anderson]

When they say anti microphony compound, they could have just said glue lol

 

[Gazzip]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

They fail the honesty test.

Funnily enough I usually judge a cable company by the way their product sounds. Maybe give that a shot sometime Trevor, you might surprise yourself.

 

[TrevC]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

They fail the honesty test.

Funnily enough I usually judge a cable company by the way their product sounds. Maybe give that a shot sometime Trevor, you might surprise yourself.

Some more. This time about a mains cable costing over £700 that can only work as well as a £1 kettle lead.

" like all our cable products it improves with burn in" -

You've been had old son.

 

[Gazzip]

Maybe I have been had Trev, maybe I have. However time and time again on this forum you have demonstrated your woefully misguided, some might describe it as pitiful, knowledge of all things electrical. Excuse me therefore if I don't take your advice/guidance/suggestions/nonsense/statements of fact particularly seriously.

I see you are currently trolling on two threads simultaneously. Careful you don't strain the brain cell old son.

 

[TrevC]

Maybe I have been had Trev, maybe I have. However time and time again on this forum you have demonstrated your woefully misguided, some might describe it as pitiful, knowledge of all things electrical. Excuse me therefore if I don't take your advice/guidance/suggestions/nonsense/statements of fact particularly seriously.

I see you are currently trolling on two threads simultaneously. Careful you don't strain the brain cell old son.

I'm puzzled why you think an ad hominem response is adequate. You describe my knowledge as pitiful, could you provide an example? No, of course you can't.

 

[bigfish786]

Or lack of.

ive always tried to give products a fair hearing. My first experience with vinyl was hopeless, sounded bloody awful to me. Yet, after hearing it sound fantastic, it changed my mind.

my experience with cables could be described as something similar. I thought any one wire will do, and it does. It works, it doesn't excell. Just works.

better products are out there, whether they are cheap, like cable, or not so cheap as interconnects, or expensive, like high end turntables. Products are there for you to discover, try, enjoy.

If you don't beleive these things can improve your listening experience, then don't buy them. For everyone else who enjoys trying new things, experimenting, pushing the boundaries, there's a wealth of products out there to try.

im really glad that my natural curiosity means I remain open minded to everything, otherwise, I'd still be using a hifi stack system, with speakers placed each side, and excepting that as the best sound I can get.

I don't understand why so many people occupy a hifi forum if they don't beleive in a lot of the technology? Seems a bit daft to me.

 

[TrevC]

Or lack of.

ive always tried to give products a fair hearing. My first experience with vinyl was hopeless, sounded bloody awful to me. Yet, after hearing it sound fantastic, it changed my mind.

my experience with cables could be described as something similar. I thought any one wire will do, and it does. It works, it doesn't excell. Just works.

better products are out there, whether they are cheap, like cable, or not so cheap as interconnects, or expensive, like high end turntables. Products are there for you to discover, try, enjoy.

If you don't beleive these things can improve your listening experience, then don't buy them. For everyone else who enjoys trying new things, experimenting, pushing the boundaries, there's a wealth of products out there to try.

im really glad that my natural curiosity means I remain open minded to everything, otherwise, I'd still be using a hifi stack system, with speakers placed each side, and excepting that as the best sound I can get.

I don't understand why so many people occupy a hifi forum if they don't beleive in a lot of the technology? Seems a bit daft to me.

Grossly overpriced cables like those mentioned are to hifi technology what homeopathy is to the pharmaceutical industry, or perhaps the elixir of life sold by um medicine man. By all means have an open mind but don't let your brain fall out. It's pretty obvious to most people that whatever an interconnect is made of it can't possibly cost more to make than a good amplifier.

 

[drummerman]

Or lack of.

ive always tried to give products a fair hearing. My first experience with vinyl was hopeless, sounded bloody awful to me. Yet, after hearing it sound fantastic, it changed my mind.

my experience with cables could be described as something similar. I thought any one wire will do, and it does. It works, it doesn't excell. Just works.

better products are out there, whether they are cheap, like cable, or not so cheap as interconnects, or expensive, like high end turntables. Products are there for you to discover, try, enjoy.

If you don't beleive these things can improve your listening experience, then don't buy them. For everyone else who enjoys trying new things, experimenting, pushing the boundaries, there's a wealth of products out there to try.

im really glad that my natural curiosity means I remain open minded to everything, otherwise, I'd still be using a hifi stack system, with speakers placed each side, and excepting that as the best sound I can get.

I don't understand why so many people occupy a hifi forum if they don't beleive in a lot of the technology? Seems a bit daft to me.

Grossly overpriced cables like those mentioned are to hifi technology what homeopathy is to the pharmaceutical industry, or perhaps the elixir of life sold by um medicine man. By all means have an open mind but don't let your brain fall out. It's pretty obvious to most people that whatever an interconnect is made of it can't possibly cost more to make than a good amplifier.

The power of placebos or hope, in whatever circumstances, can't be underestimated.

If you have cancer, its easiest to place yourself in the hands of proven science and a good decision it is too as it is increasingly successful. However, if you fight and believe you can fight the disease by additional means of the medicin man, homeopathy or any other number of real or imaginary remedies who says that you can't improve your chances.

The human mind is complex and not completely understood.

I am not for a moment saying that cables don't have different characteristics but even if they did'nt, if it sounds better to the person buying them, whats wrong with that?

As to your point about some cables costing the same as an omega, patek philip or even a car ... I agree. It's ridiculous but again, if someone has the cash and feels this would be the dot on the i to sonic bliss ... why not. - I wouldn't but accept some do.

 

[Gazzip]

Or lack of.

ive always tried to give products a fair hearing. My first experience with vinyl was hopeless, sounded bloody awful to me. Yet, after hearing it sound fantastic, it changed my mind.

my experience with cables could be described as something similar. I thought any one wire will do, and it does. It works, it doesn't excell. Just works.

better products are out there, whether they are cheap, like cable, or not so cheap as interconnects, or expensive, like high end turntables. Products are there for you to discover, try, enjoy.

If you don't beleive these things can improve your listening experience, then don't buy them. For everyone else who enjoys trying new things, experimenting, pushing the boundaries, there's a wealth of products out there to try.

im really glad that my natural curiosity means I remain open minded to everything, otherwise, I'd still be using a hifi stack system, with speakers placed each side, and excepting that as the best sound I can get.

I don't understand why so many people occupy a hifi forum if they don't beleive in a lot of the technology? Seems a bit daft to me.

Grossly overpriced cables like those mentioned are to hifi technology what homeopathy is to the pharmaceutical industry, or perhaps the elixir of life sold by um medicine man. By all means have an open mind but don't let your brain fall out. It's pretty obvious to most people that whatever an interconnect is made of it can't possibly cost more to make than a good amplifier.

There you go again spouting complete nonsense. You don't have any idea what a cable costs to manufacture, nor do you have any idea what an amplifier costs to manufacture. You are full of it fella. Just stay away and let people who want to talk cables talk cables.

 

[bigfish786]

But something that seems overpriced to you, may make complete sense to someone else..

im not going to pay several hundreds, or even thousands for cables. But to someone who may have bought a £120,000 pair of focal speakers, it well may make perfect sense.

Hifi, at any price is for pure enjoyment, your own enjoyment. If you want the cheapest stuff you can buy, or want the best you can afford, it's all your own personal choice.

saying people are wrong at both ends of the spectrum is not what it's all about, if cheap and cheerful works for you, fair play to you.

if you think you can improve anything or everything and are willing to spend your hard earned money, then all the better for you.

my music and my hifi give me so much, far more value than the simple cost of the products. I hope that others feel the same.

 

[radiorog]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

From their website; To minimize vibration and noise, each RCA connector is sealed with an anti micro-phony compound to damp excess vibration in that part of the signal path. This helps to enhance the silent background in your system.

They fail the honesty test.

Surely a company stating claims with no evidence to back up such claims is a pure example of false advertising and therefore the company is liable and would be sued pretty smarttish? Why would any company wanting to maintain its integrity, and have any wish to stay in business longer than a year actually do this?

 

[BigH]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

From their website; To minimize vibration and noise, each RCA connector is sealed with an anti micro-phony compound to damp excess vibration in that part of the signal path. This helps to enhance the silent background in your system.

They fail the honesty test.

Surely a company stating claims with no evidence to back up such claims is a pure example of false advertising and therefore the company is liable and would be sued pretty smarttish? Why would any company wanting to maintain its integrity, and have any wish to stay in business longer than a year actually do this?

Quite a few have been warned by the ASA.

 

[Gazzip]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

From their website; To minimize vibration and noise, each RCA connector is sealed with an anti micro-phony compound to damp excess vibration in that part of the signal path. This helps to enhance the silent background in your system.

They fail the honesty test.

Surely a company stating claims with no evidence to back up such claims is a pure example of false advertising and therefore the company is liable and would be sued pretty smarttish? Why would any company wanting to maintain its integrity, and have any wish to stay in business longer than a year actually do this?

Ridiculous claims are made by all Hifi manufacturers. My amp gives a soundstage stretching over the horizon and beyond. My CD player double over clocks to provide a wider DAC signal dispersion. My speakers are made from kevlar and concrete leading to a better bass response. It's all marketing bull so why single out cable manufacturers for doing it?

 

[TrevC]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

From their website; To minimize vibration and noise, each RCA connector is sealed with an anti micro-phony compound to damp excess vibration in that part of the signal path. This helps to enhance the silent background in your system.

They fail the honesty test.

Surely a company stating claims with no evidence to back up such claims is a pure example of false advertising and therefore the company is liable and would be sued pretty smarttish? Why would any company wanting to maintain its integrity, and have any wish to stay in business longer than a year actually do this?

The amount of money they make just from one pair of interconnects must be huge and they can say pretty much anything they like on a website. Put it in print and they become subject to ASA regulation.

 

[radiorog]

You could also look at the Tellurium Q Black range which would fit your budget nicely and are very popular with Naim enthusiasts as I understand it. I am using them in my system and I am a big fan.

I always judge a cable company by their honesty in advertising.

From their website; To minimize vibration and noise, each RCA connector is sealed with an anti micro-phony compound to damp excess vibration in that part of the signal path. This helps to enhance the silent background in your system.

They fail the honesty test.

Surely a company stating claims with no evidence to back up such claims is a pure example of false advertising and therefore the company is liable and would be sued pretty smarttish? Why would any company wanting to maintain its integrity, and have any wish to stay in business longer than a year actually do this?

Ridiculous claims are made by all Hifi manufacturers. My amp gives a soundstage stretching over the horizon and beyond. My CD player double over clocks to provide a wider DAC signal dispersion. My speakers are made from kevlar and concrete leading to a better bass response. It's all marketing bull so why single out cable manufacturers for doing it?

If some have been warned by the ASA, I guess there must be something going on with some companies.

I respect your reply gazzip, and on the statement regarding the horizon I can see how that is just bumf, but the other two statements seem respectable enough to me.? I don't understand double over clocking producing a wider signal presentation but it sounds feasible. And having kevlar and concrete surely does produce a better bass? Aren't speaker materials very important in design and sound? This is where I can believe some of what cable companies say....chemistry and physics are intertwined, so surely changing materials within certain areas of a cable could have a way of cleaning up an electrical signal?

 

[TrevC]

Or lack of.

ive always tried to give products a fair hearing. My first experience with vinyl was hopeless, sounded bloody awful to me. Yet, after hearing it sound fantastic, it changed my mind.

my experience with cables could be described as something similar. I thought any one wire will do, and it does. It works, it doesn't excell. Just works.

better products are out there, whether they are cheap, like cable, or not so cheap as interconnects, or expensive, like high end turntables. Products are there for you to discover, try, enjoy.

If you don't beleive these things can improve your listening experience, then don't buy them. For everyone else who enjoys trying new things, experimenting, pushing the boundaries, there's a wealth of products out there to try.

im really glad that my natural curiosity means I remain open minded to everything, otherwise, I'd still be using a hifi stack system, with speakers placed each side, and excepting that as the best sound I can get.

I don't understand why so many people occupy a hifi forum if they don't beleive in a lot of the technology? Seems a bit daft to me.

Grossly overpriced cables like those mentioned are to hifi technology what homeopathy is to the pharmaceutical industry, or perhaps the elixir of life sold by um medicine man. By all means have an open mind but don't let your brain fall out. It's pretty obvious to most people that whatever an interconnect is made of it can't possibly cost more to make than a good amplifier.

There you go again spouting complete nonsense. You don't have any idea what a cable costs to manufacture, nor do you have any idea what an amplifier costs to manufacture. You are full of it fella. Just stay away and let people who want to talk cables talk cables.

You're lashing out at me because you know I'm talking sense. I forgive you.

Tell me how two one metre lengths of wire with plugs on can cost thousands of pounds when one can buy an identical sounding 6 quid pair on ebay.

 

[pravstar]

Hi Bill

​Thanks for clearing a few of my HiFi dilemmas, I am taking your advice and not going down the biwiring route, and this has opened a lot more cables available to me.

I saw you mention professional music store as an option to get my missing components. Excuse my ignorance but could you tell me of places anywhere in and around London that you have heard or know of, because I have not seen one of those places in over ten years anywhere.