Musical cables to improve bass performance and musicality? Does it exist?

[kingsap]

My main system purchased has been done Its actually

HTPC (naim uniserve for the future) --> Nad m51 dac --> densen b200 pre --> densen b330 amp --> neat ultimatum mf5 (retail for over 10k, so i would spend around 10% of budget for system which is 1k)

i tested all these system with tchernov reference cables and also nordost heimdall and they are far ahead of my budget. So i need new cables.

I need interconnect cables + usb cables + speaker cables + p0wer chords + power conditioner all within a budget of 1000pounds or 2000usd TOTAL

Im looking for something musical and fun listening with good bass response (accuracy and neutrality is not priority as my system is already very clear sounding). Im not sure the cables would help? But if it does, im hoping for some advice

Chord? Atlas? acoustic zen?

Im spending another 1k for room treatment, so thats a different budget.

Thanks all

 

[the record spot]

IMO only, but you'll get more mileage out of moving your speakers six inches either left or right and back or forward than you will from a cable. Lots of opinion and hot air expressed on the benefits of cable (don't read Roy Gregory's views on these else you'll spend thousands on Nordost). Biggest difference I ever experienced was using a Nordost Blue Heaven which was silver based. Silver apparently is generally brighter in tone than the copper equivalent. Of the (many) copper ones I've tried, the difference between an Atlas Navigator (£200's worth) against an £8 cheapo generic model was minimal.

You pays your money, etc., but I'd start by repositioning your speakers slightly, or changing the angle of toe-in before spending anything like that kind of money.

 

[GMK]

Seconded. The difference in even mild speaker adjustment can be huge (annoyingly). It's also down to personal taste/room acoustics/positioning limitations. Chebby and I have the same JPW Sonata's. He has his against the wall, I find mine sound best out into the room where they have more sparkle. Only you can decide what sounds good to your ears

 

[kingsap]

IMO only, but you'll get more mileage out of moving your speakers six inches either left or right and back or forward than you will from a cable. Lots of opinion and hot air expressed on the benefits of cable (don't read Roy Gregory's views on these else you'll spend thousands on Nordost). Biggest difference I ever experienced was using a Nordost Blue Heaven which was silver based. Silver apparently is generally brighter in tone than the copper equivalent. Of the (many) copper ones I've tried, the difference between an Atlas Navigator (£200's worth) against an £8 cheapo generic model was minimal.

You pays your money, etc., but I'd start by repositioning your speakers slightly, or changing the angle of toe-in before spending anything like that kind of money.

Thanks for the advice My speaker hadnt arrive so i cant experiment with positioning for now. I will definitely report my findings later But i dont have any cables (not even cheap ones) at the moment so even my system arrive, how would i even play the system. My dealer will come to set the systems up for me when it arrives, but as i did not buy cables from him, he told me to get some cables ready sp he could set up the speakers for me.

Power cables should be included in the package, but i dont have any speaker cables or interconnects

cheers

 

[pauln]

No.

 

[the record spot]

Okay, so common sense would (IMO again) dictate that before going out and lashing the cash on cable exotica, see how it all sounds with some basic stuff to start off with. All of the gear you're buying will come boxed with basic freebie interconnects and power leads. The power leads provided are fine, power conditioners, unless you experience noticeable power fluctuations, and I'm guessing you don't, then these are of questionable value and can sometimes have a negative effect on sound quality.

Speaker cable? Some bog-standard OFC- 322-strand 2.5mm stuff will do the job fine, You can buy 10m from Digitalis Direct for about £5.50 (I swapped out Audioquest Type 4 which is about £13/m nowadays and again, not much difference - if anything the OFC stuff was slightly better but that could be as much down to single-wiring the speakers from biwiring). Interconnects, well, there's plenty of them out there, but Atlas, Chord, Van den Hul, Ecosse, Monster, QED....they all do them. I think I used the QED Qunex 2 as well, which was about £30 for a 1m pair and that was fine.

Again, this is all IMO only, there are plenty on here who will espouse buying Tullurium Q Blacks but you're into big money again there (for most people on here that is, cable prices go up to really silly money over the long term).

If you do have to try stuff out, make sure you go to a dealer (or online retailer) who will let you return some demo cables to them with no risk to your money bar the cost of return postage - 30 days should be enough for most.

Other than that, just enjoy your system and forget the minutiae for now. Happy listening!

 

[steve_1979]

Here's a very good and simple to understand explanation of why some speaker cables sound different to others.

Clicky :read:

 

[MakkaPakka]

Im spending another 1k for room treatment.

Good for you.

I've tried various bits and pieces, straining to hear a difference between this and that. Every time I thought I heard a difference the next time I tried I wasn't so sure. In the end I sold my (relatively) expensive kit in favour of cheap stuff.

The only thing that has ever made a clear difference is adding room treatment. I added a few normal panels which improved things a bit but one day I decided to invest in some bass traps and I had a genuine 'what the.....' moment when I heard the difference.

Room acoustics and speaker position are things that work. There is no debate - it can be measured and proven. Try finding some actual proof that expensive cables work.

If you're really wowed by fancy looking cables then get your room and speaker setupp as good as you can first. Then try one expensive cable and see if there's any difference before you start throwing money around. Even if you accept a cable can make a difference, it won't be 1% of what you'd gain from a well positioned bass trap.

Would highly recommend learning how to measure your room as well - it is way more accurate than relying on your ears to determine the best positioning.

 

[steve_1979]

Digital cables make no difference to the sound quality. They either work or they don't.

You can hear a difference with some analogue cables though. The good ones don't add any noticable distortion so they all sound the same because they can't make the original signal any better than it already is. Bad cables that do add distortion can make it worse though and I suspect this is what often gets mistaken for an 'improvement' with some of the overpriced audiophile cables.

 

[steve_1979]

+1 to everything that RS has said.

 

[kingsap]

AWESOME!!! thanks for the response, now i can cut my budget to 200 pounds for cables just to be save and spend the rest on treatments, furniture and more music

Howbout power cables? Does power cables actually make a difference? Will it help protect my investment?

So is there absolutely no difference between copper and silver cables? Ill just mix and match them and see what happens.

once again thanks for the response, im actually glad of the answers! I read some articles in audiogon and the way the cables are descibed is making me have a headache! I will not post there for now hahaha. :rofl:

 

[the record spot]

No, there will be a difference between silver and copper - the former being slightly brighter by all accounts (and by my one experience with Nordost Blue Heaven). Otherwise, the copper ones are pretty much of a muchness. Check out Ebay for good used options too. You'll get some good deals on there. I used to use Audioquest - their earlier cables like the Turquoise, Ruby and later ones like Copperhead are all well made, not too expensive and like the QED Qunex, will do the job you're after. You've got options and none of this stuff needs to cost a fortune.

Careful with the room treatments too - it's your home after all, so soft furnishings and rugs can make a big difference as much as bass traps, etc, etc.

 

[steve_1979]

Howbout power cables? Does power cables actually make a difference?

No.

The mains cables that come supplied with the equipment will be just fine.

 

[CnoEvil]

My advice is to try it for yourself and then make your own mind up.

As mentioned, I fully agree with the considerable benefits derived from room treatment and speaker positioning.

 

[matt49]

Another cheapo tweak is to experiment with rolled up strips of acoustic foam of various lengths in the rear ports of your speakers (assuming they have rear ports). This did wonders for my Neat Iotas which are on wall mounts in the angle of two walls and ceiling -- not a happy place for a speaker to be, but after a few attempts (and altering the angle of the speakers) I ended up with a significant improvement. (See the pictures in my sig.)

Matt

 

[Cypher]

To answer your question ; No.

Buy some cables you like but do not spend a fortune because the sound isn't improving with more expensive cables.

 

[ISAC69]

It depends on many factors : the quality of your system components ( speakers/amp/ DAC/CDP atc ) , your music sources , your room size and your acoustics in it and the position of the speakers act. . You can spend a lot of money on cabels and interconnects with no improvement in the sound because there might be a problem with one or more of the factors I mention above .

 

[iJoe]

My ex had some Neat ultimatums in a smallish sitting/dinning room, and honestly it didn't sound ten times better than mine, if anything it was worse just because of the room. :? In otherwords spend it on the treatment and getting it set up propably and it will sound fantastic.

 

[p_m_brown]

IMO, room treatment makes a real difference so is definately worth doing (not just with egg boxes though!)

Cables do make a difference and I for one would spend money here as you have some great gear - why on earth would you lash it up with bell wire as some people here would have you do!

Decent interconnects are key and I particularly like Chord stuff, so maybe try a Chorus interconnect and Oddesey or Epic spk cable depending on how much you need. I have found that Chord stuff sounds warm with decent bass depth along with exceptional clarity.

I would investigate power cable/higher quality cables once your room is treated and you are used to the sound of your new gear.

Enjoy!

 

[Anonymous]

Get some of the cheapest cable and interconnects in the shop, along with some of the more expensive stuff, agree with the dealer that you can return what you don't want after home demoing.

Then get a friend or family member to swap the cheaper cables for the pricey ones, and vice versa, and you will see for yourself that they all sound the same. Then bring the pricey ones back.

Failing that, you could just buy the cheapest and save yourself the hassle, but don't buy boutique cables on the say so of other folk, they're a waste of money.

Hope this helps.

 

[steve_1979]

...why on earth would you lash it up with bell wire as some people here would have you do!

Bellwire? Who said that?

Cheap OFC copper cable which is of a suitably thick guage works perfectly though. There's no need to spend a fortune.

 

[TrevC]

"there will be a difference between silver and copper"

Nope. Mythology.

 

[Cypher]

"there will be a difference between silver and copper"

Nope. Mythology.

I read this so many times. Silver is supposed to sound brighter but it simply doesn't. Mythology indeed.

 

[Singslinger]

In my experience, some cables can add that something extra in the bass department. One brand I found to do so is Ringmat. They only make one brand of speaker cable and it isn't expensive, so I'd recommend checking them out.

 

[GMK]

£306 as a minimum price for a 3m pair isn't expensive?!