Newbie cable selection question

[Amiko03]

Hey everyone,

I have recently inherited a number of components from my family and distant family's hifi systems and decided to put a couple of things together. My main issue is that I am not that familiar with all the technicalities of putting together a hifi system, and thus ask for your help regarding speaker cables.

I am not sure what are some good budget speaker cables (I am looking to spend around 100-150 GBP on a pair of cables) for the following set-up:

Technics SL-10 Turntable

Cambridge Audio Azur 540A Amp

Pro-Ject Phono Box

Monitor Audio BX5 speakers

Any recommendations are of course welcome and much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,

Amiko03

 

[BenLaw]

Get some generic multi-strand copper cables for 10% of your budget and spend the rest on vinyl

 

[Anonymous]

Get some generic multi-strand copper cables for 10% of your budget and spend the rest on vinyl

^ this.

I really would not spend £100+ on 2 short lengths of copper cable!

 

[Amiko03]

Thank you for your responses! I appreciate your input.

In our opinion what gauge should the cable be? How big of an impact does this have on the sound I'm getting out of the speakers?

Thank you!

 

[Overdose]

Van Damme do a studio Blue range that is quite reasonable in price 2.5-4mm should do the trick.

 

[Amiko03]

Hey one other question,

Does it matter whether it is a pin connector or banana connector or just simply plain copper at the end? What is the effect on sound quality?

Thank you!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi Amiko03

I'll also recommend using basic speaker cables. 79 strand OFC or at a push 500 strand OFC will cost little money and will be more then good enough for your system. Fwiw, i am currently using a mixture of 79 and 500 strand speaker cables with Monitor Audio's reference Platinum PL200AV speaker system and Chord Electronics DSP8000/Plinius Odean.

Btw, 4mm banana plugs will do the job nicely.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Amiko03]

Thank you for your reply and valuable input, I really appreciate it! Would something like this do the job well in your opinion?

http://www.conrad.ch/ce/de/product/602025/?Lautsprecherkabel-Extra-Quality-abgepackt-2-x-4-mm-10-m

Thanks!

 

[BronC]

Buy some of the cheap cable mentioned in the previous posts and borrow some expensive cable from a good hi fi shop. Try them both out and see if you notice any difference - is the more expensive one better?? If so does the improvement in sound quality worth the extra costs.

 

[Covenanter]

I wouldn't do that! There is a well established phenomenum that the more expensive cable will sound better because you are conditioned to think that it will. If you can do the test "blind" then please do it but otherwise your perceptions are pretty worthless. The "cable lobby" won't like this but reread my last sentence.

Chris

 

[CnoEvil]

I wouldn't do that! There is a well established phenomenum that the more expensive cable will sound better because you are conditioned to think that it will. If you can do the test "blind" then please do it but otherwise your perceptions are pretty worthless. The "cable lobby" won't like this but reread my last sentence.

Chris

This part of the cable lobby never minds the "anti-cable" lobby input, provided the OP is incouraged to test for themselves (and opinions are respected).

 

[acalex]

Or just let somebody who does not know anything about hifi to choose which presentation is better when swapping cables without telling you changed a cable. In my system the biggest change was evident when swapping normal power cord with a more expensive one on the phono stage, followed by interconnect, loudspeaker cables and in the end only the power cord of the amplifier.

As said, you have to try the right balance in your system that's why is imperative you can try at home. Don't expect to feel the difference straight away but more when you remove the cable to use back the original one. Have fun

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do that! There is a well established phenomenum that the more expensive cable will sound better because you are conditioned to think that it will. If you can do the test "blind" then please do it but otherwise your perceptions are pretty worthless. The "cable lobby" won't like this but reread my last sentence.

Chris

This part of the cable lobby never minds the "anti-cable" lobby input, provided the OP is incouraged to test for themselves (and opinions are respected).

+1 totally agree. On a short run of a few metres with a blind test, it is not possible to tell the difference between cheap or expencive cables.

 

[acalex]

I wouldn't do that! There is a well established phenomenum that the more expensive cable will sound better because you are conditioned to think that it will. If you can do the test "blind" then please do it but otherwise your perceptions are pretty worthless. The "cable lobby" won't like this but reread my last sentence.

Chris

This part of the cable lobby never minds the "anti-cable" lobby input, provided the OP is incouraged to test for themselves (and opinions are respected).

+1 totally agree. On a short run of a few metres with a blind test, it is not possible to tell the difference between cheap or expencive cables.

I can assure you it's very possible :rofl:

 

[BronC]

I would beg to differ with acalex.

I have done this a couple of times blind. Once across a few manufacturers and once just within a single manufacturer. The most noticable differences were across manufactuers. The cable I picked for my home system was not the most expensive - or the cheapest. It was the one I liked the best.

 

[acalex]

I would beg to differ with acalex.

I have done this a couple of times blind. Once across a few manufacturers and once just within a single manufacturer. The most noticable differences were across manufactuers. The cable I picked for my home system was not the most expensive - or the cheapest. It was the one I liked the best.

Which is a wise way to choose.

I agree between manufacturers differences are the most noticeable, still haven't tried different cables from the same manufacturer. I will probably do myself this test soon

 

[Anonymous]

Placebo effect. :rofl: 8). Look at the scientific evidence. :read:

 

[acalex]

Placebo effect. :rofl: 8). Look at the scientific evidence. :read:

Whatever is the effect it sounds better so thats the important part 8)

 

[Anonymous]

i could easily tell the difference between cables in a blind test..especially interconnects. and the interconnect between pre amp and power amp is the most important to get right. the reviewers always say this is a very good cable,interconnect etc if you have the system to justify the financial outlay..i think better cables make any system sound better...my friend has got some very good handmade interconnects from the internet.bout 40quid a pair..

 

[The_Lhc]

Placebo effect. :rofl: 8). Look at the scientific evidence. :read:

Ok, will do, where is it?

 

[acalex]

i could easily tell the difference between cables in a blind test..especially interconnects. and the interconnect between pre amp and power amp is the most important to get right. the reviewers always say this is a very good cable,interconnect etc if you have the system to justify the financial outlay..i think better cables make any system sound better...my friend has got some very good handmade interconnects from the internet.bout 40quid a pair..

:cheers:

 

[acalex]

i could easily tell the difference between cables in a blind test..especially interconnects. and the interconnect between pre amp and power amp is the most important to get right. the reviewers always say this is a very good cable,interconnect etc if you have the system to justify the financial outlay..i think better cables make any system sound better...my friend has got some very good handmade interconnects from the internet.bout 40quid a pair..

I went to my dealer's shop last week and he swapped the cable between preamp and power amp (put in between a siltech princess) in his reference system without telling me anything...the difference was unbelievable...

I agree that you need to have a system to justify the financial outlay

 

[Anonymous]

Who's kidding whom? If you have spent £50+ on a few metres of copper cable that should have cost £5 you will hear a difference, and you will have to convince everybody else that you have made a wise purchase. I just don't want other people to spend that sort of money unnecessarily with out giving it a lot of thought. If you are happy listening to compressed music such as MP3 or streamed audio what is the point in spending shed loads of cash on bits of expensive wire? The audio has already been degraded.

Still what do I know, I only spent 25 years working on the technical side for a large consumer electronics retailer, and 13 years in a recording studio.

I will now keep my head down for a while to avoid the flack from those with costly interconnects.

 

[The_Lhc]

If you are happy listening to compressed music such as MP3 or streamed audio what is the point in spending shed loads of cash on bits of expensive wire? The audio has already been degraded.

Not if it's lossless audio it hasn't been. I'd expect someone with 38 years in the business to know that.

I will now keep my head down for a while to avoid the flack from those with costly interconnects.

Did you find that evidence you were talking about? I'm interested in reading it.

 

[BigColz]

I did blind tests a few weeks on my friend who knows nothing about hifi and told him to describe the differences.. I didn't tell him which I was using and It wasn't far off how I'd describe it, the difference was obvious and picked the more expensive cable to sound the best everytime. Obviously it depends how revealing your kit is and pointless spending a lot unless you plan to upgrade in the near future