Speaker cables

Oxfordian

Well-known member
Probably going to ask my local hifi store to order me some new kit, Quad Artera Solus, some ATC 7’s and a sub woofer, which shocked me as it balances the system rather nicely.

Now many years ago in my last dabble in the hifi world there was a lot of chatter about speaker cables and how if you bought X brand with its insulated isolated and colour coded patterning it would make the sound so much better than brand Y but at a cost, a hole that some of us possibly fell in, I am sure that I did in my naivety.

However it would appear that 20+ years on and looking at the dealers website little has changed as prices per metre for speaker cable varies dramatically.

My logic would suggest that I skip the bottom few rungs, steer well clear of the cables that cost the equivalent of a family hatchback and pitch in a rung or two up the ladder, say the Tellurium Q Blue or something for the Chord company both around £30 per metre, or am I being sucked in again?
 

abacus

Well-known member
Standard OFC 2.5mm sq is all you need, avoid anything made by Hi-Fi cable manufactures as they make no difference (Unless their poorly made) and are just a rip off. (They also cannot provide any verifiable proof that their cables make a difference)

Go to a professional music store and get some from there (Van Damme are popular https://www.van-damme.com/) and you will also find that Amazon basics are good as well.

If you believe that cables do make a difference then by all means try some out to see, just do it blind so that you are not caught out by the placebo effect.

Have fun.

Bill
 
D

Deleted member 116933

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Probably going to ask my local hifi store to order me some new kit, Quad Artera Solus, some ATC 7’s and a sub woofer, which shocked me as it balances the system rather nicely.

Now many years ago in my last dabble in the hifi world there was a lot of chatter about speaker cables and how if you bought X brand with its insulated isolated and colour coded patterning it would make the sound so much better than brand Y but at a cost, a hole that some of us possibly fell in, I am sure that I did in my naivety.

However it would appear that 20+ years on and looking at the dealers website little has changed as prices per metre for speaker cable varies dramatically.

My logic would suggest that I skip the bottom few rungs, steer well clear of the cables that cost the equivalent of a family hatchback and pitch in a rung or two up the ladder, say the Tellurium Q Blue or something for the Chord company both around £30 per metre, or am I being sucked in again?


Do what you have done with hifi and listen and see if you can hear the difference. Everyone here will have an opinion on it and can get rather heated. Some logical arguments, some not so much so. Atc I don’t think make particular claims that xyz make such and such a difference.

Borrow a handful off your dealer and see what happens

For my 10k system I use very humble linn k20 At 5quid a meter. And have heard nothing better in my system and I’ve tried all sorts ranging from 2quid-100quid a meter. It’s not about price it’s about synergy the cheapest could work the best.
 

tinkeringjay

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Apr 30, 2021
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If I was to generalize my experiences with different cables, it would be that solid core conductors seem to have a cleaner and perhaps thinner sound as where stranded is warmer and fuller, but may seem a pinch blurry. Also, if the negative and positive are away from each other, you get a more open sound. But some designs seem to have solved those generalizations, so that seems why they twist or braid them and such.
 
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matthewpiano

Well-known member
Cables are always a difficult topic, with lots of views based on different experiences.

I've got the Artera seperates, and I've tried them with different cables to different effects - not supportable by science.
I find Chord Company too 'flat' sounding and QED too sterile sounding. I had better luck with my old Atlas Equator 2.0, but lost a little of the precision of which the Quad kit is capable.

I'm now using van den hul CS-122 speaker cables with D102MkIII interconnects and find it achieves what is an ideal balance for me - great clarity and atmosphere, plenty of punch but without the music being hurled through the speakers - again not supportable by science. The one thing I have found makes a dramatic difference with the D102MkIII interconnects is which direction they are connected in - again not supportable by science.
 
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Oxfordian

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On loan from the dealer is some Van Den Hul mcd 352 hybrid and QED X Tube X400 SPOFC, to be honest I cannot tell the difference between the two cables, is this bad or just real world!!!

Great feedback on what cable to look at which is appreciated, thanks everyone.

I am going to try to blag some cable, I’m going to have spent a fair bit in the store so some complimentary speaker cable wouldn’t be unreasonable, would it? ;)
 

RoA

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Feb 11, 2021
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I tend to agree that cables only make a minor difference. In my last system I used VD.

However, there are plenty that think otherwise.

Head over to Pinkfish. Elsdon Wonfor do a variety of cables that do a free forum round for personal try out. You pay the postage. The guy seems very genuine. Cables are of the Litz sort and by the sounds of it, very good litz and costly jackets. Difficult to terminate the buggers which also goes towards the cost but they are still within the realm of the affordable.

I am not endorsing them, see first sentence, but almost everyone that's tried them now uses them. Nothing to loose I guess.
 
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tinkeringjay

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Audio playback is fascinating specifically because there are differences. Since the whole playback system will contain many parts, many soldered connections, different impedances, difference noise levels, different speakers and rooms, and of course different listeners coming from different experiences and perspectives, some will find significant differences in changes and others not really. I was skeptical when I started into 'high end' 30 years ago that wire could even possibly make any difference, especially being used to wire being simply an inexpensive necessity to connect things, but I heard an important improvement and then ongoing differences with other brands and types along the journey. I discovered what my taste was and have selected equipment to meet that desire. I have been happy that I found happiness without ghastly spending, but there are certain necessities of quality, and shockingly, the cables are a big part of getting the results I want. I am certain with the right tests 'science' could measure the nuances we audiophile hear. I am sure we are not all gullible fools. =:>) It sometimes just takes a certain level of quality parts to get the whole thrill.
 
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