ThatCable HDMI vs Audioquest Pearl

[HAL9000]

Hi Guys,

(This is my first post here).

For the last 3 years or so now I've been using a ThatCable HDMI (http://www.whathifi.com/review/thatcable-hdmi) after reading the review here at What HI*FI. I've found this cable to be a great performer and it certainly lived upto it's review. I've recently upgraded (T.V., blu-ray, etc...) and want to upgrade my cables. I bought an HDMI lead from a seller on Amazon last week after reading through reviews from people that had already bought the same cable. After switching the cables I quickly switched back because the new cable was a very poor performer. Picture quality dropped, motion was poor and I was also left with a very dark picture.

I'd still like to upgrade my HDMI cable and found the Audioquest Pearl (http://www.whathifi.com/review/audioquest-pearl-hdmi). Again it was the review at What HI*Fi that sold me here. It may be a bit of a silly question, but I was thinking if it would be worth me forking out for the Audioquest cable?

If anyone is using the Audioquest HDMI already any suggestions would be much appreciated OR if anyone has already compared the Audioquest with the ThatCable HDMI...........?

Thanks very much!!!

 

[chebby]

You have had excellent service from your ThatCable HDMI for over three years.

Why not just get their latest high speed HDMI ? (Assuming your old cable is not already rated 'High Speed'.)

http://www.thatcable.com/product/HDMI-Male-to-Male-Cable-Type-A-%28Standard%29-Version-1-3BHDMI-1.3b

You save £20 per cable (compared to the AudioQuest) and you already know and trust them.

A good HDMI cable (of the correct rating) is not going to be any better than another good cable. (By 'good' I mean properly made and meeting the required technical standard and not something found on ebay where the vendor probably wrote all the 'reviews' )

 

[HAL9000]

Thanks for the reply mate!

That's the cable I already have. I'm trying to see if I can get things 'just that little bit better'' even though the ThatCable HDMI is a solid performer.

 

[bigboss]

The cable you got was a faulty cable. Otherwise, there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables.

 

[michael hoy]

The cable you got was a faulty cable. Otherwise, there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables.

In you opinion BB

Some do perceive a difference :silenced:

 

[bigboss]

The cable you got was a faulty cable. Otherwise, there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables.

In you opinion BB

Some do perceive a difference :silenced:

Don't start it again!

 

[davidvann]

ding ding,round 2 on the hdmi cable fight,can't wait.lol

 

[pioneer7]

You have stated that you have upgraded your Tv, you might find that a little tweeking on the Tv front will give you the results you are after

It is to easy to upgrade a display and find the picture is not the same as you are used to, so most will blame the cables/HDMI you will not find any significant improvement buying another cable, The only real difference in spending more IMO is build quality or like me I have stuck with a maker for many years QED but I just like there products speaker cables etc, BUT they are not any better than other HDMI Via digital, so save your money and maybe as stated just get the latest version of the same make cable, if you already have not done so. 8) Fire away ray:

 

[seemorebtts]

peal is a great cable iv had one and for the price its a bargin just as good as the chord supershield.amazing 3d on it too

 

[Alantiggger]

An HDMI-certified cable allows for a maximum of 1-bit error in a billion.

Proof that image quality CAN'T be improved by a cable :

It will also indicate if colours change at all when switching between cables - an idea frequently used to explain why certain cables are

“better”

than others in high-end home cinema reviews.

See/read here: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/home-entertainment/1292371/expensive-hdmi-cables-make-no-difference-the-absolute-proof/2

and

Right now you can buy a 6-foot-long HDMI cable for £3.50. (or less) Or £19.99. Or £99.99. Or £699.99.

Salespeople, retailers, and especially cable manufacturers want you to believe that you'll get better picture and sound quality with a more expensive HDMI cable.

No matter what, though, there is absolutely no picture or sound quality difference[/b]between a £3.50 cable (or less) and a £1,000 cable.

Really ? ... Yes, They're lying.... You see, there's lots of money in cables..... Your money.

See/read here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20056502-1/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/

A good video here: http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=3771e52f-15a5-436e-b35b-7115ad57512c

It seems like we shouldn't waste our money then ?

 

[seemorebtts]

i strongly disagree,i think you need to pick a cable that suits your set up and makes it how you want it i.e picture and sound.iv had lots of different hdmi cables over the years and each one has been different.at the moment i have a wireworld chroma 6 which has just sorted out my blacks and motion problems that i was having with my chord supershild.sound quality on this cable was amazing to,a massive jump from the chord.

 

[bigboss]

:wall:

 

[seemorebtts]

:wall:

i no i no.iv got a lcd which has motion problems so this hdmi helps alot

 

[chebby]

i strongly disagree,i think you need to pick a cable that suits your set up and makes it how you want it i.e picture and sound.iv had lots of different hdmi cables over the years and each one has been different.at the moment i have a wireworld chroma 6 which has just sorted out my blacks and motion problems that i was having with my chord supershild.sound quality on this cable was amazing to,a massive jump from the chord.

Your Chord cable must have been either faulty or not manufactured to the appropriate standard.

 

[seemorebtts]

iv got 2 both the same

 

[chebby]

iv got 2 both the same

So you had a faulty cable and decided to buy another one?

Or you bought both together then found they had problems with motion and black levels and decided not to take them back for a refund?

Or the TV had these faults (or developed them over time) and you decided that some different cables would fix them rather than getting the TV fixed?

Somewhere along the line there is some odd logic going on.

If my TV had problems with black levels and motion I would have it fixed under guarantee (not go looking for more 'boutique' cables).

Perhaps the Chords were running in the wrong direction! (Has the insanity of 'directionality' reached the world of boutique HDMI cables yet?)

 

[seemorebtts]

no tvs fine just needed a little more from it and the wire world did it for me.im not a calibrater,may be a someone with calibration skills could of got the blacks i wanted out of my tv but i not.so the cable worked for me and motion just a little better than what it was,meaning that things looked more real.it also gave me a polished look to the picture,got rid of some grain.i have a 60"tv and sit about 3 meters away so i see eveything and this cable made it work for me love it

 

[grdunn123]

If there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables, then recommending the That cable which costs £5 seems daft too - there are plenty available on very well known websites for under a Quid.

There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy going on here - if all HDMI cables are equally as good, why recommend that the OP spends £5 on a particular cable when there are plenty out there for under £1?

 

[daveh75]

If there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables, then recommending the That cable which costs £5 seems daft too - there are plenty available on very well known websites for under a Quid.

There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy going on here - if all HDMI cables are equally as good, why recommend that the OP spends £5 on a particular cable when there are plenty out there for under £1?

This ↓

A good HDMI cable (of the correct rating) is not going to be any better than another good cable. (By 'good' I mean properly made and meeting the required technical standard and not something found on ebay where the vendor probably wrote all the 'reviews'

 

[seemorebtts]

If there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables, then recommending the That cable which costs £5 seems daft too - there are plenty available on very well known websites for under a Quid.

There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy going on here - if all HDMI cables are equally as good, why recommend that the OP spends £5 on a particular cable when there are plenty out there for under £1?

im with you here:cheers:

 

[cheeseboy]

If there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables, then recommending the That cable which costs £5 seems daft too - there are plenty available on very well known websites for under a Quid.

There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy going on here - if all HDMI cables are equally as good, why recommend that the OP spends £5 on a particular cable when there are plenty out there for under £1?

not really at all. Nobody is suggesting buying the cheapest cable possible, and there's nothing wrong with buying a decently made cable that won't break at the slightest touch and have any adverse affects to being plugged and unplugged many times. However, so long as people are aware that buying a more expensive HDMI cable will not give you better picture or sound quality....

 

[grdunn123]

If there's no difference in performance between HDMI cables, then recommending the That cable which costs £5 seems daft too - there are plenty available on very well known websites for under a Quid.

There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy going on here - if all HDMI cables are equally as good, why recommend that the OP spends £5 on a particular cable when there are plenty out there for under £1?

not really at all. Nobody is suggesting buying the cheapest cable possible, and there's nothing wrong with buying a decently made cable that won't break at the slightest touch and have any adverse affects to being plugged and unplugged many times. However, so long as people are aware that buying a more expensive HDMI cable will not give you better picture or sound quality....

not sure what you're talking about - used a few either free or very cheap hdmi cables without them falling apart at the slightest touch, as you put it. How often do you plug/ unplug hdmi cables? Probably a couple of times a year.

 

[bigboss]

I think the key is "meeting the required technical standard". There's nothing wrong with recommending £1 cables, as long as you've tried it yourself. I can only recommend the cable I bought & tried.

 

[grdunn123]

Agreed BB.

 

[cheeseboy]

not sure what you're talking about -

I was replying to your comment of "There seems to be a bit of hypocrisy going on here - if all HDMI cables are equally as good, why recommend that the OP spends £5 on a particular cable when there are plenty out there for under £1?"

cmon, keep up with your own comments

used a few either free or very cheap hdmi cables without them falling apart at the slightest touch, as you put it. How often do you plug/ unplug hdmi cables? Probably a couple of times a year.

a couple of times a week actually due to the nature of the things that I do.