Throwing the cable cat amongst the pigeons!

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Mike Hunt

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Your post from 2:15, although it could just be badly-worded. Regarding the wording of the original poll, I can't be arsed to discuss it further - as I say, no-one else has complained of feeling artificially constrained or shepherded.
No, it isn't badly worded, but I'll gladly reword it, if comprehension isn't your forte?
 
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Just so I understand, are you saying that you use freebies or that you only use freebies?


thats kind of what i was asking.

its refreshing advice if the answers "yes" as its coming from an actual dealer !
 

M42TYN

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Please also put me down for 2.
I'm puzzled by @M42TYN statement about replacing an HDMI cable. Unless a cable was faulty I have never experienced any difference between HDMI cables.
I read this years ago and I think they're right: https://www.cnet.com/news/why-all-hdmi-cables-are-the-same/

With RCA interconnects I do believe quality matters a bit. Same goes for coax cables for the TV. Better shielding of the cables and connectors makes a difference.

I thought this was the case to be honest, I had a well used HDMI cable connected up between the OPPO 203 and my LG OLED. I thought all was great, until I purchased Mad Max - the later one in 3D. It just wouldn't play. I returned the disk and got a new one. Same thing. So I tried another cable I had, same thing. Normal disks worked fine - 3D no. So I purchased an AudioQuest Forest - just in a moment of madness to be honest in a last ditch attempt and low and behold the film played fine. A "Phew" moment occurred as if that hand't worked it would have been the player. So there's something going on with better quality cables......just can't tell you exactly what. :)
 
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Musicraft (Rick) is well known not to use any exotic cables as far as I'm aware.

Let's face it if an interconnect comes with a component then the manufacturer must think that it's suitable for use with that component. Exotic cables might look pretty but you'd need one hell of a system to spot any SQ differences, if any at all. I'm damned sure that if any difference is noted then you need to look inside your head for answers.

PMC state that speaker cable of a suitable gauge is enough to drive their speakers, and Harbeth use Van Damme cables in their speakers.
 
Most speaker manufacturers use any old cable inside their speakers so using ultra expensive speaker cable seems a bit pointless. The analogy is hi-speed broadband. You have a super duper fibre cable going to that green box near the village green but then it's cheap copper cable from there to your door, and you wonder why you're not getting the benefit of that massive speed increase.......
 
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Most speaker manufacturers use any old cable inside their speakers so using ultra expensive speaker cable seems a bit pointless. The analogy is hi-speed broadband. You have a super duper fibre cable going to that green box near the village green but then it's cheap copper cable from there to your door, and you wonder why you're not getting the benefit of that massive speed increase.......


russ andrews i believe sells cable / wire(s) for you to specifically replace and upgrade the ones found in speakers and amplifiers. he even produced a guide on how to do this years ago as i have a copy.

(the guide was free and ultimately you dont have to use / purchase his products so its was an interesting read all the same).

replacing the wires found in budget speakers is, i have been told, a worthwhile upgrade. its also one of the features in monitor audio speakers the use of van den hul cabling internally.

is this all nonsense ?

the latest yamaha a-s3200 amplifier features thicker purer copper cabling internally to help improve sound quality over the previous a-s3000 model. if yamaha think its worthwhile maybe there is something in it...
 
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I used a Van der Valk (something like that) on my turntable and it hummed. Freebie red and whites, no hum.

so you agree different cables (designs) do / can make a difference ?!
 
D

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Musicraft (Rick) is well known not to use any exotic cables as far as I'm aware.

Let's face it if an interconnect comes with a component then the manufacturer must think that it's suitable for use with that component. Exotic cables might look pretty but you'd need one hell of a system to spot any SQ differences, if any at all. I'm damned sure that if any difference is noted then you need to look inside your head for answers.

PMC state that speaker cable of a suitable gauge is enough to drive their speakers, and Harbeth use Van Damme cables in their speakers.


may i ask have you tried swapping your current atlas interconnect with the one marantz have supplied ?

van damme cables are excellent - i used to use the 6mm up-lcofc speaker cable myself !
 
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It used to be Chord - I had some bass issues years ago using Van den Hul speaker cable and a switch did as MA said it would.


i might of got that slightly wrong. i think it is bowers and wilkins that use van den hul wires internally but i am sure monitor audio also use silver coated cable internally so not just any old wire.
 
It was Chord Odyssey 4 in the GR20s, but that's quite a long time ago. I keep wondering about changing them, but it's difficult to audition, it'd have to be a worthwhile gain, and they keep showing how good they are in responding to upgrades. Time to stay as I am, at least for now, I think...
 
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It was Chord Odyssey 4 in the GR20s, but that's quite a long time ago. I keep wondering about changing them, but it's difficult to audition, it'd have to be a worthwhile gain, and they keep showing how good they are in responding to upgrades. Time to stay as I am, at least for now, I think...

so basically you matched your speaker cable to the cable present internally in your speakers - synergy !

i would keep your speakers if happy with your system - a lot of sideways steps in this hifi game...

you seem to be open minded enough to experiment with tweaks (lead weights etc) so i would explore more of those as they often are a lot cheaper than full scale hardware changes !
 
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Mike Hunt

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Jan 22, 2020
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russ andrews i believe sells cable / wire(s) for you to specifically replace and upgrade the ones found in speakers and amplifiers. he even produced a guide on how to do this years ago as i have a copy.

(the guide was free and ultimately you dont have to use / purchase his products so its was an interesting read all the same).

replacing the wires found in budget speakers is, i have been told, a worthwhile upgrade. its also one of the features in monitor audio speakers the use of van den hul cabling internally.

is this all nonsense ?
Yes.
 

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