Used cables

Lee H

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Oct 7, 2010
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No debate on the merits or not of one cable over another please...

Potentially dumb question; can speaker cable degrade? What are the risks of buying used from eBay?

I'm considering a change without wanting to spend a fortune so thought maybe the second hand route would be useful.
 
A

Anonymous

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Cables can theoretically degrade, but I doubt its gonna cause any issues:

- conductors can become oxidised. It most prevelant at the ends, but you can re-terminate them. I doubt much oxidation worth worrying about is going to happen under the insulation

- insulation can break down. Again, I doubt this is going to happen to any observable degree.

I would be more concerned if buying "flat" cable, or one that can get damaged by kinks like my Townshend Isolda, just make sure its not damaged.
 

scene

Well-known member
As above - the only real issue you're going to get with most speaker cable, unless it's really, really old is mechanical damage. kinking, crush damage or broken strands due to strain wear (stretching the cable basically) are the main causes.
 

Paul.

Well-known member
I'd steer clear of HDMIs. I bought a Chord something or other off of eBay and it was remarkably loose. I assume the previous owner pulled it in and out constantly, but the slightest movement cuts the signal.

The Rumour 4 and the optichord I bought were perfect though.
 
A

Anonymous

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Since I saw my friend who bought on Ebay a Sandisk memory card that actualy ended up being a fake one (it was an amazing good quality reproduction), I'm very carefull with EBay and the equivalent web site. Of course it's all about the person who sells. And in that case, the sellers reviews where all good...

Don't get me wrong, my Naim is a second hand I have found on the web. But I did make sure to wait until I get a sellers near enough so I went to the guy's home to look and of course listen, the product before I bought.

That just me... with my phobie ;-)

Good luck!
 

datay

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Unless I want something specific that isn't available on ebay or in classifieds, I always buy cables used - that way, when you remember that they actually mostly sound to all intents and purposes the same, you can sell at no loss.

To the OP, presuming you have owned hifi for a while, have you not then been concerned that your own cables, that you've had for a few years, could have "degraded"? And if not, why not? Who's to say what's for sale used is any older than what you're already using? (It's not a concern, as has been stated above).
 

scene

Well-known member
bigboss said:
I'm surprised that nobody has yet suggested that used cables will actually have undergone their "burn-in" period & would sound to their potential! ;)

You know, this forum really does need a can of worms emoticon... :?

imagegif
 

Lee H

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datay said:
they actually mostly sound to all intents and purposes the same

Now, didn't I ask that we didn't open that can of worms? ;)

datay said:
To the OP, presuming you have owned hifi for a while, have you not then been concerned that your own cables, that you've had for a few years, could have "degraded"? And if not, why not?

A fair point. Mine are only a year or so old and I know how they've been treated. What I didn't know is how cables 3 or 4 years old would behave.
 

Lee H

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datay said:
they actually mostly sound to all intents and purposes the same

Now, didn't I ask that we didn't open that can of worms? ;)

datay said:
To the OP, presuming you have owned hifi for a while, have you not then been concerned that your own cables, that you've had for a few years, could have "degraded"? And if not, why not?

A fair point. Mine are only a year or so old and I know how they've been treated. What I didn't know is how cables 3 or 4 years old would behave.
 

scene

Well-known member
bigboss said:
Scene, are you trying to copy paste a picture on your iPad? That's what I've been doing & the pictures seems to disappear after some time.

Yes, that's what I did with the original one - must be another iPad / Safari idiosyncracy...
 

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