Sorry, Sdcampbell- I agree with you about the need for adjusting the listening room. Been there, done that. I'll still consider my money well spent on the expensive cables and power cords that I'm using. Is it self delusion? Well, not according to my wife and friends. Without the cables, the MUCH more expensive active components simply make sound, not music - the emotional connection to the artists and the event. That's precisely why I'm into high-end audio, not for concerns of profit margins or ratios. I've had lots of expensive equipment without high-end cables and power cords, and almost left audio because of the frustration. I've finally obtained a level of performance that thrills me everytime I sit down to listen, and I couldn't have reached this point without outstanding cables. We should all try to be informed and "buy smart" whenever possible. If you can find comparable performance at a lower cost, buy it. Otherwise, be happy that you've found a $1500 power cord that finally makes your $6000 DAC produce some semblance of music. For the record, I'm another EE that believes that cables can make a huge difference. Just my .02.
Cable Costs Relative to System
Since making a spread sheet with my audio system prices, I have been thinking(shocked) about my total investment in cables. My total system retails at $67,000 (Digital and analog front ends included). I purchased all of it here on Audiogon so my investment is about 50%. Of that I have about 10% invested in interconnects and cables and another 10% in Power Cables (Shunyata Hydra included). That's $13,000 worth of wire. I'm starting to question whether it might be more effective to put some of this budget into acitve components. It would take forever to listen to all possible combinations, but would like to hear others experiences with relatively high end systems and cable selection. It would seem to me that the point of diminishing returns would be reached sooner with cables than with speakers and amps. Do most of you follow the 10% "rule" for cabling? How do PCs fit into this rule? Are there any super bargain cables capable of keeping up with highly resolving electronics?
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- 329 posts total
- 329 posts total