Don't read you'll be sorry


Just got my new Audioquest K 2 speaker cables from DH GATE yep I said it. I bought my previous Audioquest cables from my former employer [Audio Buys] Summer job pre wiring houses. Still great friends. Anyway paid their cost for a brand spanking new pair of "Bed Rock" cables I was so proud. So what I know are quote un quote real Audioquest cables just got blown away by a $380.00 total cost [shipped door to door in 6 days] pair of Audioquest k2's from DH Gate.
tycobb
Yeah I too, wonder if you just didn't give the title of your thread to be a "hook" so people will indeed read it. The least you should do is disavow any financial incentive you may gain by promoting the particular brand!
The entire ramble is hard to understand, and at the end, I'm thinking, who cares?
hi tycobb:

keep in mind that in your experience cable a performed better than cable b.

you are reporting one data point--hardly the basis for a generalization.

your findings are purely anecdotal and your opinion. perhaps another listener might not agree with you.
Did 1 of you actually take the time to write who cares? Seems you care the most. Thank you. Again I'm not trying to gain anything here. All I'm saying is the writing's on the wall. China is taking over. All of you will buy from them eventually. Everyone accept the guy who took the time to write I don't care. He's to proud.

No one should ever have to pay 3000.00 for a pair of cables. Agreed?
07-30-12: Tpreaves
And why should I be sorry for reading this?

Because that's 90 seconds of your life that you will NEVER get back. :)
...and they look like real! You've just eliminated possibility to sell them used coz quite a few people will know that they're fake.
Tycobb,
Your original post was so unclear, and now it turns out that you are trying to make a statement about buying cable from China?
You were right in the first place, I read your post, and now I'm sorry. I notice that it's your first. I hope it's not your best.
To answer your question, no, I don't agree that no one should pay $3000.00 for a set of cables. I don't, but many do, and they have reasons for doing so.
So just to get things straight, you became an Audiogon member today (without listing your country) and immediately put up a post touting grey market/fake merchandise from China. The only question I have is where the forum moderators are. What a shame...
Been a member for over 5 years just to get things straight. There are no moderators here because audiogon sold out a while back. That's why I left. Probably sold out to China. This place became ebay about 2 years ago where you been? And you're correct it's a shame.
wow just checked you sell allot of cables here eslaudio where do you get em from?
Now if I really was "that guy" I'd be selling these here or e bay or the sight allot of us have moved on to. Instead I'm just trying to raise the point that all you snake oil salesmen are through. 99% of all the cables you swear by come from China to begin w/. Don't believe me call your brand and ask em where there are manufactured.
Mark my words DH GATE will be on everyone's lips w/ in a year. They're gonna cut out the middle-man and all those 400% mark ups. Just for kicks anyone wanna buy a brand new pair of audioquest k2's orginal box all packing supplies included? list price 3000.00 I'll let em go for 50% off that price what a deal right? Or you could do what I did [on a whim] log onto dh gate and pay 380 and have em by mon or tues of next week.
High end home audio is getting ready to change big time.
Cheers,
I'm gone
Bruce
FYI Rebos12367
I did not read it, Nor any of the responses. I just wanted to post that. thanks for the warning!!
I read it! Then immediately forgot it. Except the part about WTF! I found that part to be very intriguing. I now rejoin my life already in progress....
Payin $3000 for cables keeps minimum wagers like you in your place, know your place in caste society.
In all my decades of this I never knew there was a grey market operating out of China. Who would have thought?

All the best,
Nonoise
I'm not sorry I read the original post, but I am sorry I read all the posts saying they were sorry.
I feel your pain. Next time have your parents help you out with expensive cable purchases. And remember, the audio cable sector is doing fine.
Hey silkric if your so smart that you can figure out someones finanical worth by reading his words, you truly are a cut above. My only concern is why haven't you cured cancer yet? Since you're so "bright" Don't hold your head so high, you're nose is blocking my light.
I do not pay a lot for wires (compared to some at least) so I am not sorry I read this.

FWIW, my recollection from selling audio gear many years ago and having seen a lot of vendor cost versus sell price data is that accessories like wires and other similar relatively simple tweaks was by far where a lot of profit is made, markups of 100's of % or more, compared to very marginal profit for core electronic/component devices.

I doubt much about that has changed over the years.

Moral off the story: Buy wires used whenever possible! The used prices more reflect actual objective value and wires being relatively simple devices tend to hold up pretty well over time.
Mapman, now you're more jeopardised to get fake if you buy used. Watch out for pricey wires sold as lightly used or open box. The higher wire priced the more intention exists to manufacture fake. Buy new and cheap wires from Best Buy or pro audio stores. Most of them not any worse than ones for thousands bucks. That will drive most of the high-end wire market way down.
I'm sorry I read all the posts that said they were not sorry they read the original post, but were sorry they read all the posts saying they were sorry.
.367 lifetime. Beat that. I have 30K for wires, and would never be foolish enough to pay over 300.00 They just don't make that much difference. Tweek's my ass. They don't work. Tricks in the way dealers market work on some. Minimum wage or retired at 49 like me. The only thing I'm sorry about is spending 220.00 on Nordost Blue Haven Rel II's. They're no better than lamp cord. Keep spending my friends.
Careful.367 these folks are real sensitive on here. Seems to come natural for people w/ more dollars than SENSE.
Hey Tycobb, judging from all the responses to your post so far, might it have been a better idea to approach your topic with less of a brash, know-it-all slant?? Nobody likes to be lectured to. You are certianly NOT the last word when it comes to speaker cabling, and most folks don't appreciate being talked "down" to. I notice that you have spent most of your time responding back to members with defensiveness...and sarcasm. That speaks volumes about you...and your communication skills, (or lack of). You aren't dealing with idiots, or morons here my friend. So many of our fellow audiophile A-gon members are experienced listeners who have spent decades building numerous systems, tweaking, upgrading, "enveloping" themselvs in high-end audio hobby/passion. So many in our "community" have forgotten more than you or I will ever know about this "hobby" we all hold so near and dear to our hearts. Are you not aware that countless members right here on A-gon are in fact Electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, equipment manufacturers, cable designers, Magazine writers and editors, acoustic engineers, NASA scientists, recording engineers, musicians, doctors and lawyers?? Smart people. Experienced people. Unfortunately, you come off like an amatuer, you say assinine things that make very little sense, and you've managed to do it with a self-righteous, "know-it-all" tone in your voice that seems to have ruffled alot of feathers! Any wonder why all the responses to your post have been less than supportive? You've obviously pissed people off. Try posing a QUESTION next time. Try sharing your experience without sounding like you know everything. You might find that fellow A-gon members will chime in with thoughtful, poignient responses...and not attack you the way the have. Just a thought. Afterall, aren't we all in this TOGETHER? Aren't we supposed to be a "community"?
We all make our points our own way. When's the last time you actually took the time and effort to write that much on a thread?

You're welcome.

O yeah, if people on here are angry, bad news pal. They were angry long before I got here. All I've done is type some words. Community is a big word. Covers allot of ground. Doesn't mean we all have to see eye to eye or get along for every instant. That would be a rather short sighted point of view for such an elete bunch don't you think?
>All I've done is type some words"

Agreed.

BUTT, it's how you type them and where you place them.

HEAD's up.
Dude, just look at the way you talk to people! Look at the manner in which you have just responded to my post! One resounding theme stands out...you came off like a fool, and now everybody is ripping your butt for it. Truth stings a bit doesn't it? Now you want to ramble on about people being angry? or the fact that we all don't see eye to eye? That's pretty darn obvious don't you think? And by the way...you are the one who seems angry, not those who have contributed to your post. Why don't you try taking responsibility for your actions/words and stop with all the defensive, less-than-kind "assaults" upon other members. I will RE-ITERATE once again...this is a community of music lovers, gear-heads, and hobbyists, even if YOU choose not to play nice, the issue at hand really isn't about other peoples "anger"...it's about your combative attitude and your pretentious post. Try calling off your friggin' "attack dogs" and see this for what it is. And while you're at it, consult your family doctor...see if you ought to go back on your anti-psychotic meds!
Ty Cobb was supposedly not a very nice guy I seem to recall.

"Cobb's legacy as an athlete has sometimes been overshadowed by his surly temperament and aggressive playing style,[17] which was described by the Detroit Free Press as "daring to the point of dementia."[18].

Cobb himself wrote shortly before his death, "In legend I am a sadistic, slashing, swashbuckling despot who waged war in the guise of sport."[19"

Sure could hit though.
"No one should ever have to pay $3,000.00 for a pair of cables. Agreed? "

Think this through "Ty Cobb".

Nobody HAS to pay for cables, nor does anyone HAVE to buy a stereo system for that matter.

If someone CHOOSES to spend $3,000 for ANYTHING, why should it bother you? Do you suffer from cable envy? Are you falling victim to the beguiling tug of class warfare?

If someone wants to spend large sums of money they EARNED on something, I'm cool with it. Envy is a very malignant state and best avoided.

As my grandmother said " good for you is not the same as bad for me".

Welcome to Audiogon by the way :)
The customer reviews of DHgate that have been posted at ResellerRatings.com may be of interest.

The bottom line as of today: 25 customer reviews posted; 20 of them gave DHgate the lowest possible rating.

Regards,
-- Al
You from North Jersey? Michigan usually goes a little softer.

Who knows but you are probably a good guy.

I like the thread but the theater is kind of weak.
In reality cable replicas are the simpliest thing to replicate. No matter how many figures they worth, IT'S JUST A WIRE! What could be wrong with cables even if they're fake? Won't they have the same continuity test or even per-unit resistance/impedance? Even ones original would suffer difference to some magnitude one to each-other so you simply can't distinguish where is which one unless you know the true source of purchase. Now do the math and querry all hifi brands from DHGate and match them against ones sold in here HOW YOU ARE ASSURED THAT YOU'RE NOT BUYING FAKE? CAN YOU PROVIDE YOUR METHODS OF ANALYSIS???
The cables at DHGate sold at fraction of the price vs. original and even if you will resell cables at 50% off you'll still profit substantially from each re-sale like that. All you have to do is just unpack it, make some marks and signs of usage and sell them used!

So don't be sorry, just OPEN YOUR EYES. Wheather the feedback from DHGate positive or negative those who need to have an income will find ways to get product and to find supplier that does great job, great shipping, the one that accepts credit card or paypal and will establish line of business coz cable differences found MOSTLY in the way they look to naive consumer so I suggest to excersise more with your "listening tests" LOL!.

You may have different opinions such as "An individual can have a right to purchase $10,000 speaker cable", but for the manufacturer producing one I'd say there's a way to make it the same but much cheaper let's say for $500... What I would say simply SO BE IT! It's pure physics where every current shall see the load resistance and it's quite natural alais of any laws, regulations or Divine American Dignity. Do you think that genuine cable companies are fair to you as consumers? I think totally different. THEY ARE NOT and they all think that you are DUMB enough to purchase $10,000 pair of cables coz you have late model BMW and $80,000 speakers.

So check out how many pages you find at DHGate or Alibaba listings that sell any famous brand you can think off and see these prices and stop blaming happy OP that purchased brand new $3000 cable for fraction of price, coz actually he deserves to be happy if you think deep.
i was intrigued (or bored enough) to google this dhgate, about which i was only vaguely familiar. they're not a seller, rather they're a platform, more-or-less like ebay, for thousands of independent seller. as best as i can ascertain, the platform itself is legit, and very large--they have an escrow service to assure delivery of products, etc.--but there's no controls on the source of merchandise which the sellers sell, and the consensus is that most of it is counterfeit or gray market. there's also no meaningful recourse if a buyer gets burned on a purchase. (there's a ton of "dh scam" and other web chatter that cast aspersions on the whole enterprise). it may well be, as marakanetz states, that many buyers are perfectly happy with the stuff they get from dhgate, and that the knockoff products are just as good as the real thing, though i personally wouldn't touch it.
Marakanetz,
After reading your rambling diatribe against expensive cables, I noticed that one of your systems is using JPS speaker cables and interconnects. Not what most would consider cheap.
^^^^^ whatever validity your point does or doesn't have, only idiots spell out "coz".

Fact.
Roxy,
1. JPS cables I used to have aren't expensive even if purchased brand new.
2. Sold them and number of higher priced interconnects long time ago to save for music and better preamp
3. Let Mr. Honorable Paul_Graham be the Ultimate Judge on who's an idiot OK.
4. Valid point of an idiot is still a valid point. FACT.

And finally my schlong-blocking post is intended for community not to get banged by ones who's much smarter and probably should be more or less appreciated COZ I do intend to advocate consumer and its rights rather than throw arguments or insults(as others might prefer).
Original Audioqeuest K2s are fine cables, I'm sure, but reading 210 reviews at:

http://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-K2-terminated-speaker-cable/product-reviews/B000J36XR2/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

I found this:

"....Anyway, overall, the product is really a fine example of craftsmanship. I've not even plugged them into a sound system yet, as I have them firmly wrapped around my testicles at the moment in an effort to keep my own sperm from impregnating my brain and taking over my mind. So far, so good - I can't speak enough about the reliability of these cables."

Just one review below I found this:

"i love beating my white slaves, or even passerby's with this product. its has a more mellow and more tonal and hence superior sound as the skin eviscerates with a goodly floqgging using these video cables whats not to like?"

I suspect some reviewers might be using them improperly.
I use the U.S. made Clear Day speaker cables. Why would I want to go backwards by using the K2's?Plus the silver used in the Clear Day come from the Silver State!
Interesting tread - just checked the Audioquest retail price book, a pair of K2 Speaker cables @ 8 feet long have a MSRP of US$14050 as of November 2011.

If what is ordered from Hong Kong is the real deal then $380 certainly is a bargain :-) This however is probably one of those "to good to be true deals" - Just to satisfy my own curiosity I ordered up a pair just to see how they are made - should be interesting.

Good listening

Peter