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Who thinks $5K speaker cable really better than generic 14AWG cable?

I recently ordered high end speaker, power amp, and preamp to be installed in couple more weeks. So the next search are interconnect and speaker cable. After challenging the dealer and 3 of my so called audiophile friends, I think the only reason I would buy expensive cable is for its appearance to match with the high end gears but not for sound performance. I personally found out that $5K cable vs $10 cable are no difference, at least not to our ears. Prior to this, I was totally believe that cable makes a difference but not after this and reading few articles online.

Here is how I found out.

After the purchase of my system, I went to another dealer to ask for cable opinion (because the original dealer doesn't carry the brand I want) and once I told him my gears, he suggested me the high end expensive cable ranging from $5 - 10K pair, depending on length. He also suggested the minimum length must be 8-12ft. If longer than 12ft, I should upgrade to even more expensive series. So I challenged him that if he can show me the difference, I would purchase all 7 AQ Redwood cables from him.

It's a blind test and I would connect 3 different cables - 1 is the Audioquest Redwood, 1 is Cardas Audio Clear, and 1 my own generic 14AWG about 7ft. Same gears, same source, same song..... he started saying the first cable sound much better, wide, deep, bla...bla...bla......and second is decently good...bla...bla...bla.. and the last one sounded crappy and bla...bla...bla... BUT THE REALITY, I NEVER CHANGED THE CABLE, its the same 14AWG cable. I didn't disclosed and move on to second test. I told him I connected audioquest redwood but actually 14AWG and he started to praise the sound quality and next one I am connected the 14awg but actually is Redwood and he started to give negative comment. WOW!!!! Just blew me right off.

I did the same test with 3 of my audiophile friends and they all have difference inputs but no one really got it right. Especially the part where I use same generic 14awg cable and they all start to give different feedback!!!

SO WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? OR I AM THE LAST PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT EXPENSIVE CABLE JUST A RIP OFF?
sautan904
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,611 posts
 
@zephyr24069   Thanks!  I must say, the Treo CTs and the Modwright CD player have  been game changers.  The Vandies take quite a while to sound their best, the reward is that their best is incredibly good, perhaps astonishing at the price.  The interesting thing about the Modwright is that at first it sounds "tubey".  Once broken in it is very extended and clean at the frequency extremes.  The "tubey" warmth is replaced by a harmonic rightness to instruments.  More meat on the bone as it were.  

As far as the 30 A circuit goes, I had my listening room built with the house and specified a 30 A circuit from the get go.  Therefore I've never heard my system on anything but.

zephyr24069's avatar
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zephyr24069
1,183 posts
 
Hifiman...thanks for the response.  Technically my dedicated circuits in my old and my current house and room were 30A capable as I wired with good quality 10-gauge but I've always kept to 20A breakers.  I may have to do a limited test to see if putting in a 30A breaker yields any benefit but I've never heard any suffering in my system from lack of dynamics or headroom so I've not felt it necessary to push this envelope up to the present day....Happy Listening!
alanholvey's avatar
alanholvey
96 posts
 
I myself am using a one foot pair of MG Audio Design's top of the line speaker wires, which retail for $900  which are attached to my pair of Martin/Logan peakers.  Between the MG Audio Design speaker wires and my amplifier I connect Jenna Lab's 18 gage hook up wires.  Presently I am using three of the Jenna Lab's 18 gage wires per channel.  Thus 12 of them total.  The cost of the Jenna Lab hook up wires is $6 per foot per wire.  Due to system set up I require 17 foot length of the Jenna Lab hook up wires for my left speaker and 10 foot lengths for the right.  It averages out to a 14.5 total length per speaker.  Lessthan $1900 total cost.  The result-basically the sound as if I was using mG Audio Design wires by themself.  Both Arnie Nudell and Paul McGowan use Them.  Jenna Lab's is another small high end wire manufacture.  John Curl will speak up for them as he himself has a long relationship with them.  All I can say is that my present speaker wire combination is truly state of the art, but at a real world price.
chrisr's avatar
chrisr
444 posts
 
How do you do 3 wires per channel? One on positive, two on negative?

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