Could some one explain how to buy best cables?


Economically that is. I am really confused. I look at clasified and there is price range from few hundred to few thousands! I am in market for interconnects for my new 'small' Jadis electronics based system.

Could you explain how to differentiate between snake oil and real thing?
What constitutes SOA cable?
What does $X000 cable does that $x00 does not?

thx,

Nil
nilthepill
Everyone’s system is different so what works for one will not work for another. Even if the systems are similar the rooms most certainly are not. Throw in personal likes and dislikes and it can get quite confusing and costly. Everyone is well intentioned with their advice but if you follow someone else's advice about what will work in your system you'll probably spend way more than you intended too.

My advice is to establish a baseline for the way your system sounds with good set of well respected but inexpensive cables like what Whoaru99 suggested with Blue Jeans Cable. They'll get you a complete set up for probably less than $100. After you lived with that for awhile and have a chance to learn what you like or dislike about them, get in touch with The Cable Company at www.fatwyre.com or www.usedcable.com, they have a loaner program. Tell them what equipment you have and how much you have to spend and they'll send you several different brands to try out in your system for a small percentage of the actual cost. Keep the ones you like or send them back and try some others. They have a huge database of what other people with similar systems preferred so they take a lot of guesswork out of the whole process.

You may find the extra cost for the boutique cables is worth it or you may not. You will know for certain what works for you with little financial risk and you’ll get an education in the process.

Hope this helps.
When I had a deviant room (suckout, echos, bass bloat, endless reflections) I tried cables to correct the deficiencies I had both in the room and in the equipment. I suspect that is the case for most of us in most situations. Presuming that's your situation too, you can be the luckiest man in the world, throw a dart at a pile of interconnects on a counter and presto, you've got it.

Otherwise, it's trial and error, or figure out as you've been suggested what you are trying to correct, enhance or reduce in your system.

This eliminates the nonsense of what $2K to $50K cables do, don't do and pretend to do.

Best wishes.
Anyone else notice that every cable discussion reads like another version of "Groundhog Day"? It's the same go-nowhere discussion over and over. Author professes naivete and confusion about cabling with the ubiquitous reference to snake oil, followed by the broken-record flaming of hypothetical cable-mongers (otherwise known as "they") who have been duped by the smoke-and-mirror tactics of people like George Cardas and Ray Kimber, only to come full circle to the inevitable confession by the author that he/she already had the answer in pocket.

Cabling is one aspect of this hobby that can potentially bust through all of your forgone conclusions. Room treatment is certainly another. However, it would appear that inside the circuitous boundaries of this banter, most would rather be right than curious.
I would definitely try a pair of Speltz Anti-Cables ($100). They compared very favorably to my Jena Labs Symphony cables that sell for $1,100. I think the anti-cables would work best with tube electronics as they are very revealing. I haven't figured out which I like better so far, the Jena's or the Anti-cables. I think my preference would vary by system makeup and tube vs: solid state. However, the Anti-cables do work well in either. No real cost to try them as I think he gives you a free trial period. However, mine aren't going back. They are keepers at any price. Who'd a thunk it?