2. cables
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Help me buy some new cables....

Okay, I am looking to buy some cables on eBay--I am hoping to take advantage of some clearance items. I use an all Magnepan HT driven by Citation 7.1 and 5.1 amps. My processor is a Lexicon MC-12 (don't know how much that matters). I am thinking of buying one set of a couple to try them out and then buy more if there is one I like, but frankly, I am not a big cable experimenter and with two newborns I just don't have the time or money to do much right now.... So any way I can cut a corner and get a good sound the happier I will be. Anyway, there are a few choices that I've got:

Straight wire Musicable II
Vampire Wire
Monster Cable of a few types (300i and 350i I think, plus a couple others)
DH Labs White Lightening
Audio quest g-snake
knuconceptz
Tributaries (their lower end cables of course)

I could also DIY some cables, but time becomes a REAl issue. Also, while I have no doubt I can make a functional cable, I've never actually made interconnects before so I am worried about the end quality even if I found the time to do it.

I'm also open to suggestions. As you might guess, I am not looking to spend very much here. My budget basically maxes out at $50 per pair. I'm considering doing one very nice pair for the front speakers and perhaps center channel and lower end cables for the surrounds.

Thanks for any advice!
Aaron
aewhistory
mt10425
1,138 posts
 
If you want I/Cs, I've got Vampire Wire AI-2 and CCC-II laying around. Give me a call 309-230-7675. I also use Vampire 12ga CCC speaker wire currently. It's hard to go wrong with continuous cast copper cables.
vhiner
533 posts
 
I agree that you should stick with copper and steal clear of silver in this application. In addition to Vampire, you can find some good older Harmonic Tech or Acoustic Zen cables on the used market...all of their cables are made of high quality copper.
rrog
1,958 posts
 
Mt10425, They let you post your phone number here to sell on the side? Maybe they're letting one slip by once in a while to keep customers happy.
mt10425
1,138 posts
 
Rrog...shhhhhh
aewhistory OP
70 posts
 
Hi guys, thank you all for your responses (and thank you Mt10425/David for a very pleasant and informative conversation today; I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me). To give a few answers:

As for eBay, it isn't so much it 'has' to be eBay as it seemed like I could possibly find some good deals there. I've got two newborns, just finishing a house renovation, and have managed to squeeze out a little money to buy a couple of modestly priced (for me) pieces to finish my attic/music only system. Unfortunately, that has left me well and truly tapped and the cables were the last thing to get attention. That's why I've been scrounging for a deal and, hence, the eBay fetish. However, I'm not beholden to them (I hope not anyway... If the eBay police come we'll know that I am, in fact, beholden to the eBay behemoth :)

I have to admit that until you guys mentioned single crystal copper I never heard of or noticed it before. I've been aware of types of high quality copper, silver cables, and I think there is something like silver plated copper (or maybe I have that wrong). Silver cables are expensive, so I have no doubt that CC Silver would be WAY beyond my budget (and if I did buy them I'd simply have to sell them again to afford a divorce lawyer, so I guess I'll skip them).

This all brings up some other questions I've had, if you all don't mind. Out of curiosity, do silver cables/terminations tarnish? I would think so. Does that have an effect on sound quality? And why is it that it seems like whenever I see a silver cable--not that I've seen many--they are always the thinnest little things you can imagine and have what appears to be absolutely no shielding?

Btw, I will also check out harmonic tech and acoustic zen cables. Thanks Vhiner.

Notwithstanding to moderators: if you read any of the three threads I've got on this subject, could you combine them? I didn't mean to start my own quasi-sub-forum on my cable curiosities. Thanks!
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