How much money do you want to waste?

First, KEEP ON POSTIN'! What's repetitive to some "old timers" on Audiogon is new to others! Second, I use the analogy of building an audio system to that of building a race car/ street rod. The parts should match the level of performance expected. A simple example...old muscle cars from the '60's NEEDED 100+ octane to run properly. If you could find it, this high octane gas would be a total WASTE for today's low compression engines. Cables are a little trickier. I consider that they are the tires of an audio system. And as any change of tires effects the handling of the car, so too will most cables effect the sound of an "audiophile system". The higher the performance of the audio system, the higher the degree of effect by the cables. Think of it! Many people actually use cables as a sort of tone control to correct deficiencies of their systems (whether they'll admit it or not!) Third, with that being said, I finally had a chance to audition Nordost Valhalla speaker cables against their own SPM cable. I don't know which is worse...the obscenely expensive price or the fact that the Valhallas ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY! Auditioning on a preamp/amp/speaker system of UNDER $20K the Valhalla's differences were NOT subtle! As a matter of fact going from the SPM to Valhalla then back to the SPM I just couldn't listen to the SPM any more! It's like playing a guitar with dead strings. As my dealer said, if you think of quality cables as an audio component instead of just wires, the price gets easier to justify. The Valhalla is now the standard AT ANY PRICE, and everyone else is just going to have to play catch up!

Reply from Author
To the "Regulars" and whoever:
Whew! Sorry if I offended anybody.

"Cant we all just get along", Rodney King.

It has been a while since I have been criticized for "reading" about audio (as opposed to listening to it.)

I do not want to go on to long because apparently everybody has had enough of this topic( I am new to this forum- Sorry)

I would like to say two things for the record. 1)My original post concerned spending "mega$$$$" on cables. I did not say that there is no difference in cables or that you cannot hear a difference in cables. Anyone who knows the first thing about current or voltage (much less audio electronics) knows that. 2) My point was simply that they are grossly overpriced and over-hyped. If you are willing to read a little I suggest (in addition to the sites listed in the original post) Allen Wright's book "Supercables Cookbook." (Available at Vacuumstate.com) There is no state secret or propritary information involved and a comparatively cheap and well designed cable will do everything you need. If you are not into DIY a look at Wright's book will at least offer some protection from your local audio salesman. In fact cables are probably the simplist link in the chain. If you have the dexterity to butter toast you can put together your own for a few cents on the dollar. Being a relative newcomer to audiogone I figured that if you are at this site you are interested in stretching your $$$ and like to avoid the pernicious effect of retail pricing, and glossy advertising budgets.

My Best to everyone!
CK

Craig:
I've sold cables on the amount of $$$ and downgraded to a simple van den hul wires that is being used on highly priced cables.
The result was increadible + I upgraded my cartridge for the difference to Lyra Helikon from Benz M.09

Yea, admittedly we subjectivists have our own little buttons. FYI: CK sent me a gratious message. Now, THAT's the self-esteem that makes dialogue possible and FUN (!). Boy, is it refreshing. Dialogue, while pointed and confident in its given position, should always maintain some sense of play, I think. Maybe I'm wrong. As I told him, he was just a foil here, albeit a necessary one, IMHO now and then (for the reasons I stated above).

I will admit one of my favorite brand cables is home made (not my home). If anyone remembers MAS (Music and Sound) which was once pushed by Wadia, sold by The Cable Company and recommended by Soundstage. The designer Stu Wein now makes them out of his home in Florida and sells them direct for the same price he use to charge dealers which is about 1/3 retail. His various interconnects, speaker cable and power cables are a great value at that price. He sells them on eBay also. Stu can be contacted at Audioparts@aol.com