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I need your expert advise

I am relatively new in the high end stuff. In fact, I am really probably more in the mid-high end with my gear. Being a novice makes deciding on speaker cables a real challenge. There are so many, all with those glowing reviews. My current system is PSB Stratus Goldi speakers, NAD Silver S100 Preamp with companion S200 amp. I currently have a NAD 515 CD player (my next upgrade). What I need is your expert advise on speaker cables. I am searching for a 10ft external bi-wire set up. I am currently using Monster Z2. They are fair but I'm sure I am missing something by not having better speaker cable. Room size is very large with cathedral ceilings. Speaker cable budget is $500-$600. I am more than willing to buy bulk cable and terminate it myself to save some $. When you are new to this hobby and don't have all the years of trial and error experience on cables, it can really be tough to make a selection. My musical taste is mostly jazz: Pat Metheny, John Coltrane, Eric Alexander etc. I like a warm but dynamic sound with deep punchy bass, smooth mid and crisp highs. I can't handle a bright, sharp or edgy sound. I play it loud. I'm thinking perhaps Geortz M1 2, Analysis Plus, MIT t2, DH Labs Q10 but I am wide open to advise from those who have been there. Any suggestions for my set up would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
boski
dekay's avatar
dekay
2,959 posts
 
Tacs: I am pretty certain that Natalie is referring to upgrading the CD player. Sorry, but suggesting that one limit their musical library by the quality of the recordings seems a bit ludicrous to me.

Boski: I would upgrade the player first (to something that really sings for you) and look into cable after you are familiar with the sound of the new unit.
seandtaylor99
1,262 posts
 
You did not mention what you feel is missing with your current system, just what you are looking for.
In my experience even an inexpensive ($500) CD Player will suffice for all relatively inexpensive systems (<$5000). I doubt that changing the CD player alone will give you a startling upgrade (i.e. will be low bang-for-the-buck).
Without knowing what you would like to add it's impossible to make cable recommendations. The previous post asking about interconnects was also correct ... interconnects have an equal bearing on the sound as speaker cables.
boski OP
8 posts
 
I have many questions to cover. I'll try and cover them all. It is not that I am unhappy with the Z2 cables, I'm just thinking (maybe too much and wrongly) that I could do better. I'm looking to enhance the sound in an attempt to squeeze every ounce of performance out of my system. It really isn't lacking or bad, it's just that I want to hear the music in the best possible way. Maybe I have just been reading too many of those reviews and write-ups on all those speaker cables. By the way, are there ever any bad reviews of speaker cables? Be that as it may, I think now that Natalie is right. My weak link may in fact be the cd player. As for interconnects, well this could be another weak link. Between the pre and amp I am using Canare Star Quad (XLR)which I terminated myself. I also have DH Labs Silver Sonic BL-1. CD player to Pre is Better Cables interconnect which I am told is really nothing but Canare Guitar cable. The sound I like is exactly the way the music is live. I think perhaps the Monster z2 cable is somewhat forward or glaring but I must say the bass is not bad.
jjwinterberg
45 posts
 
Please before you do anything find a friend or a dealer who will let you audition a set (both I/C and speaker) of quality speaker cables. I would recommend JPS Labs cables as I am quite familiar with these cables and think they would match well with your setup. Another strategy is to buy and sell through the used market as your purchases will not depreciate much during your trials.

The other suggestions are good but I think the NAD gear is good and I have had bad experiences with the Monster.

Good Luck

John
bmpnyc
710 posts
 
I have been lucky enough to gain some very good cables at reasonable prices, some here at Audiogon. When I had "mid-fi" gear and tried cabling that was almost as expensive as my hardware, it really did improve sound greatly, so I suggest you get the best interconnects and speaker cables you can afford first, (try Audiogon's classified, where some Acoustic Zen and Harmonic Technology cabling can be had at more than 50% off). Then, change your CD player if it isn't satisfying. You can then use your cables with your new CD player. The Monster wire is a good beginning towards the benefits of good cabling, but there are better choices to be made without breaking the bank, good luck.
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