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7500 for USED cables? Are they joking?

I've been out of high-end audio for about 8 years, and the thing I am most struck by on my return is the apparent acceptance of power cables, interconnects and speaker cables that cost as much or more than heavy-duty high-end components.

As a now-outsider of sorts, this really looks like the Emperor's New Clothes big-time. Especially power cords, considering the Romex that delivers the A/C to the outlet isn't exactly audiophile quality.

Are people really paying $500 and up for wire? Is this foolishness of the highest order, or is this what people now believe it takes to extract the last percent or two of definition from their components?

What happened? Even buyers of what are now considered "modestly priced" cables would be laughed out of the professional audio world, so why do audiophiles think they need something better than was used to make the original recording? MOST professional recording engineers scoff at the difference between microphone cables that cost $19.95 vs. those that cost $49.95 -- most anything higher is rarely considered at all (the most expensive microphone cable might be $125 for a 20 foot run, and it's laughed at by most of the pros).

I'm not criticizing -- I'm too stunned to draw any conclusions -- I just wondered if anyone has given this much thought.

(At least I understand the home theater revolution -- thank heavens something came along to save the high end manufacturers, although it makes me chuckle to think of someone spending $30,000 to watch the Terminator. It's OK with me.)

Thank you for your consideration,

Mark Hubbard
Eureka, CA
mark_hubbard
paulwp
585 posts
 
Just out of curiosity, beyond poorly designed cables that clearly do something wrong, what part of a recording not captured by a $19.95 mic cable or any of the plain vanilla cheap copper cables used by recording engineers is re-created by those designer cables?

What part of the signal now realized through the Valhalla was left out by those cheap cables used by recording engineers in the "Golden Age of Stereo" before they knew any better?

Of course they're joking.
justlisten's avatar
justlisten
489 posts
 
Flex, if you think most esoteric cable manufacturers have engineers, RD depts, human resource depts, water coolers, company picniks, and the weekly payday meetings, I think you may be sadly disappointed. Maybe after selling 5000 power cords may they have proper facilities, many cable makers are hobbyist/audiophiles/marketers working out of a garage. Cables companies dont make cable, they use off the shelf parts and construct them in some shape or form. I couldnt agree with Sean more, someone earlier said it must have taken 5-6 hours to produce that $2xxx powercord. there may be $60 in parts in that cord on a good day, Thats quite a racket. There has to be a line drawn, a common sense line in my opinion on cable pricing, there is no guarantee that a $7500 cable will sound better than a $500 cable, quite possibly in the application used, the $500 cable could be superior. People often use the excuse that since you've spent $100k on gear, you need to spend a good deal on wires. In my opinion,what you need to do is spend the time listening to different wire that best suits your gear. Price does not equal better sound.
flex
292 posts
 
Oh c'mon. The cables in your system are aimed at phase and time alignment between your source components and your speakers. The a/c cables in your system are aimed at controlling power distortions in your house. Their purpose is to preserve the original signal on the disc as best possible, period.
glen's avatar
glen
714 posts
 
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sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
I find it amazing all the people on various posts who claim to have demo'd Nordost Vahalla and OEM grade cables and hear no difference. I assume you're dishonest. Who would honestly do this type of comparison as a serious demo? Did you acutally buy both cables? If not, then which Nordost dealer did you piss-off by having them do the switching in their store?? I doubt they would accomodate you.

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