2. cables
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Do you really need ultra expensive cables?

I was always told that you need to spend about 30-40% overall budget on cables to have good sounds. To some equiqment manufractures, that is not the case.

For those of you who visited McIntosh at HE 2003. What do you think about their Stereo set-up? Do you reallized that they spend less than 3% on cables? Not that they can't afford them. But their arguement was that if your equiqments are so nice, and so musical, why do you have to depends on cables to improve sounds. What do you think of that?

Thanks!
rodney01
viggen
817 posts
 
Clarion is one of two car audio companies that makes listenable head units. The other is Japanese, Eclipse. So, unless McIntosh wants to have off-shore suppliers, Clarion is their only OEM supplier.

The question is, however, why would McIntosh enter the car audio arena at all. Yet, I certainly can picture hardcore McIntosh fans installing a full blown McIntosh system in their other pride in joy, their cars. But, I surmise this is but a very small handful/niche market.
jacks0395
70 posts
 
Many would dispute that one, Sean. Clarion was mid line at best. The few gents that I know that are still into car audio tell me that Clarion hasn't changed.

What the heck, though. Many high end manufacturers buy products from the orient, place their placard on it, and charge a high mark up. Maybe it's okay. Afterall, it works for Mark Levinson and McIntosh.
viggen
817 posts
 
Personally, the main reason why I haven't upgraded my car stereo since the early 90's is because of the type of sound that car audio enthusiasts consider "quality."
jacks0395
70 posts
 
I agree with you, Viggen. And if you had heard the McIntosh BMW at CES, you would have questioned what they consider "quality". That remains my point.
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
define ultra expensive...3k..1k...$500?...Im pretty fruegal...I allocated roughly $200 or 10% of my budget on cables...and for the moment I am content...I am able to distinguish between electronics,speakers,etc with my current cables...which is good enough for me...however...at some point boredom will set in...and Im sure I will investigate more expensive ones...this hobby is a financial curse...
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