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Are expensive interconnects really worth the extra bucks?


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This is not a dorothy dixa type query but I am always keen to improve the sound I listen to from my system.  I am keen to hear about the experiences from members who have upgraded to expensive (> $250) interconnects between phono / amp / turntable in particular.  Was there a wow moment?

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Anything is better than what are given away with most products , I like Atlas Equator Mkii for RCA interconnects but they are only $210 a pair for one meter so don't fit your criteria .  They work well with turntables who have rca posts as well. 

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I will answer no, they aren't worth the extra bucks if that takes them over my personal test of "reasonable" cost.  I am not saying that having good quality cables does not have real benefits.  It's just that the big bucks asked are over the top in my opinion.  

 

I would use better quality cables, looking for benefits like better shielding, lower capacitance/resistance, general robustness, and even looks.  You can get that cheaper than $250.

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22 hours ago, Hawk66 said:

This is not a dorothy dixa type query but I am always keen to improve the sound I listen to from my system.  I am keen to hear about the experiences from members who have upgraded to expensive (> $250) interconnects between phono / amp / turntable in particular.  Was there a wow moment?

Only when the mrs sees the credit card details... LOL

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It depends on the rest of the system I suppose.

I have recently had a listen to a set of interconnects that had a rrp of $16k, that was a real eye opener. Have never heard a cable change make so much of a difference before.

 

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In general I would say no.  It’s nice to have some fancy cables but I would put my cash elsewhere. Have tried a few different cables and certainly with the kit I have the difference was minimal.  I am also sure there are some systems that there could be differences - esp valve amps with speakers etc.

Edited by Steam
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23 hours ago, Hawk66 said:

 Was there a wow moment?

Definitely yes, when I first plugged n my Aurealis Dragon R1 IC cable, which was on a trial/loan basis from Geoff.

 

Unsurprisingly, it never made the return journey to Brisbane. Payment was made the next day, as it was never going to take even a few days to determine the huge improvement, let alone two or three weeks.

 

Some people  may call it expensive but I will own it alll my life so it's actually cheap in the long run. It is now sold out so I am pleased I got it when I could and IMO, $350 was a stonking bargain.

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23 hours ago, Hawk66 said:

This is not a dorothy dixa type query but I am always keen to improve the sound I listen to from my system.  I am keen to hear about the experiences from members who have upgraded to expensive (> $250) interconnects between phono / amp / turntable in particular.  Was there a wow moment?

The answer is YES for me, but you need to trust your own EARS and not listen to what other people tell you.

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I have a brand name 1m interconnect that I used to sell for $1100 about 15 years ago that I found in as-new condition on gumtree for about a tenth of that. I thought I may as well try it and if i don’t hear a difference I can always sell it for more than I bought it for and put the profit back into the things that “make a difference.”

 

I could really use that profit margin right now to put into the rest of the system but I can’t part with the cable. It sounds immediately and substantially better than the other “pretty good” cables I have (Kimber, VDH, Furutech). I really wish it didn’t, but it does.

 

Take from that what you will ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

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I would like to add that the word expensive  is different for many people.

 

I believe that IC and speaker cables can greatly enhance a decent system and are very worthwhile (but never, ever, power cable) up to a point and the price tag should be three figures, starting with six or less .

Anything over $1K and I lose interest completely and the same goes for cheap crap.

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Just now, rantan said:

 

I would like to add that the word expensive  is different for many people

 

Absolutely agreed.

Different people have different budgets and what they are willing to spend on cables.

 

If the budget is tight like @RankStranger's example buying secondhand can be a great option.

It doesn't matter if the cable is a few years old (as long as the insulation is okay) and you can get a better quality cable than you normally could afford.

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On 10/10/2020 at 7:25 PM, Hawk66 said:

This is not a dorothy dixa type query but I am always keen to improve the sound I listen to from my system.

 

Just fyi --- there really was a 'Dorothy Dix'!  :)  So the adjective (for the noun 'question') is 'Dorothy Dixer' - not 'Dorothy Dixa'.

 

She was a well-known journalist in the US and evidently was known for framing questions herself (rather than using her readers' questions), to allow her to write pre-prepared answers.  Hence the use of the term 'Dorothy Dixer' in Australian politics.

 

Andy

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The relationship between price and quality cannot be easily judged. I had an experience with trying out 2 different RCA interconnects (between pre-amp and power-amp) with the same system. The first set was a Chord entry level RCA interconnect and the second set was a Madison Audio Lab with a Ground Pod. The difference was quite amazing. When one has bought all the gear and try to get extra mileage out of them, then it may not be a bad idea to try a "better" interconnect. Whether the extra cost is worth it or not is personal.

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After spending well over a decade of making cables and trialing expensive cables, in my experience there is a vast difference in sound between cables.  So the answer is yes.    Many nights blind testing cables has 100% confirmed that.  But what I will say, is that price isn’t always the defining parameter.   
 

Fortunately I’ve pulled apart many commercial cables to find out that the cable they use isn’t what they claim or isn’t worth any where near the price they charge.

 

The reason I started making my Affordable yet high quality cables. 

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The 2nd hand phenomenon is funny actually. I’ve got a VDH The Sea cable from DAC to Pre, been sitting there for 5 years, hardly moved(only during dac changes), if anyone was to buy it today at half the price 2nd hand, they have practically bought a new cable. 


2nd hand in regards to looked after cables is the thinking mans option (and no, they aren’t run in, that’s bollocks)

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1 minute ago, Sime said:

The 2nd hand phenomenon is funny actually. I’ve got a VDH The Sea cable from DAC to Pre, been sitting there for 5 years, hardly moved(only during dac changes), if anyone was to buy it today at half the price 2nd hand, they have practically bought a new cable. 


2nd hand in regards to looked after cables is the thinking mans option. 

I think your spot on.. anything with a good brand name that comes up for sale seems to sell fairly quickly.

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24 minutes ago, Sime said:

The 2nd hand phenomenon is funny actually. I’ve got a VDH The Sea cable from DAC to Pre, been sitting there for 5 years, hardly moved(only during dac changes), if anyone was to buy it today at half the price 2nd hand, they have practically bought a new cable. 


2nd hand in regards to looked after cables is the thinking mans option (and no, they aren’t run in, that’s bollocks)

I was about to mention they will be already "burnt in" till I saw the last comment.. hehe

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21 hours ago, Ittaku said:

My cable budget is 1% of the total cost of my system.

In my opinion 10% of the total cost of the system should be allotted for cabling and isolation and power. How you spend it is up to you. 

 

Also, higher the cost of a cable does not translate to better sound. Do diff cables sound different? For sure they do. 

 

Also, from my experience, getting to cables should be the last part of the system. 70% of what you hear is your room and your speakers. 20% will be your front end (source/electronics/amps), the 10% will be your cable, isolation, etc etc so get to the cables only once you have done your best in the 90%. I also feel that sticking to the same brand for interconnects and speaker cables gave me the best results. Power cables have the least amount of effect on the sound but they most certainly have an effect. Any power cable is better than the stock cable that comes with your gear. 

 

Also its good to understand the property of the materials used in your cables. Copper/Gold - used to tame a bright system. Silver/Rhodium - Used to bring out some details. There are other exotic materials used but what impact they have, I do not know. 

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On 10/10/2020 at 7:25 PM, Hawk66 said:

This is not a dorothy dixa type query but I am always keen to improve the sound I listen to from my system.  I am keen to hear about the experiences from members who have upgraded to expensive (> $250) interconnects between phono / amp / turntable in particular. 

I don't think $250 qualifies as "expensive" (although I understand that depends very much on your perspective) ... in so far as some people ask thousands for cables.

 

$250 is about the "right" (or the "upper") price for a something which is:

  • well built and well designed
  • made out of components which are manufacturered in relatively low volumes (meaning there is price premium)
  • made by companies who sell relatively low volumes of items (meaning there is a price premium)

 

Cost isn't always a good indicator of quality.... but I say that as you start going over about this ~$200 level..... then diminishing value kicks in  (that is assuming you're buying a good cable for $200.... which you should be).

 

On 10/10/2020 at 7:25 PM, Hawk66 said:

Was there a wow moment?

Yes.... but not in a "good cables are good" way..... as much as a "terrible quality cables are not uncommon"..... and poor quality and poorly terminated cables can make a significant (negative) difference.

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1 hour ago, BrownMagic said:

10% 

I've always disagreed with this type of thinking.

 

If someone has $500 amp and $500 speakers .... I'd say, use a good quality cable.... they cost about $200.

If someone has $2000 amp and $10000 spekers .... I'd say use a good quality cable.... they cost about $200

If someone remotgaged their house to buy speakers .... I'd say use a good quality cable.....  ;) 

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9 minutes ago, davewantsmoore said:

I've always disagreed with this type of thinking.

Dave - You need to take into context what I wrote in its entirety. Not just cables. I said, 10% of  system building budget goes to cables, isolation, power etc which are non core components. There are no hard and fast rules here for sure. I am just sharing my school of thought. 

Also with regards to good quality cables, there are good quality cables at every price point. And if you are inferring that the 200 dollar cable is going to give the same sonic results no matter which system it is deployed in, then this is a diff debate all together ?

But if you are saying that one does not need to spend ridiculous amounts of money on cables and expect miraculous results, then id cheers to that. 

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