Home Theater question (cables)

[ACMF74]

I'm in the midst of putting my HT together and now it's time for cables. I went searching but there are so many choices it's kinda overwhelming.

Are they all created equal like speaker wire?

Can anyone recommend me a RCA Cable brand/line?

[Massive Lee]

The longer the wire, the bigger the gauge. No need to spend big $ on wires. Big stores make their money selling $5 wires for $100 on a big shiny display. Get regular 16 to 12 gauge multi strains wire.

All you need to know about wires. Even the ugly.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm#introduction

[b*saint]

Just buy these

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/81247

[Massive Lee]

Last time, I found $25k speaker wires... Hmm...

Basically, any wire has LRC components in it. Inductance (reduces high frequencies), resistance (reduces electrical flow) and capacitance (reduces low frequencies). So, every single wire becomes a filter. and manufacturers will "tune" that "filter" so that you believe their wirte are so good it increases top end. Or whatever. Don't get fooled.

The speaker wire business is a scam. The only benefit is that they look good and will dress you audio system up.

[ACMF74]

thanks...


what about RCA Cables??????

For TV, and CD players....

[Massive Lee]

thanks...


what about RCA Cables??????

For TV, and CD players....

same scam

[gwb72tii]

speaker wires are basically the biggest rip-off in hi-fi/home theater

[b*saint]

Last time, I found $25k speaker wires... Hmm...

Basically, any wire has LRC components in it. Inductance (reduces high frequencies), resistance (reduces electrical flow) and capacitance (reduces low frequencies). So, every single wire becomes a filter. and manufacturers will "tune" that "filter" so that you believe their wirte are so good it increases top end. Or whatever. Don't get fooled.

The speaker wire business is a scam. The only benefit is that they look good and will dress you audio system up.

I agree with you. When you can only tell the difference on a scope, then wtf.

[ACMF74]

So any Monster/Acoustic Research cable works well?

[b*saint]

Home depot.

[Massive Lee]

So any Monster/Acoustic Research cable works well?

Monster = joke = $5 worth of cable sold for $100+

The only reason why they are so popular (with shops) is because they make a monster mark-up. Lots of $$$ to be made deserves huge display surface, then customers believe it's the shnitzit... Not so.

Get some 12 or 14 gauge wires, buy some good quality banana plugs. Period. Then when you have a $5k amp matched to $10k speakers, only then will you actually hear a small difference between interconnects and speaker wires. Til then, your best improvement will come form toying with speaker location, room acoustic, and quality of sources...

Lee

[ramdmc]

Try here

RC

[StereoInstaller1]

Lee is dead nuts on with this one. The caveat is that we aren't talking about $1.25 junk that comes with cheap gear, but even then it is hard to hear an actual difference.

Personally, I say go to www.monoprice.com and get what you need, or buy Kimber cable, or anything designed by Bruce Brisson, including his DIY stuff.

The first option is adequate for 99.99999% of all humans. Ray Kimber invented high performance audio cables (no matter who says what, Ray was first) adn Bruce build the best stuff on the market today, albeit with enough mumbo-jumbo to satisfy any E46 M3 owner...

[pureaudio]

Yeah Monoprice is where its at, I think it has been explained pretty well as to why it is already.

[xphiledan]

Monoprice and meritline

Don't buy into the monster cable marketing bs.

don't forget about the line conditioner. It filters out the power spikes and noise from your power outlet.