Wireing and interconnects

N

ninetynine

Active Member
I've been reading that you need to spend about 10 to 15% of your systems value for wireing. How do you shop for wires and interconnects, is there really a difference in the brands ? I was thinking of going to this type of audio accessory warehouse in my city where they have every accesory you can think of for audio, its great for someone who is a diyourself person.
the catalogue is online
http://www.addison-electronique.com/catalogue.htm

this is the cables section;

http://www.addison-electronique.com/catalogue/Section-K.pdf

and the wire section;

http://www.addison-electronique.com/catalogue/Section-Q.pdf

prices seem cheaper here than if i go to an audiophile shop, so what do you think i should do?
 
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diy interconnects

I would like to believe there is a difference in cables and interconnects up to a point. I haven't used expensive cabling, but would think there has to be something better than the generic stuff you get with your equipment.

I recently got some Acoustic Research RCA interconnects (yes I know they are nothing spectacular) with some stereo equipment. I don't like the way the plugs fit and it just doesn't feel like a quality cable.

I am seriously thinking about building my own cables. I have considered myself a DIYer for a while and this link sparked my interest (and my new Weller soldering station): how to make your own interconnects

We will see how it goes.

Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.
 
wires

Yes, there is a big difference in interconnects(IC's) and speaker wire. Don't worry about the percentage but finding something that you like is more to the point. Prices are from low to "how much" but you need only to be personally happy for them to be the right ones. Be careful of buying anything without the ability to take it back or resale it without taking to big of a loss and you will take a loss. That is one way in which a dealer is better because you can usually take them home try them out and keep them or bring them back for a full refund. Buying them used is also good because the first buyer usually takes the biggest loss. The best thing to do is find someone who has close to the same system you do and ask them what worked good for them and go from there. Hope this helps, Randy.
 
Not to restart the debate on the subject, but I definitely am a firm believer in the 10-15% rule. But only because my system cost me $140 total. :D
 
i think this is another one of those dead end debates where nobody wins. On one hand you have the side that believes there is a diff, and the other that say wire is wire.

I am on the side that says wire is wire, but I make my own rca's from twisted pair 18 awg and high quality rca ends, I would never pay an arm and a leg for high quality interconnects even if they were made from god's hands (a figure of speech).

Good quality shielded wire, good rca ends, and your set. Make your own or find some DIY already made for cheap.

As for speaker wire, check out the HD-14 heavy duty extension cord :D
 
Whether you think that cables are important or not, you should be able to see that many audiophile cables are outrageously priced, the cost to the consumer bearing no relationship to the cost of making the cable. So don't be a sucker. Let them buy Porches with someone else's money. I want reliable cables with low DC resistance for my system, and I like the gold plating for corrosion resistance. But I don't have any single cable in my system that cost more than 15.00, and I don't think that I ever will. When I found that the special cables for my Mark Levinson crossover were going to be absurdly expensive, I just ordered the parts and made my own. I'm quite happy with them.
 
Make sure your soldering iron has plenty of heat or that you are quite patient as that center conductor on some of the RCAs takes quite a bit of heat to get a good solder joint. I find my Weller 'gun' to work much better on that particular part.

That said, I am a firm believer in what I hear. And I hear a difference between inexpensive (some would say 'cheap') interconnects and good ones. The good ones can be had used at well under half-price by shopping on eBay, Audiogon and other sources. Let the original buyer pay the heavy frieght and you get what you want.
 
I believe (and hear) the difference between cables and interconnects, too.

Others say that the price of an interconnect should be the same price as a component.

:yikes:

I think it all boils down to what your equipment is. If you have a receiver and a cheap CD player, you can use the cheap stuff as it'll sound the same as the expensive stuff. If you have McIntosh tubes, you can really hear the difference between cables!

I'd suggest that you build your own at this point. Once you have your "dream" system in place, then you can start experimenting with exotic wires.

Just my 1.5 cents... :D

(PS: I just looove my 99.9% pure silver wires... :) )
 
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