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MC 2205 - What Cables to Use?

mozcho

mozcho

Well-Known Member
I have just gotten a used MC 2205, I am feeding it with a vintage Marantz 1060 (as a preamp), and speakers connected are Spendor SP2/3, alternating with JBL L100. I am new in this hobby, I'd like to know if the types of speaker cables and interconnects matter in the final sound quality? Currently I am using generic types. If it matters, please recommend me on both speaker cables and interconnects.
 
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Decent quality interconnects that won't stress the sockets will do, nothing too tight or costly. For speakers, the older Mac amps with barrier strip connectors will work fine with 16 ga twin stranded wire with spare plugs on the amp end. Again, nothing fancy or costly is fine.
 
The older Mac amps had swedged-in RCA signal sockets that look more substantial then they are. They worked fine when used with the contemporary Switchcraft cables that didn't have a firm grip on them, but the newer harder gripping plugs on heavy stiffer wire can and will eventually loosen them in the chassis and cause intermittent grounding problems.
Likewise, the older 1950s/1960s (and later) shell sockets on most gear may not survive grippy fancy interconnect plugs. Socket solder connections to boards can also be stressed and develope cracked/broken soldering and intermittent connections.
 
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If you can accept the premise that cable manufacturers will purposely manipulate the inductance, capacitance, and resistance to alter the interaction of a cable and the connected units so that you can modify the sound; your choices are as high as the sky.......

My enthusiastic discussion with Gow years ago, with Palma as referee, was based on this premise.....he could not believe that cable designers would purposely try to alter the sound....as a marketing device to make their products stand out, as retailers, Palma and I knew better.
 
Do not be naive.......speaker companies do it, many amp companies do it, tube manufacturers seem to do it.......

If you need to make your product stand out......you do what you got to do.
 
mozcho said:
I have just gotten a used MC 2205, I am feeding it with a vintage Marantz 1060 (as a preamp), and speakers connected are Spendor SP2/3, alternating with JBL L100. I am new in this hobby, I'd like to know if the types of speaker cables and interconnects matter in the final sound quality? Currently I am using generic types. If it matters, please recommend me on both speaker cables and interconnects.
Click to expand...

Do you have any audio friends nearby who could come by with some cable and interconnect options? Would be good to compare before you buy, because it's all a matter of where you put your $.

It may be worthwhile to hear what a dedicated preamp might do for your sound as well.
 
mozcho said:
I have just gotten a used MC 2205, I am feeding it with a vintage Marantz 1060 (as a preamp), and speakers connected are Spendor SP2/3, alternating with JBL L100. I am new in this hobby, I'd like to know if the types of speaker cables and interconnects matter in the final sound quality? Currently I am using generic types. If it matters, please recommend me on both speaker cables and interconnects.
Click to expand...
to convey an electrical current/signal, use the ones with the lowest R
 
Keep the speaker lines short and follow the recommended cable size published in the new MC 275 owners manuals. They have a similar damping factor. If the out put impedance is below 1000 ohms on your Marantz you don't need fancy cables. Some esoteric cables are tuned to altar the sound which you don't want. Thats what tone controls are for...
 
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