No debates: what speaker wires, cables or interconnects do you prefer and use?

monster 12 gauge wire for my fronts
cheapie 16 gauge wire for my surrounds
monster :banana: clips
monster speaker pins on surrounds
 
I tend to follow manufacturers' directions with respect to interconnects and speaker wire. When I had the Linn LK1/LK2 combination, I used Linn interconnects and speaker wire (K20). Now that I'm using electronics from Audio by Van Alstine, I use cheap, generic-style interconnects and cheap, 16 gauge speaker wire, because that's what Frank Van Alstine said to use.
 
I've been using since 2001 when I bought all of this:
Tara Labs Prism 33 patchcords(these at that time were $100 a pair) and unterminated Audioquest type 4 speaker cables for bi-wire.After what I paid for all of this(over $475 in 2001) I told myself I'm using this stuff for a minimum of ten years to get my money's worth.

Now,i'm wondering if i'm missing out on something after reading every page of this thread....some of the brands like Anti Cables etc... sure are tempting.
 
jrtrent said:
I tend to follow manufacturers' directions with respect to interconnects and speaker wire. When I had the Linn LK1/LK2 combination, I used Linn interconnects and speaker wire (K20). Now that I'm using electronics from Audio by Van Alstine, I use cheap, generic-style interconnects and cheap, 16 gauge speaker wire, because that's what Frank Van Alstine said to use.
Click to expand...

Interesting advice... but cool... if the designer made it so something would work, it should... doesn't mean you can't play around though.
 
twc5964 said:
I've been using since 2001 when I bought all of this:
Tara Labs Prism 33 patchcords(these at that time were $100 a pair) and unterminated Audioquest type 4 speaker cables for bi-wire.After what I paid for all of this(over $475 in 2001) I told myself I'm using this stuff for a minimum of ten years to get my money's worth.

Now,i'm wondering if i'm missing out on something after reading every page of this thread....some of the brands like Anti Cables etc... sure are tempting.
Click to expand...

Your interconnects look great... speaker cables too... depending on the system and its overall synergy, you may like Anticables or not...

this page has advice for use with your IC's

http://www.sonic.net/soundscape/analogexpert.com/products/prism.html

Anticables seemed like taking a blanket off the same sound for my system... very nice... with this denser air, it's the best my system has sounded yet.
 
jrtrent said:
I tend to follow manufacturers' directions with respect to interconnects and speaker wire. When I had the Linn LK1/LK2 combination, I used Linn interconnects and speaker wire (K20). Now that I'm using electronics from Audio by Van Alstine, I use cheap, generic-style interconnects and cheap, 16 gauge speaker wire, because that's what Frank Van Alstine said to use.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I used to respect FVA's opinion, looks like he's turned into another Peter Aczel. Frank can't hear the differences with wire-ups and Peter can't hear the diff between amps, sheesh! I learned a lot from both of them back in the day before what-ever happened happened to them and their acumen.

I'm using home-brewed cat 5-ish for speakers and h-b ICs, shielded and unshielded. I'm considering trying Anti-Cables or h-b variants.

S.B.
 
Lamp wire , etc. all sound great-until you actually try good cabling on equipment that can exploit it. Just about everybody will reach a point of diminishing return with cable prices-some of us sooner than others!
 
VintInfinity said:
Your interconnects look great... speaker cables too... depending on the system and its overall synergy, you may like Anticables or not...

this page has advice for use with your IC's

http://www.sonic.net/soundscape/analogexpert.com/products/prism.html

Anticables seemed like taking a blanket off the same sound for my system... very nice... with this denser air, it's the best my system has sounded yet.
Click to expand...

Cool,thanx for the link.I seen to remember a page similar to this way back in 2001.I bought all this stuff and told myself "this had better make a difference for my system".Well,to my ears it certainly did. Still,I ponder the thought of what similar priced cables now might be better but my system is mid-fi so i'll keep using these for a while longer.
 
I have found changing the order of different IC's and speaker placement to make big changes as well... so if you want a change of sound, just mess around with what ya got.
 
Here's my finished cable project....

Cables002-2.jpg
 
DIY speaker cables that I purchase from a fellow AK'er, Audioquest G-Snakes for my CD players and Audioquest Sidewinders for my turntables in my 2 channel rigs. Monster Studiolink RCA to 1/4" from the preamp to the power amp in my main system.

Monster MB400 SW-2 Subwoofer Cable and Audioquest YIQ-A Component Video Cables for my HT set-up. 14 ga. Rat Shack bi-wired to my center channel, 14 ga. in the wall (when I built the house) to my rears and unknown brand speaker cables to the mains.
 
Pio1980 said:
Hmmm, I used to respect FVA's opinion, looks like he's turned into another Peter Aczel. Frank can't hear the differences with wire-ups and Peter can't hear the diff between amps, sheesh! I learned a lot from both of them back in the day before what-ever happened happened to them and their acumen.
Click to expand...

Maybe they've both had an epiphany?
 
Pio1980 said:
Meaning neither of them can no longer tell by listening, great from good and good from crap, or that those who claim to be able to do so are in fact self-delusional or just shameless liars?
S.B.
Click to expand...

I simply meant they've changed their opinion for one reason or another.

Certainly, each will read into it what supports their own beliefs.

But, we're both way OT with this sidebar...
 
whoaru99 said:
I simply meant they've changed their opinion for one reason or another.

Certainly, each will read into it what supports their own beliefs.

But, we're both way OT with this sidebar...
Click to expand...

Aware and agreed! For me it was a matter of disappointment and lost credibility, having done biz with both of them in the past. That's all.

Back on topic;
My cabling has evolved over the years for audibly enhanced/improved sound quality, the most recent major change being done last night. The cat-5 speaker cabling I've been using for 2 decades+ changed out for some interesting multi-strand/individually enameled wire we had been using for antenna wire. Made up some faux AntiCable-ish speaker runs with it & used some corrugated HDPE wiring loom to manage it. Sounds a definite upgrade in resolution and cleaniness all around over the old-reliable cat-5-ish stuff, tho' tonal balance changes have yet to be determined. Initial impressions very favorable, sounds cleaner, more natural, and more 'real' heard even from another room. Thinking about perhaps trying the "HB-14" cheapskate speaker cabling sometime later as an alternate/parity check.

About the interconnects;
I have been using flat twinned speaker wire terminated with the cheapest stamped-shell RCA plugs as unshielded line-level ICs as long as I used the cat-5 and still find that a good economical compromise for high-end performance on-the-cheap. I use the star-connected single-end-connected-shield mic cable for the lo-level TT run. I may try the antenna wire as ICs sometime & see if that works better than the flat speaker line ICs.
S.B.
 
I haven't spent much time experimenting with speaker wire, I have tried the brown electrical cord wire that comes in a spool for my 8track player and speakers back in 1971, and 12 ga monster cable, which I use now. lol
 
Can't remember if I posted here..

After trying many brands and home brews...I've found that the van den Hul line is by far the best for me. I use it on nearly everything. When I'm short dough I'll use Kimber until I can afford the vdH of my choice.
 
I don't think I've mentioned this here yet, but I now have Grover Huffman's phono and line level interconnects throughout my turntable setup and they're the best I've ever tried in that application, even completely eliminating hum and noise that no other model of cable could get rid of before. If you look at his website where there are pictures and descriptions of his design concepts it's amazing, I've never seen anything quite like it.

Next on the list is his power cord.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom