What's the best value speaker cables peeps ?.
11 February 2011, 10:15 PM
#31
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The above is true. This is what I bought. It is often used in studios and large halls (the larger guages anyway.)
http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...m/display.html
How can anything more expensive offer anything more?
http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...m/display.html
How can anything more expensive offer anything more?
11 February 2011, 10:21 PM
#32
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Bi-wiring DOES work.
I use ATC SCM300s with Crown Macrotech Reference amps. Tri-amped.
I'm a little bit more sceptical about speaker cable though - there's a LOT of bullsh1t about this, but amping/crossovers DO work.
IF you've got the capacity to use it, do. BUT they will need setting up to get a flat response.
I use ATC SCM300s with Crown Macrotech Reference amps. Tri-amped.
I'm a little bit more sceptical about speaker cable though - there's a LOT of bullsh1t about this, but amping/crossovers DO work.
IF you've got the capacity to use it, do. BUT they will need setting up to get a flat response.
11 February 2011, 10:34 PM
#33
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11 February 2011, 10:36 PM
#34
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Actually the flat twin and earth stuff makes surprisingly good Speaker cable.
Lot of tosh talked about cables, but its not all silly. You can 'hear the difference' between bell wire and something reasonably priced. When they start talking tens of pounds a metre or more though that is just fantasy land and daft as far as I am concerned.
Lot of tosh talked about cables, but its not all silly. You can 'hear the difference' between bell wire and something reasonably priced. When they start talking tens of pounds a metre or more though that is just fantasy land and daft as far as I am concerned.
Last edited by Gigsy; 11 February 2011 at 10:39 PM.
11 February 2011, 10:52 PM
#37
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Gold cables made from pure copper, just like my £2/m Van dammes.
11 February 2011, 11:10 PM
#39
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Not surprising. If you have just spent £80 on cables only to find that you have been taken in by all the marketing you wouldnt like it if someone came along telling you you're a mug and you may as well have spent £20. Those that are bringing the counter argument will be doing so due to what they have learnt.
11 February 2011, 11:50 PM
#41
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Given the damage done by your Subaru exhaust, you wouldn't hear any improvement with £10K cables...
Dunx
P.S. Bi-Amp'd myself !
Dunx
P.S. Bi-Amp'd myself !
11 February 2011, 11:51 PM
#42
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It's all relative, I guess - no point having speaker wire that's higher quality than the wiring in a budget amp. Equally, no point stifling a super high end system with poor quality wire... but the difference is not as wide as some manufacturers would have you believe.
11 February 2011, 11:51 PM
#43
If its speaker cable direct to your main speakers then go for Van Damme blue 2.5mm, its £1.99 per metre
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAN-DAMME-BLUE...item35ac806310
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAN-DAMME-BLUE...item35ac806310
11 February 2011, 11:53 PM
#44
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Maybe, depending on how long your runs are I guess. I spent £75ish on mine but they are totalling 30meters for 5 different lengths. I got the impression yours wasnt anywhere near that length.
11 February 2011, 11:55 PM
#45
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If its speaker cable direct to your main speakers then go for Van Damme blue 2.5mm, its £1.99 per metre
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAN-DAMME-BLUE...item35ac806310
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAN-DAMME-BLUE...item35ac806310
The above is true. This is what I bought. It is often used in studios and large halls (the larger guages anyway.)
http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...m/display.html
How can anything more expensive offer anything more?
http://www.audiovisualonline.co.uk/d...m/display.html
How can anything more expensive offer anything more?
11 February 2011, 11:56 PM
#46
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11 February 2011, 11:59 PM
#47
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I think the point being discussed is what makes a wire better quality than a cheaper wire that exceeds the specifications required to transmit, without hinderance, the same electrical signal. i.e. what is a "poor" quality wire and how does it stifle performance?
Last edited by SRSport; 12 February 2011 at 12:02 AM.
12 February 2011, 12:08 AM
#48
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It may be the same electrical signal however a wire will have resistance and impedance depending on it's design. This can impact the performance of the output circuit it becomes part of.
12 February 2011, 12:26 AM
#49
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If over significant lengths 10m+, or thinner wire then yes but otherwise this is not the case. The copper wire that is in the £10/m cable is exactly the same as the copper wire that is in the £2/m wire. Some more expensive wires are silver plated where the theory is that the oxidisation of silver is less severe than copper and may indeed actually help the signal transfer, but you cant actually beat a well kept pure copper cable that exceeds the minimum gauge. This is when and why manufacturers will then try to convince you of better shielding etc etc, all sounds very good but 99% of the time not applicable.
12 February 2011, 12:37 AM
#50
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Ah - but physical design alone can impact impedance. Whether it is twisted or how close the conductors are to each other.
These are no dependent on the quality of the copper for which I make no argument.
I am suggesting that many things impact electrical flow.
These are no dependent on the quality of the copper for which I make no argument.
I am suggesting that many things impact electrical flow.
12 February 2011, 12:56 AM
#51
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I know the theories spouted by the likes of what hifi etc but this is the excuse that cable manufacturers use to sell at a higher prices. I used to believe it all and then 12 months ago I spent many hours researching 'what cable to buy' and the overwhelming suggestion from impartial tests revealed that is doesnt make a difference. They were able to back it up with scientific explanations that were far more in depth than what we are able to go into here.
Anyway it was enough for me to try the cheaper van damme cable 5m x2 and I couldnt here the difference between them and the 3m x2 Chord Audessey I was using before. When I experimented with interconnects between my processor and power amp I could here a slight difference but the speaker cable change was not noticeable.
Anyway it was enough for me to try the cheaper van damme cable 5m x2 and I couldnt here the difference between them and the 3m x2 Chord Audessey I was using before. When I experimented with interconnects between my processor and power amp I could here a slight difference but the speaker cable change was not noticeable.
12 February 2011, 01:07 AM
#52
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I have to say that so far you have made all the running in quoting esoteric cable design, scientific explanations and What HiFi.
Speak to any electrical engineer. It is basic electronics.
How do you make a capacitor - you get two conductors separated by an insulator.
What impacts the capacitance? The gap and the material used for insulation. It is simple electrical engineering.
Capacitance is one factor, capacitance combined with resistance impacts impedance - a key element of circuit design. What makes it even more complicated is that impedance is frequency dependent. It varies widely in the audible range. This is not science - is basic electrical engineering.
I am also not saying that one is better or worse. Or that different characteristics have different price points - these are all assumptions you are making.
What I am saying is that not all cables are the same. Some amplifiers are highly flexible and don't care what impedance they see; some can get sensitive and this may have audible artefacts.
It is not as simple as saying a piece of copper can flow electrons just as effectively as another piece of copper.
Speak to any electrical engineer. It is basic electronics.
How do you make a capacitor - you get two conductors separated by an insulator.
What impacts the capacitance? The gap and the material used for insulation. It is simple electrical engineering.
Capacitance is one factor, capacitance combined with resistance impacts impedance - a key element of circuit design. What makes it even more complicated is that impedance is frequency dependent. It varies widely in the audible range. This is not science - is basic electrical engineering.
I am also not saying that one is better or worse. Or that different characteristics have different price points - these are all assumptions you are making.
What I am saying is that not all cables are the same. Some amplifiers are highly flexible and don't care what impedance they see; some can get sensitive and this may have audible artefacts.
It is not as simple as saying a piece of copper can flow electrons just as effectively as another piece of copper.
12 February 2011, 01:32 AM
#53
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Im not saying that it is a case of any piece of copper wire will do but the differences in design between cheap speaker wire and expensive speaker wire are so slight that they wont have an effect on the signal being sent and the sound the speaker produces. A 2.5mm copper wire is more than capable of sending a signal without any impedance issues. If we are talking about hearing audible artefacts we are not comparing cheap/expensive speaker cable.
12 February 2011, 05:59 AM
#54
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To be honest, who cares?
I'm still using the cable talk talk 2 biwire stuff i bought over 15 years ago, and the QED 79 strand, it sounds good to me and that's all that matters.
its all down to human taste, and what one person likes another doesn't.
Perceived cost vs quality vs snob factor is what drives 90% of the argument. (It must be good, because it cost £40 per metre
) lets face it 90% of the time the only people who will hear your "ultimate" cables output are yourself your immediate family. 
If you like what you hear from your setup, that's all that matters.
Mart
I'm still using the cable talk talk 2 biwire stuff i bought over 15 years ago, and the QED 79 strand, it sounds good to me and that's all that matters.
its all down to human taste, and what one person likes another doesn't.
Perceived cost vs quality vs snob factor is what drives 90% of the argument. (It must be good, because it cost £40 per metre
) lets face it 90% of the time the only people who will hear your "ultimate" cables output are yourself your immediate family. If you like what you hear from your setup, that's all that matters.
Mart
12 February 2011, 06:21 AM
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12 February 2011, 08:04 AM
#56
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Turns out one of the treble speakers has blown again.In the same speaker too.Just makes a hissing sound.The other speaker is perfect not a problem & both bass speakers work too.See if i can find one on Ebay or get B&W to collect & fit one.
Last edited by ScooByer Trade; 12 February 2011 at 08:07 AM.
12 February 2011, 08:21 AM
#57
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If that's all it is then no, but mains cable is usually more resistive for the same gauge of wire than speaker cable from what I understand.
As far as I'm concerned, beyond a certain point, it makes little difference what cable you use... especially, if like me, you've spent a little too long standing next to 4x12s ;o)
As far as I'm concerned, beyond a certain point, it makes little difference what cable you use... especially, if like me, you've spent a little too long standing next to 4x12s ;o)
12 February 2011, 08:30 AM
#60
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I have to say that so far you have made all the running in quoting esoteric cable design, scientific explanations and What HiFi.
Speak to any electrical engineer. It is basic electronics.
How do you make a capacitor - you get two conductors separated by an insulator.
What impacts the capacitance? The gap and the material used for insulation. It is simple electrical engineering.
Capacitance is one factor, capacitance combined with resistance impacts impedance - a key element of circuit design. What makes it even more complicated is that impedance is frequency dependent. It varies widely in the audible range. This is not science - is basic electrical engineering.
I am also not saying that one is better or worse. Or that different characteristics have different price points - these are all assumptions you are making.
What I am saying is that not all cables are the same. Some amplifiers are highly flexible and don't care what impedance they see; some can get sensitive and this may have audible artefacts.
It is not as simple as saying a piece of copper can flow electrons just as effectively as another piece of copper.
Speak to any electrical engineer. It is basic electronics.
How do you make a capacitor - you get two conductors separated by an insulator.
What impacts the capacitance? The gap and the material used for insulation. It is simple electrical engineering.
Capacitance is one factor, capacitance combined with resistance impacts impedance - a key element of circuit design. What makes it even more complicated is that impedance is frequency dependent. It varies widely in the audible range. This is not science - is basic electrical engineering.
I am also not saying that one is better or worse. Or that different characteristics have different price points - these are all assumptions you are making.
What I am saying is that not all cables are the same. Some amplifiers are highly flexible and don't care what impedance they see; some can get sensitive and this may have audible artefacts.
It is not as simple as saying a piece of copper can flow electrons just as effectively as another piece of copper.
Fishy, you are talking nonsense, talk to any engineer and they will tell you so.
The resistance and impedance are of no relevance in reality unless you had a a run of speaker wire of about 100 miles.
And forget about audible artefacts when you link these expensive and well constructed but cheaper wires up to an oscilloscope there are not even electrical artefacts that can be detected.