Get DAC 12 AWG speaker cable. DAC SPK14 AWG OFC Dual Speaker Cable
They are very good. Don't put too much money in cables. You won't notice any discernible improvement.
Blue Jeans Cable is now America's only vendor of ultrasonically-welded speaker cables; with our recent acquisition of a Sonobond ultrasonic welder (manufactured in West Chester, PA), we are able to weld (yes, that's "weld," not "solder") locking banana plugs, spade lugs, or pin terminals to any of our speaker cable products. Ultrasonic welding allows us to literally fuse the copper wire to the brass plug body without using the heat of conventional gas or arc welding, for a tremendously strong physical connection, low contact resistance, and low susceptibility to corrosion. To read more about this unique process, see our article: Ultrasonic Welding at BJC.
Here is what one user says:
I have the 10-gauge Blue Jeans speaker wire with their ultrasonically welded bananas. I don't know if it's the wire or the ultrasonic welding or what, but when I use this wire there's a glassy sheen to the sound perhaps what some others here have referred to as "harshness." I experienced this with both my Parasound JC2/A21 combination as well as my Cary SLI-80 Signature with Dynaudio Audience 72 and also Magnepan MG12.
When I switched to the "Wired Home" (formerly Dayton Audio branded) 10-gauge speaker wire sold by Parts Express, things got much better, to my ears anyway, and the price is low.
I have so far kept out of howlers by depending more on feedbacks from users who analyse critically with more technical reasoning, rather than blindly believing any manufacturer's claims. Not all users, of course, but there are always some out there who have passion and commitment to understand better within one's own logic and reasoning.
I still believe a low-priced cable like Kimber 8TC with good WBT or Furutech or similar connectors assembled with hands will certainly sound better than many sold under coverage of countering "snake-oil theories".
To complete the story, I also used the long DAC cables for my surround speakers long back but when I changed to low-priced Kimber wires, there was a day-night difference. Just my experience and views, no offences meant.
Bye and cheers.
murali
Hi Murali,
Very interesting read. Going by the feedback of the users, it looks like that a cable of a particular make may work well in one setup, but not the same in a different setup. Just like "amplifier-speaker" mating, speaker cable mating with a particular setup seems to be the case as well. Okay, let me ask few questions for my learning.
1. You have pointed out that the good audio systems (capable of picking up the finer details of sound) can see differences between cables of different quality. Let's say a particular brand speaker cable has a very good quality parameter set (low Resitance/inductance/capacitance).
Does the same cable perform good in one setup and perform the other way in a different setup (assuming both the setups are audiophile grade systems) ?
2. If your answer to the above question is "YES", then how can one choose the right cable for his/her system ? I am not sure if auditioning different cables with a setup is practical or economical. Or is it that one will find a good cable for his setup through the pocess of evolution (just like you did with your DAC cable earlier and then evolved to kimber) ?
3. In one of my posts in this thread, I have posted a DIY link for cable. The DIYer has claimed that parameters of the DIY cable were too good for the investment made in making that cable. I am just wondering why that is not popular when it is easier and economical to make it. I understand DIY projects is time consuming, but that is not the case with the DIY speaker cables. So any thoughts on that ?
The trouble with most of us having gone through science and engineering is that we tend to find answers to everything on steady state basis. A cable's attributes are essentially L, C and R, plus shielding, but the truth is that no one has so far been able to objectively correlate these cable parameters to sonic attributes like noise floor, imaging, soundstage, details, speed, frequency response etc. Simple bench measurements will show that most cables measure close to flat and will be close to each other, using static loads and test rig. Unfortunately, in the real world, when we hook up these cables to real components and use them in a room playing music with soundwaves filling the room, with a real speaker load, real power amp loads, RF signals and EM fields present from other components, things change. If as the objectives say we already know the answers, several good engineers can play around with the LCR parameters, provide the best shielding, and create the ultimate cables which you and I will buy as long as it is affordable.
It is not just speaker impedance that matters when you use the same cable among different setups. For example, high impedance cables generally allow you to get away with less optimised cables but many forget that it is also a function of the output impedance of the power amplifier. Like in tube amps with higher output impedance, you may probably need low-inductance speaker cables to get the most out of your amplifier and speaker. This is because the cable impedance forms a low-pass filter (eliminates highs) with the higher output impedance of the amplifier.
So your question is how to choose the right cable for your system. Please note that cables make difference in sound, whether it is better or worse can only be decided by you being subjective. What did I do? First before spending on exotic cables, I invested in components (source, amplification, speaker), plus good recordings, to ensure that I have got a system revealing and resolving enough to make me enjoy the music and show differences. Next, I communicated with others using similar equipment like mine to share their experiences with choice of interconnects and speaker cables. Then I did my own thinking and finally narrowed down to one or two choices, and finally went for one I believe is the right one for my system. Of course, all such decisions depend on spending power at those instances, and that often delays things. But I never wanted to buy something to catch up with others and cry alone for the waste of hard-earned money. As they say, you need patience and perseverance. That is why I often get disppointed while reading threads concerning advices for cables in systems where nothing will make a difference.
As one guy, a cable guru in my opinion, said, cable design, as with any kind of audio component design, involves a series of calculated and deliberate compromises, placed within the framework of a certain price point.
Lastly, I have nothing against locally or Chinese made cables. But don't tell me it does not matter what the purity of copper is, how it is manufactured, what type of insulation it has etc. At least when I seek products from good reputed companies like Audioquest, Kimber, Wireworld, VH Audio, Goertz, XLO etc, I am confident of such aspects though the manufacturing may still be in China.
Nothing more to say and good luck to all.
murali
1 For those who dont believe in cables : Folks Cables make no difference dont waste your money on them
2 For those who believe: we know cables make a difference but please do not try to convince the above via posts. we only get extended threads that just keep going on..just enjoy the music and try to teach those who come to you to listen
3 For those who are not sure: please go to any of setups by (2) and listen
Thanks for sharing your perspective and it helps. I was looking or searching for the right answers for some of the questions like which cable to choose, should one invest in costly cables, etc. You didn't disappoint me when you said this - "But I never wanted to buy something to catch up with others and cry alone for the waste of hard-earned money. As they say, you need patience and perseverance." I was looking exactly for this answer. So what I infer is that an audio/HT setup evolves as time goes by and you would end up getting the best cable for our setup one fine day (provided we have the passion to pursue).
The lesson I have learnt regarding the role of speaker cables in an audio setup. Just like in your case, if one sees an improvement with good quality speaker cable, that's the end of the story... No debate ... So for them, it is true that speaker cables do play a significant role. If some one else doesn't see any improvement even with good quality cables (for varying reasons like - how sensitive their setup is to the changes in the speaker cable quality, the way one perceives the sound, room acoustics, etc), that's the end of the story as well and no debate !!! For them, speaker cable doesn't make any difference. That's it. So I have concluded that unless I personally experience it, I will neither rule in favour of this way nor that way.
Those of us who are unsure about the stuff in the middle may be sure about the bits at each end. We all have different contributions to make.3 For those who are not sure: please go to any of setups by (2) and listen
I describe myself as cable-agnostic, or sceptic. I'm convinced of the simple and straightforward fact that cables can make a difference --- but my doubts arise when things become no longer simple and straightforward.