Count me among those who believe in the voodoo black magic of better cables. I have found the differences subtle but noticeable over time. We know memory of sound quality is fleeting. But living with a system when a system with cable A has more WOW audio moments than the same system with cable B has led me to conclude not all interconnects or speaker wire is the same.
My new favorite budget interconnects are made by Ethereal Audio RCA cables. You can steal them on Accessories4less. They are much less expensive than monster! ($11.99 for 6' pair)
Here is their description:
"Snap Lock Connectors
Snap lock connectors ensure an excellent connection every time. We use internal bowed contact springs that secure tightly, but release when pulled while maintaining tension over repeated use. Many split designs such as slot cuts are inconsistent; either too light – potentially damaging equipment when inserting or pulling out or too loose, not maintaining a secure connection.
Compression Shielded Termination
Unique compression shielded termination ensures that we maintain our protection from end-to-end. This eliminates the gap found in most termination designs that can leave a home theater system open to unwanted noise and interference. It also eliminates the solder point that can become another source of noise, and helps maintain consistent impedance in every cable, which is essential for quality video cables.
Black Cotton Braided Jacket
Black cotton braided jacket is added for a sleek look and feel. It also enhances the flexibility and durability of the cables.
Oxygen Free Copper Conductors (99.999%)
Large “oxygen-free” solid signal conductors constitute the backbone of our cables. While many companies are scaling back conductor sizes, we insist on heavy gauge signal conductors (often two times or more larger than the competition).
Gas-injected FPE dielectric (GIPE)
GIPE is a high-performance internal component that helps maintain conductor positioning and crush resistance, which is essential for high-performance video. The GIPE also gives our cables very low capacitance, which is the key to outstanding analog audio performance.
24K Gold Plated Contact Connectors
Not only are these 24K gold plated connectors good looking, they are corrosion resistant and provide maximum signal transfer over the life of your system.
Oversized Connector Pins
An oversized, solid 24K gold-plated center pin is the contact that picks up and delivers the signal at each end. The oversized design maximizes contact area and eliminates the noise, corrosion, metal fatigue and breakage that can be associated with split-tip designs.
• Double Shielded for lowest noise without compromising sound quality
• Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) braided shield
• Aluminum (AL) Foil shield
• Precision machined die cast connectors for maximum durability
• 24K Gold Plated RCA Connector with spring contact ground
• Low dielectric rated “Constant Polyethylene Dielectric” on each conductor
For speaker wire, I've been using Anti cables solid core OFC speaker wire. If you want to walk on the wild side go for the incredible Mapleshade Audio Clearview Double Golden Helix speaker wire. I've had these in my best sounding 2.1 system for quite a while.
You can always go with Wirewold cabling, excellent sound quality, a bit more pricey.
I have come to the conclusion that magnet wire makes the best speaker cable, that is, solid OFC core with ultra thin enamel insulation. Just my opinion.
Last edited by 2x6spds; 09/30/16 05:18 PM.
