SPEAKER CABLES. - 03/25/04 04:47 PM
HI, I JUST BOUGHT A PAIR OF USED AUDIOQUEST CRYSTALS SPEAKER WIRES. I'VE BEEN USING COST EFFECTIVE COPPER STRANDED WIRE. JUST WONDERING IF I'LL HEAR A DIFFERENCE?
Re: SPEAKER CABLES. - 03/25/04 04:54 PM
Merlin, welcome. Turn off your "Caps Lock" and let us know how the new wire works. If you don't hear a difference, try the 12ga/14ga from the bulk roll at Home Depot at about 0.25 per foot ans sees how that sounds. It will be a very cost-effective and audio-effective solution.
Re: SPEAKER CABLES. - 03/25/04 04:54 PM
oh no, hear we all go again.
ps: caps off
ps: caps off
Re: SPEAKER CABLES. - 03/25/04 05:07 PM
WHATS THE PROBLEM???
WHY AM I SHOUTING???
oh..ok, much better...
bigjohn
WHY AM I SHOUTING???
oh..ok, much better...
bigjohn
Re: SPEAKER CABLES. - 03/25/04 05:21 PM
Geesh guys...I think he got the message the first time about the all caps. We're supposed to be nice to the newbies. It's not until they've been around for a few months before you can start tearing into them. 
To answer your question though, it really depends on you. Hearing is as much mental as it is physical. You can truly make yourself hear a difference if you want to badly enough. I'm not saying there won't be a difference. I myself have done a test at home between a length of 12ga copper and some Z1 Reference cables from Monster. I didn't want to hear a difference, and nearly didn't. It was soooooo close in sound to each other that I just don't see the point of paying so much extra for exotic cables.
They look cool, and that's certainly a valid reason for having them. If you're going to have a bunch of wires hanging around behind your system, they might as well look as nice as possible, right?
So depending on a lot of variables, including (but not limited to) 1) your desire to hear a difference, 2) how critical your listening is, and 3) how much interference your standard copper may be picking up that a shielded cable could eliminate, you may hear a difference - but don't expect a night and day difference. It'll be slight. If you hear a huge difference, it's likely due to point #1.
Good luck, and don't let these guys give you a hard time. We're a fun bunch around here.
BTW...what brings you to the boards? Seems odd that your very first post is about speaker cable, and not speakers.
To answer your question though, it really depends on you. Hearing is as much mental as it is physical. You can truly make yourself hear a difference if you want to badly enough. I'm not saying there won't be a difference. I myself have done a test at home between a length of 12ga copper and some Z1 Reference cables from Monster. I didn't want to hear a difference, and nearly didn't. It was soooooo close in sound to each other that I just don't see the point of paying so much extra for exotic cables.
They look cool, and that's certainly a valid reason for having them. If you're going to have a bunch of wires hanging around behind your system, they might as well look as nice as possible, right?
So depending on a lot of variables, including (but not limited to) 1) your desire to hear a difference, 2) how critical your listening is, and 3) how much interference your standard copper may be picking up that a shielded cable could eliminate, you may hear a difference - but don't expect a night and day difference. It'll be slight. If you hear a huge difference, it's likely due to point #1.
Good luck, and don't let these guys give you a hard time. We're a fun bunch around here.
BTW...what brings you to the boards? Seems odd that your very first post is about speaker cable, and not speakers.