[Closed] Audiogeekworld: Speaker cable

Does it really make a difference?

QED 79 strand will do the job. £2 a metre from any hifi shop or online

Get some Cambridge Audio/Gale stuff from Richer. Runs about £1 a meter for their basic cable, flat profile one is £2 I think.

Personally I can't hear the difference between el cheapo and pricey stuff, have used mains cable before 🙂

Make sure you get the directional stuff and hook it up the right way round. 😉

And FFS make sure you plug the cables into the speakers FIRST. Plug into the stereo first and you'll have audio spilling out of the cable all over your flooring.

Good tip there Tucker

bit late for reaching 500 posts, I'd say, but a nice distraction from Thazza and overtaking 😉

Who?

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Van Damme Blue 2.5mm from this guy: http://markgrantcables.co.uk

Great service and always stocks good quality speaker cable at reasonable prices. I've not had the Blue before but heard good things. I've had 2 lots of his old stuff though and you get a good guage of copper for the money.

Mains cable.

Once you reach sufficient core diameter, for all practical purposes cable is cable as far as speakers are concerned.

If mains cable isn't pretty enough, then what retro83 said.

+1 on the Van Damme Blue 2.5mm, here's the link on that guys site:

http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=46_21&products_id=169

I have found some gross differences in speaker cable with my Quad 909 amps, but they have normally been associated with the speaker load/impedance - for instance running some subwoofers that work in series with some LS3/5a bookshelf loudspeakers, or using expensive external crossovers for those speakers.

These have been using fat speaker cable, when using thinner stuff the differences aren't apparent - and that Van Damme has worked well.

I have tried mains cable a couple of times but seem to be able to hear a difference with it, but not of the gross scale of differences I mention above.

It probably won't matter with you system, but if you upgraded the Van Damme would not be an issue. There are several internet discussions I have seen where people have 'discovered' how good the cheap 'black' van damme cable is, which is the same stuff but 4 core I think.

Personally, I'm not convinced cable upgrades makes an audiable difference. However, if you want to ensure you've got the best sound possible, you can make your own high quality cable pretty cheaply using Cat 5 cable as detailed here:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/ffrc_e.html

Is it groundhog day again?

I've got two QED (4m each I think...) XT silver aniversary cables made up with the QED airloc plugs at each end sitting next to me doing nothing.

Thye've been used for about a month before I bought the same but longer...I guessed the length required...incorretly the 1st time around!

Make me an offer via e-mail in my profile if you wish, I will have to post them from France though.

Just checked they are 5m each.

I remember someone recommending a cable used by the PA/concert audio guys

Was very good quality but sensibly priced - anyone help?

edit: found it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Van-Damme-Concert-Grade-Black-Speaker-Cable-2-x-2-5mm-/380173053340?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Mains cable.

Once you reach sufficient core diameter, for all practical purposes cable is cable as far as speakers are concerned.

This.

Make sure the cables are the same length, otherwise the rude trons will overtake the polite and considerate trons. The rude trons will pop out first and your music will sound bobbins.

Personally, I'm not convinced cable upgrades makes an audiable difference. However, if you want to ensure you've got the best sound possible, you can make your own high quality cable pretty cheaply using Cat 5 cable as detailed here:

It's not a case of an upgrade, the cables I have are damaged and need replacing.

Mugsys: Thanks for the offer but I suspect I could buy them here for less than you could post them from France. If I change my mind I will let you know.

I remember someone recommending a cable used by the PA/concert audio guys

that same van damme stuff - probably better as the black color looks better than the blue!

using Cat 5 cable as detailed here:

I think that ends up with some high capacitance cables, which can be pretty bad for some solid state amps.

Just get that black van damme and be done with it...

After 30 years of upgrading cables and kit I still need convincing that cables make a difference. Running almost £20 k of carefully selected kit (turntable amp and speakers ) I still struggle to notice any real difference. Maybe on real expensive kit you might. Stick with cheap qed or similar and spend the money on a decent amp

Mains 2-core cable is very cheap and you can get it in a range of colours.

I'm not sure postage will be prohibitively more expensive than from within the Uk, it will be more, but not a lot.

If you are interested, make me an all inclusive offer and I will then work out postage costs to see if I can do it.

Whichever cable you buy, be sure to deep-freeze it overnight before you use it, so the electrons are correctly aligned.

And colour the outside of it with green marker pen

And don't coil it up - the music will get dizzy.

And colour the outside of it with green marker pen

I get better stereo imaging with a blue marker.

Stick with cheap qed or similar and spend the money on a decent amp

I didn't say anything about getting a new amp. I have a decent amp.Where did I mention I was getting a new amp? All I need is some speaker cables 🙄

Thanks for the input folks. I'll have a look at the QED stuff.

The cable connecting the circuit board to the speaker terminals in my amp is AWG 22, and the cable connecting the crossover to the drivers in the speakers is about the same, so I can't see the point in using anything bigger than that in between them over a few metres, so I'm just using some old Gale stuff from Richer Sounds. I am of course running this over high grade ceramic floor mounts, near some acoustic rocks.

I get better stereo imaging with a blue marker.

Don't mock the importance of green

http://marigoaudio.com/tuning-dots/

And don't forget to replace your mains cable, you wouldn't want your music being polluted with dirty electricity.

Something economical like this should be adequate:

[url= http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Black-Rhodium-Avenger-DCT++-Mains-Cable/product_5063 ]http://www.audioaffair.co.uk/Black-Rhodium-Avenger-DCT++-Mains-Cable/product_5063[/url]

[url= http://ukhdmi.com/speaker-cable/ ]Speaker Cable[/url]

I use the Black pro series 4x2.5 biwire and its the best for performace/value ive ever used, and ive used some expensive wires in my time!

the black or blue series cables would be my choice 8)

A few people here at work suggested using basic twin and earth cable.

I paid extra to have mine demagnetised by Stephen Hawking, you wouldn't believe the difference it makes. Before I had terrible problems with D chords coming out squint.

Stephen Hawking

<stephen hawking voice>This bassline is massive </voice>