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HighFidelityGuy
14-04-2009, 23:02
Hi,

I'm looking at getting some new speaker cables and interconnects and I was wondering what makes people on here had good results with?

Currently I like the look of NVA (http://www.nene-valley-audio.com/), Atlas (http://www.atlascables.com/), Supra (http://www.supracables.co.uk/) and the Sterling Black Mamba (http://www.usedhifishop.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=589) I've seen mentioned in various threads.

Thanks.

greenhomeelectronics
15-04-2009, 07:09
We still have the money back offer on the black mambas, if you buy and don't like them just send them back for a full refund.
All the best,
Dave.

Marco
15-04-2009, 07:41
Yes, Dave's Black Mambas are superb - I can vouch for those, as I can these from Mark Grant, which I use myself:

http://markgrantcables.co.uk/

With cables, always go for 'no-nonsense' high quality copper stranded (or silver if you can afford it) with good connectors, such as that used in professional studios, which is exactly the stuff Dave or Mark sells.

There is no need for anything overly 'exotic' - you're just wasting money and funding someone's marketing budget.

Marco.

Spectral Morn
15-04-2009, 08:04
Yes, Dave's Black Mambas are superb - I can vouch for those, as I can these from Mark Grant, which I use myself:

http://markgrantcables.co.uk/

With cables, always go for 'no-nonsense' high quality copper stranded (or silver if you can afford it) with good connectors, such as that used in professional studios, which is exactly the stuff Dave or Mark sells.

There is no need for anything overly 'exotic' - you're just wasting money and funding someone's marketing budget.

Marco.

I think that the cables you list for trying are a good selection.....however unlike Marco I don't believe that the highlighted text is the case with the cables you name IMHO.

Find a friendly dealer who stocks these, and try some of these cables in your set up. Ideally try these first and then the Black Mambas.....this will give you a very good idea of what works best in your set up. Like all things in audio it is always the idea to try before you buy, just to make sure you are happy with the result.

You should by what I have read and that I do trust Marco's ears about Dave's cables (Black Mamba)....you should avail of Dave's generous try and return scheme. Maybe NVA do the same....I must say that I don't know.

I for one favour ATLAS cables in my own set up and I like the consistency of materials in the individual ranges....no RS catalogue cable use here. All Atlas cables are designed by them and manufacturing while not done by Atlas in Scotland (final assembly is) the cables are made for and to Atlas designs.



Regards D S D L

Marco
15-04-2009, 09:08
Yep, I take your point Neil. Atlas are good cables - I've used them with great success in the past.

It's just that experience tells me since that Mark Grant cables, for example, do everything that Atlas cables or any cables from 'known badge' manufacturers do at a fraction of the price! I'm currently using his £30 Belden-type interconnects, which replaced some £800 Transparent Reference, and I didn't do that for the good of my health ;)

However, as with anything in hi-fi, 'suck it and see' :)

Marco.

HighFidelityGuy
15-04-2009, 09:21
Thanks for the replies.

I forgot to mention Mark Grant, he's definitely on my list.
The reason I've chosen these makes so far is because they make their own cables or use pro cable in the case of Mark, I like the companies philosophy and their design decisions make sense to me without having ridiculous marketing nonsense.

NVA do offer a money back promise and a trade in scheme for old cables so that's very appealing but they are quite expensive compared to some of the others.

Dave, is the money back offer on the Black Mambas also available on custom lengths as I'll need 4m lengths?

Thanks.

DSJR
15-04-2009, 14:27
Atlas cables are pretty good as a breed as I remember, but I must advise that they exist purely due to a group of retailers buying in bulk (Mountain Snow, IIRC) and making shedloads of profit on each one they sell.

I found Soundstable on eBay very helpful and he uses decent wires and connectors. What isn't in his shop can be made up to order and when I pleaded poverty and asked for some pro-patch mic cable to go with the neutric phono plugs I ordered, he added 3m and charged me a very nominal amount extra (bearing in mind he has to buy 100m drums at around 70p per metre). great service I think and the wire sounds good as a turntable to amp wire as well....

John
15-04-2009, 15:52
I think the main thing is to get either good quality silver or copper; either will do. I use pure silver myself The black Mambas might a good cable to try out with the refund option you cannot really go wrong

HighFidelityGuy
15-04-2009, 16:05
Thanks for the help everyone. I've been offered some NVA speaker cables by another forum member so I've decided to give them a try. I'll let you know what I think when I get them next month. I'm also going to get an NVA interconnect to go between my DAC and amp to keep the cables the same make. I think I'll try either the Sound Pipe or Super Sound Pipe version.

Spectral Morn
15-04-2009, 16:13
Atlas cables are pretty good as a breed as I remember, but I must advise that they exist purely due to a group of retailers buying in bulk (Mountain Snow, IIRC) and making shedloads of profit on each one they sell.



I was going to let this pass but not now.

Frankly how a company may or may not have come into existence is not particularly important its how the cables sound in ones set up. The early Atlas cables may be as you say (I can't comment on this ), but Atlas now, today are no such thing they are designed and made (not bought in RS catalogue or other wise sourced cables). Final assembly is done in Scotland. All cables in Atlas range are made from similar materials not a mix and match approach taken by other well known companies. So in my case the Marvos cables are all made from the same cable material through out which is why they have an excellent coherent sound. First time I have ever bought into the single brand cable idea....first time I have ever heard it work because the materials are identical....not so elsewhere.

Profit margins are an evil in this world and cable margins can be high in many cases but again this is to my mind not an issue if the cable performs well in a set up, suits the set up and is thus worth the money...if it doesn't it isn't but may be in an other application.

Your cable choice suits you fair enough but I feel your comments in regard to Atlas are somewhat hostile and uncalled for, as was a comment you made about Ken Ishatwata of Marantz a while ago. And yes I do know John Carrack, but my defense of Atlas is based on the cables being quality and not down to me knowing him.


D S D L

Marco
15-04-2009, 18:07
Neil,

All of what you've written is valid, however I do feel that you're reading hostility in Dave's post which was never intended. It's the old 'communicating on the Internet' thing again. I'm certain no malice was intended and that Dave was simply relating his experience. I know Dave and he has no agenda, so try not to be as touchy, old chap! ;)

Going back to cables, I do rate Atlas cables highly (I know the pedigree), however let me ask you this... How much are your Atlas interconnects, and *if* you heard, say, one of Mark Grant's £30 Belden-type ones outperform them in your system what would you do?

Trust me, the Transparents I had were superb and were auditioned against many other cables before being selected (you should know how fussy I am!), but when I heard the Mark Grant cables in my system piss all over the Transparents (in terms of simply imposing less of a signature on the music) then all 'audiophile pretensions' went out the window, the Transparents were sold toute-suite, and yours truly sank the profit, going 'ching-ching' all the way to the bank before you could say 'let's have a holiday on the proceeds!' :lol:

I like you Neil, and I respect your opinion on a number of matters, but you do seem to get slightly attached to and a little 'precious' about certain components in your system. This type of thinking is somewhat alien to me, as all the gear I've got is simply there as a means to an end until if or when I hear something better. I don't care what something is, where it's come from, or who's made it as long as it works. I have no 'loyalty' to any brand or manufacturer. However, we're all different - I guess that's what makes things interesting!

Marco.

Sand Dancin Donkey Walker
15-04-2009, 19:24
Well, my personal recommendation from my experience ( I use both of these makes) would be for the following 2 manufactures, one of which I'm sure you will know, the other I'd be fairly sure you will never have heard of.

Don't underestimate any cable. Be it Copper or Silver always listen and buy to your budget. I'm sure in the past when I have been looking for a bit of kit I have in my mind set a budget and look within and below that price bracket, but I have also spent more :doh:.

Check out Cables by;

Acoustic Zen
Albedo
Hope it helps

Andy - SDDW

DSJR
15-04-2009, 19:41
Oh Gawd, I wasn't criticising Atlas cables, only commenting on why they may appear to be expensive compared to some of the good wires available on eBay.. It's a long time since I spoke to John Carrick, but I first knew him in the Ariston days and spoke once to him when he was presenting the Mountain Snow/Atlas cables when I visited a dealer on behalf of a one time cable competitor (we don't always make the correct choices in life DL, and some of mine in the last thirteen years have been *very* suspect...)

As for KI, I have it on *very* good authority that "he" is a brand-name for certain Marantz special products. The gentleman who travels the world as KI may well be KI for all I know, but I've not known any "audio" engineers being quite so enigmatic or style conscious before him (I don't believe they're that well paid...;)).

HighFidelityGuy
16-04-2009, 15:13
I've just ordered a 1M interconnect and a mains lead from Mark Grant to try out. Unfortunately his speaker cable is out of stock at the moment so I'll have to wait a while before I can try that.

muffinman
16-04-2009, 15:22
I use Mark Grant I/C and Black Mambas
They did cause me quite a lot of heartache though, namely what to buy with all the money I saved :-)

Steve Toy
16-04-2009, 23:44
Mark Grant i/cs and Black Mamba cables are also what I use. They replaced Siltech SQ28s and Chord Epic Twin respectively costing over a grand for the lot.

HighFidelityGuy
17-04-2009, 08:49
I'd definitely like to try the Black Mambas but at the moment my speakers are further from my amp than 2.5M so I'd have to get custom lengths made which would put up the price. I'm strongly considering repositioning my system to allow me to use shorter cables but I won't be able to do that for a month or two as I'd need to buy a new rack/TV stand and sell my old one etc so that needs planning a bit more.

It'll all come together soon. :)

Spectral Morn
17-04-2009, 09:36
I'd definitely like to try the Black Mambas but at the moment my speakers are further from my amp than 2.5M so I'd have to get custom lengths made which would put up the price. I'm strongly considering repositioning my system to allow me to use shorter cables but I won't be able to do that for a month or two as I'd need to buy a new rack/TV stand and sell my old one etc so that needs planning a bit more.

It'll all come together soon. :)

Hi

I believe quite strongly that placing your gear in between your speakers mucks up the imaging of your system. I know the advantages of shorter cable are mainly just cost savings, as I don't think it alters sound much(not that I have heard myself). However I have heard the issues/problems of having gear between the speakers and the improvement in sound gained by moving it elsewhere in the room...this is quite dramatic IMHO/E.

Black Mambas are now, I think (ask Dave) available in longer lengths than originally mentioned.


Regards D S D L

HighFidelityGuy
17-04-2009, 10:38
Hi

I believe quite strongly that placing your gear in between your speakers mucks up the imaging of your system. I know the advantages of shorter cable are mainly just cost savings, as I don't think it alters sound much(not that I have heard myself). However I have heard the issues/problems of having gear between the speakers and the improvement in sound gained by moving it elsewhere in the room...this is quite dramatic IMHO/E.

Black Mambas are now, I think (ask Dave) available in longer lengths than originally mentioned.


Regards D S D L


Nooooo, not more complications. :doh:
This is turning into a nightmare. I can't win one way or another.
I currently have my hi-fi rack directly to the right of my right speaker and my TV in between the speakers. The reasons I wanted to move the hi-fi between the speakers is that it would allow me to use shorter speakers cables, get my speakers slightly further apart and de-clutter the living room a bit. Also I'm going to have to buy a new TV stand at some point anyway due to me getting a new TV. Due to my room layout and the wife's insistence on having somewhere for our guests to sit, I don't have any other options. :(

Here's my current layout LINK (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/DTM2000/Hi-Fi/CIMG2011.jpg) does anyone have any suggestions on how I could tweak this? You can just about see the sofa poking out in front of the hi-fi rack. This is the cause of most of my troubles.

Thanks.

DSJR
17-04-2009, 15:25
Our chunky CRT TV is between my speakers and I sincerely wish it wasn't.. I've tried to minimise the problem by placing the speaker fronts slightly forward of the TV screen and this seems to minimise the inevitable interaction between them.

Like me, you also have the speakers slightly asymmetricly placed along the wall. Despite there being a good metre in the minimum distance (the other side wall is around 1.5m away), the centre image shifts ever so slightly left. I've swapped the speakers round, power amps, installed the Croft preamp and reversed channels and it makes no difference, so I'm convinced it's the room. The Spendors always were well thought of for imaging quality and it's amazing and sometimes disconcerting being able to hear small shifts of placement.

Some systems like long interconnects and very short speaker leads (AVI recommended this), others prefer longer speaker leads and short interconnects (my current Croft/Crown setup and, of course, Naim).

I'm really beginning to rate Van Damme as a good supplier of wire and have always respected neutric connectors, although there are many other good/great alternatives. Belden make a humumgous range of cables and their 8760 and 9272 mic cables are brilliant I found as general purpose cables which don't seem to have a character at all, just letting the signal through without *obviously* removing subtle musical clues in the process. A wider open system may feel differently I'll admit.

HighFidelityGuy
17-04-2009, 15:43
Yeah, it's the off-center speaker position that bugs me the most. If I'm honest I haven't noticed much difference between the sound from the left and right channels but there does seem to be a lack of width to the stereo image. I'm hoping that's something the new cables will improve a bit. When it comes to the TV possition, I already have the fronts of the speakers in front of the TV, so there's not much more I can do about that. I may try moving them a bit further forward to see if it makes a difference. Hopefully the situation will improve when I get an LCD TV as well.

chrism
17-04-2009, 16:34
I use Avondale Black Link for speaker cables. I have been using them for about a year and they have been the best all rounders that I have tried. Not bad pricewise either.

Regards

Chris

Spectral Morn
17-04-2009, 17:44
Nooooo, not more complications. :doh:
This is turning into a nightmare. I can't win one way or another.
I currently have my hi-fi rack directly to the right of my right speaker and my TV in between the speakers. The reasons I wanted to move the hi-fi between the speakers is that it would allow me to use shorter speakers cables, get my speakers slightly further apart and de-clutter the living room a bit. Also I'm going to have to buy a new TV stand at some point anyway due to me getting a new TV. Due to my room layout and the wife's insistence on having somewhere for our guests to sit, I don't have any other options. :(

Here's my current layout LINK (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/DTM2000/Hi-Fi/CIMG2011.jpg) does anyone have any suggestions on how I could tweak this? You can just about see the sofa poking out in front of the hi-fi rack. This is the cause of most of my troubles.

Thanks.

Sorry


You have an awkward room....perhaps if your new TV is a flat panel (less depth, so effects the sound less) and you place it as close to the wall as possible but not mounting it on the wall (which you could do but is messy as it involves tracking the wall to make the cables vanish). You could place your hi-fi on this new TV stand with some good isolation to minimise the effect of the glass they tend to be made from. If you do this I would try and isolate the TV from the hi-fi mains as AV gear and TV's do mess the sound up too....sorry I know another problem. Crt TV's aren't as bad as flat panel TV's in this regard, its probably the switch mode psu's they use.

This is probably the best compromise. I know what its like to have a less than ideal room lay out.

Dave I too have a slight left image shift, its down to a bay window to the side of the left speaker. Pulling the curtain reduces it a bit. One of the reasons I have my BAT pre is it has a balance control to cure this problem.


Regards D S D L

doodoos
17-04-2009, 18:03
I see that Sterling, who make Blck Mamba, have 4 new speaker cables lined up - should be interesting.

HighFidelityGuy
17-04-2009, 18:17
No problem D S D L , thanks for mentioning it. I'd rather know of potential problems before I buy stuff so I can at least try and plan round the problem. :)

My new TV will be LCD, so I'll be able to get it much closer to the wall.
I'm currently thinking about getting THIS (http://audioaffair.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1521) TV stand. As it's made of curved wood and it's fairly low, I'm hoping it won't affect the sound too much.

What do you think to this?

Spectral Morn
17-04-2009, 18:49
No problem D S D L , thanks for mentioning it. I'd rather know of potential problems before I buy stuff so I can at least try and plan round the problem. :)

My new TV will be LCD, so I'll be able to get it much closer to the wall.
I'm currently thinking about getting THIS (http://audioaffair.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1521) TV stand. As it's made of curved wood and it's fairly low, I'm hoping it won't affect the sound too much.

What do you think to this?

http://audioaffair.co.uk/images/uploads/AUD114A.jpg

Looks nice...can't say how it will sound though, but wood in a curve may be less of an issue than flat plate glass. Is there enough ventilation for your gear ?


Regards D S D L

HighFidelityGuy
17-04-2009, 19:10
http://audioaffair.co.uk/images/uploads/AUD114A.jpg

Looks nice...can't say how it will sound though, but wood in a curve may be less of an issue than flat plate glass. Is there enough ventilation for your gear ?


Regards D S D L

Thanks.
I think the ventilation will be fine as the back is fairly open. I just need to double check the shelf heights and a few details.

kalozois100
18-04-2009, 16:37
Hi all,
i just wanted to say that this this thread has been very heplfull to me personally as i have been wanting to upgrade my interconnects and did not know which path to follow. What has swayed me is to cost and as a result i have ordered some mark grant cables interconnects - coaxial and stereo cables at a very reasonable price 44 pound sterling inc. delivery for abroad which i consider a bargain.
thanks alot for sharing your wisdom/views/experience on the matter.
I feel it is important to acknowledge this as although one person asks for help many bystander readers also benefit without the contributers of the thread ever knowing so being a member of this forum i would encourage positive feeback for those who help the rest of us. many members on this forum have spent alot of hard earned cash and time to get their audio sytems to present day set ups and the rest of us are reaping in the rewards of that process. yet they take the time to pass on this wisdom to others too.
i do like what marco says about not being fixated on one particular make but using any component to improve the sound and moving on to others too. Swapping an 800 pound interconnect for a 30 pound one doesnt makes sense in theory but obviously does in practice. it took a while but I finally get it now what you said Marco when i was a new member to this forum about some hifi makers wanting to brain wash their buyers that their products are the best because they are the most expensive but IMHO after just a little experimenting i now understand this is not necessarily so in the realm of the hifi world. since joining this forum i have spent about 700(peanuts for some im sure!) pounds on upgrades of speakers, second hand amp and an external dac with modifications and feel i have a stereo system i can be very happy with - and thats what matters at the end of the day.:)
Regards,
Kalozois

HighFidelityGuy
19-04-2009, 10:02
Excellent, I'm glad other people are finding this useful. :)

Mike Reed
19-04-2009, 19:08
Just another problem (ho ho!) regarding CRTs and speakers. Too close to powerful magnets (i.e. speaker chassis) and a colour spot forms on the screen. I've had this a number of times and believe I may have it now, but just can't be bothered. Think I used to de-gauze in the past, or maybe I just bought a newer TV!

Wonder if plasma and l.c.d. tvs suffer from this?

DaveK
19-04-2009, 20:12
Hi all,:)
I'm very much a newbie here and I joined to learn, not to pass on my non-existant knowledge of the subject but I would be interested to hear other's opinions of the following: -
Some time ago a guy from whom I bought an AV amp mentioned an eBay listing for reasonably priced but very good silver interconnects. I looked at the listing and was persuaded to buy a couple. My only comparison was with the 'Comet' specials that I had before and they were much better (surprise, surprise). The eBay listing was by John Miller, listed under the name of 'johnandchris' and he now offers silver interconnects and silver speaker cable in both normal and cryogenically treated states. John claims to have supplied over 500 such interconnects under his full 'no questions asked' refund policy without ever having even 1 returned.
I would recommend anyone interested to at least take a look and read his listing giving the rationale behind his products. I would also be interested to hear from anybody else who has bought his product and is able to make a more informed rating of them.
Dave.
PS doing a 'Search' for 'silver interconnects' in the eBay 'Buy' area will lead you to his listing as he always has overlapping listings.

HighFidelityGuy
19-04-2009, 22:07
Just another problem (ho ho!) regarding CRTs and speakers. Too close to powerful magnets (i.e. speaker chassis) and a colour spot forms on the screen. I've had this a number of times and believe I may have it now, but just can't be bothered. Think I used to de-gauze in the past, or maybe I just bought a newer TV!

Wonder if plasma and l.c.d. tvs suffer from this?

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the warning but I've not encountered any problems caused by the speaker magnets, unless I put the speakers within a couple of inches from the TV. I've had speakers as close as mine currently are to my TV for about 6 years with no ill effects. I don't think LCD or Plasma TV's suffer from the same affects.

HighFidelityGuy
19-04-2009, 22:09
Hi all,:)
I'm very much a newbie here and I joined to learn, not to pass on my non-existant knowledge of the subject but I would be interested to hear other's opinions of the following: -
Some time ago a guy from whom I bought an AV amp mentioned an eBay listing for reasonably priced but very good silver interconnects. I looked at the listing and was persuaded to buy a couple. My only comparison was with the 'Comet' specials that I had before and they were much better (surprise, surprise). The eBay listing was by John Miller, listed under the name of 'johnandchris' and he now offers silver interconnects and silver speaker cable in both normal and cryogenically treated states. John claims to have supplied over 500 such interconnects under his full 'no questions asked' refund policy without ever having even 1 returned.
I would recommend anyone interested to at least take a look and read his listing giving the rationale behind his products. I would also be interested to hear from anybody else who has bought his product and is able to make a more informed rating of them.
Dave.
PS doing a 'Search' for 'silver interconnects' in the eBay 'Buy' area will lead you to his listing as he always has overlapping listings.


Thanks Dave, I found the seller but he only has one interconnect (other than a tone arm cable) for sale currently. It does sound like a good deal though.
I found quite a few other people selling silver interconnects at reasonable prices too. I might try a few over the next few months and see which works the best for me.

Cheers.

Spectral Morn
19-04-2009, 22:34
Just another problem (ho ho!) regarding CRTs and speakers. Too close to powerful magnets (i.e. speaker chassis) and a colour spot forms on the screen. I've had this a number of times and believe I may have it now, but just can't be bothered. Think I used to de-gauze in the past, or maybe I just bought a newer TV!

Wonder if plasma and l.c.d. tvs suffer from this?

Hi Mike

Its the electrons being fired at the shadow mask are deflected by the magnetic field in the speakers also and this is more permanent the magnetic field warps the shadow mask and this can become permanently damaged. De-gauzing takes place if turn your TV off at the wall plug and then on again.

If the warping does not go doing this then you need a magic wand (portable de-gauzer)....but even this won't fix long term damage.

As lcd and plasma Tv's don't use shadow masks, electron guns(a type of valve) they are not effected by magnetic fields...so you can put the speaker as close as you want. Some speakers are magnetically shielded.


Regards D S D L

DaveK
20-04-2009, 11:34
Mainly for the attn of 'HiFiGuy' (sorry for the abbreviation).
Hi,
I wouldn't necessarily take the johnandchris eBay listing as his last word (if that is indeed what you are doing). His direct e-mail address I have and if you PM me I will pass it on. Then you can contact John (Miller) direct and ask your questions - he is extremely approachable, responsive and helpful. If it helps you to 'open the door' feel free to mention that you got his contact details from me (daveandsue). I am sure that he will have something of interest to say to you.
Hope this helps.
Dave.

The Grand Wazoo
20-04-2009, 16:15
Dave,
This guy may not thank you for putting his email address in full public view. Perhaps you might consider editing your post to remove it & send the person for whom it was intended a private message instead?

Cheers
Chris

DaveK
20-04-2009, 16:31
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your input - point taken - I have edited it as you suggest.
Dave.

HighFidelityGuy
20-04-2009, 19:41
Well, my Mark Grant interconnect and power cable arrived today.
I've installed the interconnect between my DAC and amp. The power cable is attached to my amp. I already have a Mark Grant digital coax between my PC and DAC so I'm turning into a bit of a Mark Grant poster boy. :lol:

Anyway, I've only had them running for a couple of hours but I can definitely hear an improvement. It's fairly subtle but the sound seems slightly clearer with a bit more attack and separation. The sound stage is also slightly wider and more three dimensional. So basically all the improvements I was hoping for, which is nice. Overall the sound just seems more right and more listenable, so I'm a happy chap. I now can't wait to try out some new speaker cable. :smoking:

I'll also try some other interconnects etc later but for now I'm very happy.

Once they're run in properly I'm going to swap each one back to the old cable I was using in turn to see if I can figure out which cable is making what improvements.

Right, I'm going to get back to the music now.
Thank's for the help everyone, I'll post more thoughts soon. :gig:

Barry
28-04-2009, 10:59
Thanks.
I think the ventilation will be fine as the back is fairly open. I just need to double check the shelf heights and a few details.

Just love the look of the unit with those curved edges. What is it, where do you buy it and how much does it cost?

Agree with Neil on the avoidance of glass shelves.

Regards

Barry

Barry
28-04-2009, 11:49
Some systems like long interconnects and very short speaker leads (AVI recommended this), others prefer longer speaker leads and short interconnects (my current Croft/Crown setup and, of course, Naim).

I'm really beginning to rate Van Damme as a good supplier of wire and have always respected neutric connectors, although there are many other good/great alternatives. Belden make a humumgous range of cables and their 8760 and 9272 mic cables are brilliant I found as general purpose cables which don't seem to have a character at all, just letting the signal through without *obviously* removing subtle musical clues in the process. A wider open system may feel differently I'll admit.

I prefer to make my own signal interconnects with Neutrix connectors (phono (ugh!), DIN or XRL). The cable I use is usually RG58/CU or RG174/U coaxial made by the Swiss company Hubert + Suhner, though I have made up leads using RS low noise coaxial cable for connection to my tape decks. The pre-amp to power amp lead is made using a 1 metre length of Neumann 3 core screened microphone cable.

I am experimenting with leads made with Hubert + Suhner triaxial cable, types: G01330HT; G02332; and G 02330 HT. Have only started trying them out and it's too early to report any findings.

Belden make good cables and I wouldn't hesitate to use them if I didn't have a plentyful supply of the Huber + Suhner stuff.

My speaker cable is 'bog standard' QED79 and it suits me fine. Ideally I would like to drive the speakers with monoblock power amplifiers placed as close to the speakers as possible; minimising the cable length. The amplifiers would then be fed from the pre-amp by (again ideally) balanced cables. For the latter I would use Van Damme balanced microphone cable, if I couldn't get hold of Neumann cable. One day I'll get around to it.

Regards

Barry

HighFidelityGuy
28-04-2009, 11:57
Hi Barry, thanks for the info.

The TV/Hi-Fi stand is an Audinni AU114. You can get it from a few places in two colours but this is the cheapest I've found it so far: LINK (http://audioaffair.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=1521)
It's not what I'd call cheap but then again it's not too expensive. Some of the stands I looked at were well over £1000 for the same type of thing. :confused:

Barry
28-04-2009, 13:07
Thanks for the link.

I suppose I am fortunate / unusual, in that the television and associated video equipment is in a different room, separate from the music system. However it does comprise a stack of items: 2 x DVD players; VCR and 'Freeview' decoder. Added to this is my '2.0' audio system used to augment the sound of either DVDs or of films or music programmes watched via the 'freeview' box. This latter comprises a Quad 33/303 amplifier feeding Eltax speakers. What with a jumble of cables connecting everything, it is not the most attractive of installations; looking a bit like the corner of a laboratory. It really does need tidying up and the Audinni stand looks ideal.

The TV is an old Mitsubishi 18" model, at least 25 years old (in fact it is so ancient that it does not have a SCART socket!), however I am loathed to get rid of it because the picture is still very, very good. There are signs of ageing, but I am the only one who can see it and it is very slight. If I were to replace it, it would be with a flat screen model, probably 32" corner-to-corner. It would have to be a flat screen type, because although I think that the best picture is still provided using CRT technology (it has been around for nearly 100 years), tubes possessing the new 16:9 aspect ratio can only use a narrower 90 degree deflection angle, so tend to be deep. I don't have the room for such deep sets. Anyway all of this is deviating somewhat from the thread, the point is that the speakers flank the TV, but are no closer than about 15" from the set. There haven't been any problems caused by the speaker magnets, but then the screen is automatically degaussed each time the set is switched off.

As to cables, well they are motley mixture of 'freebie' cables that came with with the players and items that I have made to connect to the Quad amp. Speaker 'cables' are two short (no more than 2 metre) lengths of 5A lighting flex. (Will probably get banned from this forum for admitting such a 'crime'!)

Regards

Barry

Spectral Morn
28-04-2009, 16:15
Thanks for the link.

I suppose I am fortunate / unusual, in that the television and associated video equipment is in a different room, separate from the music system. However it does comprise a stack of items: 2 x DVD players; VCR and 'Freeview' decoder. Added to this is my '2.0' audio system used to augment the sound of either DVDs or of films or music programmes watched via the 'freeview' box. This latter comprises a Quad 33/303 amplifier feeding Eltax speakers. What with a jumble of cables connecting everything, it is not the most attractive of installations; looking a bit like the corner of a laboratory. It really does need tidying up and the Audinni stand looks ideal.

The TV is an old Mitsubishi 18" model, at least 25 years old (in fact it is so ancient that it does not have a SCART socket!), however I am loathed to get rid of it because the picture is still very, very good. There are signs of ageing, but I am the only one who can see it and it is very slight. If I were to replace it, it would be with a flat screen model, probably 32" corner-to-corner. It would have to be a flat screen type, because although I think that the best picture is still provided using CRT technology (it has been around for nearly 100 years), tubes possessing the new 16:9 aspect ratio can only use a narrower 90 degree deflection angle, so tend to be deep. I don't have the room for such deep sets. Anyway all of this is deviating somewhat from the thread, the point is that the speakers flank the TV, but are no closer than about 15" from the set. There haven't been any problems caused by the speaker magnets, but then the screen is automatically degaussed each time the set is switched off.

As to cables, well they are motley mixture of 'freebie' cables that came with with the players and items that I have made to connect to the Quad amp. Speaker 'cables' are two short (no more than 2 metre) lengths of 5A lighting flex. (Will probably get banned from this forum for admitting such a 'crime'!)

Regards

Barry


Barry you would be lucky now to be able to buy anything quality in a CRT TV.
I use a 36 in Panasonic and I had to scrape around to find one. None of the quality manufacturers make CRT anymore. You can pick up a few of the crap...never heard of that makes still....but everything is now LCD or Plasma. Only Panasonic still make quality plasma tvs. Pioneer are pulling out of plasma soon (their sets were the best by a country mile). How long Panasonic continue is only known to them. For me LCD picture is flawed even with HD on it. I prefer good plasma but above all still rate CRT (its valve based :)). I dread the day when I have to switch....


Regards D S D L

Barry
28-04-2009, 19:59
Barry you would be lucky now to be able to buy anything quality in a CRT TV.
I use a 36 in Panasonic and I had to scrape around to find one. None of the quality manufacturers make CRT anymore. You can pick up a few of the crap...never heard of that makes still....but everything is now LCD or Plasma. Only Panasonic still make quality plasma tvs. Pioneer are pulling out of plasma soon (their sets were the best by a country mile). How long Panasonic continue is only known to them. For me LCD picture is flawed even with HD on it. I prefer good plasma but above all still rate CRT (its valve based :)). I dread the day when I have to switch....


Regards D S D L

I shall hang on to the Mitsubishi set for as long as I can. In order to preserve the same vertical dimension (11") that we have with the present 4:3 aspect ratio screen, we would need a 22" diagonal screen in the new 16:9 aspect ratio. The nearest size is 28", however the recent improvements are not really effective on such a small screen and only become effective on 32" screens or larger. The screen is 8' away from the sofa, a comfortable viewing distance, so would not want a larger screen as we cannot really increase the viewing distance. Even then, a flat screen set would be necessary as a CRT set (if available) would be too deep.

Yes, I have heard that Pioneer are discontinuing manufacture. A shame, as a collegue of mine has one and is very satisfied with it. Now it would seem that plasma displays are also becoming a declining technology. Again a shame, as I though they were the only alternative that offers a contrast ratio that equals, if not exceeds, that of the CRT.

Whilst there have been great improvements in the development of LCR screens (I have been quite impressed by Sony's offerings), they still cannot match the brightness offered by either plasma or CRT screens. Factor in the poor contrast ratio and LCD does not look attractive.

The monitor for my PC is a 19" high definition LCD display and, it has to said, does look good, but I view it from a distance of 10". It was bought so that when I get around to embracing digital photography, I will be able to carry out image processing. That day has yet to arrive, for various reasons that I won't go into at the moment, suffice it to say if I could achieve the same quality in a 32" screen then I would be more than content. Collegues who know more about these things than I, say that not even HD sets are that good.

I have seen HD LCD sets using BluRay discs as a source and the picture is, not to put too fine a point on it, absolutely bloody marvellous. Unfortunately, this quality is not achieved for signals received 'off air'.

So what will I do? Wait until the TV is on its last legs, go down to my local TV shop (NOT Dixons or Currys or Comet), see what is available, ask if I can play with the settings (most TV shops have the colour set too high) and then make a decision.

A bit like when they switch off FM radio. I will wait until about a fortnight before switch off (and it is not certain if they actually will abandon FM) and then buy something - but this subject is probably best discussed in a separate thread.

Regards

Barry

kalozois100
01-05-2009, 17:45
Hi there.
Regarding cables i had earlier my my belkin speaker cables set up singularly in 2 time 9 meter lengths. this left alot of loose wire behind the equipment stand . I cut them and then bi wired my B&W 685s using 4 times about 4 meter lengths. The belkin wire is 75ohms from what the specs say. I was amazed at the improvement in sound. The music has become more airy and emotional even at low volumes and the speakers seem to have disappeared from the room( something others have mentioned but i didn't quite understand) . I am not sure if it is because of bi wiring or shorter speaker cable length. I am very pleased with the results though.:lol:

HighFidelityGuy
15-06-2009, 09:58
I thought I'd post an update on my cable adventures over the last couple of months:

I picked up some NVA LS1 and LS3 speaker cables to try out. To be honest I couldn't really hear any major improvements but they did reduce the slightly woolly sound I was still experiencing. The LS3 possibly gave a little more dynamics.

I bought the two sets of cable from forum member Alan as a quick and slightly cheaper way of trying them out. As they had made some small improvements it made me wonder if the top end LS5 cable would be even better. Also, as I had recently bought some new power amps and re-arranged my Hi-Fi layout, I was now able to use shorter speaker cables. So I decided to order some 1m lengths of LS5 from NVA and sell the LS1 and LS3.

The LS5 arrived a few weeks ago and I've been enjoying running it in since then. To be honest I still can't hear a massive improvement over my old cheap cable but the LS5 gave the same improvements as the LS3 but with more dynamics again. So that suited my setup and musical tastes quite nicely. Also, seen as the LS5 only cost me £50, I think they represent good value for money for the small improvements.

I've already managed to sell the LS3 but the LS1 is still available and is now on ebay. If anyone is interested in them there's a link to the auction in my sig below.

I'm going to try out some more cables over the rest of the year but for now I'm going to stick with the LS5 as I'm happy enough with it and there's a few other things I'd rather spend my time and money on at the moment, including dipping my toes in the warm waters of valve land for the first time. :eyebrows: More info on that to come soon hopefully.

jimdgoulding
15-06-2009, 22:08
Allow me to make a recommendation of some affordable cables you've never heard of. The good news is that you may demo for up to 60 days and should you decide to return them, you will be refunded. These cables are very, very thin. The manufacturer will burn them in for you. That may cost extra, it's a new service, dunno. I have the MA3 IC's with the optional Eichmann bullet RCA's. They are more mellow (no emphasis) than what they replaced and this allows for more micro detail. Open stage, excellent depth of field, nicely detailed (no emphasis) and instrumental placement is very fine. Things just lay out there more resolutely and sound sweeter, if a little softer at the very top. My Bel Canto DAC likes them. My ears do, too.

Google Morrow Audio for a looksy. And what you will read about break in- and I thought it was hype at first- has proven to me to be quite true.

speakers-1989
15-06-2009, 22:14
I like Nordost cables. And I also like Ecosse cables, I fancy getting a Ecosse cable for my CD player. Currently I'm using Merlin Elgar interconnect with my CD player. The Merlin is great but does lack something a bit with my system.

The Vinyl Adventure
16-06-2009, 00:09
having sold tv's for a few years i actually find it astonishing that lcd as become the prominent technology! it to me is proof that we live in an age of cost efectivness/ingrance of the consumer over quality! i have a plasma pany and i love it, but it does wind me up that watching it i notice it over proccesing the picture almost the entire time!

webby
16-06-2009, 08:28
Wrong thread Hamish? :)

I have a panny plasma too, and I love it. ITV looks rubbish though!

DSJR
16-06-2009, 21:53
Is it the plasma or LCD over-processing the picture, or the rubbish that's being transmitted? I sometimes see it on out 50Hz Panasonic 28" widescreen (PL1)...

By the way, you may get a bargain CRT at places like Cash Converters, who seemed to be deluged in ex-rental models for well under a ton (a Panny like mine for £70 tops). The Mullard tubes seem to last quite well these days and even a several year old one should give a few more years of good pictures.

By the way, Sony made a 32" all digital chassis CRT a few years ago and it was the first and only hi-tech TV that could reproduce interference "as" interference. All the other 100Hz jobbies went to pieces at the time on a similar signal, although the top Philips/B&O models coped better than most..

barty
06-07-2009, 20:52
i use mogami microphone cable and i've fitted eichmann bullets as interconnects, better than anything else i've tried

Spectral Morn
07-07-2009, 11:13
Is it the plasma or LCD over-processing the picture, or the rubbish that's being transmitted? I sometimes see it on out 50Hz Panasonic 28" widescreen (PL1)...

By the way, you may get a bargain CRT at places like Cash Converters, who seemed to be deluged in ex-rental models for well under a ton (a Panny like mine for £70 tops). The Mullard tubes seem to last quite well these days and even a several year old one should give a few more years of good pictures.

By the way, Sony made a 32" all digital chassis CRT a few years ago and it was the first and only hi-tech TV that could reproduce interference "as" interference. All the other 100Hz jobbies went to pieces at the time on a similar signal, although the top Philips/B&O models coped better than most..

Sony FQ75 models' a 28 and 32 inch...I think is the set Dave is referring to. However it was poor on reproducing white and its internal speakers aren't very good. Plus there was an issue with stains on the screen. Sony quality control allowed a good number of Wega sets of all models including the FQ's to not have the magnets on the tube adjusted correctly. The shadow masks were not always flat...hence the stains (what I referred to at the time as vomit stains). It took two 32 FQ 75's to get one that was okay, but it still needed final adjustment in my home.


Regards D S D L

Gazjam
07-07-2009, 19:21
Interconnect?
Using Hitachi LC-OFC and its better than all the others I've owned.
(I've had Nordost, Chord, Linn - and it was better to me than the Belden I got from Mark Grant)

Cost me under a fiver.

Speaker cable?
Arrow Bi-wire cable from Ebay (based on a recommendation from a forum member who uses it with 1.5K speakers)

Crapped all over my Van Damme biwire cable, far more open, dynamic and natural sounding.

Cos me 17 quid from Ebay including postage.


I was a chronic cable sidegrader (see heavy carrier bag of cables in cupboard) and I really feel I dont need or want to change my cables.
Just loving the tunes too much to care...

aquapiranha
08-07-2009, 20:46
I am using some Belkin (yes, you read that correctly) Pure-AV speaker wire. 30M for about £25 from Amazon. Solid core and solid value. Interconnects are a mix of Audioquest something o other and cheap but well made 'unbranded' stuff.

Pete
14-07-2009, 01:07
For the money I find Grover Huffman's ICs to be awesome.
Very transparent and neutral.

Not sure you can do better for even way way more money!

Steve Hoffman seems to like them :)

Anyways, he sells them on this website www.groverhuffman.com

roscoeiii
19-07-2009, 05:53
On the bargain side of ICs, I'd look at Blue Jean Cable interconnects. Signal Cable also has some nice reviews in the under $50 price range.

Speaker cable I know less about, but my recent upgrade from junk Radio Shack cables to MIT Terminator 4 cables was revelatory. I want to try out a pair of Mapleshade Golden Helix cables eventually, to see what effect a radically different type of cable might have.

But as has been said repeatedly in discussions of cables and components, it is all about matching the cable to the system.

electric beach
20-07-2009, 12:44
I'm smitten by Anticables. I've posted another reply to Johnrtd on this subject in the Drawing Room. We have the exchange rate and courier costs against us in the UK, but if I were across the pond...

www.anticables.com

HighFidelityGuy
27-07-2009, 19:27
Just a quick update on my cable adventures:

A few days ago I noticed that NVA had a traded in 1M set of their Super Sound Pipe (SSP for short) interconnects for sale at half the usual price. I couldn't resist as I've been wondering what they were like foe months. Luckily I won the auction and they arrived today.
I installed them today between my lightly modified Beresford 7520 DAC and my AV amp which is currently acting as a pre-amp for my mono-blocks.

Despite the fact that they've only been installed for about 10 minutes the difference in quality over my old cables is amazing. My old cables were Cambridge Audio Pacific that I had to start using again after getting my mono-blocks. Between the AV amp and mono-blocks I have a 1M set of Mark Grant Canare cables.

The SSP are allowing much more detail and subtlety to come through. They also give a more airy sound which I think is due to greater separation between beats/notes that helps to make everything sound less cluttered. Vocals are also noticeably clearer and easy to understand.

Granted I am comparing £200 cables to £30 cables but the Pacific's were seen as being extremely good value in their day.

I seriously recommend that anyone who can, tries a set of these SSP's as they are brilliant and I'm sure they'll get better as they bed in. They should be run in already as they are 2nd hand but there are no signal direction markings on the cables, so I don't know if I have them connected the same way round as the original owner.

Covenant
11-08-2009, 16:09
I have the ordinary Sound Pipes Dave and they are superb. The only problem is because of the stiffness of the cable they cause my little tripath amp to go wandering around.

marscay
08-09-2009, 20:52
Very tempted to try some of those Sound Pipes, i popped 2 runs of the NVA LS5 into my GR20's today with much succcess ......very nice speaker cable and the Black Mamba will be making way.