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Thread: Speaker cable for recommendations for sceptic

  1. #31
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    Try the Cable Talk speaker leads I'm offering in Private Exhibitions. They're good. Send 'em back if you don't like them . Just cover the postage or buy them if they suit.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  2. #32
    Join Date: Aug 2016

    Location: Edinburgh

    Posts: 185
    I'm Patrick.

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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    Try the Cable Talk speaker leads I'm offering in Private Exhibitions. They're good. Send 'em back if you don't like them . Just cover the postage or buy them if they suit.
    They look like great cables for a great price, unfortunately I need one cable that is 5m long. I'm looking regularly at Private Exhibitions to see if anything comes up.

  3. #33
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    That's funny, this was a 5.0m pair, but I made two 2.5m sets from them. Never mind .
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  4. #34
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,772
    I'm Martin.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon75 View Post
    Just realised you've already stated what your experience is, think I'm just gonna have to take the plunge and find out for myself.
    I'm also looking for speaker cable that gives optimal balance in my set up Not sure that such a thing even exists and there are quite a lot of different ones to try...

    Tannoy claim -3dB at 43Hz for the 6.1 so they are not that bass shy but you can't get a quart out of a pint pot. The best you can do with speaker cable would be to get a bit more mid-bass emphasis but this tends to happen at the expense of the upper mids which can end up with a sound that is bassy but a bit bland. Assuming you don't want or can't have bigger speakers with better bass extension then it is probably better to accept the compromise than chase rainbows. There is always the subwoofer option, although that can get quite spendy for a really good one.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  5. #35
    Join Date: Aug 2016

    Location: Edinburgh

    Posts: 185
    I'm Patrick.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    I'm also looking for speaker cable that gives optimal balance in my set up Not sure that such a thing even exists and there are quite a lot of different ones to try...

    Tannoy claim -3dB at 43Hz for the 6.1 so they are not that bass shy but you can't get a quart out of a pint pot. The best you can do with speaker cable would be to get a bit more mid-bass emphasis but this tends to happen at the expense of the upper mids which can end up with a sound that is bassy but a bit bland. Assuming you don't want or can't have bigger speakers with better bass extension then it is probably better to accept the compromise than chase rainbows. There is always the subwoofer option, although that can get quite spendy for a really good one.
    I'm happy enough with the bass response of the 6.1 and the upper mids are very decent, that they were neutral sounding was something that appealed to me. I will go for some 4mm and just see what it does.

  6. #36
    Join Date: Sep 2017

    Location: Chichester, West Sussex UK

    Posts: 368
    I'm John.

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    I recently went down the playing with SCs route, I had been running QED XT40 as bi-wire, but thought I should revisit SC following some significant kit upgrades.
    Luckily I managed to scrounge some loan cables to try out, these included: TCI King Cobra, Chord Odyssey2, & Cable Talk 3, I also picked up cheap from fleabay a 2m length of Atlas Hyper 3.0. The Atlas to me was the best of the bunch, providing a clean, neutral, detailed sound with good frequency extension at both ends of the spectrum, the bass was also full of weight and authority. HOWEVER, I decided to have one more little play with SC, and ordered a 1m pair of 6mm Van Damme Hifi series + matching jumpers (all the above mentioned cables were also used with jumpers).
    What a revelation the VD was, straight away it had some serious bass weight, grip and extension that didn't swamp the rest of the frequencies. Mids were crisp and clear as was the treble. After around 15 - 20 hours the cable really settled down, giving up more detail across the board and tightening the bass even further. My system has never sounded better, and I can now hear where all my pennies went.
    Whether it's due to system synergy or the fact that it's just damn good SC, I think you owe to yourself to have a listen. It's cheap as chips and punches well above it's price point.

    Oh, and don't get hung up on bi-wiring, single cable and matching jumpers work just aswell, at least to my ears.

  7. #37
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

    Posts: 3,451
    I'm Neil.

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    The Van Damme HiFi is my go-to speaker cable, getting 'linear crystal' copper (LC-OFC) at such a low price is great. I use some with my Exposure IV amp.

    My LFD Hybrid Ribbon cable uses PC-OCC multi-strand for the positive, and LC-OFC ribbon for the negative, eye-watering price though.
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

  8. #38
    Join Date: Sep 2017

    Location: Wellington New Zealand

    Posts: 35
    I'm Corne.

    Default Reviving the dead

    I know its an old thread but its one Iv been playing with. I only got my system 2 weeks ago so everything has been playing away 12h a day to free up the flux capacitor mojo.
    When I auditioned the amps and speakers my hears was set on listening to the set in store I wanted to buy so I know exactly what I was forking out for (im 100km from the closest store)
    I purchased it in the that way but when I got home things wee not the same the amp sounded like it was getting bogged down and down right under powered the mids were no better than my old warfdale diamond 10.6 on a 16 year old 5.1 onkyo 494.
    I was near tears I just spent 2 months to find something that will fit my budget and sound half descent and I have mud did not sound like mud in store so it had to be this run in flux capacitor stuff I heard of on Startrek. a week later things are a bit better but mids are still mud and it got very pitchy (my new word) so I had too look at the only thing that was not a match I went with silver coated cables to get the highs brighter (Rotel & BnW combo is very cozy)

    So I wanted to try cheaper cable (those silver things set me back $600) the bi wire setup of 4x12 gauge was way too bright. So off to the electronic store to buy the cheapest 12gauge wire I could find 16m of this set me back $80 and the plugs another 100 but thats the price we pay to try things. Made up my twisted bi wire cables 4m each hooked them to the b channel of the amp and piggy back on the speakers instant switch over on bi wire and later strait with post bindings.

    This might be interesting to or plain a bore but a huge change in sound from the cheap home made cable vs the more costly cable with its fancy silver coating and earthed shielding.

    First lets give it names HM (home made) and flux for the fancy cable
    Build quality goes to the flux as I discovered a wee problem in soldering the cable I had no way to clean up the soldering flux after the fact and I used silver solder for the better connection it draws up into the cable and as we all know flus is acid so long term a problem I will work on a solution. Might add it is 196 strands per cable twisted in 7 pairs.

    Results in bi wire: Flux: lacks bass it not that there is no bass its just thin and almost incomplete(even at +10 is is just lacking), mids are worthy of a cry session lacking detail and muddy (speakers not run in but even then it should sound better), and too much top end my ears wanted to bleed after 20 min (why I liked the Rotel B&W combo warm and cozy)
    HM: Bass is nice and deep with a lot of soul (I listen to Leonard Cohen a lot) mids a huge improvement but far from perfect top end has come right down (dial in +2 on treble to get it where I want it also helps on the mids)

    Strait with briges in place still using both cables effectivly doubles the cable size to 8gauge (if im calculating it correct)
    Flux: Bass has big improvment but still needs +5 to match the HM in bridge mode and still not as full then) mids now better then HM with +2 but top end is even worse its a screaching mess and I hate it.
    HM: Bass has even more richness (think i might be dreaming) mids are nice enough not to cry highs are about the same as on bi wire (+2 treble sorts it right out and mids clear up as a by product)

    for s...ts and giggles I removed the one end of the bi wire setup on each lot of cables back to 12 gauge on strait wire.
    Flux: well after a bunch of times going back and forward between bi wire and strait I cannot tell you that there is any majour change bar the top end is not as pitchy still too much but id make 30 min
    HM: well surprise surprise bar the highs that are needing a huge boost they sound just as empty as the more expensive stuff.

    So i dragged in my old diamonds (bad idea but they are played in) these are very bass happy by nature and they actualy sound darn close to the B&W if you throw in the flux cable but the tweeter "clips" might be the 120W from the rotel is just a bit much for them from memory they are only 100w max rated.
    on the HM cable they are just over the top even at -10 Bass setting.

    I need to conclude that speaker cable selection is as important as the amp and speaker. Size does matter no matter what you have been told.

    With my new gained findings I'm going to get a 16gauge silver coated cable and add it to the bi wire setup and normal(12guage) cable leaving the bass side doubled up and the mid high on the single silver coated cable and test it like that then combine it with my old 12 guage monsters on the the highs and see if I can make a magice moment where I prefer the bypass mode.

    the flux will be returned ASAP

    ill let you guys in on my findings if anyone is interested plus ill go mechanical joins and heat shrink them to eliminate oxidasion as i dont see it lasting long with the flux still there inside the cable. Might even post a photo of the completed cables I think they look quite handsome.

    Rotel 1570 and B&W683 S2 onkyo 7050 cd and Project Carbon TT
    Last edited by Photoguy1510; 28-09-2017 at 08:03.

  9. #39
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,772
    I'm Martin.

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    So what is the system and did the cable change work?
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  10. #40
    Join Date: Sep 2017

    Location: Wellington New Zealand

    Posts: 35
    I'm Corne.

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    Up there now had to run out for a callout.

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