Help with cables

[darekbrodzik]

Hi guys

Need a bit of advise really with cables in general for my system..Think it's the weakest point of my setup.
I've got pair of B&W 803n linked to Krell FPB 200 with Monster Cable M 2.4s...(I know what u gonna say...)Then Krell KRC 3 pre linked to Krell KPS 30 cd.All connected with Van Den Hul D102 MkIII*Xlr. All mains on Russ Andrews Kimber Kable.

Now then what's your recommendation for cabling for this particular setup??
Where to start from....Speaker cables first or other way round...interconnects first..

Personally was thinking about Kimber Kable Monocle XL for speaker cables and maybe same brand for interconnect??
Any experince with these cables??

Thanks
Derek

[Yomanze]

Nice Krell combo there, I used to own the KRC-3, lovely thing, subterranean depth.

I'm going to let you in on something about speaker cable, the objectivists have it mostly right by saying that Inductance (L), Capacitance (C) and Resistance (R) i.e. LCR measurements are critical. It is easy to change the sound of a cable by raising the capacitance, because among other things this will allow amps to 'ring' and could even be taken subjectively as a 'more sparkly top end'.

I notice that the cables you're looking at, the twisting pattern gave it away, have a MASSIVE capacitance of 1,199.0 pF/m. As a note of comparison, Van Damme 'HiFi' cable has a capacitance of <97 pF/m.

Speakers cables, to be transparent and an easy load for amplifiers, should be of LOW capacitance and moderate inductance, you cannot have 'low capacitance and low inductance'. Boutique manufacturers will generally have higher capacitance cables touting 'low inductance' as a requirement, which is bollocks. Amps like to see a bit of inductance of their output, it helps to stabilise them. Some 'hairshirt' amps can blow up if used with excessively high capacitance cables, and most will complain.

However, subjectively, I do think that the metal type and purity can make a slight difference in terms of reducing overall 'grain' in the sound, which the Van Damme speaker cable caters for with a UP-LCOFC copper type. Mark Grant does a nice job of terminating these with z-plugs, my favourite connector.

[wee tee cee]

Mark Grant is your man for cables. Lovely guy to deal with.

He is now working with Colin Wonfor-Elsdon wonfor audio

Colin is a fantastic designer of amps but also cables-I have a couple of his amps and will never part with them. Again an absolute gent to deal with

I bought tq blue and black.....and some tq ultra black all of which has never came out my systems. The EWA is even better apparently!!!!

Heard a EWA M50 power amp recently.....a M100 will be in my system in the near future!!!!

Best of luck with whatever you go for-trust your ears and enjoy yer tunes!!!!!

[darekbrodzik]

Thanks for your comments Gents.;-).

Any particular recommendation then??Neil is there any way of measuring LCR on my existing cables somehow??

Also realisticly is there any other way to buy any hi fi cable than trying it in your own system??

[walpurgis]

I think Mark Grant may do 'sale or return' on his cables. Can't hurt to ask!