Who uses " in the box" interconnects ? [Archive]

icehockeyboy

09-10-2012, 10:23

I sat pondering how much I'd spent over the years on wanky wires, my most expensive single outlay was for some Black Rhodium ic's at £600 for a metre pair, and though how much I could have saved were I not a firm believer that wires do make a difference.

But what about the folk that do use the freebies in the box, have you tried aftermarket ones and thought there is no difference?

Tell of your wirey path please! :)

Stratmangler

09-10-2012, 10:29

I make my own.
I prefer to use two core with overall screen, and only connect the screen at one end of the cable, so the result is a pseudo balanced interconnect.

I'll have to have a rummage around in my box of bits and have another whirl with the freebie ones - I've not used anything like that for years.

Wakefield Turntables

09-10-2012, 10:57

Pure av silver which are on sale on eBay are some of the best I've used for the price. I do have some valhalla ICs but I've found making your own can yield results not far behind those from a commercial company. It's just a matter of selecting the right materials, screening and feeling confident with a soldering iron (no jokes about me screwing up my 1210s pcb) :doh:

istari_knight

09-10-2012, 12:37

I now use Van Damme LC-OFC IC's with Neutrik connectors & Naim speaker cable with soldered Z-plugs. The spares box is full of Hitachi specials :eyebrows:

Does anyone remember a company selling cables on eBay years ago called "Sub-Zero Cables" or something like that ? They were fantastic value for money.

synsei

09-10-2012, 12:45

seoirse2002

09-10-2012, 13:06

I must agree with Andrew (Rexton) here, the Belkin Pure AV interconnects offer staggering performance for their price and I have a bag full of more expensive unloved interconnects which are testament to that fact... :)

Me too! I settled on the Belkins after a long time (and money) on other so called better cables.
Lately I have been told using belkin pure av component cables as interconnects are even better although they have 3 cables on them,one can use 2 sets and therefore link 2 units.. anyone any experience of them?

icehockeyboy

09-10-2012, 14:19

Yeh but no but yeh but no but..............the original question is aimed at folk who use the freebie ic's that came with the kit.................. :eyebrows:

istari_knight

09-10-2012, 14:31

Yeh but no but yeh but no but..............the original question is aimed at folk who use the freebie ic's that came with the kit.................. :eyebrows:

Best talk to Serge :D

FWIW I once replaced some £150 aftermarket phono's with freebies & found it was an upgrade.

Wakefield Turntables

09-10-2012, 14:32

Well that's me buggered :D I've never received any free ICs with my kit :(

istari_knight

09-10-2012, 14:40

Well that's me buggered :D I've never received any free ICs with my kit :(

I think its the Japs that tend to include them :scratch: got plenty of Sony & Technics branded red/white freebies here.

icehockeyboy

09-10-2012, 14:53

I must agree with Andrew (Rexton) here, the Belkin Pure AV interconnects offer staggering performance for their price and I have a bag full of more expensive unloved interconnects which are testament to that fact... :)

On reading this I pulled out my Belkins....Oooooo er missis! And reinstated them having only used them for a day or two since I bought them, and I do have to admit they are rather good!

They have a nice tight arse, sorry Freudian slip, tight bass, and a sparkly treble, that I hope won't disappear as can happen after a run in period.

A few hours, or maybe a few days and I will let you know if they are Silver High Breed Quintessence replacements! :)

MCRU

09-10-2012, 15:38

seoirse2002

09-10-2012, 15:39

On reading this I pulled out my Belkins....Oooooo er missis! And reinstated them having only used them for a day or two since I bought them, and I do have to admit they are rather good!

They have a nice tight arse, sorry Freudian slip, tight bass, and a sparkly treble, that I hope won't disappear as can happen after a run in period.

A few hours, or maybe a few days and I will let you know if they are Silver High Breed Quintessence replacements! :)

As I said before.am I imagining it or did I read that the belkin pure av component cables are even better with hi fi?....anyone?:cool:

MCRU

09-10-2012, 15:41

So is anyone seriously posting on this forum and using these?

http://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/AV17214-40.jpg

Get off at once. :lol:

chelsea

09-10-2012, 15:42

Similar.
But a bit thicker.
Think they were a fiver a pair.

realysm42

09-10-2012, 15:44

Lol I've got some stored away from my youth, along with my Technics tape deck.

DSJR

09-10-2012, 15:58

The best mass? produced in-the-box cables I ever tried were supplied with better Nakamichi cassette decks. The "Y" points have the makers name moulded into them and they have gold plugs on. The stock supplied (by everyone else) wires in comparison sounded thin toned and scrappy I thought. These pukka Nak cables were often chucked out by people buying "well known brand" after-market wires. Little did they know :)

Another range we sold with a "deluxe" feel and sonics were the better grade Bandridge ones. Moulded plugs, but heavier gauge cables and gold plated plugs, these weren't so much dearer than the standard nickel pinned items they sold, but I thought they sounded better and they certainly looked and felt posher for another quid or so rrp.....

synsei

09-10-2012, 16:04

On reading this I pulled out my Belkins....Oooooo er missis! And reinstated them having only used them for a day or two since I bought them, and I do have to admit they are rather good!

They have a nice tight arse, sorry Freudian slip, tight bass, and a sparkly treble, that I hope won't disappear as can happen after a run in period.

A few hours, or maybe a few days and I will let you know if they are Silver High Breed Quintessence replacements! :)

They become more refined as they burn in Craig, losing nothing of their gorgeous sparkle and they definitely won't develop a saggy bum either, in fact things only get better over time. Belkin speaker cables are just as good by the way ;)

icehockeyboy

09-10-2012, 16:40

They become more refined as they burn in Craig, losing nothing of their gorgeous sparkle and they definitely won't develop a saggy bum either, in fact things only get better over time. Belkin speaker cables are just as good by the way ;)
I did jump on the Belkin speaker cable bandwagon, which at the time I thought were amazing, especially at the silly low price, but moved them on when the TQ Blues came along, and ditto the Blues when the TQ Blacks came along, although in my head I am still thinking the blues sparkled a bit better! :scratch:

Wakefield Turntables

09-10-2012, 21:23

So is anyone seriously posting on this forum and using these?

http://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/AV17214-40.jpg

Get off at once. :lol:

Ahhh you mean those! Yep i had some of those when I was about 18! Cant really remember how they sounded, but certainly not as good as the belkins!:cool:

Stratmangler

09-10-2012, 21:31

Ahhh you mean those! Yep i had some of those when I was about 18! Cant really remember how they sounded, but certainly not as good as the belkins!:cool:

How can you be so sure?
Did you have such a good system at 18?
Probably not ;)

icehockeyboy

09-10-2012, 22:08

How can you be so sure?
Did you have such a good system at 18?
Probably not ;)

When I was 18 I had a Thorens TD 150' a Goldring G 800 cart, Leak Stereo 30 plus' and a pair of Wharfedale Super Lintons.

I thought it was a good system for an 18 year old!:)

JimC

10-10-2012, 08:48

So is anyone seriously posting on this forum and using these?

http://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/AV17214-40.jpg

Get off at once. :lol:

I'll get me coat......................!

My system sounds just fine with them............I suspect my kit isn't as good as some of yours but I cannot tell the difference when I have managed to borrow some more expensive cabling purporting to sound better.
The only 'different sounding' cable I have heard was some Linn Speaker Cable, thick grey stuff, sounded awfull, I went back to 'Shark' cable from Maplin.

I'll close the door on my way out then...........................;)

Daniel75

10-10-2012, 09:55

So is anyone seriously posting on this forum and using these?

http://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/AV17214-40.jpg

Get off at once. :lol:

ahh those cables.. yeah - I had something similair - got them for free with some speaker cable. They were very important for my comparisons with "proper" ones. Maybe it was my system or maybe there is something wrong with me because I couldnt hear obvious differences. Things were changing but I could "amend" what I hear in a similiar way by moving my sitting position etc. And after my ears "burned in" everything was super fine regardless of which cables I was using anyway.

Now im using some profigold stuff which cost 15 quid for 3 pairs and couldnt be happier.

D

freefallrob

10-10-2012, 10:01

I've always thought they sounded better when taken out of the box, but still YMMV.

I like Canare LV61S, it's pretty cheap, has nice connectors, flexible and sounds 'decent', it's not the best, a worthy upgrade is Mark Grants G1000HD.

realysm42

10-10-2012, 11:22

I make a special effort to ensure my cables are worth more than my hardware.

Macca

10-10-2012, 11:29

I've got plenty of the freebie leads and a while back I swapped back to them after reading some stuff about how fancier cables made f''K all difference and were just a big con.

The freebies sounded noticeably poorer - mainly lacking lower frequencies. Swapped 'em straight back out again. I am still using some on the A/V rig but only through laziness.

Yomanze

10-10-2012, 11:32

I make a special effort to ensure my cables are worth more than my hardware.

What do you mean? I do notice that your speaker cables & XLRs alone cost the same as your amp!

Effem

11-10-2012, 09:04

I did jump on the Belkin speaker cable bandwagon, which at the time I thought were amazing, especially at the silly low price, but moved them on when the TQ Blues came along, and ditto the Blues when the TQ Blacks came along, although in my head I am still thinking the blues sparkled a bit better! :scratch:

Truth and honesty time here Craig, I have gone BACK now to the TQ Blues because after several hundred hours the Blacks still didn't have the same zing and power the Blues have. Shows that more money doesn't always yield better performance :eyebrows:

icehockeyboy

11-10-2012, 09:31

Truth and honesty time here Craig, I have gone BACK now to the TQ Blues because after several hundred hours the Blacks still didn't have the same zing and power the Blues have. Shows that more money doesn't always yield better performance :eyebrows:

You bugger! :)
I only bought the Blacks on your say so!!!!!!!

Actually, I have to admit that I've been thinking of selling the Blacks and getting another set of Blues!

Now..........where's the bloke I sold mine to?????? :scratch:

Effem

11-10-2012, 09:51

icehockeyboy

11-10-2012, 09:59

The Blacks did have some good traits the Blues don't have like the extended top end but I like a crisp tight bass and the Blacks had a more fullsome rounded bass that just didn't get my juices flowing :rolleyes:

To my ears the Blues seemed to have a better top end, that seems to be contrary to your findings............?

Effem

11-10-2012, 10:25

To my ears the Blues seemed to have a better top end, that seems to be contrary to your findings............?

I did say "extended top end" Craig and that is almost at the limits of what my old lug'oles can detect :lol: The Blacks could better define upper ambience and reverb but below that the Blues widdled all over them in every other respect. Seems like the model progression up the scale went awry between the Blue and Black because I think the Blue is far superior - confirmed totally now I have reverted back to the Blues and very happy with them too :)

realysm42

11-10-2012, 11:51

What do you mean? I do notice that your speaker cables & XLRs alone cost the same as your amp!

I know, I should have bought the graphites.

It's a tongue in cheek comment about some people's reaction to my system build.

walpurgis

11-10-2012, 12:39

Getting back to the OP.

I use ready made and home built cables.

Putting plugs on QED Silver Spiral is a fiddly job by the way and on some of the Cardas cables.

I have a lot (about 50m.) of Van Damme cable still waiting to be used though, good stuff, if not quite in the Nordost or pure silver league.

awkwardbydesign

11-10-2012, 21:32

I always re-subscribe to HiFi News when they give "free" cables. Makes me feel better.

Batty

12-10-2012, 04:45

So is anyone seriously posting on this forum and using these?

http://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/AV17214-40.jpg

Get off at once. :lol:

I have a pair of those between DAC and amp attached to my PC.
To put things in perspective the amp cost $50 and the DAC cost $35 plus the optical cable cost me $8. Speakers are Castle Richmonds and music is FLAC and WAV.

Sounds OK near field.

Rare Bird

12-10-2012, 13:19

In reference to the opening post.. I personally refuse to pay a lot on flashy cables.High quality plain & as no descript looking as possible for me.. I'll be sticking with ultra low capacitance interconnects i use..

To be honest some people's extra super dooper hearing astonishes me, i mean two different high quality phono connectors that can sound worlds apart from each other is truly an amazing thing imho :lol:

Macca

13-10-2012, 09:00

To be honest some people's extra super dooper hearing astonishes me, i mean two different high quality phono connectors that can sound worlds apart from each other is truly an amazing thing imho :lol:

I'd liek to be able to say the same thing but I have done the comparisons and the fact is that there is a noticeable difference in the presentation of the sound between various quality interconnects. Not worlds apart but different enough to have a preference. My hearing is good but it's not super dooper.

icehockeyboy

13-10-2012, 09:43

I'd liek to be able to say the same thing but I have done the comparisons and the fact is that there is a noticeable difference in the presentation of the sound between various quality interconnects. Not worlds apart but different enough to have a preference. My hearing is good but it's not super dooper.

And as a lot of people say, " different, not necessarily better" :)

Marco

13-10-2012, 13:41

walpurgis

14-10-2012, 11:18

There's no doubting the audibly differing results obtained from various cables. Usefully, these characteristics can be utilised to 'tune' the way your system sounds.

The Black Adder

19-10-2012, 21:28

So is anyone seriously posting on this forum and using these?

http://cpc.farnell.com/productimages/farnell/standard/AV17214-40.jpg

Get off at once. :lol:

lol... Same thing as the Russ Andrews 2k IC's... betcha! :)