$1500 coaxial cable?

[corndog71]

My concern is at 1 meter length, how much quality with $1500 cable really make? I jist want to know if its worth it

Ok, so we're talking digital cables.

Based on everything I've read over the years as well as my own observations, coax sounds slightly better than optical.  If you're not that discerning stick with what you got.

If you're really sweating the cost of a $1500 cable then maybe you should consider something else. 

When I spend $1500, I'm getting a hell of a lot more than 1 cable.  Like a whole tube amp with tubes!

But to each their own.  Try one if you can before buying.  You never know what might just take your system to the next level.

 

[adamct]

Rob makes an excellent point. I don't know what you currently have in your system, but for $1,500, you could buy a BeePre or a Mainline and have money left over. And for a little more, you could have a pair of Paramounts.

What do you think will make a more noticeable improvement in your system: a digital cable, or upgrading a major component?

 

[audiophileboss]

Good point. Maybe I wont get the $1500 cable. 1meter is just to short to make a difference in theory

 

[earwaxxer]

I wouldnt spend $1500 on any cable, no matter the length! Thats just me, and with the economics of my system it simple does not make sense. It has to make sense IMO. If a person has 10's to 100's of thousands in their system then it kind of makes sense. Why wouldnt you?

Makes no sense to have $25K in the digital or vinyl front end, another $25K in amp preamp etc, another $25K in speakers, and then spend a few hundred on the wire! That would be insane! If I had that kind of kit I would consider a JPS Labs aluminata set. Prob. another $30K....

 

[johnsonad]

IME, cables are the last couple percent of change and by the time that you dial in the rest of the components, the cable is the least of your concerns. Focus on the rest and the cables will be the least of your concerns.

You seem to have money to blow by reading your prior posts. Have a little patience and slowly develop your system focusing on your source, pre, amp, speaker/cans. It's a fine tuning match to get that right (and right is for your listening preference!). Once accomplished, you can fine tune with caps, cables, iron and tubes.

For example, yesterday I put in a new pair of tubes (tubes and device withheld for now These tubes are expensive but made a significant improvement to my listening pleasure on the scale of 10% in a very well matched system (mine).  These tubes cost less than 50% of your cables.

 

[Mike B]

I have been making up my own cables for a few months now.  I use RG8X which is RF power cable, way overkill for signal cable and solder on some nice RCA's.  A 1 meter cable costs me $5, a 2 meter costs $6.

They sound good.  Have fun!

 

[audiophileboss]

My system is worth $200k plus right now, this is one of the last things to upgrade before i start pointlessly buying gear for the hell of it. Fyi i ordered the cable. $1150 with shipping and tax. In a week or so I will tell you what I think

 

[johnsonad]

Why are you on this forum? This is my last reply to any of your posts.

 

[earwaxxer]

Ok, with $200K in a system, that leaves some options... What is interesting to me is that after spending THAT kind of cash one would not be at least somewhat exposed to the 'high end' and know what one is buying? - It leaves me a bit 'skeptical'.

 

[Chris]

Me too, I was going to say the dude keeps referring to money not being a problem, yet he asks us about a $1500 cable...?? I say, just go buy the dang thing and let US know what you think....you and your Dad can sit on your bed together and evaluate it.... (NOT trying to be a smartass)  just sayin........ We would be interested in what you find out....

 

[Grainger49]

I think he has come to trust the opinions heard here.  Where else would you ask and expect civil responses?

 

[HF9]

I find that using DHLabs silver sonic coax is pretty cost effective ($6ish a foot) and it has some of the best materials of any cable, foamed Teflon and a thick silver plated copper center conductor. Not too sure what you'd get that's better for a higher price. Maybe some polymorphic endopolymer dielectric that connects to your toenail for a better listening experience

 

[rockdrummer]

The most expensive cable I have purchased (per foot) is Kimber's cheapest.  4PR.  So I am clearly not experienced to talk differences between cables that nice.  An electrician I know was explaining to me and a buddy about studies saying electrons eventually find the shortest distance between two points.  Does that make braided or stranded wire a waste?  I don't know.  But I have heard differences in my cable explorations but diminishing returns seems obvious at a certain point.

ben

 

[corndog71]

Kimber braids their cables as a form of EMI and RFI sheilding.  The wires in the braid are never parallel therefore they don't act like an antenna. 

 

[Grainger49]

I'm going to confess.  I have Cardas Natural (?) Reference cables from my Eros to my FP.  For the 1/2 meter that listed for about $800.

It sounded, to me, better than anything else I put there.

 

[Doc B]

No one here needs to feel compelled to offer judgment about what someone else decides to spend on something. I have had customers with systems that cost them $200K and more. I also have customers that have simply bought a Crack that they use with an iPod and some used Sennheisers. I have heard systems at both levels that knocked me out and others at both levels that drove me away.

Searching for some kind of standard that says spending X dollars will always give me X results is IME, pointless. I guess I am supposed to be some sort of champion of bang for the buck, but consider for a moment that I was willing to spend crazy amounts of money to start up a record label that puts music out on reel to reel tape. We all have different priorities. Some of you guys who might lament a cable that costs $1500, or $15000 or even $15 might be sitting in a room with 14 different headphone amps or have a $150,000 car in your garage.

No matter what the hobby is, try to make sure that the obsession remains a sweet one. 

 

[HF9]

Cardas wire does sound nice. The wire I've used by them has a nice warm tone. The interior geometry is made up of a bunch of different sizes of enameled conductors, surrounded by a Teflon / PTFE dielectric. Usually their fancier cables have a number of Teflon tubes isolating the conductor. I generally just use the off-the-shelf, per the foot Cardas wire and skip all the air tubes when building interconnects, but I'd imagine the fancier cables could offer better isolation.

No matter what the hobby is, try to make sure that the obsession remains a sweet one.

Good point

 

[RayP]

I think it all depends on your priorities. Given the choice between buying a $1500 cable or $1500 of music, I would pick the latter. Others might differ.

To change the subject slightly. I tend to think of the music itself as another link in the chain. I have  found in the past with my tube taster line stage that I prreferred certain types of music with one tube and other music with a different tube. I suspect the same might be true for cables but have never bothered to try it out. If it were true then you might prefer the $1.50 cable to the $1500 cable depending on the music.

ray

 

[Mike B]

Of course.  The real cost of anything is not having something else.

I don't care what anyone spends for anything, just what I spend.

Cause buying something means I can't buy something else.

 

[Grainger49]

Back to the OP's question.  I couldn't tell him what something will sound like to him because we all hear differently.  What I think is important may not be what he thinks is important.  Not to mention the different music, system, ways we listen, volume level etc.

The best, probably only way to know is hear it with your own ears, brain, system, room etc.  Even if a cable were called out that 20 of us used we could at best offer some generalization.