Interconnects

floresjc · « **on:** 13 Aug 2009, 02:16 pm »

Anyone have a favorite value cable maker? I've used Blue Jeans cable before for all kinds of stuff, been pretty pleased with the result. Looking to buy several RCA interconnects, a sub cable, and some coax, and just wondering what other kinds of value products are out there. I'm not looking for crazy high end botique stuff. Of course I'm hoping Dennis Murphy pops in and shows me how to get all this for $100 at the local market.

stc4life · « **Reply #1 on:** 13 Aug 2009, 02:24 pm »

Unless you think you are going to be unhooking and reconnecting components fairly frequently, monoprice should work. Otherwise, I'd think Blue Jeans/Tartan is pretty hard to beat.

Yesterday Dennis wrote "Wire, interconnects? I go to the Shack. "

richidoo · « **Reply #2 on:** 13 Aug 2009, 03:35 pm »

The Blue Jeans 1505 is a well built wire for mid-fi receiver system, but it's just not good enough for Salks. Too veiled and boring.

JPS's lowest cost IC is UltraConductor 2, $200/m. Resolving, silent, no ringing, excellent tonal accuracy. Great resale value, especially if bought used. Once you go JPS you never go back.
I have no affiliation, just a happy customer. Glad to be done with the low prices big promises wire sharks.

Wayner · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 Aug 2009, 03:59 pm »

I really like www.monoprice.com cables. They are rediculously priced at like less then $2.50 for a 1 meter length, have split center pin, turbine outer collar and run about 30pf per foot.

I brought some over to Frank Van Alstine's last Sunday and I think he liked them, price was right and the build quality is excellent.

Wayner

earthbound · « **Reply #4 on:** 14 Aug 2009, 12:28 am »

I have some of those Monoprice cables and have been very satisfied with them, but I've now gone to HDMI interconnects where possible, also from Monoprice. I think their cables are very good for the money. They are unquestionably better than the Monster Cables I used to buy many, many years ago.

I also got a bunch of Monoprice banana plugs for my Monoprice bulk speaker cable, both the black/red individual pair (#2801) and dual types (#2944 - red, and #2945 - black). The #2801 lets you clamp the conductor firmly in the plug and tighten everything down, but the dual types, which aren't spaced wide enough to fit my HT2-TLs anyway, have no way to tighten the banana prong itself, so the bananas are always free to rotate.

To me this means a potentially bad connection down the road. Another advantage to the #2801 is that red and black heat shrink tubing can be put over the exposed metal if you don't mind covering up the nice gold finish.

Wayner · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 Aug 2009, 07:33 pm »

Are Jim's inputs wider than the usual 3/4" dual banana spacing? Some of my Canadian speakers are at a 1.00" spacing. I think there may be an electrical plug that is 2 pin that is at the 3/4" spacing in Canada and Europe so they spaced their terminals farther apart. I wonder why Jim wouldn't put them at the normal 3/4" spacing?

Wayner

jsalk · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 Aug 2009, 10:17 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 14 Aug 2009, 07:33 pm

Are Jim's inputs wider than the usual 3/4" dual banana spacing? Some of my Canadian speakers are at a 1.00" spacing. I think there may be an electrical plug that is 2 pin that is at the 3/4" spacing in Canada and Europe so they spaced their terminals farther apart. I wonder why Jim wouldn't put them at the normal 3/4" spacing?

Wayner

The are 3/4" apart.

- Jim

Toka · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 01:56 am »

Quote from: floresjc on 13 Aug 2009, 02:16 pm

Anyone have a favorite value cable maker? I've used Blue Jeans cable before for all kinds of stuff, been pretty pleased with the result. Looking to buy several RCA interconnects, a sub cable, and some coax, and just wondering what other kinds of value products are out there. I'm not looking for crazy high end botique stuff. Of course I'm hoping Dennis Murphy pops in and shows me how to get all this for $100 at the local market.

Haven't found anything better than Blue Jeans in terms of build quality, performance, or customer service yet.

earthbound · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 01:34 pm »

Quote from: jsalk on 14 Aug 2009, 10:17 pm

The are 3/4" apart.

- Jim

OOPS!

I was, uh, just making sure you were still reading the posts here, uh

Jim! Yeah, that's it, just, uh, checking up on you!

It's on the back of my Denon where they are spaced wider than 3/4". In my defense I'd like to admit that when I posted that I had just drank some weird, very strong blueberry beer which must have spaced out some of my own interconnections!

Nuance · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 03:19 pm »

Quote from: earthbound on 15 Aug 2009, 01:34 pm

Quote from: jsalk on 14 Aug 2009, 10:17 pm

The are 3/4" apart.

- Jim

OOPS!
I was, uh, just making sure you were still reading the posts here, uh Jim! Yeah, that's it, just, uh, checking up on you!

LOL, haha - nice save.

I use Audio Quest, Monoprice and Blue Jeans (not all mixed together obviously). All work great. I even have some monster cables IC"s. SShhh, don't tell anyone.

Mr_Superstar · « **Reply #10 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 04:00 pm »

I'm a big fan of Monoprice. Great price, great performance...

I do have some monster cable IC's that I picked up when Sears was getting rid of all of their monster cable stock to carry a different brand. Can't beat $1.97 each...

TJHUB · « **Reply #11 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 04:58 pm »

Quote from: Toka on 15 Aug 2009, 01:56 am

Haven't found anything better than Blue Jeans in terms of build quality, performance, or customer service yet.

I agree 100%. Blue Jeans will always have my business. I have all BJC cables except for speaker wire; just can't find any love for their speaker wire...

Monoprice is ok, but Blue Jeans is definitely a step up.

earthbound · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 Aug 2009, 07:28 pm »

Quote from: TJHUB on 15 Aug 2009, 04:58 pm

Monoprice is ok, but Blue Jeans is definitely a step up.

Agree, but Monoprice does have a lot of other stuff too, like

dancing banana connectors! Sorry, couldn't resist.

cujobob · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 Aug 2009, 10:31 pm »

For the best value and highest performance, make your own cables. If you don't wish to do so, all of the choices mentioned are great for the price. I use BJC for nearly everything, and while some cables are superior...just be careful because not all high end cables work well in each situation. I picked up frequencies using Electra ICs in my main system. BJC had no issues with this.

Buy used if you choose to go 'high end' and save about half.

rahimlee54 · « **Reply #14 on:** 16 Aug 2009, 10:46 pm »

Quote from: cujobob on 16 Aug 2009, 10:31 pm

For the best value and highest performance, make your own cables. If you don't wish to do so, all of the choices mentioned are great for the price. I use BJC for nearly everything, and while some cables are superior...just be careful because not all high end cables work well in each situation. I picked up frequencies using Electra ICs in my main system. BJC had no issues with this.

Buy used if you choose to go 'high end' and save about half.

Which guide would you suggest? I have been looking at quite a few different DIY cables, just keeping my options open.

Thanks
Jared

sanlanman · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Aug 2009, 01:26 pm »

I have only used Blue jeans speaker cables and nothing from Monoprice, so I can not make a direct comparison to them. But, I use the Acoustic Research Pro II series of cables, except I buy generic HDMI cables at a local electronic supply house cheap. The Pro II cables can be had cheap on line. I get mine for ANTonline.com via their Amazon payment portal. The build quality is excellent exept for the RG-6 cables. The threaded collar broke off the 3 sets of RG-6 cables I bought, and that explains why they were dirt cheap at MCM Electronics when I bought them. I cut the connectors off and installed the Snapnseal connectors. I can make my own excellent RG-6 coax cables with Belden 1694A cable and Snapnseal connectors.

Also, In early/mid September, EMOTIVA will have their own line of cables for sale. Photos are posted on their forum, but no pricing available yet.

jazzcat1 · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Aug 2009, 03:36 pm »

sanlanman, I picked up a couple of AR Pro II Series 3 power cords last week for the amp and pre. Needed 12' IEC cables to run from the new 20 amp circuit and you can't beat the build quality for the price. No snake oil, just nicely made 12 gauge cables.

sanlanman · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Aug 2009, 09:24 pm »

Quote from: jazzcat1 on 17 Aug 2009, 03:36 pm

sanlanman, I picked up a couple of AR Pro II Series 3 power cords last week for the amp and pre. Needed 12' IEC cables to run from the new 20 amp circuit and you can't beat the build quality for the price. No snake oil, just nicely made 12 gauge cables.

Hi jazzcat1, I also picked up some of their power cords too, and I agree with you on them. Solid, well built, very nice cosmetics, but almost too thick. Its very difficult to make a really tight turn. I can't say whether I hear any difference. I changed them along with other changes at the same time. I got mine on a stock closeout clearance at HH GREGG a couple of months ago. The 6' ones are very scarce, but the 3' 12', and 20' ones appear to be relatively plentiful.

Wayner · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Aug 2009, 10:35 pm »

How is the search for cheap quality interconnects turning into a power cord thread? I certainly don't believe in that gobbly-gook crap for one minute. As an industrial electrical designer, I use ohm's law to determine power cord gauge and this thread isn't about that topic anyway.

Wayner

Nels Ferre · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 Aug 2009, 01:01 am »

As far as interconnects go, the Belkin Pure AV Silver Series are fantastic for very reasonable money. For power cords the PC 1.5 from Grant Fidelity gets my vote: very nice build quality and built in noise suppression. Like Wayner, I did not "believe" in aftermarket power cords. The PC 1.5 changed that- not only did I hear a difference, I heard an improvement.