What cables do you use with your Salk Speakers?

funkmonkey · « **Reply #40 on:** 11 Oct 2008, 10:47 pm »

Currently using 16g zip cord, but when my HT3s arrive you bet I am going to upgrade...
to 12 gauge insulated electrical wire off of a spool from an electrical supply store!

I just came across this article that I thought was an interesting read. I have read a few others like it but this one is very comprehensive and concise.

Cheers,
Funk

sanlanman · « **Reply #41 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 07:28 pm »

I can't get the link to open, but I think that is the article where the author effectively says that anything over large enough standard copper wire is a waste, no? Lets don't go off track with whether or not cables make a difference. I will be my own judge of that, but I am not going to drop megabucks on cables anyway.

What does Jim or Dennis use and what did they use at RMAF, more rope?

Daryl · « **Reply #42 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 07:46 pm »

Quote from: funkmonkey on 11 Oct 2008, 10:47 pm

to 12 gauge insulated electrical wire off of a spool from an electrical supply store!

You will want both conductors to be inside a jacket that holds them tightly together or some type of zip cord.

If you have much length and the two conductors are allowed to separate much signifigant inductance may result.

Expensive wires are pure nonsense but REAL electrical principles make perfect sense.

What's funny are the number of very expensive offerings that claim exclusive technology and years of laboratory reasearch but cannot match the performance of what you can get at any Wal-Mart.

KS · « **Reply #43 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 08:08 pm »

Pierre Spey, proprietor of Mapleshade Records, makes recordings of excellent sonic merit. Here he's discussing the benefits of very thin wire.

DMurphy · « **Reply #44 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 09:37 pm »

Quote from: sanlanman on 13 Oct 2008, 07:28 pm

I can't get the link to open, but I think that is the article where the author effectively says what anything over large enough standard copper wire is a waste, no? Lets don't go off track with whether or not cables make a difference. I will be my own judge of that, but I am not going to drop megabucks on cables anyway.

What does Jim or Dennis use and what did they use at RMAF, more rope?

Ooops. Forgot to check what was being used in Denver. I use 16 Ga Rat Shack Megacable, but, as I posted earlier, mainly because the Shack is next to a good Chinese take out. I did come across this price list at a demo at RMAF (I think for a Krell set-up with a new $65,000 aluminum-cabinet speaker that sounded kind of OK, but not more). "Speaker Cable: First foot, $1,298." Or maybe it was a meter. But I think it was per foot. I don't use that particular cable. The one in Denver. I don't use it.

Zero · « **Reply #45 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 09:44 pm »

I'm currently using a set of Ixos 16gauge wire to evaluate the Song Towers.... connected to a $10,500 integrated and a $12,000 cd player. GASP! Shall I go hide in shame?

jbtrio · « **Reply #46 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 10:11 pm »

I use Audioquest Volcano speaker cables and Kubala-Sosna Emotion jumpers with very good results.

jsalk · « **Reply #47 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 02:15 pm »

As many of you know, Frank Van Alstine (Audio by Van Alstine) doesn't buy into fancy speaker cables. So it was interesting when a high-tech speaker cable company (don't ask) volunteered to bring their $1500 cables to our room at RMAF after things closed down on Sunday. They wanted to prove to Frank that cables do indeed make a difference.

Frank's assitant, Nathan, had everyone leave the room and then hooked up either the $1500 cable or 14 gauge lamp cord while the room was vacated. Then Frank, myself, my wife Mary, three people from the cable company and a room visitor were invited back into the room for a listen. This was repeated three times and those doing the listening were told to keep track of which session they think sounded the best.

After the sessions were complete, we went around the room and asked everyone which session sounded the best and what they heard. There were no votes for the first session, a few votes for the second session and the majority of votes for the third session. Then Nathan informed everyone which cables were used in each of the three sessions. The first session received no votes - it was the $1500 cable. The second session received a few votes - it was also the $1500 cable. The thrid session received the most votes - it was the zip cord.

While this wasn't a scientific test, it was at least a "blind" test. And while there was no clear winner, the lamp cord certainly held its own against this "high-tech" speaker cable. Even those selling the cables were unable to ascertain a significant difference between the cables.

For what its worth.

- Jim

martyo · « **Reply #48 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 02:27 pm »

Thanks for the report Jim.

sfox7076 · « **Reply #49 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 02:28 pm »

Yes, but what brand lamp cord? Heh.

R Swerdlow · « **Reply #50 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 03:17 pm »

Jim

I'm actually impressed that you heard any difference at all between the lamp cord and the $1500 cable (nearly the same price as a SongTower pair

).

You described them as a "high-tech" cable company. High-priced yes, but probably not high-tech.

They might be having trouble explaining why their cable failed to sound better

. I have a few modest suggestions for them:

Frank's assistant somehow spoiled the test.
You didn't use state-of-the-art audio equipment.
You used audio equipment that is 5 years ahead of state-of-the-art.
The hotel's electric power was dirty.
The lamp cord was burned in and their cable was not.
Their cable had recently been flown in to Denver and had not yet recovered from it's exposure to static electricity accumulated during the flight. If necessary substitute drive for flight, UV light for static electricity, etc.
Denver is a mile above sea level and they neglected to bring their cable with the high-altitude insulation.

Any other ideas?

fsimms · « **Reply #51 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 03:35 pm »

You didn't use their expensive cable stand offs which caused interaction with the floor.

Bob

Charles Calkins · « **Reply #52 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 04:25 pm »

Quote from: jsalk on 14 Oct 2008, 02:15 pm

As many of you know, Frank Van Alstine (Audio by Van Alstine) doesn't buy into fancy speaker cables. So it was interesting when a high-tech speaker cable company (don't ask) volunteered to bring their $1500 cables to our room at RMAF after things closed down on Sunday. They wanted to prove to Frank that cables do indeed make a difference.

Frank's assitant, Nathan, had everyone leave the room and then hooked up either the $1500 cable or 14 gauge lamp cord while the room was vacated. Then Frank, myself, my wife Mary, three people from the cable company and a room visitor were invited back into the room for a listen. This was repeated three times and those doing the listening were told to keep track of which session they think sounded the best.

After the sessions were complete, we went around the room and asked everyone which session sounded the best and what they heard. There were no votes for the first session, a few votes for the second session and the majority of votes for the third session. Then Nathan informed everyone which cables were used in each of the three sessions. The first session received no votes - it was the $1500 cable. The second session received a few votes - it was also the $1500 cable. The thrid session received the most votes - it was the zip cord.

While this wasn't a scientific test, it was at least a "blind" test. And while there was no clear winner, the lamp cord certainly held its own against this "high-tech" speaker cable. Even those selling the cables were unable to ascertain a significant difference between the cables.

For what its worth.

- Jim

It seems obvious that the best zip cord is made in Colorado.

Cheers
Charlie

avahifi · « **Reply #53 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 04:51 pm »

See my post near the tail end of the "Get some Bluejeans Cable" thread at the Audio by Van Alstine circle herein for more details on the speaker comparison test at RMAF.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

BrianM · « **Reply #54 on:** 14 Oct 2008, 05:27 pm »

Quote from: jsalk on 14 Oct 2008, 02:15 pm

For what its worth.

I'd say it's worth upwards of 1500 bucks. Wire just isn't worth agonizing over.

maxkoz · « **Reply #55 on:** 15 Oct 2008, 02:16 am »

I can think of a few ways of making the test a bit more scientifically significant,

but there is no way that there is a significant difference if you have to look so hard.

MK

mick wolfe · « **Reply #56 on:** 17 Oct 2008, 09:44 pm »

I use Clear Day Double Shotguns with my SongTowers. Best I've tried so far.

sanlanman · « **Reply #57 on:** 18 Oct 2008, 06:43 pm »

Mick, what else have you tried besides the Clear Day cables?

Also, Clear Day no longer has a product page on Audiogon, and I would really like to see what I would be considering to purchase from them or anyone. Is their another webpage for Clear Day?

JerryM · « **Reply #58 on:** 19 Oct 2008, 12:19 am »

Quote from: sanlanman on 18 Oct 2008, 06:43 pm

Mick, what else have you tried besides the Clear Day cables?

Also, Clear Day no longer has a product page on Audiogon, and I would really like to see what I would be considering to purchase from them or anyone. Is their another webpage for Clear Day?

San,

You must have missed their page. It's here: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?cablspkr&1228600555&/Clear-Day-Cables-Solid-Core-si

Have fun,
Jerry

sanlanman · « **Reply #59 on:** 19 Oct 2008, 04:38 pm »

Well, that link wasn't working yesterday. I would still like to know what else Mick has tried.

Someone was asking about speaker cables on the AVS forum, so I listed for him all the I.D. vendor sites I had gathered. I would have listed Clear Day too, but apparently they don't have their own website yet.
Here is the link:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1076795