[guest1632]

Ray,
I actually have found all of the comments to my original post to be quite helpful. I do not mind all of the opinions and going off base is fine with me. As a result, I just ordered a set of BJC RCA interconnects and digital cables. I'm sure that this is a good compromise in cost to benefit. Now I can just relax and enjoy the music.

Hi, Well, I'm glad you learned something. Everytime someone asks for a cable recommend, there is always this crowd that says that cables don't make a diff at all, and then they have to go on atnozism to tell you why. my point was that in certain ways cables can make a difference, especially how they are terminated  and what they are terminated into. measurements can give you a clue, but they are not the end all to beat all.

To you naysayers, as a general rule, cables can! depending on equipment ETC. make a diff. So as to give a general rule, if you like your cables copper, they will generally have a more full bodied sound. the silver, can be more "open sounding" but can also be brittle in there very nature. This is dependant at least with my experience, if the wire is silver plated or not. What I am pointing here  are generalities.

It's sorta like the old thing about tube stuff being flabby in the bass, and transistor stuff sounding edgy in the highend and no magic in the mids. These days, it's almost as if tube guys want to keep that magic in the mids and strive for a more neutral sound, whereas transistor manufacturers want that "tuby" sound. Go read some of the reviews of hugh Dean's stuff. You will see what I mean.

Now, before I start another flame war here on this circle, I haven't yet heard any of Frank's stuff. He's a respected manufacturer of gear, and like any engineer he has his opinions and are definitely entitled to them. I personally wish he'd go to a three prong cord with an IEC socket, but because it isn't wouldn't stop me from buying any of his gear.

Now, that is out of the way, let's get back to some civil discussions. Looks like Trackball02 took the recommends and went to BJC for his cable needs.

Thank you Frank for putting out some really decent gear, even if it is midfi, ... NOT!

Ray Bronk

[trackball02]

Just a follow up...I just received a set of RCA interconnects from BJC. Arrived within a few days after ordering, shipping was reasonable, the price is good, and the quality of the cable contruction are fine. They sound great and do not see any reason to ever upgrade.  Call me a naysayer, but I've come to the conclusion that I do not feel it is necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on an interconnect to get great sounds.

[guest1632]

Just a follow up...I just received a set of RCA interconnects from BJC. Arrived within a few days after ordering, shipping was reasonable, the price is good, and the quality of the cable contruction are fine. They sound great and do not see any reason to ever upgrade.  Call me a naysayer, but I've come to the conclusion that I do not feel it is necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on an interconnect to get great sounds.

Hey Trackball, If I may be nosy, how much were those cables? I presume a 3 foot/1 meter pair?

Ray Bronk

[martyo]

Hey Trackball, If I may be nosy, how much were those cables? I presume a 3 foot/1 meter pair?

Ray Bronk

Around $32 + shipping.

[guest1632]

Around $32 + shipping.

Not bad, assuming they really are good. Will have to check them out. Is it just Blujeancables.com? What the exact link?

Ray

[trackball02]

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/

Also, take a look at off their cable articles, interesting read and fun facts about cables in general.

[simon wagstaff]

Best thing I ever did for my system was pick up a set of Audioquest Columbia interconnects (with the stupid 72V battery pack which clearly does nothing) to run to my U70 and a set of Audioquest CV-4 speaker cables (again with the useless battery packs).

to me the difference was quite remarkable. Improvements in all the things you can't measure.

I also take a sugar pill a day that keeps me healthy.

But I have no regrets about my investment in mumbo jumbo cables.

[guest1632]

Best thing I ever did for my system was pick up a set of Audioquest Columbia interconnects (with the stupid 72V battery pack which clearly does nothing) to run to my U70 and a set of Audioquest CV-4 speaker cables (again with the useless battery packs).

to me the difference was quite remarkable. Improvements in all the things you can't measure.

I also take a sugar pill a day that keeps me healthy.

But I have no regrets about my investment in mumbo jumbo cables.

Well that entry nade a lot of sense. Like I have said and will say it again, from what I read here on this circle, with Frank's gear you could probably get away with cheap cable and his gear would sound fantastic. It's a sign of a good designer of gear. So would more expensive cables make a difference, don't know. Only your! ears can tell you that.  Frank I am almost beginning to think that if someone asks you for a recommend for both IC and speaker cables, give them your recommend and then lock the thread.

Ray Bronk

[trackball02]

Simon, I would love to find out the details on your equipment set up and what interconnects you compared and how you came to you conclusions, was this a blinded comparison? I would like to try this myself.

Ray, I am perplexed with your statement about equipment design and interconnects. Is it possible to design equipment who's sound quality is dependent on the type of interconnect used?

I found an interesting thesis (see link below) from MIT which tries to evaluate measured performance of interconnects. The results on page 40 are not that surprising.
http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/46225/41567257.pdf

In defense of Frank, I do not think he has tried to steer this discussion in anyway. His observations of not overspending on interconnects and to spend more on content is spot on.

[dlparker]

Well that entry nade a lot of sense. Like I have said and will say it again, from what I read here on this circle, with Frank's gear you could probably get away with cheap cable and his gear would sound fantastic. It's a sign of a good designer of gear. So would more expensive cables make a difference, don't know. Only your! ears can tell you that.  Frank I am almost beginning to think that if someone asks you for a recommend for both IC and speaker cables, give them your recommend and then lock the thread.

Ray Bronk

NO! WAIT! Don't lock it yet.  I've been doing some research, too, and I've made some amazing discoveries.  I've got a contact - can't reveal names for obvious reasons - who has managed to get some special irradiated copper from Chernobyl. Using this copper, insulated by virgin wool sheathing soaked in billy goat urine and assembled at midnight on Walpurgisnacht at an undisclosed location in north-central Europe, I can achieve purity of sound from ANY system heretofore unexperienced on this planet!  The fidelity even surpasses that of the original live performance!

[trackball02]

All yours for just $1000 m/pr !

[simon wagstaff]

Simon, I would love to find out the details on your equipment set up and what interconnects you compared and how you came to you conclusions, was this a blinded comparison? I would like to try this myself.

In defense of Frank, I do not think he has tried to steer this discussion in anyway. His observations of not overspending on interconnects and to spend more on content is spot on.

I have a pioneer DV-79i connected to a pioneer tsx59i via firewire. I run the audioquest interconnect in between the receiver and an AVA U70. Speaker cables run from the amp to a pair of Infinity Intermezzo 4.1s.

Prior to that I was using some no-name but supposedly silver speaker cables and some monster interconnects. supposedly good grade.

I found the differences manifested themselves in micro-dynamics, especially the cymbal splash thing, wider, deeper soundstage, more solid bass.

No, I didn't spend hours swapping things out. I was very familiar with how the system sounded previously and these were impressions from hours of listening.

I am sure that there are many who dismiss this, perhaps they are correct and this is all just in my head. I am a believer, and maybe that is all it is, belief.

I picked these up on E-bay for a very good price. At list price to spend $1200 on cables would be crazy.

So, say what you will about irradiated cables etc., I am happy in my own little delusional world. I have had these speakers for a while now, the U70 for a while as well. this is the best it has ever sounded. the difference is almost as significant as when I moved the wires around in the U70 per Franks' suggestion a little while back.

Certainly you need to pay attention to your other gear first, but in my case these cables finished things off nicely.