Is it worth upgrading monitor cables?

[djanogil]

I recently got some new Tannoy Ellipse 8 monitors, and only have prosumer cables for them, will I really hear a big difference if use high end cables instead ?

As I've just worked hard on my room treatment, and most of my gear is high end, I tend to think it would be worth getting better cables.

Opinions?

[tINY]

The "high-end" cables are snake oil. If you don't have decent ones, getting a decent pair could help.

These should cost no more than 1/10th of what you paid for the monitors and probably a lot less.




-tINY

[8th_note]

There's really two questions here with two different answers.

Question 1: If I spend a large amount of money on new speaker cables, will I hear a difference? The answer is yes you will. You will be very pleased with your purchase and you will tell everybody how much better your system sounds with the new wires.

Question 2: If I conducted a double blind A/B/X test with my speaker cables vs. expensive exotic ones, would I hear a difference? The answer is no you wouldn't. It's been shown in several different tests that even golden eared audiophiles can't tell the difference between speaker cables in blind tests.

I'm only trying to be a little sarcastic here. If you are concerned about your cables and you want to make sure that they aren't a limiting factor in your monitoring system's sound then by all means spring for more expensive ones. If you think it sounds better it does sound better.

[zooloo]

To a certain point... yeas.

Beware of snake oil - Google for Pear and the $1m JREF Challenge.

[vernier]

Could go shorter length and thicker gauge, but probly won't notice a difference.

[underworld]

Originally Posted by djanogil

I recently got some new Tannoy Ellipse 8 monitors, and only have prosumer cables for them

ahem. what, precisely, are "prosumer" cables? with electronics components, that often refers to items that:

1) use designs with shortcuts to limit cost of production
2) use components with higher variances to limit cost of production

or something similar. with cables - there's usually a lot less variance in components and designs- well - since cables are standardized there's not a lot of variation in the actual electrical part of the design. there can be differences in shielding, in the conductive material, and the outer shell. but - in general, as long as you're not using "cheap" cables (which may be prone to interference or use cheap flimsy connectors or have bad solder connections or worse) - then you're probably ok. it's HIGHLY doubtful that you would notice a difference in the sound based on the cables.

anyway. my point was, if you're not using "cheap" cables - then there's probably little no actual difference between "prosumer" cables and "pro" cables. except for, perhaps, marketing.

[xhavepatiencex]

I recently upgraded my speaker cable and the cable from my converters to my amp. I noticed a positive change in my sound. I had some very cheap consumer cabling from my converters to the power amp and I got some gepco stuff, alot less noise. As well as I feel that was a difference from when I went from some cheap 16g speaker cable I got at the hardware store to some 10g gepco. Neither of the two cables I bought were more than 60 cents a good though.

[underworld]

Originally Posted by xhavepatiencex

Neither of the two cables I bought were more than 60 cents a good though.

i didn't realize you could by cable by the "good" now. and to think, all this time i've been buying mine by the foot!

[djanogil]

Originally Posted by underworld

ahem. what, precisely, are "prosumer" cables? with electronics components, that often refers to items that:

1) use designs with shortcuts to limit cost of production
2) use components with higher variances to limit cost of production

or something similar. with cables - there's usually a lot less variance in components and designs- well - since cables are standardized there's not a lot of variation in the actual electrical part of the design. there can be differences in shielding, in the conductive material, and the outer shell. but - in general, as long as you're not using "cheap" cables (which may be prone to interference or use cheap flimsy connectors or have bad solder connections or worse) - then you're probably ok. it's HIGHLY doubtful that you would notice a difference in the sound based on the cables.

anyway. my point was, if you're not using "cheap" cables - then there's probably little no actual difference between "prosumer" cables and "pro" cables. except for, perhaps, marketing.

Sorry I must have misunderstood the meaning of "prosumer", (I' m French)
I thought it was anything mass marketed, things you find in your average music store..

Anyway I think the cables I have now are Sommer if I remember well..