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#1 Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 11:17 am
by Ant
Ive decided to finally replace the 25 year old monster xp speaker cable ive been using forever. Having preferred to spend my pittance on more exciting things like food and broken turntables. Doing a little reading, apparently the monster xp is rubbish according to a internet, and i have been a fool to use it for so long.
Didnt think it was particularly awful, its just so tatty that the insulation is coming off in places and i got paranoid about a short the other day when i unplugged it from the speakers to test a balanced pre build with a different amp

I have been considering van den hul clearwater which is around a tenner a meter and is as expensive as i planned to go.

Anyone used this cable? And anyone offer an alternative to consider? Couldnt care less if it is a second hand buy, its only wire

#2 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 11:43 am
by ed
Hi Ant

never used that cable so can't comment unfortunately...

however, putting my cheapskate hat on(in truth I never take it off) I have used audio innovations silver cable in the main system for about 35 years. You can't get it now but I think this is the same stuff, only in 100mtr runs:

https://www.richersounds.com/audio-inno ... -reel.html

If you google it you'll probably find somebody doing it in smaller quantities.

For all other uses I used shark cable which was made for maplin. You can find equivalents on ebay just search for OFC speaker cable.
I've never had a problem or a need to change with either...ymmv

#3 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 11:55 am
by Ant
Ta ed ill have a look at that
I think i did have some silver plated stuff years back, qed silver spiral or something like that when i had the little quads. Cant remember what happened to that. Wouldnt be long enough any way. That was when i lived at home so thats 20 years ago at least

#4 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 12:25 pm
by vinylnvalves
I was presently suprised when I got some supra rondo cable. Its tin coated, which surprised me by sounding clearer than the van damme stuff I had been using in the Upper registers.

#5 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 12:55 pm
by Toppsy
Ant,
I used to use the very same Moster XP cable when I first started making speakers and ignored all the negative feedback on the net at the time. Thought they were very good.

I remember very clearly once when Nick brought over a new build 300B amp he had made for a client of mine in Italy that had a pair my Edingdale MkI speakers and wanted the amp to be 'voiced' to the speakers. Hence the vist by Nick to hook up the amp to my speakers take a photo and then send photo and amp off to Italy. The tale being that when we hooked the amp up and started playing some music, Nick's expression was one of concern. He asked me had I done anything to my speakers since last he heard them as something was not right and hoped it was not the amp. I said I hadn't done anything other then try out some new speaker cable David B (cablesRus) sent me which were some Tellurium 'Q' Black speaker cables! Nick said 'do me a favour and put your old Monster cables back on'. So this I did and to Nick's relief he instantly said 'Thank god I thought something was broke with the amp. Do yourself a favour and send those wires back to David'. True story that. I'm sure Nick will recall it.

Anyway, back to your query about speaker cables. I now exclusively use this stuff https://www.av.com/Cables/Fisual-S-Flex ... Metre/48HI and this for internal wiring the speakers https://www.av.com/Cables/Fisual-S-Flex ... Metre/48IX They also do 2 x 1.5mm. For the price you'll not find better. I terminate the cables with these https://www.av.com/Accessories/Fisual-E ... -Pack/48DR which I also find to be excellent value for money. The bonus for me is they are only a 10 min. walk from my home, though they do provide a excellent next day delivery service.

#6 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 1:10 pm
by Ant
Thanks colin, ill look at that one too
That stuff costs bugger all which is even better

#7 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 1:46 pm
by Daniel Quinn
I also use supra . It's tinned copper and it's a good diameter . And it's only £8 a meter .

#8 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 1:53 pm
by Nick
Not sure what was going on with what you linked to (they were not URL's) Colin in your post, but I have tried to fix them so they seem to go where I suspected you wanted them to.

#9 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2022 2:00 pm
by Toppsy
Thanks Nick, don't know what went wrong with the links, they were copied using ctrl'C' and then posted using ctrl 'V' direct from the web pages. Never mind sorted now.

#10 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 7:08 am
by Ali Tait
What lengths do you need Ant?

#11 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 8:59 am
by Scottmoose
The 4mm^2 Fisual studio wire Colin refers to is very good; I have some of it too, which alternates with Supra Classic 4.0 depending on what I'm fooling with / wheeled out at the time (purely because I only have one set of each -there's no audible difference). The studio wire is a bit larger with its additional protective sheathing, but being cylindrical it does look quite neat & it's certainly not huge. Both functionally have the same sensible configuration -shotgun / figure 8, 4mm^2 (roughly 11AWG) stranded conductors, so nothing really to choose between them in that sense; the Supra's tin plating might be useful in humid environments, long-term though.

Minor note about the Van den Hul Clearwater. It's a smaller gauge than either of the above (about 14AWG) which shouldn't be an issue for voltage drop over modest runs, but with the conductors spaced apart, the overall cable inductance will be higher so it may in some cases roll the top end off slightly. That might or might not be beneficial depending on what you're up to.

#12 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 10:00 am
by Ant
One length needs to be 5m and the other about 2.5m ali

It will be used with the big fanes scott so a touch of drop off at the top wont be the end of the world

#13 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 10:48 am
by Ali Tait
I have three metre lengths of stuff you could have, suppose you could cut one length and solder to the other. It’s decent, use it myself. Can’t remember the name, it was all over the forums years back- mil spec stuff in yellow and purple jacket similar to ptfe. Used on jet fighters if I recall correctly. Tinned copper. Let me know if you want it and I’ll post it off.

#14 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 10:49 am
by Ali Tait
I’ll send extra so you have enough to make a pair, I’ve several lengths.

#15 Re: Speaker cables

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2022 10:52 am
by The Stratmangler
I've been using the Fisual myself for years.
I never have the urge to try anything else,
It's good cable and low cost too!