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Post by pinkie on Jul 16, 2015 16:01:53 GMT
Pinkie heard how nasty QED SA could be in a system. I've subsequently tried rusty barbed wire, just to see if I can reproduce the effect, but the QED won hands down. I suspect foul play...  |
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Post by BilliumB on Jul 16, 2015 16:09:47 GMT
Pinkie heard how nasty QED SA could be in a system. Are you still using the Belden coax cable for your speakers? If so, what's your 'longer term' view? cheers. Bill |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 17:06:32 GMT
I was, right up to the point I changed my speakers.
My long term view was it was very suited to my system.
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Post by BilliumB on Jul 16, 2015 17:34:52 GMT
Did you get to compare the Belden to any other 'known' cables?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 18:51:52 GMT
I've been told that 6amp mains cable makes great speaker cable.
After all, it's what is running to the socket!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 19:07:20 GMT
Did you get to compare the Belden to any other 'known' cables? Yes. Quite a few. There is thread on AoS about it.
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Post by pinkie on Jul 16, 2015 19:10:24 GMT
Mains cable makes a good budget speaker cable in my experience. I think Peter Walker thought so too. Mind for that bloody cooker sovereign is building it probably needs to be 15amp  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 19:10:44 GMT
I've been told that 6amp mains cable makes great speaker cable. After all, it's what is running to the socket!!! Sure it is not 13 amp cable? |
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Post by Barry on Jul 17, 2015 1:00:36 GMT
Mains cable makes a good budget speaker cable in my experience. I think Peter Walker thought so too. Mind for that bloody cooker sovereign is building it probably needs to be 15amp Peter Walker was know for his bluff no-nonsense approach to such things. When asked what makes a 'good' speaker cable, he is famously said to have replied: "There are only two things a good speaker cable need have - first, and most importantly, it should be sufficiently long enough to connect between the speaker and the amplifier, and secondly the colour of the insulation should ideally match that of the carpet." It is also rumoured that once when Quad were setting up their gear at an audio show, they realised they had forgotten to bring any speaker cable with them. Undeterred, someone went out to the local B&Q store and bought some 10A cable as used with lawnmowers (with an orange coloured outer cladding). Visitors to the show though that this was some special cable Quad had made and asked about it. When told it was conventional and commercial 'lawnmower' cable they followed suit and it caught on! (The properties of said cable were discussed later in an article in Wireless World, where it was indeed (or coincidentally) shown to have the desirable properties expected of a speaker cable. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 12:04:19 GMT
I've been told that 6amp mains cable makes great speaker cable. After all, it's what is running to the socket!!! Sure it is not 13 amp cable? Yes I am sure. Most modern audio equipment only needs a '3' amp fuse and three core 6amp is sufficient for the socket. Of course dual core is only needed for speakers. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 12:06:10 GMT
It all depends on the length of cable involved as well.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 12:06:35 GMT
Mains cable makes a good budget speaker cable in my experience. I think Peter Walker thought so too. Mind for that bloody cooker sovereign is building it probably needs to be 15amp Peter Walker was know for his bluff no-nonsense approach to such things. When asked what makes a 'good' speaker cable, he is famously said to have replied: "There are only two things a good speaker cable need have - first, and most importantly, it should be sufficiently long enough to connect between the speaker and the amplifier, and secondly the colour of the insulation should ideally match that of the carpet." It is also rumoured that once when Quad were setting up their gear at an audio show, they realised they had forgotten to bring any speaker cable with them. Undeterred, someone went out to the local B&Q store and bought some 10A cable as used with lawnmowers (with an orange coloured outer cladding). Visitors to the show though that this was some special cable Quad had made and asked about it. When told it was conventional and commercial 'lawnmower' cable they followed suit and it caught on! (The properties of said cable were discussed later in an article in Wireless World, where it was indeed (or coincidentally) shown to have the desirable properties expected of a speaker cable. When it comes to both interconnects and speaker wire a great deal of snobbery and outlandish claims are made. 6 amp mains cable is perfectly suited for speakers. In choosing 10 amp Quad were being a bit over the top. Years ago bell wire was happily used by millions. |
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Post by brian2957 on Jul 17, 2015 12:07:38 GMT
What speaker cables are you using with the Frugals Kevin ?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 12:07:49 GMT
It all depends on the length of cable involved as well. I was assuming we were talking about domestic use. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 12:15:39 GMT
Some people have longer runs than others.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 12:16:23 GMT
What speaker cables are you using with the Frugals Kevin ? Really short ones. VD 6mm for the moment. About 15cm long.
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Post by pinkie on Jul 17, 2015 12:54:36 GMT
When it comes to both interconnects and speaker wire a great deal of snobbery and outlandish claims are made. 6 amp mains cable is perfectly suited for speakers. In choosing 10 amp Quad were being a bit over the top. Years ago bell wire was happily used by millions. I am inclined towards the "too much fuss about cables" position myself, as I think is Barry, but not to the point of outright dismissal of any differences, nor perhaps your suggestion that 6 amp mains cable, whilst decent, can't be bettered. Wonky will be back to remind everyone of when I took an Arcam power amp down to him and his QED cable sounded very poor - as we observed when he extracted his other cable and used that. I can recall recently wiring up the home cinema, and using bits and pieces to check everything worked before laying cable under the carpet. Right rear speaker used bell wire, left rear speaker used QED 79 strand - and subjectively the speaker with QED cable sounded about twice as loud as the other. Never mind subjective "quality" issues - there was a basic output issue. But broadly, I think that a lot of people get too focussed on small (or non-existent) benefits from "tweaking" and forget to get the engine and gearbox right before worrying about the go-faster stripes. |
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Post by brian2957 on Jul 17, 2015 13:23:09 GMT
AH !! I forgot you have fixed the monos to the back of the Frugals so only need short speaker cables . How are the Frugals sounding now mate ?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 16:47:40 GMT
When it comes to both interconnects and speaker wire a great deal of snobbery and outlandish claims are made. 6 amp mains cable is perfectly suited for speakers. In choosing 10 amp Quad were being a bit over the top. Years ago bell wire was happily used by millions. I am inclined towards the "too much fuss about cables" position myself, as I think is Barry, but not to the point of outright dismissal of any differences, nor perhaps your suggestion that 6 amp mains cable, whilst decent, can't be bettered. Wonky will be back to remind everyone of when I took an Arcam power amp down to him and his QED cable sounded very poor - as we observed when he extracted his other cable and used that. I can recall recently wiring up the home cinema, and using bits and pieces to check everything worked before laying cable under the carpet. Right rear speaker used bell wire, left rear speaker used QED 79 strand - and subjectively the speaker with QED cable sounded about twice as loud as the other. Never mind subjective "quality" issues - there was a basic output issue. But broadly, I think that a lot of people get too focussed on small (or non-existent) benefits from "tweaking" and forget to get the engine and gearbox right before worrying about the go-faster stripes. You make some valid points, all I can say is 6amp mains cable sounded fine on the equipment I own. If some esoteric wire sounds good on someone else's gear then they should go with it by all means. The bottom line is, use what works and take the advice of others, no matter how well intentioned, with a pinch of salt. |
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Post by MartinT on Jul 18, 2015 7:45:54 GMT
The problem with taking this approach is that any cable (within reason, I even know of those using Ethernet cables) will work. You may easily conclude, therefore, that it is perfectly suited and cannot be bettered. I don't agree and on several occasions I have been reminded of how different speaker cables can sound.
By the way, the best 'base' cable I know is 6A twin and earth solid core (not stranded). Strip off the outer sheaf, remove the exposed earth cable, twist the two remaining conductors in a hand drill. The result is low inductance cable that doesn't sound bad at all and is quite forgiving.
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