Best studio cables for home hifi?

[pauldixonuk]

Hi all - I'm a newbie on this site,

 

I have been into home hifi for many years and am just discovering some of the pro equipment which crosses over into home hifi. I already have bryston 4bsst, along with usual home bits (cyrus dvd 8 player, wilson benesch arc speakers, nordorst cable). I will sell the above soon. My new system is most probably going to be this:

 

(Existing cyrus dvd8 - used as transport only) via optical cable into Benchmark dac1, via XLR tp XLR into ATC actice 50's.

 

(I am still debating whether to introduce either an ATC ca2 or sca2 preamp into the above system - depending whether the benchmark's variable output sounds as good as apreamp? I have a demo coming up soon to check this).

 

Seeing as my new system will be studio equipment I wanted to give the studio cables a try, rather than the hyped up hifi cables. Which do you consider to be the best quality studio cables? I would like them ready assembled (and ideally in white like canare's cables - to blend into my lounge - but it's not essential!!). I need:

 

1. Toslink optical

2. XLR to XLR interconnect

3. XLR to XLR speaker cables

 

So far I have been told Sommer may be the best. I also have links for klotz, zaolla, mogami, belden, canare - and that's all I know of so far.

 

Thanks very much for your expertise! I appreciate any advice!

 

Paul

[dominicgross]

hey, welcome to the BR!!!

 

As with hi-fi cables: pro cables can be way over-rated: we're more concerned about durability then a cable being 20c. gold with oxygen free hand assembled jacks...

 

With digital signal flow, all that matters is that it works, and it rejects interference. you can send digital signal (not optical) down anything that conducts, even a piece of wet string! (it works, I've tried it!)

 

Same goes to a certain extent with analouge signal. The only time that cabling REALLY matters is when you get to speaker cable.

 

Sommer cable and Klotz are personal favorites: mainly due to the durability and how easy they are to construct with.

 

I'm sure someone on here can recommend some overpriced interconnects though...

[Pete McCrea]

I'd echo domicgross' post above. Pro applications are mainly concerned with the durability of cable after being coiled and uncoiled several hundred times, whether it's still flexible at 10 degrees c and how it handles the abuse given by iept people who don't know how to coile it etc.

 

Most speaker system cables used by sound hire companies would fall in or near the spec I'd guess for mains type conductors. Many even use mains cable for their speaker systems..... Consider the cost implications of cable at several £/m when a cable trunk could contain 500m+ of the stuff. And for a potential slight increase in the fidelity that is unlikely to be noticed.

 

I think there is a lot of over sales in the Hi Fi industry. Such as gold TOSLINK connectors. It transmits light. Gold blocks light. So why pay more for gold connectors on a toslink?! Digital ready headphones? They play analogue audio waves. I doubt you'd be able to hear 22kHz audio as it's above the usual human hearing range. Sorry- I'll end the rant....

 

As for connectors? We (as a hire company) use Neutrik XLRs only. Speaker connection is Neutrik NL4/NL8, which isn't usually seen on home Hi Fi.

[paulears]

Sense talking here. Most people involved in professional audio have no time whatsoever for the hi-fi brigades quest in life of achieving perfection using loads of questionable devices citing unsound physics/electronics to justify outrageous performance claims.

 

The posts so far state what I believe is a pretty common feeling toward cables and connectors. Physical and electrical performance are the only parameters worth talking about. At audio and line level we are generally selecting appropriately tough construction for the intended purpose, with electrical performance based on integrity of signal and screening properties, with often ease of connector fitting coming high up the list. We tend to disagree on fundamental stuff such as solder or IDC. As an example, I love Neutrik IDC XLR's on Musiflex cable, but loads of people will disagree. Not a problem and certainly not worth argueing about. For Audio at loudspeaker level then speakons rule now, but as for cable - well decent current capacity, and ease of coiling come high on my list. Oxygen free - directional, micro-stranded........ not remotely bothered.

 

I've always smiled at how to get the best reproduction, hi-fi enthusiasts are willing to spend huge amounts of money to get tiny improvements, yet in the studios where the music they listen to was produced, everything is wired through normal cable, with standard connectors - oxygen and non-precious metal everywhere.

[Chris_R]

I think this thread pretty much sums up view towards over-expensive hi-fi gadgets that will supposedly make your system sound better!

 

In my eyes, as long as the cable gets the signal from one end to the other and doesn't fall apart in 1-2 uses it will do!

 

As paul said

I've always smiled at how to get the best reproduction, hi-fi enthusiasts are willing to spend huge amounts of money to get tiny improvements, yet in the studios where the music they listen to was produced, everything is wired through normal cable, with standard connectors - oxygen and non-precious metal everywhere.

I totally agree!

[pauldixonuk]

Thanks guys. I have always been a tad sceptical over some of the hifi claims. My entry level solar wind nordorst cables were free as I bought an amp, speakers and player from the dealer at the same time. Finding some of this pro gear, since discovering bryston etc, has been a breath of fresh air. Shame you can't learn about this in hi-fi mags. Wonder why?! (not).

 

Even the expensive pro studio zaolla interconnects are only £24!!

 

(Some high end gimps actually spend £15000 on Nordorst cables).

[ANDYLASER]

I use the Van Damme OFC HiFi twin interconnect. Code 268-500 from VDC trading. Cost is a very reasonable £2.25 per stereo metre. I have used solid silver cable from AudioNote at £90/m before now. The VDC is excellent for the money.

[gareth]

My entry level solar wind nordorst cables

OK, here's a challenge. Take these expensive-sounding snake-oil cables, and an equivalent length of 2-core 2.5mm^2 mains cable. Connect your speakers with each in turn, have a good listen to each in a realistic environment (i.e. in your living room, with whatever background noise is normal in that situation), and tell us honestly whether you could hear a difference.

[pauldixonuk]

I'm not a high end tweek. I've never spent money on cables or magic dust. The dealer gave me the cables free. I doubt the small sonic differences are worth my time going and buying some other leads, getting them terminated somewhere, and spending an evening about. Anyway, I'm changing my system soon which will run on XLR cables. Hence the need for reasonable XLR's at sensible prices.

[dominicgross]

just to add:

 

I'm currently working at a Audio Post-Pro / dobly mastering house

 

All our analouge signal flow goes through B gauge patch bay using cheep as c*** klotz cable: we use neutric jacks as they are the most durable.

 

The cable going to our rediculus Genelec powered monitors is the same cheep stuff, and the amp - speaker cable is standerd 2 core 2.5mm mains cable...

 

something to think about: if we're mastering music for the consumer, whats the point in Hi-Fi bums using gear better than ours? If our gear is considered 'pro top line' why does the consumer try to better it?

[gareth]

If our gear is considered 'pro top line' why does the consumer try to better it?

Because, in the words of P.T.Barnum, "there's a sucker born every minute", and certain high-end hifi retailers seem to know this only too well and capitalise on it at every opportunity.

[Guest lightnix]

On the other hand, if you've got serious money to spend on home hi-fi, you could do much worse than check out Audio Note. A good friend of mine does their website and is a bit of an audio buff himself. He frequently raves about what they're up to in "the backroom" and I believe him - he's a knowledgeable guy.

[Russ]

OK, here's a challenge. Take these expensive-sounding snake-oil cables, and an equivalent length of 2-core 2.5mm^2 mains cable. Connect your speakers with each in turn, have a good listen to each in a realistic environment (i.e. in your living room, with whatever background noise is normal in that situation), and tell us honestly whether you could hear a difference.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I actually tried this when I refurbished some hifi speakers a while back - I compared some dodgy old mains flex and bare-end terminations with the new cables I put in (which was some ridiculously over-spec Van Damme 4*4mm^2 stuff with speakons). The new stuff did sound better (I was quite surprised - I wasn't expecting to hear a difference), but probably only because the old mains cable had oxidised on the ends,

 

Anyhow, it always amuses me as a sound guy how people insist on spending hundreds on cabling. The standard Van Damme stuff is only a quid a metre, I'm not sure what the so-called audiophiles think they're getting above that...

[pauldixonuk]

I've found a place to make me some cable for about £1 a metre. Another ATC user confirms it sounds great.

 

http://www.orchid.eurobell.co.uk/

[Bobbsy]

<snip>

 

Anyhow, it always amuses me as a sound guy how people insist on spending hundreds on cabling. The standard Van Damme stuff is only a quid a metre, I'm not sure what the so-called audiophiles think they're getting above that...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

And you can add to this the fact that the music the home audiophile wants to listen to was almost certainly mixed and mastered in a facility using "ordinary" professional cables for interconnects, quite possibly including at least some of the wiring being jumper wires on a Krone frame.

 

Bob