Strictly a mid-fi system in my living room, and I don’t have the luxury of having my speakers close to the amplifier. (Well, I could, but I don’t want to.) The amp is in a closet and the speakers are on the far wall.
The run is about 25 feet, so high-end esoteric speaker cable would be cost-prohibitive and just not make sense for this system. (Parasound HINT6 amp to Harbeths. 90% streaming Tidal/Qobuz using RaspPi; 10% vinyl.)
I’m currently using some Audioquest SLiP 14/2 wire, which is serviceable, but looking at the Belden 1313A cable, which is 10-gauge wire instead of 14.
Anyone have any experience with it?
Any recommended dealers? (Many dealers require a purchase of at least 500 feet…)
This one tho has a bulk quantity of 100 feet for only $150. From the reviews out there, I almost can’t not do it.
What about Belden 5T00UP instead? It seems like it should be close enough for mid-fi and is readily available from blue jeans cables with your choice of terminations.
haha, yeah, I’ve given it some thought. Lots of YouTube videos of guys building their own longer cables from beefy extension cords. It’s economical, I can’t deny that!
The compare function on the Belden site works well. According it it, the electrical difference is 10% lower capacitance per unit length and a tiny bit lower resistance forthe 1313. They also differ in the number of strands and type of copper and insulation. Perhaps the folks at BlueJeans can explain why seem to prefer the 5T00.
1313A is OFHC copper. This is designed for stadium runs with high power sources. It is also safe in walls as it is CMR UL fire safety rated.
Blue Jeans added and carries the 1313A as part of the BAV line. I use it myself as my go to reference product. Perfect choice for a best use application like the one described.
This should get you there quickly, do by all means give BJC a call as the price difference $220/pair and they should be able to explain which may be best suited for your application. Personally I’d spend the extra for the 1313A based on the components mentioned.
There was a time when a home depot 12AWG could have been an option, however those days are gone as (1) the price has gone up and (2) I know of at least two who tried it on the cheap and ended up with green corrosion on the copper conductors. It’s a false economy IMHO, YMMV.
Same but “different”, Iconoclast is a subset of BJC. Marketed differently, thus a different website. Best you give BJC a call on Monday, I’d think they would be glad to assist. Galen Garis may see this and may be able to assist within this forum as well. Galen being the brain behind Iconoclast and BAV cables. Not sure which Harbies you have, but I got a hunch the 1313A will be the ticket at a modest price.
Heard the P3ESRs some time ago and enjoyed them quite a bit. Would like more bottom end though for a long term speaker. Tried to audition the 7ES3 and the dealer subbed Tekton Double Impact speakers. The later not being my cup of tea, what I would call a Phil Spector sound, as in “Wall of Sound”.
The C7-ES3’s are a very good speaker for Jazz but can become congested with other genres. I picked up a mint used pair during the Summer for a good price so I could say I had owned a pair of Harbeth’s. They alternate in and out of the Main system in SC with a pair of Reynaud Abscisse Jubilee’s. The Reynaud’s are a more “flexible” speaker but the Harbeth’s do have their charm with certain types of music. When they are in the system I find myself gravitating to music that works best for them.
