I’ve always wanted a nice HiFi system and I feel like I finally have it. I have a new Stellar Gain Cell Dac and S300 Amp. I have been able to use Audioquest XLR cables to connect them together. I have a windows server set up, with Roon about 5 feet away in a closet, and a USB cable plugged into my Stellar Gain Cell Dac. I have a pair of Kef LS50s. So far I feel this system sounds amazing, beyond my imagination. Well my imagination was the memories of my Uncles HiFi in Boulder back in the 80s, but I feel this sounds better. My question is, for speaker cables in the $300ish price range, does it make a difference which one you choose in that range, or are they all about the same compared to my plain speaker cables?
I have about 6 more days of burn in on this system. I can’t wait to see how it sounds after that.
Yes at that price point there is a great range of performance. My advice are used Shunyata Venom cables. They out perform cables at many times their cost.
I built a couple of cable sets using Canare 4S11. Blue Jeans Cable will sell the cable in bulk, or make them in a finished form. A finished twelve foot pair would run you around $100. They are not botique, but sound great to me.
I’ve been very pleased with Zu Audio older stuff. The past few years they’ve done auction style on ebay. My not be everyones style but they still have the 60 day return policy.
I’m rockin’ the Libtec right now and have a pair of Missions to try when I get bored, both for stupid silly money.
I loved my Zu Mission speaker cables. They were clearly better in detail than my Kimbers. Then I tried their “Event” cables and it was a stunning improvement. Easily order of magnitude of any component change I’ve made.
That is good advice. Though I’d get more than a few inches slack. IMO you need at least a couple feet of slack on each cable. You never know when you might decide to pull them further out from the wall. Or ever eventually replace the LS50’s with something that requires more distance out from the front wall.
Having more speaker cable than your minimum length leaves you with options. Doesn’t look as slick. But is cheaper in the long run.
10 times better than any equipment change you’ve made or on par with equipment changes you’ve made?
As I’ve replaced my stock or home-made cables with ‘better’ ones; the collection continues to improve as a whole. An order of magnitude better, I would have to say not.
I don’t have words to describe the influence different, arguably better, speaker and power cables have made to my sound but I like it.