Affordable speaker cable ?

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phil_in_swansea

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Can anyone please advise me on an 'affordable' (vague I know) speaker cable?
I am looking for respectable quality, but I need to run something like a 5m and an 8m length so obviously cost is an issue here.

I would like a neutral and tight sound, definitely not warm, and ideally I don't want to spend more than about £3 a metre if possible.

Help please folks... Thanks

PS: Setup is Arcam CD62T cdp, pssibly an Arcam a65+ (to be decided), plus Wharfedale 9.1 Diamond speakers. Cheers.

All recommendations welcome.
I am a bit nervous now having just blown one amp, but still quite happy to knock something up.
I have previously used the 'orange B&Q' twin core for guitar amp to cab cables, but hadn't really considered it for hi-fi.
If I do keep it simple can anyone recommend something that will be ok at 8metres per run.
Thanks.
Phil
 
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No need to remove your link, that would do perfectly. I use 2 core mains flex from B&Q, the nice orange stuff :)
 
You could do a lot worse than some solid-core twin & earth. Pretty cheap too.

:ot: What guitar have you got there Phil?
 
Still Off Topic : mixed bag Andy, an old Charvel superstrat(something like a 3a or 4a) pointyheadstock and sharkfin inlays, a real sweet EPIPHONE (but it is the elite) Les Paul, a mid-range Jackson pro telecaster, a beaten up LP Copy by Morris, and a lovely electro accoustic. Just bought my son a Fender Squier Strat and whilst you probably couldn't use it live it does play pretty sweet for home practise. Hoping that sorting my 'playroom ' out will get me back practising! Yourself?
 
Another Cable Question:
Having made up the TNT-FFRC with cat5e and seen it blow my amp, what would have caused that? Is it the capacitance issue, and was the length (8m) a factor?
I have spent a bit on these cables and got a nice iron burn to boot, so I would like to use them, but not if they may blow my next amp. Any ideas?
I thought the cat5e was pretty standard ( UTP, 24awg, TIA/EIA-568B)
 
Naim amps need the correct inductance to be provided by the cable, and I think NVA amps do too. If you last amp wasn't one of hose then it seems most likely the cable was shorted somehow, did you check it with a meter before connecting up?

Twin and earth cable seems a waste to me since you only need two runs of wire per speaker (+/-) not three like twin and earth. I'd get the stuff you linked to on eBay, good and thick for an 8m run.
 
phil_in_swansea said:
Still Off Topic : mixed bag Andy, an old Charvel superstrat(something like a 3a or 4a) pointyheadstock and sharkfin inlays, a real sweet EPIPHONE (but it is the elite) Les Paul, a mid-range Jackson pro telecaster, a beaten up LP Copy by Morris, and a lovely electro accoustic. Just bought my son a Fender Squier Strat and whilst you probably couldn't use it live it does play pretty sweet for home practise. Hoping that sorting my 'playroom ' out will get me back practising! Yourself?
Click to expand...

Got an old 1981 Washburn hawk which was given me, kinda like a les paul but with double cutaway. No amp just running it through the mic input of an old cassette deck permanently set to record :MILD: Still sounds sweet though!

Also a Crafter jumbo electro acoustic which is f@*kin hard to play (even though the action's been lowered as far as it can be) but i'm sticking at it.
 
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Pure_Carbon said:
I'm sure you know this already, but generally it's suggested that you keep both speaker cable runs the same length, so really you need 2 x 8m runs.
The excess 3m on the 5m run should not be coiled up...so I'm told :-)
Click to expand...

from what I've heard - it shouldn't make any different at those lengths anyway...
 
phil_in_swansea said:
Can anyone please advise me on an 'affordable' (vague I know) speaker cable?
I am looking for respectable quality, but I need to run something like a 5m and an 8m length so obviously cost is an issue here.

I would like a neutral and tight sound, definitely not warm, and ideally I don't want to spend more than about £3 a metre if possible.

Help please folks... Thanks

PS: Setup is Arcam CD62T cdp, pssibly an Arcam a65+ (to be decided), plus Wharfedale 9.1 Diamond speakers. Cheers.

All recommendations welcome.
I am a bit nervous now having just blown one amp, but still quite happy to knock something up.
I have previously used the 'orange B&Q' twin core for guitar amp to cab cables, but hadn't really considered it for hi-fi.
If I do keep it simple can anyone recommend something that will be ok at 8metres per run.
Thanks.
Phil
Click to expand...



Phil, talk to Pete (zanash) about some of the cable he sent me.

I was using twin and earth for a bit.....iMO his gives better sonics and VFM.


Def worth a ago.
 
.....IYO I think Mike, not quite statem't of fact (?)


:)




Petes cables sounded better to me....IMO


YOU decide Phil.
 
NVA speaker cables are indecently good at any price, let alone what they actually cost. I have used both LS1 and LS3 and recommend them unreservedly. NVA have an Ebay shop at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/nene-valley-audio . I do think that these cables are one of the few credible low cost alternatives to DIY, which is nevertheless still worth a go if you fancy tinkering.
 
DavidF said:
Phil, talk to Pete (zanash) about some of the cable he sent me.

I was using twin and earth for a bit.....iMO his gives better sonics and VFM.


Def worth a ago.
Click to expand...

Yesh but... whether or not you think they sound better than some wet string is really beside the point if there is a budget of £3 per meter, isn't it? Does Mr.Z even do speaker cable below £30 a meter?

I heard some that were in a nice silk sheath, and while they looked nice (and expensive) I can't say I heard a difference with them.
 
Try this. If you have an iron.
http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/ubyte2e.html

Do not bother stripping off the PVC jacket. It is fine as it is and is much more robust.
Not sure about it and Naim gear though...
This cable is especially good if you are going for longer runs... where your simple cable will fail pretty spectacularly to adequately carry the complex analogue signal that is driving your speakers. This stuff opens things up and conveys more info.
It fits your budget eg...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/30m-CT100-Co-...oryZ4693QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Blew Cat5e and Expensive cables from Sevenoaks Hifi clean away.
I've made several sets for Hifi friends none of whom want to give them back!
 
Tenson said:
Yesh but... whether or not you think they sound better than some wet string is really beside the point if there is a budget of £3 per meter, isn't it? Does Mr.Z even do speaker cable below £30 a meter?

I heard some that were in a nice silk sheath, and while they looked nice (and expensive) I can't say I heard a difference with them.
Click to expand...


Simon??

I can't recall now how much they cost.....my point was that they weren't especailly dear........or I wouldn't have had them!!

Yes, i think Pete does do s/cable under £30/meter.

All I would say is have a word with him and see what he can do.
 

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