What do you guys think about my current endgame

Yeah I’ll have to figure that out when it comes to that lol

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How do they compare to other speaker cables? I mean more in build quality and flexibility rather then sound quality.

They’re fine.
The banana plugs are pretty good, overall build quality is good, cable is flexible enough.
My stereo setup right now is far from optimal, I don’t have a room I can dedicate to stereo, so it’s as much about convenience as sound quality.
I can hear the difference between speaker cables on my system, the valve mono blocks are really picky about impedance, and I’m running 4 Ohm speakers. But honestly as much as I could probably identify one cable vs another in an A/B test, I wouldn’t want to describe one as better than another.

Think it’s worth spending extra on thicker gauge cable?

There is a point on a lot of equipment where I personal find, you can certainly hear a difference, and you may even have a preference, but calling something generally “better” is hard. It’s like chocolate ice cream vs vanilla.
Cable difference are really subtle, people usually attach them to specific parts of specific pieces of music where they can definitively say yes I can hear the difference there.
My view on this is you can spend your life over analyzing anything, but it’s better just to enjoy what’s there. The deciding factor on those cables was probably same day shipping vs 2 day.
Cables are on the list of things that I might think about after I’m happy with everything else.

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Depends.
2.5mm² (~13 AWG) is plenty for most applications.
When you have long runs (> 20m/60ft), then 4mm² (~11 AWG) comes in handy.

I mean, that’s definitely the way to go. Cables make way less of a difference than absolutely everything else you can change, including amps and even DACs.

The only exception is if you use absolutely crappy cables. I had no cables for my 100$ Fluance SX6, so I cut one millimeter thin (yes) red and black cables from old JVC speakers… Installing Monoprice 12AWG cable instead added like 5dB in bass and sub-bass. Overkill. As I already said, I’m just set for life, I would not worry about 12AWG oxygen-free bare copper even with 1000$ speakers.

Also, the standard KZ IEMs cable (they sell it for 1$ on eBay… with a mic included…). Using a 4$ silver-plated cable instead added more or less 5dB in mids (the singer that used to be “15ft away from me” was now in my face).

Edit: And yes, when your speakers are more than 50ft away, I guess… lol.

Unfortunately for where I am at speaker wise (and actually headphones too now for some of them) (well I guess where I will be when I set it up), I will have to try some higher end cables and see if I notice anything, as it’s pretty dang revealing and I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard differences. But would they be worth it is the thing. I just want to avoid coloration in the end by a cable and not really have a cable that adds or subtracts anything. And then how much would it actually be worthwhile to spend on the said cables. It’s going to be something to think about for sure

Also another thing to think about is if I get high end cables I might as well see myself out of this forum lol

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I think you’ll definitely hear the difference.
The hard part is quantifying better vs worse as opposed to just different. And it’s really hard not to be convinced that the more expensive one must be better because of the cost.

I think it’s more likely the forum will pivot towards the difference in cables… :wink:

Well I mean I already acknowledge that better cables can improve your sound if you are at insane levels lol (insane being costing more than a nice car or house)

I wonder if I would be able to hear a difference in a cable for aes/ebu

You think I would be looked down upon more if I bought a 35k dac or 1k cables lol

I’ll go out on a limb and say differences are audible well before that level.
Most people with $2K+ stereo systems could hear them with the equipment they have.
I will continue to question the value, and the distinction between different and better.

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A million times this.

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On my bookshelf setup (one with the special 40s), I have heard slight differences with some cables, but honestly I just use Amazon basics cables and the speaker cables I linked above and I have no complaints.

I might want to try out some higher end interconnects on the Shang setup and possibly a higher end aes/ebu cable for the Warwick :thinking: (as I think those are on a separate level)

Also as you point out, the difference that a cable will make most likely is different for each setup, as some gear is probably more picky and sensitive that other setups

Honestly I used to be in the marginal difference in DAC’s camp, but some of the research I’ve done recently has convinced me there are very real reasons for the perceived differences.

Honestly if you buy a $35K DAC, who cares about the $1K cables?
At one point I owned $500 speakers with $200 cables, so I’m not in a position to throw stones.

Cost is a weird thing, what’s expensive is so arbitrary, I don’t think twice about spending $3000 on a new computer, but I recently picked up a $3500 3D printer, which I had a lot of angst about.
I’d spend $5K on a pair of speakers if I loved them more than what I have, but $2K on a pair of headphones is still pushing it.
I know this all sounds ludicrous to the people on here agonizing over $100 amp purchase.
Most of us started there, but what’s reasonable to spend on something and what’s expensive gets distorted over time as disposable income changes and you gradually spend more on components.

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Ah yeah, how are you enjoying that schiit dac?

Yeah, I have no problem spending for audio, but spending more than 20 dollars at a restaurant for myself is something I just won’t do lol

Arrives on Friday, might be Monday before I get it.
I’m 500 miles from my audio gear until Friday, holidays at the in laws.

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