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Audiophile Deathmatch: Monster Cables vs. a Coat Hanger

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Whether or not Monster Cables are worth it is a war that has raged since home theater immemorial. A poster at Audioholics was put in a room with five fellow audiophiles, and a Martin Logan SL-3 speaker set at 75Db at 1000KHz playing a mix of "smooth, trio, easy listening jazz" that no one had heard before. In one corner, Monster 1000 speaker cables. In the other, four coat hangers twisted and soldered into a speaker cable.

Seven songs were played while the group was blindfolded and the cables swapped back and forth. Not only "after 5 tests, none could determine which was the Monster 1000 cable or the coat hanger wire," but no one knew a coat hanger was used in the first place.

Further, when music was played through the coat hanger wire, we were asked if what we heard sounded good to us. All agreed that what was heard sounded excellent, however, when A-B tests occured, it was impossible to determine which sounded best the majority of the time and which wire was in use.

Reply to
Jeßus
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Anybody who thinks they can make a speaker selection for someone else, without even knowing what type of music they listen to, what room they listen in, and how loud they like to listen (as well as many other details) is a moron. Unlike most areas of audio, there ARE huge differences in actual sound performance between speakers.

And while it is true some expensive speakers are certainly overpriced, it is also true most cheaper speakers will have *serious* limitations in some areas, if not many. What is "genuinely good value for money" is as subjective as the speakers themselves. "Overpriced shit" is a little easier to determine IF it objectively performs less well than cheaper options in most performance areas however, so you should start with your selection there! :-)

And cheap is a very relative term, when it comes to speakers, the majority of people seem to think even the cheaper end of the market is expensive, and make do with total garbage. Real HiFi seems to have less devotees now than ever before.

Trevor.

Reply to
Trevor

MP3s killed the concept of HiFi. The young grow up with MP3 files played through crappy earbuds and have no idea what good high fidelity sound is. By the time they become discerning enough, their crappy earbuds and excessive volume have stuffed their hearing up so, for them at least, high fidelity becomes something they will never get to experience.

--

Xeno 

First they ignore you, 
Then they ridicule you, 
Then they fight you, 
Then you win. 

Mahatma Ghandi
Reply to
Xeno

** Think that analysis is excessively negative.

I grew up in the 1960s, with a transistor radio tucked under my pillow at night listening to AM radio. Decent music - Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and The Who for examples.

But the first time I heard an actual live band, at close range, with individual guitar amps & drum kit I was instantly hooked on three dimentional, full frequency & dynamic range music.

FYI: The group I heard were playing Surf Music hits and later went on to become the famous Melbourne band " The Strangers".

Fact is, we are all exposed to true high fidelity sound all day, every day - even if it ain't musical. When people speak, an animal makes a noise or the wind blows through the trees - that IS hi-fi sound.

Funny thing is, how few realise just how different the usual reproductions are - from TV sets, the cinema or home stereos.

IMO, the cure is exposure to decent live music, with no or minimal PA systems.

Fat chance of that these days.

.... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

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