I think we all can agree that quality cabling can make a noticeable difference in a systems performance. With that in mind, it would be helpful to list the cables and equipment that you find creates a fine synergy based upon value for the buck!!

for budget minded speaker wire, its hard to beat Canare 4s11 in bulk (DIY termination), anywhere from $0.80 to $1.50 per foot online. save even more by going with bare wire.

I understand QED is probably not very well known in the USA, but here in Europe they offer the best value for money, all across their range, IMO.

Their Qunex 1 Interconnect is amazing value. So much so that I feel like a complete idiot for having paid 10 times as much for an Audioquest Lapis ( pure silver IC ) many years before.

http://www.qed.co.uk/

Having said that, I must say that I consider Audioquest an amazing brand too. Besides the Lapis IC, I run the Midnight II speaker cable to the woofers in my Jensen-Onken bass boxes. Very nice, they are too.

http://www.audioquest.com/

Kimber made history with their 4TC speaker cable. Best value for money ever?
probably. I run the 8 TC to my midrange horns. Sweet.

http://www.kimber.com/#

However, my 35 year long experimenting has turned me into a real skeptic. I believe cables do make a difference, but I also believe they are the least significant bit in the audio chain.

Jorge

Hi Jorge,

One of the most interesting European speaker cables I have encountered are the Chord Audio Odessey 2. It is one of the best sounding silver plated cables I have heard. Not perfectly nuetral, but a rich sounding cable that does very little wrong. Not sure of the price there, but it should be pretty reasonable.

I have heard another silver plated cable that is domestic that I like. It's the Audio Magic Extreme wire. One day I would like to hear it side by side to the Chord stuff. It sells for $149 or 169 a 8 foot pair with spade terminations. It's my budget cable champion at this time.

Regards
Mister Pig

I might as well weigh in on this issue as I have been know to have a comment or two , a sort of contrariness position on things WIRE.

Quality, well designed cabling, like quality controlled and constructed Electronic components (Caps, Resistors, Solder, electrolytics, Transformers & Transistors - did I miss anything?) perform at a higher level of results (or lessor bad stuff).

All too often, our audio ($$$ limited) brethren put Pirelli P Zero Rosso Asimmetrico tires on their 1998 Ford Galaxy 500 v6 and say they:" don't feel any difference in the handling of the car"!

What can we conclude from this statement? The driver was going from home to the Walmart? The driver never exceeded 60kph? The driver was going in a straight line?
The car never started? All of the above? or The statement came from the misinformed, misguided and totally sonically ignorant?

I have spent $1000's over the years and continue to come back to cables which continually sound better with each upgrade of electronics I've made.

The gold standard in my system is Straightwire Serenade & Crescendo for Speaker, Serenade & Virtuoso R for Balanced & RCA Interconnects.

For Digital I use Audioquest VDM-5 for CD to DAC. I am currently trying out Straightwire Silver Link II and it is very promising......Considering it was designed as a 75 ohm Video cable!!!

All of this said, I still keep several sets of Kimber Kable 8TC & 4TC , plus a few pairs of Hero Interconnects.

When I am in doubt, I hook up the kimber which I am intimately familiar with. IMHO, forget any of the Monster anything! Same for the Cardas or PS Audio, MIT is all but out of its league (just check the resale lists). audioquest comes into its own ONLY at the extreme end of its very expensive line. Tara went back to the plantation.

Nordost is great but lives with the Norse gods, who are the only ones who can afford it!

I guess you can see where I stand on this issue!

Those are some valid observations.

One thing I might ad to this post. Quite often poeple shortchange the cabling in a system and therefore never get to realize the full potential of their current equipment. So they start down the electronic upgrade path. But with poor cabling selection, the new components never sound as good as they did in the showroom, or someone elses system. People realize that different capacitors or reistors of the same value can sound different. If this is the case with a single part that is say 1 inch in total length, why shouldnt a meter interconnect or 8 foot length of speaker wire do at least the same if not more to the sound.

My current reference wire is the Audio Magic Illusions 4D. A very nuetral and detailed silver ribbon wire. Easily the best I have owned.

The TG Audio cables are my second favorite, and are quite good. Sadly, their maker Bob Crump has passed away, so they can only be obtained on the used market. Definately worth the cost of admission though.

Another cable to consider are the ZU cables. They can offer a good value for the $.

Regards
Mister Pig

I'm with Jorge in all this cable issue.
Qed is great! And - of course - Van den Hul.
For power cables i choose Supra cables, no doubt about it...
Now i'm using Wireworld Silver Eclipse Speaker Cable, and i like it.