Neutrik speakon connectors and the shortest length possible for your application. The rest is mostly marketing hype.
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Bootique speaker cables?
- Thread starter Dilatant
- Start date
Man does tb love feeling like they have some kind of moral high ground
I once had a friend who worked at a high end audio store. It was fun to go there and listen to all of the expensive stereo gear. One time he wanted to demonstrate for me the differences in speaker cables. He went from lamp cord to cables that were hundreds of dollars per foot. I have to admit that I could hear a difference but not that much and I certainly wasn't going to pay hundreds of dollars per foot.
"Dammit Jim I'm a bass player, not an engineer!"
I don't deny those who want the best of the best home theatre experience at home. They are listening in a controlled environment, where they might hear those nuances. A live band, slogging it out in a bar ain't that. Likewise, one may need to pay more attention to these things in the recording studio. However, if one is mic-ing a cab, I don't see what a boutique speaker cable brings to the table. If using D.I. .... it's a moot point.
I worked for a classical radio station. We, arguably had the most discerning listeners tuned in to the FM band. We used to be required, by law once a year to perform audio measurements on the equipment, from the mic input on the audio board, through the entire system, to an off air receiver tuned to the station. By today's standards those specifications (frequency response, distortion, noise, other stuff) weren't all that stringent, yet were still tough to meet through an entire broadcast chain. When I used to see the claimed specs on the high end FM receivers, and compare them to what FM stations were churning out, I'd just chuckle.
That's less applicable today because of how much digital technology pervades broadcasting, and the measurements are no longer required. People also have other high fidelity sources attached to their entertainment systems. As long as there is a market for high end audio, and good sounding cables, there will be people to sell it all to them.
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As long as that’s a Neutrik speakon. Some of my speaker cables are leftover material from Home Audio installations. It’s not really the right type of jacket, but they don’t get stepped on and the conductors are fine stranded.
I can’t imagine you can hear any subtle differences (if they exist) on a bass guitar. Especially in a mix.
do you have boutique power cords to all your equipment?....how boutique is the flex wiring inside the speaker cabs from the jackplate to the speaker?...IMHO boutique cables serve only the boutique sellers not the buyers...I have a Road Hog/Rapco cable ...works fine sounds fine, any decent brand name like Yorkville, or Digi-Flex or Planet Waves/D'addario will be fine and sound the same...14GA wire is 14GA wire... again IMHO
Can't tell if that link is a joke, or an actual endorsment. Well, I guess Victor has always been known to take free stuff in one way or another... Sort of the opposite of what Regi has / does"Boutique Speaker Cables?"
View attachment 4781993
Don't forget your "Boutique" power cable to go with.
Victor Wooten Power Cord Guitar Bass Amp Audio Power Cable | Essential Sound Products
Wow 11 responses before anyone even bothered trying to answer the question.
In my experiences there can be very small differences between wire of the same gauge based on the purity of the copper and how the wire is wound. But the differences are small. One of the problems with so-called premium cables is that some makers go crazy with thick insulation that doesn’t help performance.
As far as the difference between phone plugs and Speakons, there’s no contest. Phone plugs are called that because that’s what they what they were originally designed for. In higher powered applications a Speakon can simply handle more current and be used with bigger wire.
As far as the difference between phone plugs and Speakons, there’s no contest. Phone plugs are called that because that’s what they what they were originally designed for. In higher powered applications a Speakon can simply handle more current and be used with bigger wire.
But is it oxygen free?
The high-end speaker wire industry markets oxygen-free copper as having enhanced conductivity or other electrical properties that are supposedly advantageous to audio signal transmission. In fact, conductivity specifications for common C11000 (ETP) and higher-cost C10200 oxygen-free (OF) coppers are identical;[12] and even the much more expensive C10100 has only a one-percent higher conductivity—insignificant in audio applications.[12]
OFC is nevertheless sold for both audio and video signals in audio playback systems and home cinema.[12]
Oxygen-free copper - Wikipedia
Great question! This came up in discussion awhile back at the studio. I was originally going to rewire all the cabs with Evidence Siren II wire but, I... as well as the clients that do concern themselves with such psychotic matters concluded that. the wire and connectors that come stock with the cab, IS part of the cabinets sound.
The ones I enjoy the most (and not necessarily my clients) are, Mesa Powerhouse standard 4x10 and Hiwat 8x10
