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Still believe the Monster hype?

M

MaxZolt

Aug 21, 2007
77
2
Westport, CT
#1
There's been a lot of controversy about whether or not Monster brand cables offer better sound quality with their gold-plated oxygen-free flux tubes or whatever. If you still buy into that (at a huge markup), this article may sway your decision:

Invalid Link Removed

Basically, five audiophile friends were doing a blind A/B test with Monster cables (in this case, home stereo cables). However, instead of comparing the Monster to a cheap no-name cable or something, the person running the test hooked up the speakers with coat hanger wire.

Not one of the testers could tell the difference. :ninja:
 
#4
Everytime I see a thread like this it just makes me think, If you don't like 'em, don't buy 'em. :hmm:

I have owned only two cables in maybe 15 years. I'd say that more than makes up for the price alone. If I were to add the costs of all the cheapy cables that have gone bad on me, it would easily pay for the monster cable i've got.

I'm almost positive that coat hanger wouldn't hold up as long :D
 
#5
BassXgirl said:
Everytime I see a thread like this it just makes me think, If you don't like 'em, don't buy 'em. :hmm:

I have owned only two cables in maybe 15 years. I'd say that more than makes up for the price alone. If I were to add the costs of all the cheapy cables that have gone bad on me, it would easily pay for the monster cable i've got.

I'm almost positive that coat hanger wouldn't hold up as long :D
Click to expand...

Danged rust! :D

I use romex for one of my speaker cables.

I like the mid priced instrument cables (Mogami, Monster, and Planet Waves w/switch). They all sold for about $40 and they all work great.

I'm always running over the Mogami with my office chair and it's still holding up great after nearly 5 years.
 
#6
I'm not criticizing the durability of Monsters. I do, however, take issue with their business practice of fooling unsuspecting consumers by touting the supposed superiority of their cables' audio quality due to all their "special features". Monster's main selling point is not durability, it's quality of signal transmission.

A gigging musician might happily pay a premium for a cable they know won't break on them, but someone setting up a surround sound system in their living room doesn't need that kind of durability.

Part of the burden falls on the consumer to do the research and make an educated decision, but it's hard to deny that the way Monster does business is pretty unethical.
 
#8
MaxZolt said:
I'm not criticizing the durability of Monsters. I do, however, take issue with their business practice of fooling unsuspecting consumers
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Max I hear you on this. It seems to be the way of the world though. I don't like it either. Example: have you ever tried to order a chicken burrito at a fast food place? Tell me...WHERE is the chicken! It doesn't look anything like the picture on the menu!!:scowl: I digress.

back to our regularly scheduled programming. :hiding:
 
#9
All cable manufacturers point out the features of their cables to try and contrast their products with their competitors. Some of the designs implemented in the cable's construction may or may not have any real significance in performance over another design. But there's only so many ways you can describe one wire versus another. They're not going to say, "our cables are made just like our competitor's but it's twice the price because of marketing costs." That may be the truth, but it won't sell many cables. :p
 
#12
As far as cords are concerned, I haven't been able to hear a great deal of difference between the different brands. Yet, I use canare for all studio wiring; I think I'm currently using a planet waves for my main bass cable (or something much cheaper, but sturdy); and, because I got a deal on it, I picked up a set of very heavy Monster speaker cables for one of my home stereo set-ups.

This may be a digression for this thread, but worth mentioning: the biggest sonic difference I have ever heard in a system was due to better, cleaner power coming into the system. I have been lectured over the years about the need for a good power supply and I must agree that, in my experience, it has been the single greatest factor in improving (or degrading) my listening experience.

Having said that, I'm sure there are others on TB who can speak to the issues of cables based on how they are made and to what use they are put.
 
#13
theyre AV equipment cable are good id buy a monster HDMI/scart over a cheap HDMI/scart any day, theyve got a good guarantee policy,and are durable, tats why id buy a monster or anyother high end cable rather than a cheapo lead. it really annoying when leads fail and i can play through an amp untill i buy a new lead.

i think 99.99999999999% of businesses do what monster does they say that their product the best for XYZ reasons, whether those claims are true are up to the consumer to decide, ther is a difference in sound when you a/b the monster bass cable and other monster guitar cables acoriding to many reviews. washing up liquid manufacturers say ours will leave your plates etc cleaner and last longer, same goes for other things like these shoes make you run faster, our food wont make you fat etc etc etc.

if monster said our cables are built well but you can probably get a different brand that will do as good a job for cheaper, our cables are a bit over priced and most of the stuff we say is over hyped they wouldnt sell any thing and would go out of business.

people say good things about planet waves cables but the springs got stuck in the jack of my 4 track recorded and broke it.
 
#15
I have to give them props on durability, I have had them for 12 or so years and have never had one die yet. Before these, I don't think I ever had a cable that lasted more than 6 months.

I do own a few Mogami cables I have had for about 3 years and no problems. I want to try some of the Bayou cables.
 
#17
jetpackbassist said:
...which is the standard warranty on most cables.
http://[malware url removed].net/vicious-smiley-1815.gif
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Ok great where you going to take it to get it replacement? If you buy from a Mom and Pop they have funny hours most of the time and are not open like GC 7 days a week. Look i bought a monster 4 years ago at GC for the warranty only. It looks and sounds like most cables but i can run in and swap it most anytime since GC's not far and open longer then any other store and has service to them. Plus the other decent brands with warantys cost the same...whats the point here?
 
#18
MaxZolt said:
There's been a lot of controversy about whether or not Monster brand cables offer better sound quality with their gold-plated oxygen-free flux tubes or whatever. If you still buy into that (at a huge markup), this article may sway your decision:

Invalid Link Removed

Basically, five audiophile friends were doing a blind A/B test with Monster cables (in this case, home stereo cables). However, instead of comparing the Monster to a cheap no-name cable or something, the person running the test hooked up the speakers with coat hanger wire.

Not one of the testers could tell the difference. :ninja:
Click to expand...
I read that article yesterday too, and I almost posted it myself. But then I realized that not a legitimate news article, it's just a post by some guy on a message forum. It's mentioned in the 8th paragraph of his post. And it's old -- from June 2004!
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15412&postcount=28
He offers no proof that this test really happened. Who's to say whether he's lying? I'm not a big fan of Monster Cables, but I was surprised to see the tech media jump all over this story yesterday when there's nothing to it except a forum post.
 
#19
Ok, that has to be one of the dumbest articles I have ever "attempted" to read. What is this vendetta against Monster cables?? If you don't like Monster cables simply don't buy Monster cables... it's ok, really. Maybe the moderators should ban this topic from now on.
 

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