Still believe the Monster hype?

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

...which is the standard warranty on most cables.
http://[malware url removed].net/vicious-smiley-1815.gif

True.

I own at least about a half-dozen instrument-type cables. Several are GC promos (the $9.99 fifteen-footers), others are Horizon, EWI, et al. All (except perhaps the GCs) have a lifetime warranty. Still, I haven't had one fail or break in the past 15 years or so even with hundreds of uses per year.

A cable warranty is nice, but for peace of mind it really doesn't matter as much as having a spare or two.

 

[aborgman]

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.

Anyone who needs to see testing to know that Monster cable doesn't sound any different from any other equivalently sized wire - doesn't understand the science very well. A plain old basic grasp of basic electronics and physics is enough.

 

[lomo]

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.

+10

 

[grovest]

Anyone who needs to see testing to know that Monster cable doesn't sound any different from any other equivalently sized wire - doesn't understand the science very well. A plain old basic grasp of basic electronics and physics is enough.

Vandelay is exactly right. This was all over the web yesterday because many do have an axe to grind with Monster Cable- or simply because they like to point at people and laugh. The source 'post' itself, well to me... sounds specious, or at least unsubstantiated.

 

[Hawaii Islander]

I thought this horse died long ago.

It's back from the dead!

You know what cowboy's say, "You can't keep a good horse down!"

 

[Curtybob]

A cable warranty is nice, but for peace of mind it really doesn't matter as much as having a spare or two.

Now that's advice we can all shake our booties to.

 

[Illbay]

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.

Invalid Link Removed, call your office!

 

[kevinmoore73]

i know that they help a little with passive pickups but active pups the cable doesnt matter.

You "know" this how? This sounds like BS to me.

 

[kevinmoore73]

theyre AV equipment cable are good id buy a monster HDMI/scart over a cheap HDMI/scart any day

Waste your money if you want to, but a Monster HDMI cable isn't going to be any better than a non-broken "cheapo" HDMI cable.

Go ahead and spend around $100 for an HDMI Monster cable at Best Buy or wherever. It sure won't be any better than this $8 HDMI cable: Invalid Link Removed

 

[thumpbass1]

I don't buy the hype that a lot of makers of high end audiophile
cables spin on the gullible with money to burn.
That said Monster Cable as a brand does make high quality
products from good components that are durable and carry
a lifetime warranty on most of the stuff they sell.You have
to decide for yourself if it's worth the higher price when in
comparing their stuff to house brand cables etc.

My only gripes with some cheap cables is a lack of durability
and in some cases a cheap cable can pull off the effect of
acting like a big capacitor choking off the highs of the tone.
Stevie Ray Vaughn used coiled instrument cables or cheaper
cables with a high capacitence to tweak the tone of overly
bright sounding amps.

I find Monster cable no better or worse than any other good
quality cable. I'll use Pro Co, Dimarzio,or any other brand as
long as it is of good quality and priced fairly. I sure in hell
don't believe in the magic pixie dust nonsense that some makers
of audiophile grade cables come up with to bedazzle
those within the built in consumer base that don't apply much
in the way of critical thinking to what they buy.

 

[Illbay]

Waste your money if you want to, but a Monster HDMI cable isn't going to be any better than a non-broken "cheapo" HDMI cable.

I am NOT a techie of any kind when it comes to electronics, but...

Isn't the idea of a digital signal that it's, well, "digital" and not prone to signal loss? Ergo, having a digital signal cable that works, is about as far as you need to go?

Or am I wrong on this?

 

[RONQUITO]

Yeah, that'll leave more room for tonewood debates.

Hah
Hahahaha
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

(falls off chair and almost dies of abdominal cramps due to uncontrollable laughter)

 

[deekay911]

If you did that same test with Mogami, Canare or any other high-end cable I bet you would get exactly the saem results. It's all about resistance, and a coat hanger wire offers virtually none due to the size of the pipe the electrons are travelling down. You try to rig your guitar to the amp with a bunch of coat hangers for your next gig though

 

[kevinmoore73]

Isn't the idea of a digital signal that it's, well, "digital" and not prone to signal loss? Ergo, having a digital signal cable that works, is about as far as you need to go?

Yes, and that's pretty much what I was saying. It will either work or not work. No amount of flux tube (or similarly magicical snake oil) will make it work better.

 

[ggunn]

Vandelay is exactly right. This was all over the web yesterday because many do have an axe to grind with Monster Cable- or simply because they like to point at people and laugh. The source 'post' itself, well to me... sounds specious, or at least unsubstantiated.

Well, Monster has an axe to grind with anyone that uses the word "monster" in any sort of commercial venture. Google "monster" and "litigation" and see what you get. I don't believe a word of their hype, and I wouldn't buy a monster cable on a bet.

BTW, that is not the only account of double blind surveys out there that show that no one can hear the difference in speaker cables (and most don't mention brand names at all, just the so-called "features" of the cables being tested). In fact, I've never seen one that proved otherwise.

 

[kevinmoore73]

I've never seen one that proved otherwise.

Physics is a tough mistress!

 

[sleepy_monkey]

Hey everyone, me and 10...no.....15...no....35 friends did an A/B test between Monster Cable and chain link fencing........the fencing not only held up great, but it also doubles as, get this...fencing!! You heard it here folks....blogs to come soon and take over the world...down with monster!

 

[JonathanD]

I have a 20-24 year old braided instrument cable that has seen tours, and daily practice all that time. Still work fine...it cost my father about 4.99 according to his memory.

 

[Inflin]

I'm glad someone finally did a blind A/B on this stuff.

Now they just have to test that $500 wood knob they were selling for hifi's a while back.

(saying that, eden amps to sound more free flowing and natural, and that dissapears when you take the wooden faceplate off!)

 

[kevinmoore73]

Now they just have to test that $500 wood knob they were selling for hifi's a while back.

Bah. Everyone has those knobs because they provide such a measurable improvement in sound. People need to get on board with disc mats for CDs and DVDs.

From http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_3/marigo-labs-signature-3d-mat-7-2005.html: "The cut-outs and other mechanical structures of the mat create a very specific energy spectra that mechanically dithers the laser to recognize and retrieve additional low level information that is otherwise lost, truncated or unseen,” says Hedrich. “The cut-outs get the least significant bits that get lost and never get off the disc.

Only $199? Sign me up! I want to hear those least significant bits!

The next part is the best: "This phenomenon of information loss has not been previously addressed because it’s just not understood. A laser is a transducer system that changes one form of energy to another. Any transducer has limited capabilities. In the case of digital, we’re trying to convert digitally encoded pits and lands into electrical signals using a laser and optical sensor. Unfortunately, this involves both loss and corruption of information."

This "phenomenon" of converting the pits and non-pits to zeros and ones is quite well understood, but obviously they're hoping their customers don't understand.