Things You'll Need:
- Speaker Cables
- Spade Lugs
-
Step 1
Check the selection at your local consumer electronics and high-fidelity audio specialty stores.
-
Step 2
Make sure the cables you select fit into the binding posts on your receiver or amplifier and speakers.
-
Step 3
Buy or borrow several pairs of cables.
-
Step 4
Connect a pair of cables from your receiver or amplifier to your speakers and play a song. Make sure the amplifier is turned off.
-
Step 5
Immediately repeat the process with another pair of cables.
-
Step 6
Compare the sound by listening to the same recordings using each of the cables. Listen to each for at least an hour.
-
Step 7
If a clear winner emerges, buy those cables. If you can't find satisfactory cables in your area, consider mail order.
-
Step 1
Set your budget.
-
Step 2
Consider models from AudioQuest, Cardas Audio, Kimber Kable, NBS, Nordost, Straight Wire, Tara Labs, Transparent Audio, Wire World and XLO for high-fidelity audio reproduction.
-
Step 3
Buy 16-gauge lamp cord if on a limited budget.
-
Step 4
Twist the leads of a double run of 16-gauge lamp cord together and solder them for an inexpensive upgrade.
-
Step 5
Determine the lengths you need. Buy the shortest possible length of cable for each speaker, but buy the same length for each.
-
Step 6
Check your speaker manual to see if the manufacturer recommends specific brands or models of cable. Product literature and reviews sometimes tell what the manufacturer used for internal wiring, and matching that usually works very well.
-
Step 7
Check the Recommended Components lists in the most recent issue of "Stereophile" for both prices and suggestions of models worthy of auditioning.
-
Step 8
Make a list of candidates.
-
Step 9
Read reviews in audiophile magazines and on the "Audio Review" Web site to help narrow the list.
Comments
naudio said
on 5/2/2008 like to think there is a differance because they want to think they have the best
do some research,
its the same as the difference between a £1000 cd player, and one in a pc with a decent sound card for £100 or less, there is NO difference
naudio said
on 5/2/2008 like to think there is a differance because they want to think they have the best
do some research,
its the same as the difference between a £1000 cd player, and one in a pc with a decent sound card for £100 or less, there is NO difference
naudio said
on 5/2/2008 i agree, lamp cord is the way to go, i would prefer to spend that (thousands of dollars on better speakers and get some lamp cord, anyway is the inside of your amp made of oxygen free gold plated this and that, pr is it just a normal electric circuit, all using shorter or thicker cables does is make the resistance in the cable lower, but when the audio signal reaches the voice coil in the speaker that wastes 95% of the signal as heat, then it doesn't make a differance.
do a blind listening test, use lamp cord and some fancy cable for retards with big wallets and see if u can hear the differance, it will me to tiny to be audible
sales people in electronic stores are trying to make more money out of people by claiming that your crappy £400 hifi system with cheap little 10mm chipboard speakers will sound better with a £100 cable. some people never learn.
and i think some would just
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 Technically, there's not much difference between a normal speaker wire and thousand dollar speaker wire. The differences are not audible, meaning we can't tell the difference in audio quality at all except for lab instruments. If the amplifiers and speakers are good, a cheap pair of wires will still produce good sound.