Are Monster brand cables really worth the high cost

[syphon00]

my friend recommand that I get Monster cables for all my new home theatre components, but do they really sound that much better than lesser brand name cables?

[bfrank]

IMO No,

For the most part its all marketing. However this is one of those controversial topics so...............

[skar]

The short answer: No.

Monster cables are well made, but they cost too much. What cables are you looking at?

[DVD_O_Rama]

Seeing as how you didn't mention what type of cable, or what specific product you are asking about, it's impossible to give an educated answer on the matter.
Considering that Monster makes $19.99 cables as well as $199+ cables, any sort of blanket statement about them being 'overpriced' without even naming a product is ignorant, IMHO.

Of course, YMMV.

[Joe Schmoe]

No.

[syphon00]

I need the following cables

speaker wires
subwoofer cable
coxial cable for DVD

thanks

[young]

nope... but they look cool! especially the PS2 blue ones.

[skar]

For speaker wire:

Any solid, 12 gauge wire works great. Parts Express has some for cheap:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&User_ID=8059075&St=7131&St2=-88927047&St3=89150191&DS_ID=3&Product_ID=2792&DID=7

The digital coax output on your DVD player carries a digital signal, so it either gets there or it doesn't. An inexpensive cable will work fine and if it breaks it is cheap to replace.

[joshd2012]

YES!!!

Go with Monster. This is a hot topic in this forum, but it has been a while. The honest truth is that it is different for every person. Do a comparison. If you can hear a difference, then go with the one that sounds best to you. If not, it doesn't really matter. The cables are for your enjoyment, not others. I personally could hear a difference and went with the Monster... I never regret it.

[Einsatz]

Well for speaker wires, as skar said, any 12 ga. wire will probably do. Visual inspection is probably enough to see if it's worth it or not (does it look cheap or not). I've got Acoustic Research (AR) 12ga for the rear speakers.
I've got Monster Cable 16 ga. for my three front speakers since they're less than 6' from the receiver. The audio difference is nonexistent, or inmesurable to my ear. The only difference is the Monster cables for the fronts have much less insulation around the cable, and they're a lot more flexible (probably because of the 16 vs 12ga) which means they bend easier.
I've also got an AR cable for the sub, and I'm very happy with that one.
AR is cheaper and does just as good a job, IMO. I was just able to get everything in one place so I figured what the heck, I'll try AR.

For digital connections though, any Radio Shack cable will do. Digital is digital, no need to worry about crosstalk or attenuation affecting sound quality as much.

[belboz]

If you want to test for yourself, just make sure it's a blind test. That is, have someone else do the cable switching for you in a random pattern. Write down your guess as to which cable is which and do not discusss it with anyone until the test is done.

In the end, if there really is a difference between the two cables, then your answers should match up with the actual pattern at better than 50%. If you're right around at 50%, that means you couldn't tell the difference between the two cables.

Of course, that is a greatly simplified version of what scientists and engineers do to try and account for the fact that humans are incredibly weak minded creatures when it comes to subjective evaluations. We are easily swayed by pre-conceived notions and unconscious biases. And no matter how independent anyone thinks they are, other people's opinions will influence them.

[bfrank]

Blind test is the only way.

I would recommend spending the money one cheaper cable and then with the savings look to highend speakers. There is no doubt that the speakers are far more important to sound quality then any other component. (IMO :D )

[DVD_O_Rama]

Originally posted by syphon00
I need the following cables

speaker wires
subwoofer cable
coxial cable for DVD

thanks

Well, spending more for interconnects then the value of your system is pretty foolish, and since I will assume you aren't an audio/videophile, we'll go for some 'budget' Monster products:

Speaker wires:
(16g) Monster Cable S16-50 Standard™ Speaker Cable 19.99 (50')

(12g) Monster Cable HWMS-20 Hotwires 2 Speaker Cable 19.99 (20')

Subwoofer cable: Monster Cable I201SWHT Subwoofer Connection Kit (2.5 meter) 19.99

Coax: Monster Cable THXI100 DCX-4 (4ft) 13.43

These are just a few items I saw after looking for a few minutes. Not the be all end all product list by any means, and while there may be some cheaper products available (even other Monster brand) anyone that finds these overpriced needs to get a new hobby ;)

Cheers.

[wedge]

No. I think of Monster like I think of Bose: it's all just good marketing.

I've hooked up Monster side-by-side with AR cables and there is not a discernable difference. If you can tell one, more power to you, spend the extra money, but I sure don't see one.

[tommyp007]

My entire HTS is wired with Monster, and I feel like I'm getting the best sound, pic, etc. Wheather real or not, it make me feel good about my system. My fave thing is my power strip/clean power center. IT made a marked difference (no noise pollution, static, etc)

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by wedge
No. I think of Monster like I think of Bose: it's all just good marketing.

Except that Bose products are notably inferior to similar products costing far less money.

Monster cables may be overpriced, but they do well what they are supposed to do well.

[Brian Shannon]

Personally I believe that quality cable makes a difference.

I have cable from Monster, Transparent, Kimber and AR in both of my systems.

If for no other reason I like the build quality of Monster cable.

[edclem]

I tend to agree with Brian S.
Personally, I am using cables from Monster and MIT in my systems.

[wedge]

Originally posted by Josh Z
Except that Bose products are notably inferior to similar products costing far less money.

Monster cables may be overpriced, but they do well what they are supposed to do well.


That's precisely what I mean. Monster cables are good, but when I can get a cable of similar quality for less than half the price, why bother? I don't mind paying more for a better product by any means, but I DO mind paying more for something just because it has a company's name printed on it.

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by wedge
That's precisely what I mean. Monster cables are good, but when I can get a cable of similar quality for less than half the price, why bother? I don't mind paying more for a better product by any means, but I DO mind paying more for something just because it has a company's name printed on it.

I tend to agree with you, but the comparison to Bose still isn't fair. With Bose, you pay a lot of money and get a crummy product in return. Monster cables cost a lot of money, but they are at least good cables. So you're not being screwed over quite as badly.

[Geofferson]

IMO, no. I'm all for good cables obviously, but Monster is a bit extreme (especially the price).

[neiname]

Depends,

will you be watching superbit movies or not?

NN

[wedge]

Originally posted by Josh Z
I tend to agree with you, but the comparison to Bose still isn't fair. With Bose, you pay a lot of money and get a crummy product in return. Monster cables cost a lot of money, but they are at least good cables. So you're not being screwed over quite as badly.

True...I see what you're saying now and you are right.

[costanza187]

I doubt it...i think there may be some difference on the high-end stuff...but for the average person...Im not gonna spend more on cable than my dvd player costs

[bfrank]

Hate to do it but,

Some of you know I am a designer in this industry. I can tell you first hand that the Bose product is not "crummy" compared to other product of the same type (3" or smaller driver) it is equal to or better then almost all. I assure you from our own tests it is very well engineered. Bose is just WAY over priced.

Lets not hijack this thread with a Bose debate but I feel the comparision of Bose a expensive cable is spot on. Its a marketing job"."

[gcribbs]

Originally posted by bfrank
Hate to do it but,

Some of you know I am a designer in this industry. I can tell you first hand that the Bose product is not "crummy" compared to other product of the same type (3" or smaller driver) it is equal to or better then almost all. I assure you from our own tests it is very well engineered. Bose is just WAY over priced.

Lets not hijack this thread with a Bose debate but I feel the comparision of Bose a expensive cable is spot on. Its a marketing job"."

hate to disagree :)

Bose is not only way overpriced. You can pay far less and get better sound reproduction from other speakers.

Monster cables can be overpriced ; however, I do not think you can pay far less and get better sound reproduction.

Both use marketing to get sales of their overpriced products. Only one delivers a product that does perform well - Monster.

Would I buy Monster cables?
If I get a deal on them yes. I at times will pay a bit more to get a monster cable over a no name. why? because I do know that the cable will be made well and perform as it is supposed to.

Would I buy Bose speakers?

Never. they are horrible when compared to other lower priced speakers that can reproduce sound more accurately. Also if you compare it to speakers in their price range they lose by a ton.

Comparing Bose with other horrible 3" or smaller poorly made speakers is not fair.

IMHO.YMMV.

[Tsar Chasm]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is that Monster cables are readily available from mass market B&Ms to mom and pop high end HT shops. Most of the others mentioned in this thread are either online purchases or special orders.

One of the things I like is that I can go to the store today and buy just about any Monster product on the market. I can do comparisons with the garbage products ae well as compare other levels of Monster quality.

Have they made a difference in my system? Absolutely.

To those that say they are too expensive and that cheaper brands will get you to the same place, well, Kia and Lexus both make cars...

[Llama]

I like Monster cable, but don't like the price (who doesn't?). So I bid on new Monster cable on Ebay. I usually get between 50-70% off retail price for sealed, new cable. No warranty, but do you know anyone who has had to return a defective cable?

[Josh Z]

Originally posted by bfrank
Some of you know I am a designer in this industry. I can tell you first hand that the Bose product is not "crummy" compared to other product of the same type (3" or smaller driver) it is equal to or better then almost all.

Nonsense. Cambridge Soundworks makes speakers in the same size that are far better for a fraction of the cost.

[bfrank]

Originally posted by Josh Z
Nonsense. Cambridge Soundworks makes speakers in the same size that are far better for a fraction of the cost.

We can have a thread about this if someone wants to start one and I will explain my point better but lets not hijack this thread.

No more Bose for this thread - OK?

:D

[gcribbs]

Originally posted by bfrank
We can have a thread about this if someone wants to start one and I will explain my point better but lets not hijack this thread.

No more Bose for this thread - OK?

:D

why not start that thread. I really would be interested in what you have to say on this :)

It seems like you have some info we might all like to see :)

[bfrank]

Originally posted by gcribbs
why not start that thread. I really would be interested in what you have to say on this :)

It seems like you have some info we might all like to see :)
http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=235442

:D

[Taco]

All of you need to go over to audioasylum.com and check out the cable forum. Answers to all your questions. Lot of talk from DIY to super high end stuff. If you have the knack, it's better to make your own cables. The braided CAT5 cable is tough to make, but sounds great. The twisted pair, cross-connected Belden 89259 is supposed to give boutique cables a run and isn't that hard to assemble. Just make sure to use decent plugs/spades. The recipes also cover your digital/analog ICs too.

[bfrank]

Originally posted by Taco
All of you need to go over to audioasylum.com and check out the cable forum. Answers to all your questions. Lot of talk from DIY to super high end stuff. If you have the knack, it's better to make your own cables. The braided CAT5 cable is tough to make, but sounds great. The twisted pair, cross-connected Belden 89259 is supposed to give boutique cables a run and isn't that hard to assemble. Just make sure to use decent plugs/spades. The recipes also cover your digital/analog ICs too.
:up:

[Quatermass]

Slightly off-topic : does anyone know where I can get some high quality short cables. The shortest good ones I can find are typically 3 feet. I would like to eliminate the spaghetti tangle and It would help to have some VCR to VCR patch cables that are 6 inches long. I've always heard that shorter is better anyway. (At least that's what I tell my girlfriend).

[DVD_O_Rama]

Originally posted by Quatermass
Slightly off-topic : does anyone know where I can get some high quality short cables. The shortest good ones I can find are typically 3 feet. I would like to eliminate the spaghetti tangle and It would help to have some VCR to VCR patch cables that are 6 inches long. I've always heard that shorter is better anyway. (At least that's what I tell my girlfriend).

I believe Bettercables does custom stuff (for a price, of course) but I would suggest the DIY route as described in previous posts to get <b>exactly</b> what you want.

[Taco]

Should be OK to go shorter on normal IC's (audio, video), but for digital audio output, some have said it's better to be at 1.5 meters. Something to do with reflections or jitter or something. Again, the above website is good reference. As always, try a search before posting basic questions (unless you have your nomex on!)