Well, i'm looking to upgrade my DVD player to a progressive scan within the next month or two. And right now i'm just running a S-Video cable from my DVD player. However, i'm going to need a set of component cables since i have an HDTV.

Anyways, my question: I have no problem getting monster cables since my friend works at Best Buy and there is a $40 mark up on them. However, E-bay has them just as cheap. And i've noticed that there is a THX certified brand by Monster. Which would someone recommend, just the normal Monster cable or the THX version of the cables????

Also, is there much of a difference between coax and optical for sound?

Thanx

Personal preference. Do a thread search.

THX certified cables should not make a difference IMHO.

I did a search, I could not find anything on the THX brand cables by Monster?! Are these for real or an Ebay fake thing???? I couldn't even find it on monstercable.com.....

Thanks for opinions if anyone has any

THX cert for speaker wires and interconnects is just a joke. Let alone with the way the THX standard is setup means nothing unless everything you own is THX certified. People get way to wound up in the THX certification, it is much more lax than it use too and companies that can pay to buy it, can get it.

I would check out AudioQuest, Better Cables, Kimber Kables or AR cables just to name a few.

So, if i can get Monster Cables for about $30, that would be the 2M that Best Buy sells, should i pick those up or shop for something different?

Also, any audio cable opinions....much of a difference between coax and optical?

Monster cables are good cables, they're just usually overpriced. If you can get them for a good price I'd say go for it.

There's a ton of threads about Coax vs. optical, do a search and you should find a lot of info.

So far Monster THX certified cables are their Six channel Interconnects & CL3 rated Custom installation Speaker cables
under HT & CL series.

But I personally think that THX certification is just a licensing
ploy but this is not for us consumers to decide.

To be honest my HT system is all wired with Monster Cables as
I believed in the product and also to me it's a hassle of having to choose and audition the wide range out there.

The most important thing is that you believe in the product and
basically your preference. I am using Monster Mseries speaker
cables and the M1000 video component interconnect from DVD
to TV direct. Their S-video M1000 was ISF certified for excellence
yet I preferred using component because I did an A/B comparison
between the two and found that the component provide a better
colour balance and video signal transfer. It's more 'solid' than the
S-video but ultimately it is up to one's choice.

As for audio cables, coax is my preference interconnect from CD
to receiver. I feel it gave better sound with 'soild' bandwidth and
it's durability in handling. I use Mseries M950i & MK 1 II coax.
I do have their Lightspeed 200 optical just for DVD to receiver as
a standby as opticals are quite filmsy and the sound from them
seems 'hollow' to me.

The posting above is just my own opinion as to why I chose
Monster Cables for my HT system others may begged to differ

If you can have Monster cables for such a bargain then I say it's
worth the purchase.

I can't say for sure this is current Monster cable practice, but last I looked into cables a year or so ago Monster used three types of basic construction in audio cables (video should all be some version of shielded coax so I will skip any issues with video), cheap was simple coax, next step up in price was shielded twisted pair, and all the higher priced stuff was the "special" monster arrangement of each strand of wire actually a bundle of I think three sizes of wire sort of twisted or something together. To my ear the twisted pair was the only one I liked, M200 I think it was called then, the cheaper stuff just didn't seem as clear to me, but the worst was the expsensive stuff which had this weird filtered sound I didn't like at all.

When M200 started to be harder to find cheap, I switched to AR cables, which I get even cheaper, and like just fine.

For video cables I tend to be more of a priss and buy only professional grade from broadcast supply joints like Markertek.

It is the Interlink 200 MK II coax interconnect that you are
referring to.

I use their Interlink 250, 300 MK II and 400 MK II coax interconnect series and Datalink 100 digital coax cables for
LD,VCD & DVD hook up.

Monster just realeased new THX cables these are in essence the same as the z series cables but a little less money.

Just to be clear, the only Monster cables I used were the plain shielded twisted pair, which is just two insulated stranded wires twisted together with a overal shield. I never cared for coax use in consumer audio gear, and as I said the 300 and 400 seemed to have a funny filtered sound. I think a lot of people might never notice it, but I was using full range electrostatic speakers, and the funny cables didn't make them seem full range, but rather notchy like many 3 way speakers can be.