Nothing wrong with your gear - I was just trying to determine what you were using to come to your conclusion. Your equipment is far from J6P, but for separates, they are all entry level (projector, amps, Onkyo processor), though nothing at all wrong with that. Your Lexicon seems out of place in the mix.

I also thought you could send in the Lexicon in for an upgrade to add HDMI and other stuff? Is that not possible?

As long as we can keep this to the topic of cables, and not something like using a green marker around the edges of our DVDs, we're still OK.

Well, I did just order a $4 monoprice hdmi cable and I can't wait to compare it.

The biggest problem with cabling threads is that there is always a group that just doesn't believe that cables might make a difference, no matter how small the difference is.

Excellent statement; and at least someone admitting that more expensive cables can make a difference. I am not the guy that goes out and buys expensive cables for the heck of it. In general, I visit boards like AVS, read magazines like What*Hifi or Stereophile and try out cables which are in general considered giving the best performance for the money.

Is it worth the premium? I don't mind spending $30 on a HDMI cable that I will use for probably 10 years and $250 on a speaker cable that I will use until I can't use it anymore.

Just for anyone who's interested: the BIGGEST difference in cables in my setup was switching speaker cables. I would strongly recommend testing some different cables if you have a decent setup and speaker cables like these

exm, most of the arguments here were about HDMI and other digital cables, where the differences are nil given any two quality cables. I'm 100% with you on the analog cables, that different cables (and plugs) will make a world of difference.

The upgrade to the Lexicon is HDMI 1.1; something I'm not looking for. Basically I'm looking for a cheap solution (that's where the $1,700 Onkyo Pro comes in) to carry me over until companies like Lexicon, Anthem or Arcam releases HDMI 1.3 processors. If I sell my MC-12, I can probably still get a decent price for it.

Did you know that the Integra 9.8 (which is the identical brother of the Onkyo Pro 885) has been announced processor of the year and that many regard this unit as an incredible value rivaling the likes of Lexicon?

Just curious: how are my amps entry level?

Glad that you agree with me on analog cabling. There are tons of people who also think that quality of analog cables won't make a difference.

I will test the monoprice cable to the best of my knowledge as soon as I receive. Maybe I'll cut it open when I'm done testing out of curiousity.

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look those over and pick one of them.

I think the biggest issue in this topic is there are lesser quality cables out there that should be avoided. The problem is knowing which ones are lesser quality and which ones are simply not as expensive. As is goes with anything, not every dollar in price equals an equal increase in quality. Love SoSpacey's graph. LOL

In the middle of the back and forth this got psoted and I too would like to know:

I've been reading you need a certain kind of HDMI cable for the PS3, but I have not read why that is. Can anybody explain?

I have one HDMI cable that has been removed from the packaging so I have no idea what type or brand it is. My thoughts were to put that on something other than the PS3 and buy one of these new HDMI cables that might be different than the one I own and be suppsedly what I need for the PS3.

I'm not sure what you've read, but I'm using a "standard" Monoprice HDMI cable from my PS3 right now, and I haven't had any problems (been in place for a year now). Any 1.3-certified cable from a quality vendor should work just fine.

Your equipment is fine - I just find it strange that you seem to think BJ cables are better simply because they cost more than Monoprice - but at the same time you purchase some of the cheapest amps available, and a inexpensive processor and projector (as far as processors and projectors go).

From what I know about your projector and amps though, they are excellent products and offer a lot of bang for the buck. I am sure that when you watch/listen to your system with the equipment you have, you are very content. Just as content as I am using my monoprice cables.

1.3 I guess is the key. What are the differences between 1.3 and anything else/before? And why is 1.3 so important for the PS3?

I'll be getting a 1.3 for the PS3. It just would be nice to be able to tell if the other cable I own is 1.3 and what I should and shouldn't connect with it if it's not 1.3.

Remember that both sides have to be 1.3 compatible, or it doesn't matter.

How do you tell that?

HDMI Spec

It should be listed in the specs - and the vast majority of equipment is not compliant.

I give exm alot of credit as well... I can certainly see where he's coming from, and admire that he so passionately defends himself and his opinions (nice equipment too).

At the same time, I think the "monoprice" posters have presented their argument a little better and more or less have convinced me to give their cables a shot. The comparisons between monoprice and Monster impress me more than the side monoprice vs. BJC battle that's going on. My Wii component cables should arive soon enough, and pending my conclusion, HDMI cables for a future PS3 purchase will follow shortly thereafter.

I didn't purchase them just because they cost more, but because they use the highly regarded Belden cables. Plus they are made in the USA instead of China (which I personally prefer).

Regarding Amps: I used to own two Parasound HCA-2205 to bi-amp my speakers but those things ran way too hot (and a Parasound HCA-1000 for rears). That's what prompt me to try 7 Outlaw MA 22200 mono amplifiers which actually sounded a bit cleaner than the Parasound setup.

Do you consider the Panasonic AE2000U also inexpensive? Just curious. Funny that something that was considered excellent two years ago (my Panny AE900) is now considered 'inexpensive' lol.

Thanks!

The only thing I would like to add: don't think that monoprice is the only company making inexpensive cables. Look at the budget section of bluejeanscable, Amazon marketplace, etc. Not that I have anything AGAINST monoprice, but I would also like other smaller cable makers to succeed.

To put it in a nutshell, the main significant difference with 1.3 is bandwidth. The bandwidth for 1.3 was basically doubled, to accommodate things such as deep color for video, and the advanced lossless audio codecs. Since prior versions of the HDMI spec didn't support these features, they required much less bandwidth.

Consequently, the tolerances and quality control for cables has tightened in order to obtain 1.3 certification. Some non-1.3 cables may work in a 1.3 environment, but they are not guaranteed to do so.

You stated many times in this thread that Monoprice cables could not be of the same quality because there are cheaper than Blue Jeans. This is the same as saying Blue Jean cables are better because they are more expensive.

I have never heard the Outlaw amps, but from what I read, they are excellent, especially for the price. However, do you know of any other $300 mono amps? Many people would stay away from Outlaw simply because of cost. They figure unless Outlaw is magic, there is no way they can make a $300 amp that sounds as good as the more expensive options.

For a 1080p projector, of course it is inexpensive - maybe even the least expensive. Certainly doesn't make it a bad projector, and if I recall, it received excellent reviews. Assuming you value performance over cost, I am sure you could be extremely happy with the upgrade.

Thanks. I guess I should have put it this way. What will it not do if it's an older cable and I need to replace it with a 1.3? I see you mentioned audio codecs. I'm not using HDMI for audio now but hope to buy a new HDMI receiver soon. Will lossless audio or HD audio not work with an older HDMI cable?

It should.

My point that I've tried to make is that they can not use the same quality components, but that they may or may not produce the same quality of sound/picture. So a more expensive cable in general is made out of better quality material. That doesn't make them necessarily better.

What sold me, besides the positive reviews, was their 30-day return policy. I figured that I can try them and see how to compare to the Parasounds. So far, so good. Don't forget that we're talking about $300/channel, so $600 for 2 channels or $2100 for 7 channels. Still not expensive for amps but not necessarily cheap.

With or without the certification, it's still just a cable. There isn't anything "smart" about it that will prevent it from functioning in a 1.3 environment. If it is a well-made cable, it will probably work just fine. It's all a matter of whether the quality of the cable is such that it will pass the signal correctly.

Think of it like a water hose. A water hose may be rated to handle a certain PSI of pressure. Exceed that pressure, and the hose may burst. Or, it may not, if the hose was made well enough to handle the pressure, but just never certified to do so.