What everyone really wants to know - Do cables make a difference?

cofer · 08-16-2005, 10:42 PM

I always hear that 'Monster' brand cables (or high-end cables of that sort) make a real difference in the quality of the video - mostly from Monster btw. Seriously, does anyone have any real experience testing one versus the other? I need to buy an HDMI cable to connect my Time Warner Digital Cable box with my new plasma and I'm just not convinced that I need to spend an extra $50-$100 unnecessarily on 'Monster' brand cables. Thoughts?

cinzano · 08-16-2005, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cofer

I always hear that 'Monster' brand cables (or high-end cables of that sort) make a real difference in the quality of the video - mostly from Monster btw. Seriously, does anyone have any real experience testing one versus the other? I need to buy an HDMI cable to connect my Time Warner Digital Cable box with my new plasma and I'm just not convinced that I need to spend an extra $50-$100 unnecessarily on 'Monster' brand cables. Thoughts?

Some videophiles swear they make a small difference. Most do not. Studies have been inconclusive (yes, people have studied it!). If the money is even remotely an issue, do not get the Monster cables.

**PFC5** · 08-17-2005, 12:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cofer

I always hear that 'Monster' brand cables (or high-end cables of that sort) make a real difference in the quality of the video - mostly from Monster btw. Seriously, does anyone have any real experience testing one versus the other? I need to buy an HDMI cable to connect my Time Warner Digital Cable box with my new plasma and I'm just not convinced that I need to spend an extra $50-$100 unnecessarily on 'Monster' brand cables. Thoughts?

Monster cables are a waste of money, especially with Digital cables. Check out the cable shootout article link below from PCworld:

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/artic...,121777,00.asp

There are many more articles out there as well. Here is another article on boutique speaker cables and this is why I use Home Depot extension cord for my back speakers.

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/news...e_survey2.html

Happy reading!

Cle. Plasma · 08-17-2005, 06:28 AM

They make excellent cables however they are way over priced. Almost every dealer has decent cables with the same sheilding and connectors andare 75% less than Monster. Know you do have to be carful there are junk cables out there that are worth nothing so be careful. Usually they are easy to spot. No gold connectors and very thin cables, meaning no sheilding and cheap inner cables.

wdn · 08-17-2005, 01:01 PM

This might be another side benefit of a CableCard equipped HTTV. Because all the decoding is done inside the TV set you don't need a cable box and you don't need the HDMI cable either. Food for thought.

RSawdey · 08-17-2005, 05:31 PM

CableCard ensures single conversion from transmitted format to TV's hardware format... especially useful when display is non-standard formats like 1366 x 768 instead of 1280 x 720.

oblioman · 08-17-2005, 05:48 PM

My neighbor has been making the leap into hd. He has asked me a thousand times in the past month what he needed. I helped him research tv's, surround and a dvd player. The thing I neglected to tell him was to not buy Monster cables. Lo & behold,,,the BestBuy salesman flat out told him that they were they best. So he popped another $120 bucks for a 6' hdmi,,on top of the $4300 he had just spent. To make a long story short,,we watched 2 & 1/2 men this past Monday night via OTA - the first half we watched with his monster cable,,then we switched to my $20 generic cable for the last half. His own words were "That f*** monster cable is going back to bestbuy". He returned it and bought generic.

tedler · 08-18-2005, 08:32 AM

Agreed, the Monster brand of cables are the biggest scam of the 21st century, right in front of Bose.

inthecity · 08-24-2005, 02:15 AM

if you ever want to put salespeople on the spot, check to see what kind of cables they use at the store on their displays. they all use basic commercial quality cables, never monster cables unless it is their "demo" for the cables. i'd suggest just buying cheap cables and monster cables, test it for yourself and return what you don't want.

wdn · 08-24-2005, 01:03 PM

Monster cable and other brands are especially a scam if you are using the HDMI inputs on the set. A $20 generic cable is just as good for digital signal. Even for speaker wire I use the thicker stuff you buy from radio shack

MrArmyAnt · 08-25-2005, 10:42 PM

Cables do make a difference in some digital, My DLP had issues with an offset back image with a PC from an OEM cable, yet an Audio Quest cable (like monster, but cheaper, found in Magnolia Home theatre stores, a higher end store, built inside best buy, also where monster lives.) fixed the issue. Sound also is much better with a larger gaugue and proper shielding. Audiophiles say it matters because they have a 240 volt reciever thats putting off enough EMF to pick up paper clips, and lower end ones dont, cause they just dont use the power. So it can help in lower end situations, but the nicer the equitment it is the stronger you want the link to be. I am a Pro 1 at Magnolia Hi Fi, and will try to get you some specs as to when you should go with a better cable. ALWAYS use ONLY RG6 for HDTV, not the old stinky analog stuff.

MrArmyAnt · 08-25-2005, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tedler

Agreed, the Monster brand of cables are the biggest scam of the 21st century, right in front of Bose.

But you forget how pretty they both are

Acoustic Research, our (meaning worker of a subsidary of BBY) is a good, lower cost brand with out mesh looking stuff around the cable.

08-16-2005, 10:42 PM	#1
cofer My plasma is High Def. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 9	Do cables REALLY make a difference? I always hear that 'Monster' brand cables (or high-end cables of that sort) make a real difference in the quality of the video - mostly from Monster btw. Seriously, does anyone have any real experience testing one versus the other? I need to buy an HDMI cable to connect my Time Warner Digital Cable box with my new plasma and I'm just not convinced that I need to spend an extra $50-$100 unnecessarily on 'Monster' brand cables. Thoughts? Last edited by cofer; 08-16-2005 at 10:47 PM. Reason: Rephrasing

08-17-2005, 06:28 AM	#4
Cle. Plasma WWW.CLEVELAND PLASMA.COM Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: CLEVELAND, OHIO Posts: 455	Monster is way over priced They make excellent cables however they are way over priced. Almost every dealer has decent cables with the same sheilding and connectors andare 75% less than Monster. Know you do have to be carful there are junk cables out there that are worth nothing so be careful. Usually they are easy to spot. No gold connectors and very thin cables, meaning no sheilding and cheap inner cables. __________________ President: Chris Majoros WWW.ClevelandPlasma.Com

08-17-2005, 01:01 PM	#5
wdn High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 31	If you have CableCard TV don't need cables This might be another side benefit of a CableCard equipped HTTV. Because all the decoding is done inside the TV set you don't need a cable box and you don't need the HDMI cable either. Food for thought.

08-17-2005, 05:31 PM	#6
RSawdey Mr. Wizard Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Ferndale, Michigan Age: 61 Posts: 5,981	CableCard ensures single conversion from transmitted format to TV's hardware format... especially useful when display is non-standard formats like 1366 x 768 instead of 1280 x 720.

08-17-2005, 05:48 PM	#7
oblioman OTIS,,me hero Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Someville TN Posts: 4,570	My neighbor has been making the leap into hd. He has asked me a thousand times in the past month what he needed. I helped him research tv's, surround and a dvd player. The thing I neglected to tell him was to not buy Monster cables. Lo & behold,,,the BestBuy salesman flat out told him that they were they best. So he popped another $120 bucks for a 6' hdmi,,on top of the $4300 he had just spent. To make a long story short,,we watched 2 & 1/2 men this past Monday night via OTA - the first half we watched with his monster cable,,then we switched to my $20 generic cable for the last half. His own words were "That f*** monster cable is going back to bestbuy". He returned it and bought generic.

08-18-2005, 08:32 AM	#8
tedler A couch and an HDTV to go please. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 13	Agreed, the Monster brand of cables are the biggest scam of the 21st century, right in front of Bose.

08-24-2005, 02:15 AM	#9
inthecity High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 44	if you ever want to put salespeople on the spot, check to see what kind of cables they use at the store on their displays. they all use basic commercial quality cables, never monster cables unless it is their "demo" for the cables. i'd suggest just buying cheap cables and monster cables, test it for yourself and return what you don't want.

08-24-2005, 01:03 PM	#10
wdn High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 31	Monster cable and other brands are especially a scam if you are using the HDMI inputs on the set. A $20 generic cable is just as good for digital signal. Even for speaker wire I use the thicker stuff you buy from radio shack

08-25-2005, 10:42 PM	#11
MrArmyAnt Magnolia HT Pro 1 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Texas, best state in the Union Posts: 7	Cables do make a difference in some digital, My DLP had issues with an offset back image with a PC from an OEM cable, yet an Audio Quest cable (like monster, but cheaper, found in Magnolia Home theatre stores, a higher end store, built inside best buy, also where monster lives.) fixed the issue. Sound also is much better with a larger gaugue and proper shielding. Audiophiles say it matters because they have a 240 volt reciever thats putting off enough EMF to pick up paper clips, and lower end ones dont, cause they just dont use the power. So it can help in lower end situations, but the nicer the equitment it is the stronger you want the link to be. I am a Pro 1 at Magnolia Hi Fi, and will try to get you some specs as to when you should go with a better cable. ALWAYS use ONLY RG6 for HDTV, not the old stinky analog stuff.