Where to get speaker wire cheap?

[rgramjet]

Yup I was using 4 wires per post.  I've got regular HomeDespot speaker wire now but it worked at the time.

I sure get a kick of out those super high quality Monster HDMI cables for $125. Sucker born every minute right?

Sheeit, when I was in the high end stereo business, the shop owner regularly sold Kimbers that resemble a python and cost over 5 grand for the 3 meter pair...each cable came in its own box.  Friggin idjets got more money than sense...

[Ash]

yep.  if the HDMI cable isn't adequate the signal just won't pass.  it won't degrade- it'll just drop out entirely (or you'll get intermittent handshaking issues between components)

[bigiain]

yep.  if the HDMI cable isn't adequate the signal just won't pass.  it won't degrade- it'll just drop out entirely (or you'll get intermittent handshaking issues between components)

+1

There is some benefit to be had in not buying the very cheapest digital cables available, but the improvements you'd look for are mostly mechanical ones. Do the connectors and their backshells look solid enough to survive a few plug/unplug cycles without pulling the wires from the connectors? Are the terminals/sockets made of or plated with something with reasonably high corrosion resistance (and if plated, thickly enough to not all scrape off on the first insertion)? Is he cable/insulation suitably weighty and flexible for your installation - stiff heavey cables in long drops can put undue strain on the sockets they're plugged into.

Don't pay one extra cent for "oxygen free", or "time aligned", or any of those other snake-oil buzzwords...

big

[darylbowden]

So, in case anyone cares, I went with monoprice.com.  I was able to pick up 13 pairs of banana plugs and 50ft of 14 ga wire for 38 bucks including tax and S&H.  It came out cheaper than Home Depot and not having to deal with the clustermake the beast with two backs that is the Home Depot checkout line makes it an even better deal. 

Oh, and the wire IS oxygen-free, but that was the only kind they had and it was only 10 bucks for 50ft of it.

I'll let everyone know how it works out (if anyone gives a damn - I barely even do).

[Ash]

+1

There is some benefit to be had in not buying the very cheapest digital cables available, but the improvements you'd look for are mostly mechanical ones. Do the connectors and their backshells look solid enough to survive a few plug/unplug cycles without pulling the wires from the connectors? Are the terminals/sockets made of or plated with something with reasonably high corrosion resistance (and if plated, thickly enough to not all scrape off on the first insertion)? Is he cable/insulation suitably weighty and flexible for your installation - stiff heavey cables in long drops can put undue strain on the sockets they're plugged into.

Don't pay one extra cent for "oxygen free", or "time aligned", or any of those other snake-oil buzzwords...

big

yep, great points.  terminal reliability is important, but once plugged in, have no bearing on the signal quality.