Should cables be matched to loudspeakers?

Loudspeaker manufacturers often have recommendations for speaker cables they would like matched to their products. Should you follow their recommendations? Paul explains why that might not be such a good idea in this video. Have a question of your own? Feel free to ask it by going to www.psaudio.com...

[@d.l.2401]

I used military grade twisted silver clad copper cables with a Teflon jacket/insulation as my loudspeaker connections. They work great.

[@new-kids-on-the-block]

Get some good copper wire its not Expensive

[@ernyfromlatvia]

Speaker cables are one of a few things that can be made by myself. I experiment with different materials and change only ONE speaker cable (+) to check the clarity of sound

[@andershammer9307]

I agree with what you say Paul. I like my old litz speaker wire and interconnect cables.

[@davidtomsett]

Paul, Just heard the dull thud at 0.57 seconds on your excellent video. Do you think that I would not have heard that via a pair of headphones under $20 - just kidding!!

[@cillyede]

A very helpful video again, danke! Hubert

[@HiFiInsider]

I like to add that just bc one brand's speakers cable sound amazing on your system it doesn't mean their interconnects and power cords will be equally amazing. Best to try first.

[@MeatPopsycle]

I understand how most cables can have an effect on the sound, but how about cables that carry digital signals? Can an expensive TOSLINK or HDMI cable really do any better at carrying 0s and 1s from one object to another? Does anyone know the real answer to this?

[@crispincrunch2453]

Anticable entry level is a great value speaker cable for under $200

[@crispincrunch2453]

@@Tobester_McDonkey Yeah, I’ve never been able to get as good results from Anticable interconnects. I agree 3.1 is also a great value for plug&play clarity, balance and transparency that gives great musical results also and most importantly: never puts me into analytical mode and has squashed the upgrade itch

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

Also, everyone's hearing is different. Lend cables when you can.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

Anyone using monitor Audio GX200 speakers? Or something similar? What cables? :)

[@carlosmante]

My cables and speakers are "matched" . Both were made in China.

[@MrBonger88]

I've found that Cardas sound good with tube amps and horns

[@scottlowell493]

Wire has no gain. It's A: Delivers signal intact B: Alters signal by roll off.

[@martinvegas1327]

Nordost are the best!

[@HiFiInsider]

I LOVE Nordost and Kimber.

[@stephenfrancisvoros382]

Cables are all the same thing, just done different ways, it's copper wrapped in plastic of some form or another, having the right amount of copper to power rating is what really counts.

[@swinde]

You should ALWAYS match your speaker cables to your speakers. If your speakers have an oiled walnut finish, please be sure to purchase BROWN 16 to 18 gauge ZIP cord. If the finish is black, use black ZIP cord and it the speakers are white use white ZIP cord.

[@stevefranks6541]

Greetings, Now that is the best notion I have heard for cables. The rest is snake oil! In the early 1980's, high-end speaker cables were beginning to appear on the market. Some of the product claims were totally unbelievable and had prices to match. And, the nonsense is still being foisted on us today. Audio cable must be burned or run-in for a 100 hours. The best cable is cryogenically treated. Audio cables are directional. They must be supported off the floor via insulators. They have damping factors. They must be 'conditioned' to keep the wire molecularly aligned. Ad nauseam. It is all snake-oil designed to part the naive buyer from his money. It is all a crock! The ONLY factor that affects performance of audio cables is the wire gauge for a particular maximum distance between amplifier and speakers at a particular Ohm rating. If you have the proper gauge, all audio cable will sound exactly the same! "Realizing that wire resistance was the critical factor in speaker wire, Gordon Gow, then President of McIntosh Laboratory, still a maker of world-class high fidelity amplifiers, used a speaker cable demonstration to show there was no listening difference between high-end audio cables and plain line cord (14 AWG lamp cord wire). Fifty-foot lengths of wire were used in the blind comparison. The setup consisted of a master control relay box and two slave relay boxes. A three-position switch was used to select one of three different speaker cables of equal length. One was common line cord. The other two cables were from popular high-end manufacturers. 8-ohm speakers were selected for the test. The two other brand name cables were heavier than the line cord. The test proved his point. No one could hear ANY DIFFERENCES using several different 8-ohm speaker systems." -- from Speaker Wire, A History by Roger Russell. (Director of Acoustic Research at McIntosh Laboratories -- 1970s to 1992)