I blew $70 on cables so i could do this
10-20-2007, 05:53 PM
#1
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I blew $70 on cables so i could do this
I bought 2 radioshack gold series 12 footers to reach around the room so i woudn't have controller cords strewn across the room and it looks clean(ish) and i didn't have to get up to change games/systems 
(it would look cooler with my wii there but its at the gf's house)
is their going to be a noticable difference using the 24 K gold?
and while shuffling around my yamaha stuff i lost the optical cord bid deal or not?
(it would look cooler with my wii there but its at the gf's house)is their going to be a noticable difference using the 24 K gold?
and while shuffling around my yamaha stuff i lost the optical cord bid deal or not?
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10-20-2007, 11:23 PM
#3
Dude, you bought 12ft composite cables for $35 each... 
Box them up and take them back. Monster Cable has convinced the world that the only way your **** will look/sound good is if you spend an enormous wad of cash on super expensive cable and cord. If it's expensive and it says "gold", it must be good... electronics retailers are quick to capitalize on the hype and the majority of consumers have bought it even with the standard Radio Shack stuff. Everything needs to be triple shielded and double-bonded and laser cut and 20 other things so the signal won't get distorted in the 3 feet from your DVD player to the TV. But don't fear, I'm here to save you from the dark side.
Go to any audio/visual forum on the web, and the two things that are absolute gospel are:
#1: Bose is crap.
#2: Monster Cable has the world brainwashed.
The only place I buy cable is Monoprice. Check out what a 12" composite goes for: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2 I absolutely guarantee without a doubt that you cannot tell the difference between that cable and the one you're currently using at 5x the price.
Here are your optical cords:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/su...02&cp_id=10229
The benefit of the optical cord is the the signal stays digital longer and that it's a single cord. Digital Coax does the same thing. If you're worried about being able to tell the difference in sound between a digital (either optical or coax) cable and an RCA cable, then don't. YOUR ears in combination with your Yamaha speakers in your acoustically shitty living room makes worrying about the audio cable a non-issue.
If any of you have recently bought cables at a retail store like Best Buy or Circuit City... then I am sorry. The biggest deal now is how good DVI and HDMI cables are.
Ridiculous- Circuit City: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Monst...oductDetail.do
Complete absurdity- Best Buy: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1158103757481
I am your daddy - Monoprice: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
You're welcome.
Box them up and take them back. Monster Cable has convinced the world that the only way your **** will look/sound good is if you spend an enormous wad of cash on super expensive cable and cord. If it's expensive and it says "gold", it must be good... electronics retailers are quick to capitalize on the hype and the majority of consumers have bought it even with the standard Radio Shack stuff. Everything needs to be triple shielded and double-bonded and laser cut and 20 other things so the signal won't get distorted in the 3 feet from your DVD player to the TV. But don't fear, I'm here to save you from the dark side.
Go to any audio/visual forum on the web, and the two things that are absolute gospel are:
#1: Bose is crap.
#2: Monster Cable has the world brainwashed.
The only place I buy cable is Monoprice. Check out what a 12" composite goes for: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2 I absolutely guarantee without a doubt that you cannot tell the difference between that cable and the one you're currently using at 5x the price.
Here are your optical cords:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/su...02&cp_id=10229
The benefit of the optical cord is the the signal stays digital longer and that it's a single cord. Digital Coax does the same thing. If you're worried about being able to tell the difference in sound between a digital (either optical or coax) cable and an RCA cable, then don't. YOUR ears in combination with your Yamaha speakers in your acoustically shitty living room makes worrying about the audio cable a non-issue.
If any of you have recently bought cables at a retail store like Best Buy or Circuit City... then I am sorry. The biggest deal now is how good DVI and HDMI cables are.
Ridiculous- Circuit City: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Monst...oductDetail.do
Complete absurdity- Best Buy: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1158103757481
I am your daddy - Monoprice: http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2
You're welcome.
Last edited by samnavy; 10-20-2007 at 11:45 PM.
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10-21-2007, 12:14 AM
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actually using shielded cables is super important.
best value for cables is picking up a spool of mini RG59, rca style compression ends for mini59, a coax stripper, and a crimp tool. then you can custom cut and build whatever lengths you need. it's cheap and is much much neater.
best value for cables is picking up a spool of mini RG59, rca style compression ends for mini59, a coax stripper, and a crimp tool. then you can custom cut and build whatever lengths you need. it's cheap and is much much neater.
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10-21-2007, 08:31 AM
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thats my bedroom/mancave i never spend time in there anymore because i'm always on the campus for classes. And the clutter isn't as bad as some peoples engine bays, but its pretty bad and i lack the initiative. yeah they had the monster, but were even more expensive, so i opted down a level (thought about opting down 2 or 3)
i never spend time in there anymore because i'm always on the campus for classes. And the clutter isn't as bad as some peoples engine bays, but its pretty bad and i lack the initiative. yeah they had the monster, but were even more expensive, so i opted down a level (thought about opting down 2 or 3)
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10-21-2007, 11:24 AM
#10
Yes it is, but they don't need to be shielded from the EMP of a nuclear blast. Ben, I know you're a pro, but you also know the basic shielding that comes standard on almost all but the cheapest (read: the **** inlcuded w/your DVD player) crap will be more than enough for the EMI/RF in the average house unless you live under high tension wires... in which case you have more problems that shielding cables.
The specs on the Monoprice composite 12' $4.48 cable reads as follows:
Gold Plated with super shielded cable. Excellent Quality. One video coaxial cable RG-59/U and two audio coaxial cable RG-59/U for left and right audio channels. Color coded and labeled for easy connection. Low-loss shielded VCR dubbing cables. Suitable for DSS satellite installations. Fully molded construction - black PVC jacket. Gold plated RCA plugs for better conductivity.
Here is the link to the Radio Shack cable for $29.95 and the specs:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family
Double shielding reduces interference for more dynamic audio/video
24k gold-plated connectors resists corrosion and ensures optimal signal transfer
Smart Connect™ Cables have an improved design for easy installation
Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
It's the same **** but you pay 5x as much in a store and it's all due to the Monster Hype. People who can't afford to pay $50 for the 6' Monster Cable just assume they're just gonna have to live with a shitty picture... until they see the $30 Radio Shack "gold plated" and heave a sigh of relief that the kids will only have to go without lunch money for a week now rather than suffer the shame.
Again, I promise that none of US can tell the difference. On the other hand, if you had a dedicated Home Theater in your house with a 200" screen, seating for 12, and $100k of electronics, it might not be bad idea to go big on cables... but none of us Miata owners fall into that category.
I run 2 small setups.
#1: 6yr old Toshiba 43" 720p CRT projection. 2 Channel Onkyo and Klipsch. 8"TangBand DIY Sonosub @75watts. Daily use, cleaned and aligned every 2 years.
#2: Panny 900u 720p projector on 92"DIY screen. Onkyo and Klipsch. 12"DVD Dayton DIY Sub @250watts 3'enclosure 20hz . Big bad black leather couch. Just watched Transformers last night... twice.
I run splitters off the HD cablebox and DVD player in the Den to the other room so I can watch the same picture on both screens. I'll try to make a complete list of all the cables.
#1: Wiring for cable box, DVD player, receiver, sub amp, all to TV.
3x6' component
2x6' Toslink
2x6" audio RCA
15' speaker cable
Wiring from Den to HTR:
2x25' Component
2x25' Digital Coax
#2: Wiring for receiver, DVD player, sub amp, all to Projector
2x25' Component
1x25' Svideo
1x12pin Computer
1x25' HDMI (not currently used but routed)
1x6' Component
1x6' Toslink
100' Speaker cable
It'll do.
The specs on the Monoprice composite 12' $4.48 cable reads as follows:
Gold Plated with super shielded cable. Excellent Quality. One video coaxial cable RG-59/U and two audio coaxial cable RG-59/U for left and right audio channels. Color coded and labeled for easy connection. Low-loss shielded VCR dubbing cables. Suitable for DSS satellite installations. Fully molded construction - black PVC jacket. Gold plated RCA plugs for better conductivity.
Here is the link to the Radio Shack cable for $29.95 and the specs:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=family
Double shielding reduces interference for more dynamic audio/video
24k gold-plated connectors resists corrosion and ensures optimal signal transfer
Smart Connect™ Cables have an improved design for easy installation
Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
It's the same **** but you pay 5x as much in a store and it's all due to the Monster Hype. People who can't afford to pay $50 for the 6' Monster Cable just assume they're just gonna have to live with a shitty picture... until they see the $30 Radio Shack "gold plated" and heave a sigh of relief that the kids will only have to go without lunch money for a week now rather than suffer the shame.
Again, I promise that none of US can tell the difference. On the other hand, if you had a dedicated Home Theater in your house with a 200" screen, seating for 12, and $100k of electronics, it might not be bad idea to go big on cables... but none of us Miata owners fall into that category.
I run 2 small setups.
#1: 6yr old Toshiba 43" 720p CRT projection. 2 Channel Onkyo and Klipsch. 8"TangBand DIY Sonosub @75watts. Daily use, cleaned and aligned every 2 years.
#2: Panny 900u 720p projector on 92"DIY screen. Onkyo and Klipsch. 12"DVD Dayton DIY Sub @250watts 3'enclosure 20hz . Big bad black leather couch. Just watched Transformers last night... twice.
I run splitters off the HD cablebox and DVD player in the Den to the other room so I can watch the same picture on both screens. I'll try to make a complete list of all the cables.
#1: Wiring for cable box, DVD player, receiver, sub amp, all to TV.
3x6' component
2x6' Toslink
2x6" audio RCA
15' speaker cable
Wiring from Den to HTR:
2x25' Component
2x25' Digital Coax
#2: Wiring for receiver, DVD player, sub amp, all to Projector
2x25' Component
1x25' Svideo
1x12pin Computer
1x25' HDMI (not currently used but routed)
1x6' Component
1x6' Toslink
100' Speaker cable
It'll do.
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10-21-2007, 11:35 AM
#11
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you guys been holding out on me with that monoprice ****! When I get my Denon back from repairs, I'm going to de-spaghetti this damn room with some cheap *** **** cables.
PS Ben monoprice has some RG59 RCA cables.
PS Ben monoprice has some RG59 RCA cables.
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10-21-2007, 11:43 AM
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RG59 is just a class of shielded coax. Like I said, if you REALLY want your wiring to look smooth, you need to make your own cables. Ideally, you'd pick up a spool of mini rg59 5 conductor (or better, rg59x5+2 twisted pair) but you're looking at >$1000/spool. Realistically, get a spool of standard mini-59, some compression ends, some colored bands, the stripper tool, and the crimper tool. Cut all your ***** to length, assemble, and enjoy.
Sam, did you get your bellbottoms all stuffed into your mangina? You totally missed the entire context of my post, so that you could go off on some anti-name brand cable rant. Please show me where I've EVER informed someone to purchase a boutique branded cable? It's all about using the right type of cable for the application, not the right name brand. I don't know the first thing about your monoprice cables; I've never used them and that spec sheet is rather lacking in the 'useful data' department. However, I'd bet that they may not be ideal for many applications. And I'd bet that my custom cable idea, be it more time consuming, is not only a superior way of interconnecting equipment, but also more in line with this forum's DIY way of thinking.
Sam, did you get your bellbottoms all stuffed into your mangina? You totally missed the entire context of my post, so that you could go off on some anti-name brand cable rant. Please show me where I've EVER informed someone to purchase a boutique branded cable? It's all about using the right type of cable for the application, not the right name brand. I don't know the first thing about your monoprice cables; I've never used them and that spec sheet is rather lacking in the 'useful data' department. However, I'd bet that they may not be ideal for many applications. And I'd bet that my custom cable idea, be it more time consuming, is not only a superior way of interconnecting equipment, but also more in line with this forum's DIY way of thinking.
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10-21-2007, 12:21 PM
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Incidentally, here's another good link for inexpensive cable, switches, adapters, etc: http://ehdmi.com/
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10-21-2007, 01:19 PM
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Joe--the mini59 is much smaller than the RG6Q, and also more flexible. I also tend to use 6Q for my own stuff, however not for it's superior transmission and shielding capabilities, but because it's cheap and I tend to have lots of it on hand.
My last house I spent nearly a whole day on wire management at my main equipment rack in the equipment room. It was friggin beautiful; I submitted pics to Monster (I used whatever brand RG6U but all terminations were Monster ends) and won the custom installation award (they used to give away 1 per month to the best installation performed with Monster cables). Sam, before you get all huffy--understand that I only used the Monster ends
http://www.amazon.com/Monster-QuickL.../dp/B000BMLNUI
They're actually reasonably priced when you buy in large quantities--and I specifically used the Monster ends so that I could submit the install to win the CI prize. The prize is your pick of any item Monster makes, and I chose their 5 channel amp
My preferred vendor for DVI/HDMI/VGA cables is www.dvigear.com
They are the only digital cable vendor I've worked with whose cables actually work every single time I use them, and their prices are very reasonable. Only problem is their cables tend to be as big as a garden hose.
My last house I spent nearly a whole day on wire management at my main equipment rack in the equipment room. It was friggin beautiful; I submitted pics to Monster (I used whatever brand RG6U but all terminations were Monster ends) and won the custom installation award (they used to give away 1 per month to the best installation performed with Monster cables). Sam, before you get all huffy--understand that I only used the Monster ends
http://www.amazon.com/Monster-QuickL.../dp/B000BMLNUI
They're actually reasonably priced when you buy in large quantities--and I specifically used the Monster ends so that I could submit the install to win the CI prize. The prize is your pick of any item Monster makes, and I chose their 5 channel amp
My preferred vendor for DVI/HDMI/VGA cables is www.dvigear.com
They are the only digital cable vendor I've worked with whose cables actually work every single time I use them, and their prices are very reasonable. Only problem is their cables tend to be as big as a garden hose.
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