The Case of the $7,250 Speaker Cables

Mon Oct 1, 2007 2:56PM EDT

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Renowned hoax-buster, magician, and all-around skeptic James Randi has a new target: a company that's hawking a pair of 12-foot speaker cables for a jaw-dropping $7,250. Oh, and he has a sub-target, too: the audio "critics" who claim that these cables are worth the cash.

According to Gizmodo, Randi is offering a cool $1 million to anyone who can actually prove that Pear Cable's "Anjou" speaker cables sound better than a similar pair of wires from Monster Cable (a company that—as Gizmodo points out—isn't above selling overpriced cables itself).

The best part of the whole story is this review by Dave Clark, the editor of a Web site called "Postivie Feedback Online." Indeed, I've rarely read a review that's more positive than this one for the Anjou:

Simply put, these are very danceable cables. Music playing through them results in the proverbial foot taping scene with the need or desire to get up and move. Great swing and pace—these cables smack that right on the nose big time. In this area, they are simply way better than anything else I have heard prior to their audition.

"Danceable cables," eh? For $7,250, I'd certainly hope so. Randi says that Clark is more than welcome to apply for the $1 million prize; so far, no word if Clark has taken Randi up on his offer.

Related:
James Randi Offers $1 Million If Audiophiles Can Prove $7250 Speaker Cables Are Better [Gizmodo]

Comments on The Case of the $7,250 Speaker Cables

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  • 26 Posted by intodvd on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    what do anjou's do that monster cables don't? the answer is simple and obvious and will put an end to this discussion. the same thing that a rolex will do but a timex doesn't - cost $7200. the only time you will tell a person wearing a rolex that they got ripped off is when they paid $100 for it (same price as the timex or the monster cables)

  • 27 Posted by shypoolguy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    bobwein83, someone who doesn't know the difference between "their" and "there", or "compliment" and "complement" really shouldn't call someone else a moron. For all you folks out there thinking about buying these cables...please, I encourage you to do so. You're right, it's a tremendous deal! But please wait a couple of days and give me time to execute a "buy" order for their stock first...

  • 28 Posted by shypoolguy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hmmmm...not sure I understand intodvd's analogy...are you saying that a Rolex that costs $7K will do the same thing as the Timex that cost $30, which is tell time, and someone who paid $100 for a fake Rolex got ripped off because he didn't buy the real thing? If so, I appreciate the attempt but not sure Rolex and Timex comparisons are sound either since the core of this debate is that the quality of a set of cheap Monster cable is arguably the same as the $7K cables. The thing with Rolex though is that it is a widely accepted fact that Rolex is a much better watch than a Timex.

  • 29 Posted by funktasticj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    "There are audible component differances,wether they are viable to you is a question only you can answer" If you can prove that, James Randi has 1 million dollars for you. I'm an audio engineer, and I can tell you the vast majority of the folks in this business roll on the floor laughing at this kind of thing. Spend the money on your transducers (speakers and mics), copper is copper. I've with my own eyes seen speaker cables made out of lamp cord fool world reknowned audio engineers in double blind tests. Like somebody mentioned above, the XLR cables we use to record our vintage $10,000 Telefunken mics are the same you buy at radioshack. If they are good enough for even the most manic of world class music producers, i can assure you they are good enough for anyone. Im not sure where the magic clarity (or whatever they are claiming) is coming from considering the source material never used any uber-fancy cabling.

  • 30 Posted by hpcorb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    I went to Pears web site and looked at their interconnects. They use gold conductors and gold plated RCA connectors. Any one who knows metal knows that gold is a horrible conductor. Silver is first and copper is second.. Pear stated that silver sulfides and copper oxidizes. While that is true, if you are going to pay $1600 for a 1 meter pair of interconnects I would think you would want the best conductor in them. I own pure silver interconnects from the wire to the RCA's. Granted every few months I need to remove them from my stereo and clean the RCA's with silver cleaner but I know I have the best conductor on earth. Pear uses gold plated ends in their speaker cable also. When will all these so called high end wire companies get off the gold band wagon and sell some real cables. By the way, my silver interconnects do sound better than there $1600 pair and they only cost me $150 a pair to make. not bad for pure silver interconnects. So much for gold plating.

  • 31 Posted by joe_e_auslander on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:38PM EDT Report Abuse

    moot point. copper is copper and still the best conductor for the price. gold tipped gold cables sound.....wait gold is a poor conductor. YES GOLD is a worse conductor than copper, so spending 100 bucks on cables as compared to 35 on cable makes NO difference other than price, and you get less quality. so unless these cables are 0000 awg and are standard 600ft long, in tech armor (metal sheath) and covered in a thick pvc to allow for 100% water proofing (plus connectors at both end for a water tight finish) then you have wasted your money. NEVER spend more than 100 bucks on cable, unless you are running a LOOOOOONG stretch. signal loss and impedance will only become slightly relevant after 100 to 150 ft, and even then it will not be noticeable. but sound is.....ya ya ya. spend money on speakers that separate signal frequencies and direct them to the appropriate speaker, mid to mid bass to bass high to high. there is where you get quality sound. don't believe me, research it.

  • 32 Posted by vath2001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    Speakers have wires? I guess I'm just stuck in the 21st Century.

  • 33 Posted by hpcorb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Great job, You nailed it funktastic....But you forgot to mention that you need to burning in the cables for 10 years (LMAO)

  • 34 Posted by andrew.ogozeja on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    Speakers translate electrical signals into mechanical motion. If anyone claims that they can hear the difference between interconnects or speaker cables than that would indicate that the electrical signal has changed either in freguency or amplitude. Consequently that change can be measured and observed via a scope. Speakers react to frequency and amplitude nothing more. There are no cable manufacturers who can or have proved that their product is superior. In fact when you read their advertising they come up with new scientific terms and try to rewrite the laws of physics. Yet not one ever published their R&D testing and results. Beware of snake oil saleman and 7,250 dollar speaker cables.

  • 35 Posted by intodvd on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    widely accepted doesn't make it a fact - a timex will take a lickin and keep on tickin. i've never heard anyone complain that their timex didn't keep good time. Face it, no one really cares about the quality of a rolex as much as they do about the name. the question will never be how good these cables are but whether or not you can afford to spend $7200 and not care if they're good or not. the average person that owns a bentley is not someone that saved up for one and treasures it. it's usually someone that has a bunch of cars and can afford to spend that much on one more.

  • 36 Posted by stantonrc2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Are you dyslexic? The price is $2,750, not $7,250. They are still a rip off but at least try to look like you are a competent reviewer.

  • 37 Posted by kevinlc77 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    hey shypoolguy !! tell me again why a rolex is a better watch than a timex? is it because it costs more? i've had a timex for 20 years and it still works!!

  • 38 Posted by hpcorb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    Ya, my timex is still ticking also and only cost me $20. Off course it's not made of gold. But gold is a lousy conductor anyway. TIMEX RULES. Also shypoolguy. Please buy all these cables you can so no one else gets ripped off.

  • 39 Posted by foursightdesigns on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    You people have no clue about HI-END stereo and why cables are so important. How many of you have a 20k stereo? How many of you have experienced a truely HI-END stereo(not surround sound). Do you realise how much a stereo cost by the time you start using 7k cables? HI-END is not about booming bass or how loud you can make the music, it's about reproducing the actual music as it was produced or recorded. When music is played back through ANY stereo it loses some of its clarity and dynamics, this is due to the signal going from one process to another (digital to analog)or from one piece of equipment (cd player to receiver) the life line in this whole precess is the WIRE or CABLE. HI-END JUNKIES as I call them (yes it's an addiction) are not only listening to the music they are EXPERIENCING "center stage, depth, bottom, clarity" it's if you are getting a "personal" concert every time you sit and relax to your stereo, and make no mistake about it wires can create a deeper "sound field" or a "wider center stage". I have been into music all my life from 8 tracks to Jenson 6x9s to Cerwin Vegas d9s, 2 Technics 1200 turntables, Yamaha E-1000 to Krell and Cary now. There is no sound like HI-END stereo. Last but not least if you read the article on this cable it is a new cutting edge cable. POINT BLANK NEW TECHNOLOGY COST.

  • 40 Posted by foursightdesigns on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    You people have no clue about HI-END stereo and why cables are so important. How many of you have a 20k stereo? How many of you have experienced a truely HI-END stereo(not surround sound). Do you realise how much a stereo cost by the time you start using 7k cables? HI-END is not about booming bass or how loud you can make the music, it's about reproducing the actual music as it was produced or recorded. When music is played back through ANY stereo it loses some of its clarity and dynamics, this is due to the signal going from one process to another (digital to analog)or from one piece of equipment (cd player to receiver) the life line in this whole precess is the WIRE or CABLE. HI-END JUNKIES as I call them (yes it's an addiction) are not only listening to the music they are EXPERIENCING "center stage, depth, bottom, clarity" it's if you are getting a "personal" concert every time you sit and relax to your stereo, and make no mistake about it wires can create a deeper "sound field" or a "wider center stage". I have been into music all my life from 8 tracks to Jenson 6x9s to Cerwin Vegas d9s, 2 Technics 1200 turntables, Yamaha E-1000 to Krell and Cary now. There is no sound like HI-END stereo. Last but not least if you read the article on this cable it is a new cutting edge cable. POINT BLANK NEW TECHNOLOGY COST.

  • 41 Posted by ksufleming on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    I bought 4 pairs and they do make a difference esp. b/c my home theater area is about 40 yards long.

  • 42 Posted by hpcorb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    No you have no clue on speaker cable. Now I do believe that interconnects do play an important part in the signal but speaker cables are another issue. I have taken two strands of regular 12 gauge electric wire and twisted them together and did a blind test with a variety of high end cables and could find no one to hear the difference. The speaker cable industry is nothing but marketing and a look what I have. So get real. Krell MDA-500 CARY SLP-03 Tube Preamp Thorens TD-800 Klipsch LaScala II Jolida JD100 Tube CD player Pure silver home made interconnects..NO GOLD ANYWHERE Pure copper home made speaker cables..no connectors used

  • 43 Posted by hpcorb on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    One last post and I am thru with this stupidity. Who is Dave Clark anyway? What the heck is a danceable cable? and how many pairs of these cables did Pear give good old Dave for such a absolute stupid review?

  • 44 Posted by drummerboy319@ameritech.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    I believe that if they do make a difference, it would have to involve the quality of equipment for sure, but every manufacturer has different building techniques that would end up in mixed results of criticism. What kind of speakers and and recievers and so forth did Dave Clark review these on? Maybe those $100.000 speakers(LOL).The human ear can only detect a certain amount of frequencies and as we get older not so much. I really think that all in all it depends on quality components that reproduce good sound and some good monster cable to transfer that sound.$7.500 speaker cables i don't think can make any discernable difference to anyone unless you're the paid endorser Dave Clark.Who the heck is he anyway???? LAUGHS!!!

  • 45 Posted by smansen@wans.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    What if these cables are made of gold? They could cost $7000 to manufacture and thus the vendor is only making $250 in profit. Of course, that doesn't mean they sound any better, but it does justify the price. Now on to other things - my electrical processes education indicated that gold was the best metal for conduction of electricity as well as heat - denser metal, higher atomic number, more electrons available for use. The bonus is that pure gold does not oxidize which allows it to maintain its conductivity in gold-to-gold connections. The downfall is the cost. Copper is the best cost/performance comprimise of the metals, with silver being a near second place choice. Oxygen free copper or silver simply implies the metal is free from internal oxidation and has consistent conductivity along its length. Hi-end audio equipment has its place and purpose. I myself enjoy the Carver, AR, and SAE components I have accumulated over the years. But there are diminishing returns, and these most often seem to occur in cables and phono cartridges.

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