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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  • 46 Posted by corbjt on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    Sorry Swanson, your electric processes are incorrect on gold. Here is the list..Silver (Ag) 63,010,000 /ohm.m ... Copper (Cu) 59,610,000 /ohm.m......Gold (Au)45,210,000 /ohm.m.....Platinum (Pt) 9,661,000 /ohm.ms. As you can see gold is third. Now your are right that gold will not oxidize but people have been sold for years on gold connectors because they are plated with a thin layer of gold over usually brass or a cheaper metal and sold as being a great connector. Manufactures made a ton on junk connectors plated with gold. Any very serious audio junkie with a so called high end system with gold connectors is not very serious. All of Pears high end connectors use gold. that way they wont oxidize. Pear would not want to sell cables and would need to be cleaned periodically at the price they sell them at. Their customer would not stand for that. So they are sold that gold is the best. Problem is silver costs more and needs TLC but it's benefits in audio cannot be equaled. Copper is a close second tho. Gold well looks pretty and makes great jewelry

  • 47 Posted by westcoasthopper on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    THESE CABLES ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IF YOU WERE TO BE RUNNING THE NEW MCFLY 3000 AMP WITH FLUX CAMPACITOR TECHNOLOGY.

  • 48 Posted by tech1906 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm an Electronics Engineer with 37 years of experience in electronics, avionics, and audio, and I'll tell you that the exotic speaker cable industry has created an entire world of fictional laws, in regards to speaker cable engineering...an entire fantasy world of physics and electrical myths surrounding what should just amount to two copper wires, for the purpose of justifying totally outrageous prices, to non-technical people who buy into their marketing crap. ( As James Randi so appropriately puts it: performance claims that border on the "paranormal". ) They start out their explanations with TRUE relationships that do exist in electrical theory and physics, then blow them all out of proportion mathematically, and greatly exaggerate the EXTREMELY minute effects of capacitance and inductance at audio frequencies, as well as what the human ear is capable of perceiving. Ideas such as...speaker wires need to be "broken in", like a car engine....pure crap!!! I read Adam Blakes (Pear Cable) explaination of the "science" behind the design of Pear's "high end" speaker cables. I laughed out loud. I have to wonder if this guy has ever even had ANY classes in electronics or physics? Does Pear even have a single real electrical engineer on staff? He forgot the part about winding the speaker wire ONLY when the moon is full; clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and counterclockwise in the southern, because the Earths rotation affects the molecular orientation of the copper, which will sound terrible! If you are an audiophile, do yourself a favor and buy some #14 extension cords and cut the ends off. They will do just as well as any exotic cables. If you happen to live next to a high powered radio broadcasting tower, use a shielded pair of #14 wires for a few cents more. That is the most exotic wire you should ever need. Don't waste your money on the myths and lies of exotic speaker cable industry. For the truth on speaker wires, visit this excellent web page, written by someone who knows that he's talking about: http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

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

    Thank you corbjt for your information - I do stand corrected on the electrical conductivity. As I verified those figures, it came to memory that one of the issues with pure silver, and thus the need for the TLC, was the relative brittleness compared to copper. It is great to see most people are able to see through the smoke and mirror claims of these sky-high priced cable manufacturers though. "Pear" cables has a bit of a hoaxy sound to it anyway! They could have at least picked a more exotic fruit...

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

    What really gets me is the fact that they actually spent several years in designing them.What a waste of time!Then a year to set up the equipment to make them.What a joke!This is the funniest crap i've ever heard of.How much do you really think it costs them to make these things.You'd figure that at that price that they would at least come in 50ft.lengths.Guess they gotta make their money back on them somehow!Give us a break and don't insult our intelligence and go ahead and let your pride down and sell them at at least $100.00 a set if they're worth that much!

  • 51 Posted by corbjt on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hey Sman, How about Lemon cables. Cuz they sure seem sour to me. Or maybe Banana because when you peel the cable its just wire. Boy this is fun. Thanks for the idea Sman.

  • 52 Posted by robmickus on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    These cables are for perfectionist audio gear, not some crap mp3 player. Many many audio cables sell for more. REPEAT: Many many many cables sell for lots more. It is not unusual to spend 2K for a power cable in these high end audio setups. If you've spent 20K on a preamp, 30K on amps and source gear, hmmm, Wilson Audio Maxx's will set you back 50K, then 7K in speaker cables (if they are the right ones) will let your system sing. Speakers don't sound the same, cables do not sound the same, period.

  • 53 Posted by michealtaber on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    Catchy contest, but let's remember the basics: sound is subjective. I do not and will not ever hear the same as anyone else. The premise of this competition is like saying "prove to me blue is the best looking color". Audiophiles have been debating this point forever, and yes quality cables make a difference to most everyone's ears. But at this extreme end, skeptics need not apply. If you don't think you'll hear a difference, you won't.

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