High End Cables

[Yank]

Just picked up some. I hear a difference. Better tone across the spectrum. In my mind worth the ducats. What say you?

[BigRedX]

What did you buy, how much did you pay, and what were you using before?

[Conan]

Obbm all the way for me. I see no need to spend more, and can't imagine any noticeable improvement if I did.

But as BRX said, what do you call "High End"?

[chris_b]

I buy my cables from one of the guys here on Basschat. So do a lot of us.

You'll see a lot of recommendations for OBBM cables.

http://bassic-bits.co.uk/

You could drop him a line for more info.

[Spike Vincent]

How bad were the cables you replaced ?

[chris_b]

[quote name='Yank' timestamp='1510047258' post='3403398']
Just picked up some. I hear a difference. Better tone across the spectrum. In my mind worth the ducats. What say you?
[/quote]

I think good cables are worth the money but the really stupid high prices for the very high spec cables are not for me. I can't hear whatever it is they bring.

[nilebodgers]

Neutrik jacks and VDC (XKE) or Klotz (AC104) cable are as good as it gets and as much as needs to be paid - ever.

[leftybassman392]

Always made my own mic and instrument cables using Sommer cable and Neutrik plugs. Typical cost for a 5m guitar cable would have been around £9 IIRC. Sold them to students too. Never, ever had a failure.

If you can use a soldering iron you can save yourself some wodge. It's really not that hard.

Never used any of OBBM's products, but everybody who has seems to rate them highly...

Trick cables at inflated prices are exactly that.

[machinehead]

It really is a simple matter to buy good quality power and instrument cables and good connectors and make your own cables up.

Some of the overpriced cables on the market are just there for the terminally gullible. (I'm not saying that's the OP though.)

Frank.

[nilebodgers]

[quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1510051028' post='3403464']
...
If you can use a soldering iron you can save yourself some wodge. It's really not that hard.
....
[/quote]

Plus several to that. The only trick is to remember that most of the dedicated instrument cables have a semi-conducting sleeve (usually black) around the inner conductor insulation (this cuts down on cable handling noise when it is flexed).

That black sleeve needs to be cut back at the ends or the cable will attenuate the signal as it will have a signal-to-ground resistance of a few kohms if it touches the inner conductor. I have seen someone make that mistake!

[Happy Jack]

It's all very well saying you can make your own cables, but how do you extract all the oxygen, eh?

[DivingShrek]

Put the cable in a plastic bag and then breathe into it like your hyperventalating, works for me everytime

Edited November 7, 2017 by DivingShrek

[Dan Dare]

Good quality components - Neutrick, Switchcraft, Sommer, etc as mentioned above - properly soldered and put together, will be better than El Cheapo sh*te. However, forget all the esoteric snake oil stuff (gold plugs, silver cable, sleeving woven from the armpit hair of virgins). That's just male jewellery.

[casapete]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1510048676' post='3403432']
I buy my cables from one of the guys here on Basschat. So do a lot of us.

You'll see a lot of recommendations for OBBM cables.

[url="http://bassic-bits.co.uk/"]http://bassic-bits.co.uk/[/url]

You could drop him a line for more info.
[/quote]

+1 to this.

Quality components are all that's needed to make cables that, with a bit of care, will last for decades.

Always makes me smile when I see someone has paid out a fortune on the latest fad in cable world -
check out what the pros use next time you're at a gig or on YouTube. Am betting there won't be gold
plating / big ugly plastic jack plugs / fluorescent colours etc involved somehow.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Yank' timestamp='1510047258' post='3403398']
Just picked up some. I hear a difference. Better tone across the spectrum. In my mind worth the ducats. What say you?
[/quote]

We have a member here who does premium cable to order - OBBM.

If you have decent cable you have peace of mind. If you can hear the difference you were not buying good cable before. Beware of cables that are well lubricated with snake oil, if you get my drift. 'Nuff said.

[jazzyvee]

Once I started buying cables that had decent metal jacks and no crackling noise I can't say that I have been able to hear any difference in tone from any cable. There may be a difference but I can't categorically say I've heard it regardless of the price.
The only leads I've tried that had an immediate audible difference is the[url="http://www.iconicsound.com"] Iconic Light lead[/url] but then that is optical and i'm not even sure it's released yet.

[CameronJ]

The way I see it is anything with gold jacks claiming to be superior is a nonsense. In order for that to even remotely make a difference, every conductor and connection point in your signal path would need to be made of gold. Of course, this would be hugely impractical and incredibly expensive to achieve (which is why nobody does it) thus the gold plated connectors on your expensive new cable are worth diddly squat.

Instrument cables with moulder plastic/rubber jacks should be avoided like the plague. I once made the mistake of buying a load of moulded Planet Waves cables and almost every single one has gone bad. Never buying them again as long as I live.

My only exception to this rule is the EBS Flat patch cables which I swear by and have had no problems with. I’ve bought somewhere in the region of 25 of the, and have had zero issues. Anyone who knows me knows my pedalboard is constantly changing, so they’re certainly getting a workout. Dannybuoy of this parish swears against them as they apparently allowed a load of noise into his signal path. Personally, I haven’t noticed any such noise and I regularly practise through headphones but take my opinion with a pinch of salt.

I think my next major cable order will be placed with OBMM.

Edited November 7, 2017 by CameronJ

[chris_b]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1510062993' post='3403641']
I think my next major cable order will be placed with OBMM.
[/quote]

OBBM's more handsome brother?

[discreet]

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1510055869' post='3403554']
forget all the esoteric snake oil stuff (gold plugs, silver cable, sleeving woven from the armpit hair of virgins).
[/quote]

I demand virgin armpit hair!!

[quote name='casapete' timestamp='1510059172' post='3403584']
Always makes me smile when I see someone has paid out a fortune on the latest fad in cable world...
[/quote]

Especially Hi-Fi mains cables, which can be very silly money. I presume the buyers don't take into account that their £10,000 kettle lead is at the end of a very long supply chain of crappy wiring costing 60p a metre from Wickes.

Another vote for OBBM, by the way. I've had many different kinds of cable from him over the years and have had problems with precisely none of them, ever. I'm pretty sure they will see me out.

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1510052672' post='3403494']
It's all very well saying you can make your own cables, but how do you extract all the oxygen, eh?
[/quote]

Obvious really: As you pour the snake oil in one end of the cable the oxygen comes out the other.

[Drax]

The audio claims are marketing fluff, the main priority is hard wearing dependability.

My 7yr old Monster cable still going strong after systematic abuse.. will give OBBM a whirl when it fails.

[CameronJ]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1510063565' post='3403648']
OBBM's more handsome brother?
[/quote]

Indeed my bad!

[ribbetingfrog]

Friend of mine got some really expensive cables.
He excitedly AB’d them for me vs normal cables, but I couldn’t tell the difference at all.
He was adamant they were far clearer on the treble.

As long as he is happy, it’s worth it.
Not for me though.

[Roger2611]

I think there is something to be said for slightly higher end cables than the standard cheap rubbish that comes with an appliance, decent quality (and thickness) speaker cable is worthwhile, as are cables with quality plugs but I agree spending £3000 on hifi cables is madness unless you have more money than you could ever need....I hear Lewis brought some with his rebate for his private jet that the Isle Of Man kindly gave him back

[Drax]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1510067572' post='3403693']
I used to use Monster Cables until I found out that Phil Jones Bass did not recommend them for use with their gear...
[/quote]

That's really interesting. I use a PJB double 4 with Monster cable alot. What was the issue?