That's really interesting.

I'd also like to know about a comparison of so called high-end cables and cheapo stuff.

Chris

I have heard some bad stuff about the monster cables as well. They are way overpriced.....

DIY is the only way to go IMO. Monster is way overpriced (but not crappy quality IMO, just a bad deal compared to DIY cables of equivalent or better quality). Monster started the whole mass-marketed "audiophile cable" segment over a decade ago, and millions of un-educated consumers (and professionals) are still scarfing it up :roll: . Either the Monster consumers are un-educated, or don't know how to plug in a soldering iron ;)

Granted they have the "no questions" exchange policy, but in the time it would take me to drive down to GC, I could easily fix my own cable! Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will feed himself for life - right?

:cool:

I have to disagree a little here, I also don't care for monsters instrument cables very much but their home audio and especially their video cables are excellent.

I have found the same results with other expensive vs. cheap instrument cables. It's not just monster but other highend cables as well. I did a little test about 7 or 8 years ago when I bought a good cable and it just didn't sound the same as the old cable. I have now found the best matches (amp and cable) and they stay together as a pair. IMO the thicker core used in the better brands sucks the life out guitar, bass etc. I've never really studied it in depth but Eric Johnson has and wrote some articles for Guitar Player Mag. He also wrote about not using alkaline batteries in effects pedals. He says the cheapest Eveready batteries sound best and he's right. I don't use stomp boxes often but when I do the cheapo batteries sound best. I still use the good cables for my other gear but for guitar the $20 cord w/ switchcraft ends is IMO best.

Well - I'l be.
Thanks for the info - I wonder how the KIWI and Mogami cable stacks up then?

cheers

omaru

I just hope that I don't have to rip out my studio hookups because Monster is fogging them up. I have XLR 1000 series cables comming out of my Trident 65 main outs. I have yet to do a mic test with XLRs, but all I have are the Monsters (also in 500 series.)

It really sucks! I got these cables so that I would not have to worry about the quality issue. It takes allot of money out of you to make huge mistakes like this because of BS HYPE for the masses at large!

I know that I have to study all the possibilities now and stay with a tried and true brand that the "Pros" use. I feel like a chump. I knew 4 years ago there was something wrong to me about their "Good, Better, Best!"

Besides all of this" Monster Cables are way too expensive (My 10 ft - $100 , my 20 ft - $150! Thats $250 worth of BS cable. I mean I thought the Bass could at least benifit from this one. They POP WEAL-LEES on your effects jacks, because tha damn thing is too heavy!!! They are way too uncomfortable plugged into your axe, and they dont fit well at all with Fenders.

What gets me the most is that when plugged into your guitar direct to amp, it seems like there is a bad compression between the pure signal. This is the blurryness to which I refer. I never noticed it for the last 2 years, because I have been so busy and I thought I was having: Pickup trouble, Amp and speaker delema....anything but the Monster cable! I thought that was the one base that I had covered....it had to be something else...what a fool I was...it takes allot to be savy!

Cheers,

monster cables

I know what you mean. I bought over $1000 in Monster cables. Until I found out that they are NOT the best. Nor are they worth the money. And now I only use Mogami.
No more fuckin Monster price cables for me! :cry:

I have about 900 patch-points all wired with Mogami. I agree they are the best.

Monster has always seemed like a lot of hype. Now I'm wondering if we've uncovered something here.

Chris

food for thought

if you have never read this, hear is an exerpt:

http://sound.westhost.com/cables-p3.htm#interconnects

=RR=

Thanks redrabbit, great article.

Chris

Wonderful article by Rod. Confirms what I've always known/suspected for years and years. (I used to build my own stuff as well, before I could buy off the shelf stuff...Loved his comments about soldering irons.)

Few people really do TRUE A/B comparisons, regardless. Most people have about a 2 second usable memory for A/B comparisons. More time than that goes by, and Poof! - any objective comparisons go out the window. Very often qualitative comparisons are simply based on level mismatches and other variables mistaken for "Better" or "Worse."

Monster Cable (and others) have made a fortune out of such claims and subjective analysis, but there ARE those that know what the REAL deal is.

I transfered my TRS-8 eight tracks using MONSTER 500 series RCAs to 1/4 inch snake going to the analog INs of a RADAR.

I transfered the same song with my old Pro co snake and the difference was jaw dropping!!!

The MONSTER playback was mush and foggyness all over the entire mix. The low end was definatly exagerated and not focused at all.

I had never heard it like this before, when I had been going into my Trident board (also loaded with MONSTER 1000s on the main outs) into outboard gear (on basic passes I almost always incorporate The Manley Massive Passive and MU (again w/ MONSTER connects) into the Masterlink via analog INs (unmoded.)

The RADAR made it clear just how bad for Pro Audio aplications all of the MONSTER cables really are! :twisted:

My new studio is being built right as I write this and should be completed by the begining of next year. I sincerly hope I can get the Magami's I want and some Evidence cables for my instuments and get rid of all these Fucken MONSTER pieces of SHIT!!!

Sorry, I had to vent! :P

How about the Monster Power line?? Has anybody tried it? I'm thinking of getting a Monster Power surge protection unit. They claim it filters noise and deliver clean power... then again it may be BS, as it appears to be for the monster cable line.

Am I better off getting Furman gear? Thanks

PS. This is the one I'm looking at:
http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=2140

As for the Monster Power, the thing to remember is that most (all) electronic equiptment already has power filtering geared specificly to it's needs. Other than an excellent ground and a surge protecter, nothing else is needed. If you still have line noise after that, borrow a line conditioner/filter, and see if it helps .....before you spend $$ on it.
Don't expect a line conditioner to IMPROVE anything, it's only job is to ELIMINATE stuff (noise). I've heard better reviews of Panamax , over Monster.
If you have not bought one, and don't have a need for one, then save your money.
If on the other hand if you just bought one, it's just gotta sound $500 better. Right?

=RR=