Are cables the weak link in your system?

[JazzGuyy]

At least as far as HDMI cables go, I cite this report done by the Canadian Broadcasting Company: http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/packing_the_deal/

The tested a cheap HDMI cable (probably Monoprice, but never identified) against Monster HDMI cable. One of the things they did was to measure the signals using one of their expensive broadcast analysis devices. There were zero differences in what the signal looked like between the two cables. No one who watched TVs connected to the different cables was able to perceive any differences either.

[hifiguru]

cable technology today puts it in the catagory of a component. It can make or bottleneck you're signal path. There are performance parameters you can measure and some you can't. These don't exist for engineers,what they can't measure doesn't exist for them. Science will eventually catch up,in the mean time the best piece of equipment out there to evaluate wire is you're own set of ears.

[Mojo]

Originally Posted by Robinson_A

if there's one thing Monster Cable is, it's rugged. I swear to god no other cable can withstand constant plugging and unplugging (even though your gear may not) like a Monster Cable interconnect.

Although, anyone with a bit of time on their hands and a son or daughter that knows how to braid can cook up some KILLER speaker cables out of simple CAT-5 wire which is damn near free/foot.

Yes to the braided cables!
I use 24 ga solid copper and do a 6 strand braid (Google it) using 3 lengths of 2 colors. Do not braid tightly! If your run is over 12 ft, move up to 22 ga.
SOLDER! do not crimp the terminals. Make sure you get a good 'set' on the solder.