[jav123]

first of all i just like to say its my first time on here and posting.and the forum looks very helpfull and educational.

i need to buy some speaker cables for the 7.1 home cinema setup that i am going to create. the maximum i can spend on the fronts and centre speaker cable is going to be £3.00 per metre and for the surrounds £2.00 per metre so i would like your expertise advise and opinions on which cables to buy.

the speakers im definetley going to buy for the fronts and centre are Gale aria ar70 from richersounds, and for the surrounds i currently have my yamaha nsp210 surround speaker kit so i will be using these satellite speakers just for surround for the time being, but then will be upgrading to some small book shelf or decent satellite speakers. (i havent bought the amp yet, but the max i will be willing to spend would be £300.00)

i have narrowed down the cables i have been looking to buy and for the fronts these are:
QED silver micro @ £3.08 p/m
QED original @ £2.40 p/m
Gale/Cambridge audio symphony 400 @ £2.00 p/m (richersounds sell these on there web site as cambridge audio)
Cambridge audio ultra micro @ £2.50 p/m

for the surrounds these are:
QED micro speaker cable @ £1.36 p/m
Gale/Cambridge audio symphony 200 @ £0.99 p/m(richersounds sell these on there web site as cambridge audio)
Gale/Cambridge audio symphony 300 @ £1.49 p/m(richersounds sell these on there web site as cambridge audio)

please can you reccommend and advise me on which cables to buy.
thanks and regards jav

[Star Man]

Hi jav123 and welcome,

Also consider these below....I would favour the "Chord Carnival Classic" myself, but the cheapest I've seen is £3.52 per metre.

The "Chord Leyline 2" can be picked up for £1.91 per metre.

chord co carnival classic and leyline speaker cables for hi-fi and home cinema

[mrbenn]

get Vandamme blue 2.5mm - use it for all speakers its £2 per meter and studio quality - search the forum for reviews. I use it for all my speakers - would not use anything else now.
Vandamme Studio Grade Blue Speaker Cable 2.5mm - Speaker Cable - Audiovisual Online - High Quality Audio Video Cables and Accessories

if you need alot of cable it can be had on a roll from rapid electronics (100m)

[jav123]

vandamme blue's? I have never heard of these cables and i have tried looking for reviews but can't find any, can some 1 post some reviews please?.

I have briefly read about the cables and they are suppose to be studio quality, so does that really mean that they are really good? And comparing with branded names like QED ?

I know the speakers that I'm going to get are not high performance, but I'd like to get the best out of them and don't want to compromise on sound quality just because a certain cable is £1.00 - £1.50 cheaper

I would like more info on these vandamme blue cables and opinions,Advise and reviews please
I did have my heart set on the QED originals for the fronts and centre untill some mentioned these vandamme blue cables.

[Joe Fernand]

Hello jav123

There are two camps in the Loudspeaker cable debate - They do make a difference! - They don't make a difference!

For many folk there is nothing to be gained in installing exotic cables - the world of exotic cables is a hang over from the HiFi world where folk claim they do hear difference on very high resolution systems when they change cables.

The VanDamme range is not aimed at the mainstream HIFI/Home Cinema world so you wont see it reviewed - keep in mind magazines tend to only Review products that are likely to be advertised in the magazines!!!

We've been using supplying VanDamme for 10+ years and yet to find a system where it didn't work - no matter if its a 200 GBP combi or a 100k Cinema.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/cable...ker-cable.html

Joe

[jav123]

Right I have made my decision and from Reading a lot of peoples post on this forum and others I am going to buy the vandamme blue 2.5mm speaker cable for all the speakers.

1 of the main reason I have decided on this cable is because I have read atleast 2-3 people say that this cable is much better than the QED anniversay xt and these people used to own the qed cables and replaced them with these, so surley this is saying something?, and also less than half the price of them!

Just 1 last questions on these vandamme cables : will they be good for 14 metre runs for the surrounds speakers ? The cables will be hidden in the ceiling and Walls ?
Ow the big question is were can I buy them from and is there a price diffrnece from differnt retailers ?
There's no other vandamme blue cables out there? Just incase I end up buying the wrong cables lol.

Thanks and regards jav

[abdus]

this:

100M LOUD SPEAKER CABLE/WIRE OXYGEN FREE 322 STRAND NEW on eBay (end time 07-Sep-09 16:16:26 BST)

[mrbenn]

good choice with the vandamme blue
to buy check out the following
Vandamme Studio Grade Blue Speaker Cable 2.5mm - Speaker Cable - Audiovisual Online - High Quality Audio Video Cables and Accessories
£2 per meter free p+p


rapid
Rapid Electronics - Cables & Connectors > Cables
100meters - £126.44

the 2.5mm should be fine for the surrounds - somebody will advise for definate shortly i should imagine

[Star Man]

Originally Posted by mrbenn

somebody will advise for definate shortly i should imagine

. Not disagreeing with you mrbenn but I know what you mean.
Just wondered if it is possible to get this cable in white? I have not seen them so I assume not, unless they are available elsewhere.

Cheers

[jav123]

thanks guys for your help,
this forum has very friendly people and im very happy to be a member

[ssgrif]

Hello ,

I've been reading through all the posts here and this thread seems to be the one that could answer my questions/prayers

apologies for highjacking it.

I'm in the process of buying and installing my 1st HD/Plasma/surround setup at home and want to make sure I buy the right cables for the job, ensuring their good quality yet reasonably priced.

I've had the Yamaha RX-V640RDS amp for a few years now along with the 6.1 speakers that came with it and the basic cables.

I'm looking to replace the cables as I want good quality sound yet I'm not sure what to go for. I've read what has been said about the Vandamme blues, qed and references to Studiopares site alternatives yet i'm still not sure what I should go for.

In total I'll need 30m of cabling with the longest length being around 15m (for the 3 rear speakers). All of which will be channeled into the walls and also either under the carpet or round the skirting board. (any suggestions on this based on expereinces?)

I guess the feedback here will determine whether the cables could in fact fit under the carpet.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

ssgrif

[PAPPACLART]

Just buy the 0.69 pence per meter at RS, there is really very little difference (that you will notice) between cables.

[pingu666]

sorry to hijack, but i need some cable too, and if i intended to biwire, would the tour one Van Damme Tour Grade Black Speaker Cable, 4 x 2.5mm - Speaker Cable - Audiovisual Online - High Quality Audio Video Cables and Accessories be a good bet?

[mrbenn]

Originally Posted by pingu666

sorry to hijack, but i need some cable too, and if i intended to biwire, would the tour one Van Damme Tour Grade Black Speaker Cable, 4 x 2.5mm - Speaker Cable - Audiovisual Online - High Quality Audio Video Cables and Accessories be a good bet?

yes it will be fine

[jav123]

I will be buying the cables very shortly so thanks guys,

what are the advantages of using bannana plugs/ spade connectors over just connecting the bare wire?, is it just to do with easy connectivity and also to disconnect?

I would also like your opinions on which hdmi cable to buy here is the link for the post , Help needed for a novice to buy a very good 5 metre HDMI cables
I have posted it in hdmi section pls give me as much advise as possible
thank

[Joe Fernand]

Banana plugs do make for simpler/safer connectivity at the back of many an AV Amp where sockets are very tightly packed.

Have answered your other post about HDMI cables.

Joe

[Star Man]

Originally Posted by jav123

I will be buying the cables very shortly so thanks guys,

what are the advantages of using bannana plugs/ spade connectors over just connecting the bare wire?, is it just to do with easy connectivity and also to disconnect?

I would also like your opinions on which hdmi cable to buy here is the link for the post , Help needed for a novice to buy a very good 5 metre HDMI cables
I have posted it in hdmi section pls give me as much advise as possible
thank

If possible....I just connect with bare wire, as I believe the cleaner the connection you can get between amp and speakers without any breaks, the better the signal should be.

I use these HDMI cables below and have found them excellent:

Ikuna HDMI Cable

[jav123]

thanks guys for ur help

[Viper78]

Hi all,
very intersting and informative thread! My question regards the subject title. I'm trying to 'tidy' my living room which hoping to hide speaker cables without taking away from sound quality! I spied at RS the CAMBRIDGE AUDIO ULTRA MICRO, but as I run a £330 Marantz and matching providers, would these cables match up to my system? I'm dubious but might be wring!
Cheers, Roj

[Star Man]

I personally would not use the CAMBRIDGE AUDIO ULTRA MICRO myself. Have you given any consideration to this brand below?

Speaker Cables at Superfi Online - http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/brands.category.cfm/id/163/category/82

[aerotec]

Bumping an old thread!

I am looking to set up a system around my Pioneer AX5i with 5 Anthony Gallo Nucleus. Will the Vandamme Blue 2.5mm still be ok for this set up? The AG website recommends 18AWG.

I can get 100m of VD Blue for £142. Anyone else want some and we can split a roll?

[Joe Fernand]

VDC Blue Series 2x2.5mm will be ideal.

Sorry got miles of the stuff already - dont need another half drum

Joe

[AudioFile]

aerotec:

I'm interested in splitting the roll. I sent you a message.

[aerotec]

Hi Audiofile,

I have had a change of plan as I don't have time to handle getting this and trying to sell it on. Unless you wanted 70 Metres!

I did buy some on eBay but discovered it was CCA Copper Coated Aluminium.

I am just about to pull the trigger on 30m OEHLBACH 2.5mm for £29.95 plus £5.95 shipping:

30m OEHLBACH Speaker Cable 2x2.5mm2 -OFC- Audio/Hifi | eBay

Seems to be a good cable at a decent price of about £1/m. I will find a flatter cable easier to fit around the fireplace on its way to the rear of the room than this round VD Blue.

[AudioFile]

Aero:

No problem, I don't need 70 metres! That Oehlbach looks like a good find. The seller says he will sell different lengths too. I'd like to hear if it arrives OK and is as advertised!

[aerotec]

It does look good but I have just realised I would need to accurately work along the cable to wire it up correctly as it is unlabeled so I wouldn't be able to wire the polarity correctly unless I run along the hole cable length.

After reading up on here and elsewhere it seems any cable to the right size will do as long as true copper and not copper coated aluminium.

This one is £5.79 per 10m and seems to be pretty good:

10m of 2.5mm Loud Speaker Cable Oxygen Free 322 Strand | eBay

On this site it isn't listed as Oxygen Free but more reading shows that to not be a big deal. Ensuring resistance is reduced by using correct diameter to go with the speaker seems more important.

100m Speaker Reels (Second product down)

I might save my pennies and just get that one unless anyone has any other comments on it.

[testdasi]

From past experience, dont get the one with blue stripe. They are same as all the CCA cables.