mystic fred
Member
Heated debate yes, but it really depends on what is being connected! Most budget systems will sound fine with appropriately priced interconnects but all should benefit from good quality interconnects, speaker cables and mains cables, the difference will not be so obvious on very cheap systems, expensive cables will be lost on them.
Midfi systems will show a marked improvement with better quality cables, i use Kimber mains blocks, cables and interconnects, supplied by Russ Andrews and made in USA;
I found them to make a very marked improvement from my QED's as they are designed to reduce radio frequency interference, they use high quality copper cable and will guarantee the best sound from many systems, the interconnects cost around 65-99 pounds each and the mains cables around 45-175 pounds each, the extension blocks start at 179 pounds, speaker cables start around 160 pounds for a 2.5 metre pair, but all these can be bought used on auction sites much cheaper. Kimber also supply mains filters and surge protectors, before all this technical stuff is dismissed as snake oil one should study the logistics and attend a demonstration first, but in most cases the improvements will be obvious first hand.
The more expensive high end cables would not necessarily benefit my humble midfi system but would suit the appropriately named high end systems that cost many thousands of pounds, cables can cost 3,000 each, but as said before the sound is staggering - you gets what you pays for!
I've read/heard that the Linn LP12 sounds great in stores where it's always freshly aligned/balanced but that it's impossible to keep aligned under normal operating use - unless of course the owner also springs for Linn's very expensive Keel armboard and sub-chassis upgrade which is what Linn Corp. wants anyway. This of course always raises the question of why an armboard that works properly is not included as standard equipment with the LP12. Is your LP12 equipped with the Keel armboard?
A lot of myths abound about Linn LP12 - to some users arm boards are a matter of taste, the ones that come with the LP12 work perfectly in my experience but there is always an option to upgrade anything. I bought my Linn and had it posted in parts, i took the whole lot to my local hifi dealer's Linn technician who set the deck up to his satisfaction, sounded as a Linn should, and many years later, despite being moved from room to room sometimes, sounds as great as it did the first time i heard it, no instability whatsoever.
The only upgrade i have made is to change the supplied power supply board for a dual speed Hercules II, this design was passed up by Linn as sub quality and is being made by another manufacturer in China, the board works perfectly well but a Lingo upgrade is on the cards...
As for Audio.corps upgrades, all companies' products are obsolete as soon as they hit the shelves and have optional upgrades, key starting prices are critical, especially in the electronics A/V industries!
hope this answers your questions, though remember like many things Audio is very subjective !
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