HDMI Cables - Don't get ripped off

by RubaDub 27 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  RubaDub

  When you buy a Blu Ray player or other HD devices, you will need to purchase a cable to connect it to your TV (or however your system is configured).

  Salespeople will typically try to sell you a "Monster" Cable or some high priced product. When buying my Blu Ray player for $79, they tried to sell me a cable for $59.

  Beware! With digital signals, you either get the signal or you don't. This means that a $5 cable is passing the same information as a $100 cable. I'm not an electrical engineer but did a google search on "HDMI Cables Cheap" before buying one at a retailer. Read about the differences. Even experts agree that there is virtually no way of noticing a difference between a cheap cable and one you spend a lot of money on. I saw cables on the websites listed as low as $4 or $5.

  Of course, when you get your new "toy" home and take it out of the box, you will want to see it work right away. So to save some money and not be tempted to buy the expensive cables, BUY THE CABLES FIRST. In fact, to save on shipping buy an extra one at the same time. You will probably need one later anyway. I bought one 3' and one 6' cable (I just needed the 3' but bought the 6' for future use). The total was $14. Add $4 shipping and the total was $18 for two cables.

  Not talking about huge money here, but unless you are exceptionally testosterone driven and need to brag about the brand of cables you use, save some money and use it for something else.

  Rub a Dub
• 

  WTWizard

  I might make exception if you have high end speakers. The cable connecting the amp to the speaker is often the limiting factor. If your listening situation is exceptionally sensitive, it pays to buy very expensive speaker cables (and this is more important if your speakers cost more than $10,000 and the room is otherwise very quiet). You also might get some improvement if you have analog information getting carried at some point between components, but the difference is likely to be very small.

  With most equipment in the $80 price range, buying cables that cost $50 and up is usually more than you really need. You probably will not even notice the difference unless your speakers sell for $5,000 or more and the room is very quiet. I say, if you are getting a mass market audio system or video, mass market cables are likely to be quite sufficient. Save the big bucks cables for systems with price tags in six figures.
• 

  RubaDub

  I say, if you are getting a mass market audio system or video, mass market cables are likely to be quite sufficient. Save the big bucks

  for systems with price tags in six figures.

  WTWizard ...

  Point well taken. Yes, I was referring to the "experts" that are commenting on the mass market products.

  In my case (and probably many others here), the equipment in my entire living room is under $2,000 ($1,000 TV, $500 home theatre, $80 blu ray). So the "need" to pay $200 for a couple of Monster cables just doesn't make sense. As one review in Popular Electronics mentioned, "Save the money on the cables and upgrade the TV to a bigger size." Or as another noted, "The Monster cable is a $5 cable in a $95 package."

  I was not addressing the high-end products (as you mentioned $10,000 speakers) or anything in that range. Just the stuff us poor folks use ... lol.

  Rub a Dub
• 

  cantleave

  I bought a really cheap one and a 22k gold plated super duper one too. I have not really noticed a difference between them, not even in sound quality. In fact the best accessory I have bought for my telly are the christmas lights draped it.
• 

  PEC

  Harbor Freight or Fry's for local purchase.

  Philip
• 

  darthfader

  Great advice about the cables HDMI and otherwise! It's very likely that the acoustics of your listening/viewing room will "eat" any invetement in high end cables -- you'll never notice them.

  I have an low end (Linn) audiophile system and was pressured (by the sales guy) to buy some high end audio cables. I told the him that the room acoustics will effect the audio more that the cabling ever would. He then promptly asked if I would like a "room treatment"..... I left the store after that, promising never to return... I ve had that system for about 10 years and it soulds wonderful!

  Darth Fader
• 

  Elsewhere

  Great post! Glad to see this info getting around.

  Don't waste your money on $100 HDMI cables unless you have a super-high-end entertainment center.

  99% people just need to buy the $5 ~ $10 cables and will never be able to tell the difference between them and the $100 cables.
• 

  thetrueone

  I agree with the original poster, there is no appreciable difference from a cheap HDMI cable and a expensive one.

  I have boughten both and tested them out on my Sony LCD TV and saw no difference at all, even when playing Blu-ray movies.

  So don't let a salesman tell you different and there have been tests done by electronic professionals that have come to the same conclusion.

  There appears to be a little more on the outside shielding in the construction of the more expensive cabling but that does not improve

  the total signal. Radio Shack has cheaper HDMI cables that do the job quite nicely.
• 

  moshe

  Finding $10 Hdmi cables is hard at the big box stores- it's a high profit item for them. I used cheap cables from ebay and no problems so far.
• 

  besty

  IIRC the rule of thumb for audio setup was 20% of your budget for cables and interconnects

  point well made on digital signal though......