How important is price in choosing cables for a HTIB system.?

Question

I am buying a top-rated HTIB for about $425. I bought it at Circuit City and they are recommending connection cables costing about $275 (purchased from them of course). I don't want to skimp but I don't want to pay for more than what I need.

Answer 1

Don't believe the hype. If you're getting digital, go to Amazon.com & get an optical digital cable for no more than $25. If anybody tells you they can tell the difference between that and a $100 Monster cable challenge them to a blind test.

Answer 2

Anything more than 10% of system cost will only give you dimininshing returns. Meaning a really good cable will make improvement, but it may not be worth the cost.

A "top rated" HTIB will get little improvement in performance cables. Not to knock you system but it is not going to rock with better cables. I would factor the cost of your TV (new) and not exceed 10% of the cost and you will be most happy.

Now a true audiophile ( one who wants the absolute best sound) should ignore everything I just stated. For the amount of change a cable can make in a strickly audio system can be HUGE ( relitivley speaking) but by discription they are just fine with small returns in performance.

I equate the analogy of a rocket to a pinto one need rocket fuel the other I would be rediculous.

I anticipate you will see the cable scam at CC and BB, have the guy pushing the cables to show you ON YOUR SYSTEM the performance diference, no in home trial needed. And watch him/her recoil.

Answer 3

The only thing you are really being sold is CC's profit! Profit on cable sales at CC and BB are obscene. In most cases, a cable is a cable, especially when talking digital, like HDMI. Cheaper cables can usually be found at Kmart, WalMart or Target, and for even less at many on-line suppliers like:

http://www.mycablemart.com

http://www.monoprice.com

http://www.bluejeanscables.com

You can get quality cables without having to pay for a product's national advertising, like the over priced, over hyped, over advertised Monster brand.

Answer 4

The limit is to spend at most 10% of the equipment price on the cables.

The salesman will probably get a promotion because the store will probably make $30 on the HTIB and $140 on the cables.

It will take a day or two, but my advice is to bring the system home, hook it up with the included cables, and order cables from MonoPrice/BlueJeans/PartsExpress once you have things placed and can measure the lengths.

Buy a spool of good 12 ga speaker wire from PartsExpress.

Buy HDMI or Component cables from Monoprice.

This will cost you a fraction of the retail cables price, but give you good service.

NOTE: It would help if you listed the cables they were trying to sell you. Analog vs digital are a bit different.

Answer 5

AWolf is right on. Some sources suggest 15% of your total system price for cables/surge supressor ... the latter being something that every home theatre owner should have (and many overlook).

Better than budget cables MAY be worthwhile on high end systems, but 40% of your total costs (or 65% of your equipment cost) on cables make no sense ... on a $425 HTIB or any system.

The salesperson who suggested that should be censured!  Personally I would complain to the manager, and depending on reaction, consider buying from another source ... even if it meant I paid a bit more).

Furthermore you do not need to pay high prices to get top quality cables .. just shop smart by knowing what matters. See the link for one article that shows why a budget HDMI cable is perfectly suitable for most situations ... and why Monster would be unnecessary.