I'm looking for component cables, and a subwoofer cable. I'm a little skeptical of Monster products. I was looking at Blue Jean Cables.

What are your thoughts?

Two 1M(6 ft) Componet , One 1.5-2M Component, and One 2M Subwoofer cable.

I'm looking for component cables, and a subwoofer cable. I'm a little skeptical of Monster products. I was looking at Blue Jean Cables.

What are your thoughts?

Either Blue Jeans or Monoprice. Excellent prices. great value.

Monoproce appears to be quitre a bit cheaper. Is there much quality difference between the two?

Only thing nice about Monster is lifetime warranty. So, if your wife steps on your sub cable and breaks it. Monster will replace it. Not that, that has ever happened. Check ebay for good prices on Monster cables. Just be patience a good deal will come a long.
I got a brand new in package Video 3 4M component cable for $20. Retail $119.

I agree with function12, Monster cables are very high quality and you can find them for well below retail price. Besides Ebay, check Monster cable prices on Amazon; quite often you can find them at 60% or more off of retail.

I purchased my Monster cables for the same price as BJC sells their cables. IMHO, Monster cables are a higher quality product.

Only thing nice about Monster is lifetime warranty. So, if your wife steps on your sub cable and breaks it. Monster will replace it. Not that, that has ever happened. Check ebay for good prices on Monster cables. Just be patience a good deal will come a long.
I got a brand new in package Video 3 4M component cable for $20. Retail $119.

Are you sure Monster will honor that warranty if you purchase from eBay?

Will the local B&M who sells Monster take the cable you bought somewhere else and replace it without a receipt?

Just a thought....


FWIW
I have purchased from Blue Jeans Cables and found the quality, service and price to be very good. You 'know' what you are getting - all cables and connectors used are well documented, and any questions are promptly answered. If I order a cable from Blue Jeans, I know what the specs are (from the manufacturer of the cable and from the manufacturer of the connector via Blue Jeans). If I purchase from Monster they will not publish or tell you the specs of any of their products. Have not purchased from monoprice so cannot comment.

guile - do you own cables from BJC? I have both Monster and BJC and will state that IMHO the BJC I have are of better quality.

Monoproce appears to be quitre a bit cheaper. Is there much quality difference between the two?

I just purchased a Toslink cable and a Firewire cable from Monoprice.

The quality is excellent for the price. I have a Monster Toskink cable, the $40 one and the connectors are definitely superior on the Monoprice cable.

I've purchased many cables in my time from Monster, Audioquest, Radio Shack, and I will have to say that I'm extremely happy with the quality and low price of Monoprice and will buy from them again.

Pacific Cable (http://www.pacificcable.com) Click the links for specifications

254-506IV 6 Ft. Python Component - Video Cable $10.00 (http://www.pacificcable.com/Picture_Page.asp?DataName=254-506IV)
254-512IV 12 Ft. Python Component - Video Cable $14.00 (http://www.pacificcable.com/Picture_Page.asp?DataName=254-512IV)
RCAMM-6 RCA Plug to RCA Plug 6 Ft. 75 Ohm (Custom) $2.00 (http://www.pacificcable.com/Picture_Page.asp?DataName=RCAMM-6)

I haven't compared apples to apples on cables but my Monster component ($10 :-) ) displays a better picture than my Monoprice HDMI. It probably all depends on set up and equipment. I do know paying a full price for Monster cable is a total rip off because you're paying 5x more but not getting 5x more on quality. Monster cables isn't even twice as good just "might" be a little better.

www.Monoprice.com rocks.

Excellent quality at unbeatable prices.

guile - do you own cables from BJC? I have both Monster and BJC and will state that IMHO the BJC I have are of better quality.

Yes, I do own some cables from BJC. The BJC cables are definitely not higher quality than my Monster cables. In fact with both my component and digital coaxial cables, the Monster cables perform much better than the BJC cables.

Any yes, if you purchase the cables "new" on Ebay, Monster will honor the warranty.

As I stated, if you shop around (Ebay, Amazon) you can purchase Monster cables for the same price as BJC cables.

I haven't compared apples to apples on cables but my Monster component ($10 :-) ) displays a better picture than my Monoprice HDMI.

You are not compareing cables in this instance.

Component video is analog the digital to analog conversion is on the source

HDMI is digital the digital to analog conversion is in the TV.

What you are seeing is the digital to analog conversion is better in what ever source you are using than what your TV has internaly, its not the cables..

Yes, I do own some cables from BJC. The BJC cables are definitely not higher quality than my Monster cables. In fact with both my component and digital coaxial cables, the Monster cables perform much better than the BJC cables.

Any yes, if you purchase the cables "new" on Ebay, Monster will honor the warranty.

As I stated, if you shop around (Ebay, Amazon) you can purchase Monster cables for the same price as BJC cables.

Which BJ cables compared to which Monster cables?

THX Ultra 1000
The Recommended BJC Cable

Yes, I do own some cables from BJC. The BJC cables are definitely not higher quality than my Monster cables. In fact with both my component and digital coaxial cables, the Monster cables perform much better than the BJC cables.

Any yes, if you purchase the cables "new" on Ebay, Monster will honor the warranty.

As I stated, if you shop around (Ebay, Amazon) you can purchase Monster cables for the same price as BJC cables.

How or what are you doing to measure performance? Just curious.

No receipt needed for monster cables (kind of like Craftsman). You just call them, get an RA #, and send them the cable. A few weeks later you new cable shows up. As long as they can tell it is their cable then you will have no problems.

Which BJ cables compared to which Monster cables?


BJC Belden 7787A
Monster Video® 3 High-Resolution Component Video Cable--MV3CV

Liberty cables (https://secure.libertycable.com/ecomm/catalog/cat_page.php?group=268) have some nice interconnects. I use both Liberty and Canare. When I use Canare, I make my own cables.

How or what are you doing to measure performance? Just curious.

I measured their performance based upon my own (admittedly) subjective observations. However, isn't that what matters most? That is, a person's opinion of the image produced on the screen is more important that a solely objective test that may or may not represent desirable or relevant qualities ... qualities that will be important to consumers.

I bought my monster cables from overstock

they had a 15% off coupns ontop of the savings. Cost me 100.00 total for audio cables, componet cables, and a hdmi to dvi cable

I bought some components from BJC and they performed better than some of the cheaper THX Monster cables that I had (the BJC cables were about the same price). I have never tried the ulta expensive Monsters....I don't believe the cable hype.

I measured their performance based upon my own (admittedly) subjective observations. However, isn't that what matters most? That is, a person's opinion of the image produced on the screen is more important that a solely objective test that may or may not represent desirable or relevant qualities ... qualities that will be important to consumers.


Of course, that is what matters most. I was assuming your observations between BJC and Monster had some hard facts you used to measure performance. That's why I asked.

BJC Belden 7787A
Monster Video® 3 High-Resolution Component Video Cable--MV3CV

In my opintion, the BJC cables are much better quality than the Monster M1000 cables I've tried before!

CJ

OUAVNUB, with the amount of cabling that you're buying you might want to build your own cables. At a certain point you can buy the tools and parts cheaper than new cables (plus you'll have the tools to make cheap, quality cables whenever you want). There is a post in this forum that has great instructions for building your own A/V cabling...

I hate to sound naive, but why is the extremely high price of Monster Cables for digital video use justified in terms of performance? Unless an alternative cable is composed of some barely conducting micro thin strand of material, how bad can it be to compared to a Monster Cable? Aren't we talking about digital signals vice analog signals. The Signal to Noise Ratio shouldn't be the same problem faced in analog signals.

I understand the concern for sufficient shielding and the need to make corrosive resistant connectors. But can't this be done as effectively for much much less than what Monster Cable charges? Is the average EFI in most home environments that bad that conventional shielding found in the much less expensive cables is not good enough? Aren't 24K gold connectors found on much less expensive cables sufficient as well? It's easy to make an assumption that high quality video involved in 1080P images should be supported by signal connectors capable of carrying all that information. And it seems to follows that you'd better be ready to spend a lot of money for those connectors. But I'm wondering whether the Emperor has no clothes. Why wouldn't a decent cable made for a lot less cost than Monster Cables be just as effective in supporting 1080P signal transfer from source to an HDTV?

Component video is analog, not digital. However, Monster Cable is known more for their hype and advertising than there quality. They make a decent quality cable, but they also charge a lot for it. The Canare cables are studio quality and are likely the same cables that the material was originally recorded and mixed with.

CJ

Monster Cable, as mentioned in a previous thread, is primarily a marketing company, much like Bose. Both sell inferior products comprised of substandard components and poor manufacuring quality. Sonically, I compare Monster Cable to a nicely woven hairball as supplied by one of my cats at no charge. For better audio performance and resolution, go with an established specialty cable manufacturer as opposed to a "name." Also avoid the snake oil in the cable industry as perpetrated on Audiogon. All these garage and basement cables that retail for well into the hundreds per meter and sell at auction for forty bucks are probably worth exactly that, or less.

I'm a new member, and make note here that my focus is primarily two channel audio. I joined because I did see some interesting threads regarding same. I'll hope for some nice two channel interaction.

Component video is analog, not digital. However, Monster Cable is known more for their hype and advertising than there quality. They make a decent quality cable, but they also charge a lot for it. The Canare cables are studio quality and are likely the same cables that the material was originally recorded and mixed with.

CJ

I should have been more specific. My remarks were focused toward HDMI connections rather than the component connections. Sources such as Monoprice offer a line of HDMI cables at a fraction of the cost. Yet technically, for the reasons I've mentioned in my prior post, there doesn't seem to be any reason to prevent them from performing as well. I was wondering if someone could offer a good technical argument to the contrary.

The apparent transparency of HDMI cables seems to be supported by the fact that they can be used in great lengths without signal boosters--unlike lines for analog video signals that quickly succumb to line loss and such. Spending $50 per meter of HDMI line seems extremely excessive to me and appears to be fueled merely by hype.

I should have been more specific. My remarks were focused toward HDMI connections rather than the component connections. Sources such as Monoprice offer a line of HDMI cables at a fraction of the cost. Yet technically, for the reasons I've mentioned in my prior post, there doesn't seem to be any reason to prevent them from performing as well. I was wondering if someone could offer a good technical argument to the contrary.

The apparent transparency of HDMI cables seems to be supported by the fact that they can be used in great lengths without signal boosters--unlike lines for analog video signals that quickly succumb to line loss and such. Spending $50 per meter of HDMI line seems extremely excessive to me and appears to be fueled merely by hype.

Bonecrusher....the answer is simple: There is absolutely NO difference, and as a matter of fact, I would rate the monoprice HDMI cables as enormously better than the monstercable equivalent!

I bought my first HDMI cable early last year (2005) when I first bought my Sony KDF-XS55955 and Denon 3910 player. Since I bought it at tweeter, and HDMI was relatively new and I didnt want to wait days to get a cable, I went ahead and picked one up at the store......$150 for a single 3ft cable from monster (monster 400 hdmi-hdmi).

a few months ago, I got a cable DVR (Motorola 6412), so I needed another cable....chasw98 had told me about monoprice so I went and looked...I was astonished at the prices, and thought "well, if they are not good, I am not out of a lot of money"......with 2-day shipping, and to my amazment, I received my package:
http://images.monoprice.com/productlargeimages/22831.jpg
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10240&cs_id=1024002&p_id=2283&style=&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

In terms of build quality and looks, it was like comparing a honda civic to a BMW M3! The Monoprice cable was so solid, thick, well shielded, and a very strong end connection. I have since bought two more and at $15/each (1/10th of the cost I payed for my monster), I think this outta answer a lot of questions.

Case in point: during my Plasma's ISF calibration, my calibrator plugged in some HD sequences via HDMI from his device....when he tried to get the sharpness adjusted he noticed that the 1080i lines were very jittery!! we tried a few things and swapped the Monster cable he had (monster1000 by the way) with my Monoprice cable, and what do you know!!! the lines showed perfectly with NO jitter!!! ;)

you really can't beat monoprice quality and prices when it comes to digital video cables....PERIOD! if I could build my own I would (I do that in audio), but it really is not even worth it even if I could,when I can get such awesome quality from Mono

Monster Cable, as mentioned in a previous thread, is primarily a marketing company, much like Bose. Both sell inferior products comprised of substandard components and poor manufacuring quality.

With such a definitive statement surely you can reference a source to back your statements. Please enlighten us as to how you can make such a categorical assertion.

In terms of build quality and looks, it was like comparing a honda civic to a BMW M3!

Now this statement is simply absurd!

No one is asking you guys to like Monster (or Bose), but you should at least attempt to be objective vice simply repeating the anecdotal stories you read in someone's blog.

Based upon my own conclusions that have since been reinforced by the observations and comments you folks have contributed in response, I went ahead and ordered my HDMI cables from Monoprice. I was comforted by the quick and very courteous responses I got from the company when placing my order for just a couple of cables. Before you could say Jackie Robinson, they shipped my order and provided a tracking number. This is exactly the way I like to do business.

By constrast, when I layed down a couple of grand for an HDTV, the vendor contacted me by phone to tell me that the free shipping in their promotion was really not recommended. They tried to get me to pay for higher priority order processing and shipping that would avoid them tossing my set from a moving truck as they drove by my home anywhere from four to five week from now. While I continued to refuse their recommendation they kept paring the cost of upgraded processing and shipping. When that did not work to their advantage, they started in with the HDMI cable hype that you absolutely needed to hookup an HDTV with $129 cables that they could package with the set for only $89. When I said I already have my cables and at what price, they gave up and said--OK, enjoy your set, bye--and hung up. Evidently he was so frustrated getting nowhere that he didn't even broach the Extended Warranty packages that are big cash cows for the vendors.

With such a definitive statement surely you can reference a source to back your statements. Please enlighten us as to how you can make such a categorical assertion.


How about the fact that monster doesn't actually manufacture anything, they have no facilities....they're a marketing company.

Originally stated by SonicDealer, Monster Cable, as mentioned in a previous thread, is primarily a marketing company, much like Bose. Both sell inferior products comprised of substandard components and poor manufacuring quality.

My reply, With such a definitive statement surely you can reference a source to back your statements. Please enlighten us as to how you can make such a categorical assertion.

Targus's reply, How about the fact that monster doesn't actually manufacture anything, they have no facilities....they're a marketing company.

Targus and SonicDealer, your statements seem to indicate that a company must manufacturer their products internally in order to achieve quality results. I don't believe this is accurate. Many companies outsource production, that doesn't neccessarily equate to lesser-quality. Bose and Monster both spend tremendous amounts of time and money conducting research and developing cutting-edge, quality products. They both create new, innovative technologies; with this they build strict quality controls into every product design. These quality controls are adhered to during manufacturing and btw, fully guaranteed by both Bose and Monster.

Your car and PC are just two examples of goods that certainly aren't entirely manufactured by their parent company. Dell computers are assembled with many parts manufactured by a variety of companies, yet Dell puts out a quality product. Pick up the latest issue of Consumer Reports if you want to verify the reliability of Dell computers. While not the best in the industry, Dell computers are regarded as very reliable--currently tied for second in best repair history category.

I think your arguments against Bose and Monster lack support and fail to pass the logic test.

How about the fact that monster doesn't, or won't, indicate the gauge of their speaker cables. Wire gauge is probably the single mostimportant parameter of a speaker cable, and they won't even tell you what it is.

Sounds pretty shoddy to me....but if you're happy with them, by all means spend your money there, and promote their products....just don't get so upset when other attempt to set the record striaght.

Monster loves to throw the word THX around. The funny thing is, even the cheapest cables would most likely pass THX standards. Monster's standard line of cables are quite possibly the WORST cables I have ever used (safe for the free rca cables included with all electronics)! The plastic grip is cheap and the connectors are very fragile.
Monster is an expert at advertising and packaging. I bet that factors into the price of cables moreso than the cables themselves. The THX certification is not cheap, but it sells. And guess who eats the cost...

I'd love to hear the actual breakdown of price for a Monster cable.

just don't get so upset when other attempt to set the record striaght.

The problem is Targus is that you haven't set the record straight. Besides some anecdotal observations, no one has offered any solid proof to support the assertion that Monster doesn't make quality cables.

Monster is great at marketing and there is nothing wrong with that. I've used their products in the past and they do make quality products. My only real "problem" with Monster is the cost of their products. I think they are way over priced as compared to cables from Monoprice or Blue Jeans for example.

Just my opinion.

Furthermore, they do not use copper with the same purity levels as the high end manufacturers and their use of a quality, or effective, dielectric is minimal if any. Monster can say anything at all, but the proof is in the pudding. They sound awful; never have sounded good and likely never will. There is no attention paid to sonic quality, but they do a reasonable job at making cute little packages that appeal to the Circuit City crowd. As far as outsourcing goes, how is that an issue at all? Outsourced manufacturing firms comply with the specs given by their customers, in this case Monster Cable. If the specs are poor, the product is poor. In order for Monster to sell a pair of interconnects for fifty bucks, their cost from the outsourced manufacturer would have to be in the vicinity of $3.00 to allow for packagaing, shipping, distribution, commissions, etc. What does that tell you? I would challenge you to take YOUR EXACT PAIR of Monster speaker or interconnect cables to a true audio shop, not Circuit City, Best Buy or WalMart, and compare them to some of the big boys on the block, like Tara, Audience, DH Labs, etc. There is no shortage of cable companies out there that will prove to most anyone that Monster Cable is probably good as an overblown lamp cord, but not much more.

The problem is Targus is that you haven't set the record straight.

So, they do indicate wire gauge on the package?

Or is this just your ancedotal evidence?

Monster Cable has to pay for a stadium now. I wonder why Heinz Ketchup didn't go up in price when they sponsored a stadium? I was going to buy a new DVD player with HDMI output at Best Buy once. The Monster HDMI cable was more than the DVD player. That's what is absurd. I don't think Monster cable can beat anything I can make myself. Monster cables may look better but as far as functionality goes, I can't see a difference.

While I'm not a fan of DYI cables, I'd be willing to bet that anything a knowledgeable audiophile could whip up on his or her workbench would sound infinitely better than Monster Cable. Most reputable cable manufacturers will sell their basic cable in either cut lengths or bulk, without connectors, and then you can pick and choose from a variety of connectors that will allow better conductivity than those of the Monster ilk. That said, this thread has become very similar to Monter Cable; not worth any more of my time.

well i would like to start off by saying i do not consider myself an expert by anymeans but i do work for a retail store that carries a wide variety of cables as a salesman and i do go out and do install as well on occasion. i have a pretty descent amount of experience around cables and speaker wire and i am here to say that i have seen and heard the difference between them. i personally took two of the same high end plasmas and hooked them to a samsung blue ray player using our 47 dollar three foot hdmi on one and our 150 dollar hdmi cable and saw a noticable difference between the two. now its up to the consumer to decide if the difference in picture is worth paying the difference in the cable but to say that there isnt a difference i feel is just ignorant.

now think about it for a second. i am gonna stick with hdmi for the time being. it is a digital cable which sends nothing more than ones and zeros. your tv then has to accept that signal and decode those ones and zeros. well in a less expensive cable it has a harder time maintaining its ohm impedece and there for those same ones and zeros become degraded and your tv is forced to guess if it is a one or a zero.

next on to speaker wire, i keep hearing pick on monster because they do not put a gauge on the package but most high end speaker wire companies dont because it doesnt matter. your lower quality speaker wire needs to be guaged because that is how they overcome the interference that it picks up over the run. the better ones design there cable to block the interference so that they do have to use a bigger guage. does that mean that it will sound better than using a huge guage i guess thats for you to decide but no matter what i feel that you are dropping a bundle on a hometheater setup it only makes sense to maxamize it in every aspect.

there are a lot of good cables but i however do feel that you get what you pay for but i am not any of you. make your own decisions and test some things out before you just make basic objections such as a cable is a cable.

i personally took two of the same high end plasmas and hooked them to a samsung blue ray player using our 47 dollar three foot hdmi on one and our 150 dollar hdmi cable and saw a noticable difference between the two.Please take a picture next time (and post it). For fun, have another person attach the cables at your store so you don't know which one is hooked up. See if you can tell the difference then...

it is a digital cable which sends nothing more than ones and zeros. your tv then has to accept that signal and decode those ones and zeros. well in a less expensive cable it has a harder time maintaining its ohm impedece and there for those same ones and zeros become degraded and your tv is forced to guess if it is a one or a zero.HDMI uses ECC (error correcting code). That means that the destination can regenerate any missed bits (just like reading a CD). If the error is unrecoverable, then you will get massive pixelation (a very visible error, like when you digital satellite drps out). Here's the HDMI spec if you want to read about it: http://www.hdmi.org/download/HDMI_Spec_1.3_GM1.pdf

your lower quality speaker wire needs to be guaged because that is how they overcome the interference that it picks up over the run.A speaker cable is operating at power levels well beyond the effects of RF interference (that's why they are not shielded). A cable with adequate gauge is more than enough. Are you claiming that 12 gauge monster outperforms 12 gauge zip cord?

I appreciate your opinion and it is an opinion that is shared by many. Unfortunately, it is not backed by any reliable science. Until there is a real double-blind test that is done between many of the different analog cables, it will continue to be an opinion and it will continue to be debated. It has been pretty much proven with speaker cable (using a double-blind test by Audiophile Magazine, IIRC) that the only factor in how well speaker cables performed (barring shorts or other physical problems) was by its gauge. They tested both esoteric cables costing thousands of dollars as well as extension cords from Home Depot.

However, with digital cables, it is easier to determine whether there is a difference or not. You can send digital bits down the cable and see if they are replicated correctly on the other side. IIRC, this was done with many HDMI cables and there wasn't a difference until you got to much longer cables than 3'.

CJ

Dang... too slow!

CJ

i personally took two of the same high end plasmas and hooked them to a samsung blue ray player using our 47 dollar three foot hdmi on one and our 150 dollar hdmi cable and saw a noticable difference between the two. now its up to the consumer to decide if the difference in picture is worth paying the difference in the cable but to say that there isnt a difference i feel is just ignorant.

You're a salesman, of course you are going to see a difference. That's more money for you. What is ignorant is paying $47 for a 3' HDMI cable.

now think about it for a second. i am gonna stick with hdmi for the time being. it is a digital cable which sends nothing more than ones and zeros. your tv then has to accept that signal and decode those ones and zeros. well in a less expensive cable it has a harder time maintaining its ohm impedece and there for those same ones and zeros become degraded and your tv is forced to guess if it is a one or a zero.

What impedance is an HDMI cable trying to maintain? I didn't think you could degrade a digital signal. It's either there or it's not.

next on to speaker wire, i keep hearing pick on monster because they do not put a gauge on the package but most high end speaker wire companies dont because it doesnt matter. your lower quality speaker wire needs to be guaged because that is how they overcome the interference that it picks up over the run. the better ones design there cable to block the interference so that they do have to use a bigger guage. does that mean that it will sound better than using a huge guage i guess thats for you to decide but no matter what i feel that you are dropping a bundle on a hometheater setup it only makes sense to maxamize it in every aspect.

What does your high priced speaker wire do that something like Gepco 1600 doesn't? How is your cable "blocking" interference?

there are a lot of good cables but i however do feel that you get what you pay for but i am not any of you. make your own decisions and test some things out before you just make basic objections such as a cable is a cable.

I'm not saying a cable is a cable. I'm saying that Monster cable is rubbish and overpriced. I've used Monster cable and I also make my own. After I buy the connectors and cable they are much cheaper than Monster cable and perforem just as well if not better than Monster.

i would like to just say that i am not on commision and that i personally care what people decide on getting. i will also remind you that when i saw a difference was in a side by side comparison. if you recall i said it is up to you to decide if its worth the price difference. and as far as making your own cables goes, thats great but not everyone feels like taking the time to make theres but i am sure with the right sources you can make just as good of a quality of a cable as anyone. i am not trying to say that i am an expert but in what i have seen, i feel that there is a difference in the quality of premade cables. i have no experience with making my own so i have nothing to say on that. i do feel that they make a difference just based on what i have physically seen.

I think your arguments against Bose and Monster lack support and fail to pass the logic test.

How about that THX certified cable as mentioned? Oh thats right, no one will say what the THX specs are to be certified or what they are based on - my guess is comission........

The fact that not one of Monster's products will tell you conductor size or strand count - simply put - they massage the cable's features to sound important, read there site, its like poetry..

i will also remind you that when i saw a difference was in a side by side comparison.There are many reasons why you could have seen a difference. Could you take a picture of each next time and share with the forum? I think that would further the discussion...

Only thing nice about Monster is lifetime warranty...FYI, Monoprice offers a Lifetime Warranty on All Cables and Non-Electronic Products. :)