This blog post seems to be getting everywhere these days. It's about a common scam being pulled by Monster at the local big box retailers.

Beware the Monster cable Scam (http://www.gizmorepublic.com/accessories/monster-hdmi-cable-scam-830)

The head to heat test purports to show the difference between Monster brand cables and a cheaper cable... trouble is... well you probably know what the cheaper cable really is.

Don't fall for it!

Seriously Dude...

If you are just now figuring out that Monster and premium cables are a scam I think you may need to brush up on your news.

First of all, as an EE, on analog cables you need to really have some cheap garbage to hear or see a difference.

Digital is where its even worse. If any of the signal is getting there, its ALL getting there. If you buy 'premium' digital cables (under 50ft) you almost deserve to be ripped off.

That said, there are minor exceptions. There is no real difference until you are near 50ft at 1080p+. Even then, their tests were mainly bandwidth related. In reality the termination at either end, design of the chokes and noise filtering, and a bunch of other factors contribute to any difference you may see on a TV, or hear through a stereo. As far as optical goes, cheap fiber falls apart around 50ft where depending on the transmitting led the signal can attenuate enough to cause missed bits, however, this is a limitation of mainly the diameter, makeup (plastic vs glass) and length of the optical cable. The idea that SDPIF just can't transfer TrueHD or 7.1 lossess is just plain wrong, in that case the specification for SPDIF just won't allow it.


Check Gizmodo's recent comparison on Monster vs Cheapo (monoprice etc). Remember that fools are soon parted with their money.

thanks iso9001 - I'm brushing up now, seriously.

Actually it is not just Monster Cables it is all cables. The big box stores grossly over charge for many if not most cables. Many years ago I bought a computer printer for $49.95 and then the salesman told me I needed the $29.95 printer cable. I thanked him but declined on the cable and went to the local electronics store and bought the same printer cable for $2.98.

Rick R

I did a multi-room residential antenna installation in a large house some years ago. A few days later, the homeowner called me for what she was sure would be warranty service. She had one outlet out and was certain that it had to be my installation malfunctioning because the only thing they had done since I completed it was to put in a "better" coax to that TV.

When I arrived, I diagnosed the problem as a bad Monster Cable. I cut off the gold plated connectors with their strain reliefs and replaced them with ten-cent crimp connectors. End of problem.

Even though I would never pay for the over-priced Monster cables, that company does support our local sports stadium formerly known as Candlestick Park. The stadium is falling down and desparetly needs to be replaced, but until that can happen we need Monster's support. Please tell your enemies and idiot friends to buy Monster, you be the smart one and shop at monoprice.com. :)

Monster makes good quality cable products (although over-priced)- period. I'm sure the retailers may have a "profit-incentive" with Monster products. However, I'd rather have a Monster cable product than other cheaper-priced brands (AR, etc.,...).

People over-react with all the Monster "hype". There are many other "high-end" cable manufacturers that make cable products just as, or often, more expensive than Monster.

Actually it is not just Monster Cables it is all cables.

This really shouldn't be some type of news flash but it's not just cables either. B&M has to compete with on-line prices for popular items. One way to do that is supplement the sale with higher margin accessories. It's not a conspiracy, just business. BTW, the on-line stores have their own margin enhancers too. There are many other attributes associated with a product purchase besides just price and performance - and some people find value in them. Some people actually prefer to pay a higher price to go with a trusted brand.