At this point, you're probably already locked into a certain
cable manufacturer, but if you're open to changes in life, why not have a look at ComponexX? The wiring newcomer is aiming at the highly competitive low-end, bargain-priced market, with the X Series, Pro Series and Xtreme Series comprising the company's new offerings. Within those families, you'll find all sorts of cables including HDMI, S-Video, component, Toslink, DVI, FireWire, USB 2.0, coaxial, subwoofer, etc. From what we've seen, the prices really are pretty good, but it'll probably take stickers beyond comprehension to get you to stop surfing over to Monoprice.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
slarity @ Mar 13th 2009 8:22AM
Ha you mentioned the site I buy all my cables from. These look interesting but I havent had any problems with my "cheap" cables on my 7.1 system watching Blu Rays.
Nick Catalano @ Mar 13th 2009 1:40PM
I grab all my cables from Firefold.com (I have no interest in the company)
Nice and cheap cables, fast shipping and all around easy
It was #3 in the 'Private Retail Company' ranking at Inc Magazine (Woot was #1)
http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2008/lists/retail-companies.html
Co1e @ Mar 16th 2009 2:08PM
MONOPRICE FTW!
EatingPie @ Mar 13th 2009 6:55PM
"The wiring newcomer is aiming at the highly competitive low-end, bargain-priced market, with the X Series, Pro Series and Xtreme Series comprising the company's new offerings. "
Wait, did you even see how much these cables cost??
A 3' Component video cable was $79.00 from their primary online retailer, linked through their site.
When did $79.00 per 3' become "bargain basement"? Even their cheapest component cables are over $20.00!
Howbout a little accuracy in reporting here, guys?
-Pie
I-Fan @ Mar 22nd 2009 4:59PM
Pie:
You're right, digitalwavewire is not a "highly competitive low-end, bargain-priced market" site. never was meant to be one. It is simply starting to market ComponexX's cable line with a choice of 3 different quality cables. And you're right that a 3 foot Component cable on digitalwavewire starts at $19.68 (http://shop.digitalwavewire.com/product.sc?productId=394&categoryId=80). The top of their line Component cable is $74.50, but is considered by me to be comparable somewhere between Monster’s 3 High-Resolution Component Video Cable which retails for $69.95 and their top of their line Z300 which retails for $120.
Does Quality Matter? And how much should someone pay for a cable? A debate that will not end here. Beauty and sound are in the eyes and ears of the beholder.
Ralph Graves, one of the blog editors for Crutchfield, recently wrote an article: "Audio and Video Cables: Does Quality Matter?
(http://www.crutchfield.com/S-TVUiWpn6fA1/learn/learningcenter/home/cables.html)
He said, ” Whether you're a hardcore gearhead or you just bought your first home theater system, you want to get the most out of your audio/video equipment. Poorly made cables can allow noise and interference to compromise the signals coming from your source components, resulting in a subpar listening or viewing experience.
If you owned a high-performance sports car, you wouldn't outfit it with low-end tires —you'd get insufficient traction, poor handling, and increased road noise. You'd lose all the benefits of buying a high-performance car in the first place. In the same way, low quality cables can rob you of the performance you paid for when you bought your system
.
Many A/V components don't include all the cables you need; some may include a cable whose length isn't right for your setup. And, when cables are included, they're always low-quality. Replace those free "in-the-box" cables with higher-quality ones, and enjoy more realistic sound and a clearer picture.”
So people can pick their quality and price and enjoy, if they can tell the difference.
EatingPie @ Mar 22nd 2009 11:55PM
Thanks for the reply I-Fan.
I spend forever purchasing cables, poring over specs and prices like a madman. I even own several Monster sets, though never bought at retail price. This to say, yes indeed, quality is imperative.
My point, however, was simply that the article was inaccurate. Even at $20.00 per 3', that cable is *expensive*... and $79 is *astronomical*! There's nothing "low-end, bargain bin" about that price. That's what I took issue with in Darren's reporting. He could have left that part out and all would have been fine and dandy. But calling this price-level "bargain bin" is just wrong on all counts.
-Pie