ExtremeTech says we shouldn't fall for the hype and buy expensive Monster cables -- usually the evidence doesn't support the extra cost. (Reminds me of olden times, when guys would try to impress girls with gazillion-watt amps and 5-ft tall stereo speakers -- or whatever it was they were going on about... it was hard to hear over Boston blaring More Than a Feeling.*) Why are they supposedly better? As explained in Gizmodo's thoughtful analysis The Real Reasons Monster Cables Cost So Much, some believe magic molecules move through the cable to your ears (excerpt of their diagram below). No evidence supports this claim, however.
In TechMyth #3: The Truth Behind Monster Cables, ExtremeTech says "The marketing for these high end cables seem to indicate you'll get better audio from your speakers by buying these pricey items. In fact, these very expensive cables don't make a significant difference. When you are purchasing a TV set or a stereo system, retailers will try to convince you that Monster cables are a must-have.... However, Monster cables are very expensive and--a few feet can put you back a few hundred bucks. "
Gizmodo has been showing us the evidence for quite some time, going mano-a-mano in the HDMI Cable Battlemodo: "While Monster cables are of good quality and engineering, when it comes to digital signals, specifically HDMI cables, we know that its a better idea to buy a $5 dollar HDMI cable today, and then when bandwidth requirements go up in future specs of HDMI, just buy another $5 cable then. It's a lot cheaper than $100 HDMI cables from Monster. The exceptions come when you are running long runs of cable through a wall...."
Happy Fun-with-Evidence Friday!
*More-Than-You-Ever-Wanted-to-Know-Alert: While grabbing a Wikipedia link to More Than a Feeling, I learned that it's an example of a music form known as compound AABA, also known as 32-bar form.
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