I read a pretty in-depth review and test of some HDMI cables a few months ago but I can't find the link now. If you have a long run, say 50+ feet, it can make a difference. It's a digital signal, but you can still get bit errors if you have poor connectors or long lengths. But for most cases, where you've got a 1-2m cable going from your cable box to your TV all on the same stand, the $1 cable on Amazon will work just fine.

 

As bad as the video cables are, nothing will ever come close to the lunacy of "audiophile" cables.

 

I saved an old woman 100 bucks one time at Best Buy explaining this. She wanted to buy the bulls*** $100 Monster cable because it was gold plated and blah blah. I said, go ask your grandson/daughter to go to monoprice.com, get the cheapest coax digital cable you can find, and save yourself $90 bucks. The Best Buy employee admitted (to her even) that it was all bulls***.

 

Another cheap solution for audiophiles: never buy speaker wire. Go buy outdoor rated electric wire in the gauge you want. Same exact product, probably 1/8th the cost.

Edited October 1, 201213 yr by Jenksismybitch

This is mostly hype/overkill tech, especially for the home user, reserved for the richest videophiles that swear they can tell the difference while being unable to point out a single difference when you ask them too.

 

This is what was said about HDTV's a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Alright guys i guess 1080p is as advanced as it gets forever and ever, carry on.

Monster cables are cheap compared to what some idiots spend. We're talking thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on speaker cabling, or replacing their receiver power supply cord with a solid copper cord (did they also re-wire their entire house and local transmission grid?) This page has a good compilation of tests of various audiophile claims:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/486598/testing-au...laims-and-myths

 

And you're right, there's no reason to buy "speaker wire" unless you want a nice, professional-looking installation. Just make sure it's the right gauge and material and you're good to go.

This is what was said about HDTV's a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Alright guys i guess 1080p is as advanced as it gets forever and ever, carry on.

 

Uh, no...they didn't say that about HDTV's, and way to ignore my entire post which went pretty in depth as to why 4k/8k is years out.

 

I never said "never" either, and furthermore, I never said 1080p is as advanced as it gets.

 

Maybe you should try reading next time before clicking reply.

Edited October 1, 201213 yr by Y2HH

Also a rip-off: "Hi-speed" or "3D" HDMI cables.

Uh, no...they didn't say that about HDTV's, and way to ignore my entire post which went pretty in depth as to why 4k/8k is years out.

 

I never said "never" either, and furthermore, I never said 1080p is as advanced as it gets.

 

Maybe you should try reading next time before clicking reply.

 

Relax dad, no need to get upset over technology, its a good thing

Also a rip-off: "Hi-speed" or "3D" HDMI cables.

 

Hahaha, high speed HDMI cables. That's awesome. I haven't seen that yet.

Hahaha, high speed HDMI cables. That's awesome. I haven't seen that yet.

I like how they wrap them in extra thick rubber so that they look so official and heavy. Good luck with that 100 dollar cable bro, mine was 1.10.

I like how they wrap them in extra thick rubber so that they look so official and heavy. Good luck with that 100 dollar cable bro, mine was 1.10.

 

I will say this, though it sounds like an audiophile: Beats headphones are amazing. The problem is mine broke, so the store gave me a full refund, but I'm going to give them one more shot.

My dad bought one of those $100 Monster HDMI cables when we got our big HDTV 5 or 6 years ago. I argued against him, but he wouldn't listen. I bought a 4-pack of HDMI cables for $7 about 7 years ago now, and they still work perfectly.

My dad bought one of those $100 Monster HDMI cables when we got our big HDTV 5 or 6 years ago. I argued against him, but he wouldn't listen. I bought a 4-pack of HDMI cables for $7 about 7 years ago now, and they still work perfectly.

 

Some of that is these companies exploiting leftover feelings from the analog era, where higher quality cables DID make a noticeable difference. With digital, unless you are talking greater distances, it doesn't matter.

Some of that is these companies exploiting leftover feelings from the analog era, where higher quality cables DID make a noticeable difference. With digital, unless you are talking greater distances, it doesn't matter.

And a lot of it is impatience. Sometimes people don't plan ahead, and the expensive (ie - more than $2) HDMI cables are in the store ready and waiting for purchase the day you buy your shiny new 50". People would rather pay the sticker price than wait, and most people don't ever plan ahead.

 

The price of those cables is simply the retail markup for the convenience. They make a boatload off the uninformed/impatient, and tossing an extra $30-$50-$100 on the old Best Buy card really isn't a problem for Joe America. Hence economic meltdown.

 

The moral of the story is that people are stupid and retailers know this.

So my new galaxy 3 is amazing. The only thing that was annoying was when I set up my work email it automatically forwarded texts to my work email.

 

Ive since disabled that feature, but be aware. Thankfully most of my friends dont use explicit terms, or it could have been hilariously bad.

 

 

 

I will say this, though it sounds like an audiophile: Beats headphones are amazing. The problem is mine broke, so the store gave me a full refund, but I'm going to give them one more shot.

I got the beats headphones when I was bored at an airport. They are literally only worth anything when I am on an airplane.

I actually preferred the Bose Noise Cancellation, and that was with bias towards wanting to love Dre's product.

Beats are like Bose--not bad, and certainly better than some crappy $10 headphones or whatever comes with the iPhone, but they're seriously overpriced.

They are to big for my use. I like small, so ear buds are my preference even if the sound isnt perfect.

 

I try and bring as few things as possible out in the real world.

I use these when I travel and cut the grass:

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MK-II-Pre...d/dp/B001EZYMF4

 

They're not active noise-cancelling headphones, but they fit in your ear canal and function as ear plugs so they still cut down on a lot of ambient noise. The only thing they're missing imo is an in-line volume control.

I use these when I travel and cut the grass:

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MK-II-Pre...d/dp/B001EZYMF4

 

They're not active noise-cancelling headphones, but they fit in your ear canal and function as ear plugs so they still cut down on a lot of ambient noise. The only thing they're missing imo is an in-line volume control.

Thats my only issue is I cant stand the ones that are like plugs, so I got the on-ear beats on a whim. They are ok, good enough, and dont noise cancel either.

I'm in the market for some nice headphones. Sick of my iPhone ear buds, though they're better than much of the $5 crap. The reason I don't like on-ear is because the headband always messes up my hair

anyone try those new iphone 5 earbuds yet? do they make any kind of difference?

I'm in the market for some nice headphones. Sick of my iPhone ear buds, though they're better than much of the $5 crap. The reason I don't like on-ear is because the headband always messes up my hair

 

Try behind the neck bluetooth headphones. I got one from Motorola two years ago. Great for working out and hands-free calling (not in a car obviously). Will also work splendidly on your computer if your bluetooth adapter isn't crappy.

anyone try those new iphone 5 earbuds yet? do they make any kind of difference?

 

They're actually pretty damn good. They're way better than the old iPod/iPhone earbuds, and probably on par with most mid range headsets. If you pay 100$+ for a paid of headphones, they'll be better than the new Apple earpods, but for regular people that won't pay 100$+ for a set of earphones, they're actually more than good enough.

 

And yes, the difference is quite noticeable in sound quality.

Edited October 2, 201213 yr by Y2HH

Try behind the neck bluetooth headphones. I got one from Motorola two years ago. Great for working out and hands-free calling (not in a car obviously). Will also work splendidly on your computer if your bluetooth adapter isn't crappy.

 

What brand...do you have a link? I've been thinking about buying something like this.

Try behind the neck bluetooth headphones. I got one from Motorola two years ago. Great for working out and hands-free calling (not in a car obviously). Will also work splendidly on your computer if your bluetooth adapter isn't crappy.

Reviews say not so good for working on because sweat shorts them out.