Price Paid:  $5.00 from ebay

Summary:
I have been useing the Monster interlink 300MkII's for a few years, and the music seemed a little dull. I just got a very good Rotel CD player and I wanted a few different cables to try. I bought a set of the AR APO's and a set of Tara silvers. The Cd is running into a old Sansui AU 417 into Paradigm & Ohm/JBL speakers. After trying and not likeing the brittleness of the mids on the Taras I tried the SR's...the mids are very sweet & detailed, and the music seems alot more involveing. The Tara's were $80..and these AR's I got for $5.00 what a big difference between them..I really like these AR's for the music I listen to..so much in fact I just ordered the PR130's to try out...I am very happy with the Acoustic Research product...

Strengths:
For the Money nothing comes close. What a great deal...

Weaknesses:
I still would like a wider bandwith and more transparent hi end...

Similar Products Used:
I have used the Monster interlink 300 MKII, Tara silver, and the Green sidewinders..

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Price Paid:  $20.00 from FutureShop, Vancouve

Summary:
I am using the highly-rated Cayin TA-30 integrated tube amp with a Marantz CC4300 CD player. I was using a RadioShack gold-plated 6' RCA interconnect, which I thought did the job well.

But nothing prepared me for the improvement when I replaced the RS interconnects with these AR Performance Series (AP031) interconnects. The improvement was immediate and not subtle. The improvements were from top to bottom: better soundstage (i.e., wider and deeper), better imaging (i.e., image position in sound objects are narrower and more defined), improved highs (i.e., highs are smoother and more extended), more resolution (i.e., less smear), more revealing (i.e, more audible texture from instruments and voices) and more clarity (i.e., sounds are more precise).

Having read a lot about the controversy surrounding cables, I never thought that cables could make this much of a difference. But from what I have read, the effects of impedence, capacitance and interference (EMI/RFI) DO influence the sound in interconnects - much more so than speaker wire. So a well designed, properly shielded interconnect will perform better than a cheap one. (Whereas it is difficult to tell differences between any well constructed 12AWG or higher grade copper speaker wire - regarless of cost).

Because of the absense of smear with these new interconnects, I found myself turning up the volume in my amp a little higher without being fatigued. I never realized that my Cayin TA-30 amp and Marantz CC4300 combination could be this revealing.

In case you are interested, please read my review of the Cayin TA-30.

These are directional cables and the funny thing was I never would have believed that the direction of RCA cables makes a difference. But when I set them up wrongly (with the arrow pointing away from the CD player), there was no sound! Just a faint buzz! When I set them up correctly (with the arrow pointing to the CD player), the sound came out correctly. Go figure!

Strengths:
Very resolving, neutral and revealing. Improved the soundstage and imaging.

Weaknesses:
None at this price range!

Similar Products Used:
RadioShack 6' gold plated RCA interconnects.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
An excellent cable for the money. The tonal balance is slightly on the warm side,but this doesn't bother me. The PRO II model is more revealing but not as involving to my eyes. I simply cannot see spending more money for an interconnect. By the way the company (Recotron) which now owns the Acoustic Research name has reorganized after a bankrupcy filing. The PRO II cables are not easy to find but these cables can be purchased at Best Buy at dicounted prices. Run don't walk and get yorself several sets. I payed 12 dollars for mine

Strengths:
Very balanced sound. I have tried them wirh tube and solid state equipment.

Weaknesses:
None at this price. These are ridiculously good cables!

Similar Products Used:
Audio Research PRO II cables, MIT 330 and Spectral 500I cables

Price Paid:  $15.00 from Best Buys

Summary:
Well since I've heard some good things about these cables ,I picked up a 3 ft pair.I've listened to expensive cables and own some.But these cheap cables are amazing.Very neutral..they don't add or take away from the music.I like this because I don't want rolled off cables or cables with heavy bass.The images in the soundstage are solid and I'am hearing background info in the music I haven't heard before.For the money these cables will without a doubt make you think twice about spending hundreds on cables.The expensive ones are nice to look at but I want be spending that kinda of money on cables again.Do yourself a favor and give them a listen and if your not caught up in looks or what other people think .. you will be satisfied with how well these cables perform.Cables are to compliment the system and bring out the strengths and weaknesses of the system.if you don't like what you hear ..it's probably time to change a component!

Strengths:
Clarity,neutrality.tight controlled bass,rock solid images

Weaknesses:
At this price,want be take in serious by some audiophiles who equate quality with the more it cost the better it is!

Similar Products Used:
Nordost blue heaven,kimber cables and a few others

Price Paid:  $5.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
I have the three fott version, great value in interconnects. These are similar to the ones stereophile recently recommended. Fairly neutral sounding, neither bad nor good. They certainly won't help your system, but they shouldn't hurt it either. I don't use these much because I have better sounding cables, but thought I would pick some up because they are cheap and I heard good things.

Strengths:
Cheap! For really cheap cables I prefer radio shack gold series, because I like they way they color the sound.

Weaknesses:
none really for 10-15 dollars. Probably not best to be used as your main cables.

Similar Products Used:
monster, radio shack, recoton, generics...