Price Paid:  $0.00 from not purchased

Summary:
anyone paying more than $100.00 for speaker wire should be beaten with an idiot stick, and then forced to take a high school level class in physics, and then beaten again.

These cables are a MONSTER ripoff.

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from ebay

Summary:
After getting the matching interconnects I have decided to post one more review on these speaker cables. I have to agree with the first reviewer in his description of these cables:
"Monster Cables Gold Sigma Retro speaker cables provide an amber-hued midrange, richly detailed with bloom; powerful upper-bass/low midrange extension. Exceptional bass focus and control, with a nice, clear airy midrange with solid resolution. Sound is silky, dimensional, vividly dynamic and utterly musical big, dynamic, exciting sound."
this gentleman really hit the nail on the spot. As for the sparkly top end, I think that depends on the system, mine sounds very silky and yet incredibly vivid at the same time ... never before have I sensed this kind of sonic refinement from any cable. And yet, I only have an entry-level high-end system:

Audio Refinement Complete Alpha CD player
Audio Refinement Complete Integrated amp
upgraded ceramic feet on both AR components
Monitor Audio Silver S8 speakers
Audioquest NRG-2 powercord on CD player
Audioquest NRG-3 powercord on integre
hospital grade powerconditioner (from a hospital)

the spatial dimensions of this system just blew me away when I first connected it in my living room, absolutely involving, magical. Too bad this system has to be relegated to my bedroom. With the Sigmas I thought it sounded better than the AR separates running off a Marantz CD/SACD/DVD player in the living room (the DV-8300), but again ... here I use Audioquest King Cobra interconnects and Phoenix Gold speaker cables.

All in all this cable has shown me that good cables really are worth the time and money if you put together a system capable of high resolution and musicality. I will enjoy them for a long time.

Strengths:
listed above

Weaknesses:
none in my experience with them.

Similar Products Used:
see other reviews on speaker cable and interconnects.

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from ebay

Summary:
I got these used off ebay, retail is $2500 new for a 10 foot pair. I've never heard other cables in its price range but all I can say is that the Sigma retros just simply get out of the way of music and allow the speakers to do their very best. I have heard some other cables, including cheap Monster cables, some Audioquest cables, some Ultralink cables. All these had shortcomings. Where the Sigma's are concerned, they actually point out the shortcomings present in the actual audio system. These cables will accurately reveal how your components sound, because what these cables receive is passed on to the speakers. Awesome cables. I am now getting the interconnects also, to get the most out of my system

Audio Refinement Complete alpha Cd player
Marantz DV 8300 DVD player
Denon avr4802r receiver
Audioquest Coral interconnects (Cd to receiver)
Monster THX Ultra 1000 optical (DVD to receiver)
Sigma Retro Gold speaker cables (to front speakers)
Mordaunt-Short Declaration 914's fronts
Mordaunt-Short Declaration 903's surrounds
Mordaunt-Short THX 504 centre
Mordaunt-Short Declaration 905 surround back

Strengths:
this cable is soooo transparent, you won't know it's there

Weaknesses:
maybe if I had a top of the line system I could find one, but for now NONE!

Similar Products Used:
none in the same price range.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Monster Cables Gold Sigma Retro speaker cables provide an amber-hued midrange, richly detailed with bloom; powerful upper-bass/low midrange extension. After 200 hours burn-in, bass extension and exceptional bass focus and control, with a nice, clear airy midrange with solid resolution. Sound is silky, dimensional, vividly dynamic and utterly musical big, dynamic, exciting sound.

Strengths:
Quite natural with excellent bass resolution and dynamic presence, a beatiful and clear airy midrange.

Weaknesses:
Sparkly top end.

Similar Products Used:
Kimber Select, AudioTruth Clear, Cardas Golden Cross and Golden Reference.