Usually the audio and video leads will have individual earthed screening around them and an overall foil wrap screening around the entire cable.
If it's a monster cable I suspect each wire is created by monks, lovingly crafted and hand rolled and once matured it's paired with other like minded cables and formed into a scart lead. That's the only explanation I can think of as to why they sell for £60 otherwise they'd simply be ripping people off, wouldn't they?
Which? the consumer magazine did tests on various makes and price ragnges of connecting leads and their conclusions were pretty mind blowing....
Hdmi results showed that there was little or no visible difference in image quality between cheap or inexpensive leads when compared with even the most expensive "dual" sheilded leads.
However when it came to audio concecting leads (Not Speaker cables) there was a marked difference, but only with regards to wether the leads were gold plated or not. Sheilding on cheaper leads did result in "pick-up", but even some pricey, Gold Plated, Oxygen Free Copper leads did badly under extreme test. It seems it's a matter of "you pays your money you make your choice".
Which? the consumer magazine did tests on various makes and price ragnges of connecting leads and their conclusions were pretty mind blowing....
Hdmi results showed that there was little or no visible difference in image quality between cheap or inexpensive leads when compared with even the most expensive "dual" sheilded leads.
However when it came to audio concecting leads (Not Speaker cables) there was a marked difference, but only with regards to wether the leads were gold plated or not. Sheilding on cheaper leads did result in "pick-up", but even some pricey, Gold Plated, Oxygen Free Copper leads did badly under extreme test. It seems it's a matter of "you pays your money you make your choice".
Well Which are absolutely useless at testing anything, so don't pay too much attention to it
Well Which are absolutely useless at testing anything, so don't pay too much attention to it
indeed they are.... I still can't forgive them for stating that Amstrad VHS video recorders were more reliable than Panasonic or Sony (this was going back probably 15 years or more) - and this was years before anyone cared who 'Surallan' was!
Use them as a guide but don't take their results as gospel....
Well Which are absolutely useless at testing anything, so don't pay too much attention to it
Nigel I am a Which? member can I quote your reply to them? They will be intersted I'm sure, for there expertise in testing products and the kind of tests they use are often yield far superior data than even Standards Institute tests. And , as their advice is TOTALY impartial it carries more weight. I think , also, that their reputation , WORLDWIDE, regarding their test data and evaluations, is trusted more. Their legal advice is better than most too!!
I was a Which? subscriber some time back and I'd agree that they're pretty good on some things, I'd have to say I disagreed on some items they tested because I'd sold them and had lots of experience over a longer time with regard to reliability and ease of use.
I found some of their testing methods overlooked some aspects such as poorly designed menus, functions and other things that many users might find tricky to fathom out.
I'll be honest in that I haven't had Which now for some years and can't really say how they do these days but I was never 100% happy with the reviews, results and testing it sometimes seemed to defy logic, well to me at least.
Nigel I am a Which? member can I quote your reply to them? They will be intersted I'm sure, for there expertise in testing products and the kind of tests they use are often yield far superior data than even Standards Institute tests. And , as their advice is TOTALY impartial it carries more weight. I think , also, that their reputation , WORLDWIDE, regarding their test data and evaluations, is trusted more. Their legal advice is better than most too!!
You can certainly tell them, but I'm pretty sure they are already fully aware of how their 'reviews' are considered by professionals in the trade
I've no idea on their legal advice, but their electrical reviews are mostly a joke.
Interesting to hear about the Amstrad VCR story, I hadn't heard of that one - as with most of the trade I pay no attention to them.
You can certainly tell them, but I'm pretty sure they are already fully aware of how their 'reviews' are considered by professionals in the trade
I've no idea on their legal advice, but their electrical reviews are mostly a joke.
Interesting to hear about the Amstrad VCR story, I hadn't heard of that one - as with most of the trade I pay no attention to them.
Yeah this was years ago and was one of their yearly reviews on consumer electronics reliability as gathered from Which members and their own internal testing. It made me realise that either the entire TV/Vide trade was wrong about Amstrad or Which's members and Which knew nothing about reliability in consumer electronics.
I think the same article showed that Ferguson videos (the Fv31 type, yuk) were amongst the least reliable (they had that awful Thomson SMPS) and they said Toshiba VCRs were amognst the most reliable and I am 99% certain that the two brands had a joint venture at that time for VHS products (and no, I'm not thinking further back to the J2T JVC-Ferguson venture)
So it was like them saying Opel cars are great and Vauxhall are awful.
Yeah this was years ago and was one of their yearly reviews on consumer electronics reliability as gathered from Which members and their own internal testing. It made me realise that either the entire TV/Vide trade was wrong about Amstrad or Which's members and Which knew nothing about reliability in consumer electronics.
I think the same article showed that Ferguson videos (the Fv31 type, yuk) were amongst the least reliable (they had that awful Thomson SMPS) and they said Toshiba VCRs were amognst the most reliable and I am 99% certain that the two brands had a joint venture at that time for VHS products (and no, I'm not thinking further back to the J2T JVC-Ferguson venture)
So it was like them saying Opel cars are great and Vauxhall are awful.
They do that sort of thing all the time - it's why their reviews are laughable - they review two identical items, and give one a good review and one a poor review.
You can certainly tell them, but I'm pretty sure they are already fully aware of how their 'reviews' are considered by professionals in the trade
I've no idea on their legal advice, but their electrical reviews are mostly a joke.
Interesting to hear about the Amstrad VCR story, I hadn't heard of that one - as with most of the trade I pay no attention to them.
So we should reply purely on the information we're given from the 'trade', then? After all I'm sure that advice will be tota;lly un-biased...... :cool:
So we should reply purely on the information we're given from the 'trade', then? After all I'm sure that advice will be tota;lly un-biased...... :cool:
As opposed to 'un-biased' reviews based on advertising revenue?, or completely inept reviews based on who knows what?
Make up your own mind, ask friends etc. - bear in mind that quality makes have a reason for been more expensive, and cheap makes are cheap for a reason.
As opposed to 'un-biased' reviews based on advertising revenue?, or completely inept reviews based on who knows what?
Make up your own mind, ask friends etc. - bear in mind that quality makes have a reason for been more expensive, and cheap makes are cheap for a reason.
I've always made up my own mind and I fully agree you get what you pay for, which is why I always use a specialist hi-fi retailer as they will usually allow you to try before you buy.
Comments
If it's a monster cable I suspect each wire is created by monks, lovingly crafted and hand rolled and once matured it's paired with other like minded cables and formed into a scart lead. That's the only explanation I can think of as to why they sell for £60 otherwise they'd simply be ripping people off, wouldn't they?
Hdmi results showed that there was little or no visible difference in image quality between cheap or inexpensive leads when compared with even the most expensive "dual" sheilded leads.
However when it came to audio concecting leads (Not Speaker cables) there was a marked difference, but only with regards to wether the leads were gold plated or not. Sheilding on cheaper leads did result in "pick-up", but even some pricey, Gold Plated, Oxygen Free Copper leads did badly under extreme test. It seems it's a matter of "you pays your money you make your choice".
Well Which are absolutely useless at testing anything, so don't pay too much attention to it
indeed they are.... I still can't forgive them for stating that Amstrad VHS video recorders were more reliable than Panasonic or Sony (this was going back probably 15 years or more) - and this was years before anyone cared who 'Surallan' was!
Use them as a guide but don't take their results as gospel....
I found some of their testing methods overlooked some aspects such as poorly designed menus, functions and other things that many users might find tricky to fathom out.
I'll be honest in that I haven't had Which now for some years and can't really say how they do these days but I was never 100% happy with the reviews, results and testing it sometimes seemed to defy logic, well to me at least.
You can certainly tell them, but I'm pretty sure they are already fully aware of how their 'reviews' are considered by professionals in the trade
I've no idea on their legal advice, but their electrical reviews are mostly a joke.
Interesting to hear about the Amstrad VCR story, I hadn't heard of that one
Yeah this was years ago and was one of their yearly reviews on consumer electronics reliability as gathered from Which members and their own internal testing. It made me realise that either the entire TV/Vide trade was wrong about Amstrad or Which's members and Which knew nothing about reliability in consumer electronics.
I think the same article showed that Ferguson videos (the Fv31 type, yuk) were amongst the least reliable (they had that awful Thomson SMPS) and they said Toshiba VCRs were amognst the most reliable and I am 99% certain that the two brands had a joint venture at that time for VHS products (and no, I'm not thinking further back to the J2T JVC-Ferguson venture)
So it was like them saying Opel cars are great and Vauxhall are awful.
They do that sort of thing all the time - it's why their reviews are laughable - they review two identical items, and give one a good review and one a poor review.
So we should reply purely on the information we're given from the 'trade', then? After all I'm sure that advice will be tota;lly un-biased...... :cool:
As opposed to 'un-biased' reviews based on advertising revenue?, or completely inept reviews based on who knows what?
Make up your own mind, ask friends etc. - bear in mind that quality makes have a reason for been more expensive, and cheap makes are cheap for a reason.
I've always made up my own mind and I fully agree you get what you pay for, which is why I always use a specialist hi-fi retailer as they will usually allow you to try before you buy.