Although the rest of my system may simply not be able to show the differences (no $2000 amps for me, alas...), these sounded only slightly better than the interconnects that came with a pair of computer speakers I bought a while ago. And the terminals are _WAY_ too tight. It is a struggle just to get them connected...

Monster Cable takes a lot of heat for their economy cables and rightfully so. These wires downright SUCK! I totally wasted my money on these things. They make the high sounds "tinny" and flat, with no depth. The imaging is not good either, you would be better of with $2 Recoten cables. This wire kills bass and detail. Do not make the same mistake I did, do not under any circumstance, buy these cables. I WOULD recommend however, buying the pricier monster cables of the M-Series. Such as the M-850i or M-950i. These cables sound extremely true to the source. Your music is left as it should be with the 850 and 950, true and natural.


Overall these wires blow so I give them a VERY CHARITABLE 1 star

Ya these cables suck big time. Usually monster makes good stuff but they really messed up these!

Bought the I 400 MkII when I heard interference noise coming from my speaker due to freebie cables without shielding. The I400 did get rid of the noise and manage to sound marginally better than the freebie. At the time, I thought it was great, until I got Nordost Black Knight interconnect. The Black Knight absolutely out class the I400, and since then, I use I400 to VCR. For absolute sound, this might be a 3 stars. However, considering the price and that DAMN tigh fit, I have to give it a one star. For a little more money, the M550i can be had and also does seems to fit as tight.

Crisp clean highs. Great bass. Theses cables sound great! Can't understand why people refer these to radio shack quality. Listen........did you here that? My monster cables just broke someone's heart. Suggestion for all the people who gave these one star.........Hang yourself from the ceiling with them! Waaaaaaahhhhh!!!

I must agree that I don't understand all the IL400 "bashing". I own several pairs of IL400MKIIs and find them to be excellent performers for the money - not as good as the M550i but very competent. My only complaint is the tight fit, otherwise they're well shielded, build quality is OK. I've never had a problem with any of them even after much equipment swapping over the years. I have heard other more expensive cables and the differences between them all are NOT dramatic. Some do sound a little different and are constructed with varying degrees of build quality. However, I have found the IL400MKIIs very competitive. Sure, there are better cables out there but the IL400MKIIs certainly hold their ground - nothing to warrant mass "Monster paranoia". I'd give them 3 and a half stars if I could but since I have to choose I'll give them three.
Relax and enjoy the music.

My name is Martin and I'm a Monster I400 owner. There, I admit it. Tbh, I thought the I400 wasn't too bad until I started reading these reviews and thought there might be a reason for all this constant monstering of Monster. So, I went to my friendly hi-fi dealer and got some Audioquest Ruby interconnects to try out. Admittedly, they're almost twice the price of the I400 but the difference in sound terms is astonishing. Better imaging, lovely airy highs and tight bass (and that was even before I ran them in fully). All in all, the Ruby provides a richer, more satisfying audio experience. The upgrade was certainly worth it, as I'm now starting to rediscover my whole CD collection. Btw, I emailed Monster to find out what they thought of the toasting they're getting on this site but (surprise) they haven't replied. The only sour note: I'm still kicking myself that I actually spent AUS$140 on the I400. Dohhh! Monster I400 rating = 2 stars, Audioquest Ruby = 4 stars.

Next to the regular RCA cables from any store like Radio shack, Monster interlink 400 cables are the worst cable to buy on earth!

Replaced the Interlink 400 and Interlink CD wires with Esoteric and DH Labs SeriesII BL Interconnects. Much better now, Thank you! OK; the DH costs more than double, but the Esoteric is about the same! NO COMPARISON. Take your I-400's back and replace them with $1.99 interconnects. You'll be happier and you can go spend the rest on a couple of CD's.2 stars at best.

Associated Equip:
Legacy Focus (ultimate dynamics)
Yamaha CX600u
Yamaha 755 CD
Cinepro 600x2SE (worth every penny)

I thought I had a problem with an aging JVC CD player and a solid state amp. The problem was grainy, "steely" sound that caused my ears to hurt after listening to mid-volume for 30-45 min. Sure, an aging JVC is not Stereophile-approved, BUT, most of the problem was my Monster 400 IC's (and $2/foot Monster speaker cable).
I borrowed a loaner set of Transparent cables and IC's (from a friendly high end retailer on Howe Avenue in Saramento) and my system took on a whole new sound. MORE detail, and a velvety smooth midrange and treble. I had so much more bass with the Transparents that my B&W DM 602's sounded better with the Transparents and withOUT my Definitive Tech sub than with the Monsters AND the sub. I listended to LOUD music for 6 hours without strain and fell in love all over again with many of my CD's.

Think of Monster 400's as a top-of-the-line Yugo. The Transparents I auditioned are a modestly equipped Lexus(MusicWave cables and MusicLink IC's). Monster 400's are no better than freebie cables you get with new components. The Transparents, at about 2 to 3 times the cost of the Monsters, are an absolute bargain by comparison. It is a shame that, for 2 years, I had so much money and effort invested in decent equipment to have so much of the music taken away from me because I thought truly high end cables were voodoo technology.

One star for Monster quality and value.

Related components: Adcom GFA 5400 amp, Adcom GFP 565 pre.