Monster Cable Interlink CD Speaker Cables

Monster Cable Interlink CD Speaker Cables 

DESCRIPTION

Audio Cable for CD player

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 11  
[Apr 29, 2002]
Eric
AudioPhile

Strength:

Midband okay.

Weakness:

Top and bottom ends are missing.

This monster cable line (Interlink CD, Interlink 400 etc) is a real waste. I know they can do better because some of their high end wire is decent. But not this. Compare this to JPS superconductor (Used for <$150 for 1m) and be prepared to be BLOWN AWAY. The JPS Stuff is simply better. PERIOD. It''s NOT EVEN CLOSE. The highs are cleaner, airier and more delicate. The bottom more solid and authoratative. This monster line is really missing the bottom and top end. Makes everything sound midrangy and blah. No sparkle, no snap.

Similar Products Used:

HT Truthlink, DH Labs BL1 Series II, JPS Superconductor, AQ Quartz

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
2
[Jan 19, 2000]
Happy Listener
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Good solid cable.

Weakness:

A bit high priced for a minimal improvement.

Its a good cable, with good sound. Although it did improve on the sound of my cd players included cable, I Don't know that it would improve on say a set of $5.00 or so gold plated cables. But I can say that along with this cable I bought the monster (subwoofer) cable and got an overwhelming improvement.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
2
[Jan 31, 2000]
David League
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Improvement in smoothness, detail, removal of all harshness in recording.

Weakness:

Cost

I am as big a skeptic as you'll find. And with the cable becoming a major component cost, its hard to justify this expenditure for any low end cd player (up to $130). However, it you are buying a middle or high cost cd player, and you don't buy quality cables, then you'll never get the full value of what you paid. I recently purchased a Kenwood 206 CD Player, and was happy with the improvement the new high speed dual DAT converter, flat frequency response, and no audible distortion associated with the equipment. This unit specs are close to the high end equipment, as are many other brands. I was not getting the clean sound or the detail I had expected with the new equipment. My local stereo shop convenced me to spend $40 for the New Monster, engineered for CD 400 Mk II cable. The change was as significant as the new CD player itself. The instruments moved back into the orchestra at the proper levels; the individual instruments separated (some I hadn't even noticed before). The smoothness was immediately noticed and all the harshness was gone. The important thing for many CD owners is not that it improves your best CD's, but it drastically improves some of your cheaper CD's to make them listenable (especially eastern European orchestras). My rock CD's never sounded so clean before.

I would not recommend spending this type of money unless you know your CD Player is capable of maximizing the investment you'll be making.

Similar Products Used:

Many brands of cable, especially house brands at large retailers.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 18, 2000]
Ed
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Tamed the brightness of my system

Weakness:

Improvement is not worth $32.95

I had my Mega CD Changer plugged to the receiver via the cheap OEM cables it came with. Bought this cable because of reviews here that said that Monster Cables tend to round off high frecuencies which is exactly what I needed to tame my rather bright but not harsh system. If any of you are interested my system consists of:

Denon AVR-1801
NHT SuperOnes
NHT SuperCenter
Kenwood 1050SW
Pioneer DV-414
Kenwood CD-224M
AR Pro interconnects
Monster THX certified speaker cable
Monster Interlink CD
Monster M351 Subwoofer cable

Well i've been feeding it a signal for 24 hours straight to help accelerate the burning process and I have noticed a difference. Music sounds the way I like it. Laid back, rather smooth and tighter bass but I do not think it is a $33 improvement. The AR Pro's do pretty much the same thing and at half the price.

Similar Products Used:

OEM cables, RadioShack Gold Cables, AR Pro Interconnects

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Jun 08, 2001]
ed
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

neutral

Weakness:

thin

I purchased this cable back in 1992 before i started buying more expensive audio equipments. Infact, I barely touched this cable for years, and I have only used this cable to patch up components here and there. I have never given this cable a good audition until today, and I am blown away.

Currently, I am using an AudioQuest Quartz that is connecting my Technics DVDA10 to my Aragon 8008. The AQ has a great presentation in terms of details in the highs and liquidy smooth bass. However, the mids are somewhat creamy sounding compared to other high end cables such as kimber silver streak.

After removing the AQ and replaced it with the Monster iCD, I was expecting really sh*tty sound. To my surprise, the iCD presented a more well rounded sound than my Quartz. The sound is thinner compared to the Quartz: the highs are not as detailed, the lows are not as liquidy, but the overall sound is more real!!

I had to bump the volume up a few notches to get the same loudness while using the iCD comapred to when I am using the AQ. This made me start to think: perhaps more expensive cables are made to boost certain frequencies to make it sound more expensive!!

I have just ordered a pair of AudioQuest Emeralds before auditioning the iCD. Currently, my iCD is still connected in my system, which is powering a pair of KEF 103/4. I will A/B the $400 Emeralds with my $30 iCD, and if the iCD still wins out then I am going to cry!!

In conclusion, the iCD allows the music to sound much more real while giving up a little size of the soundstage, headroom, detail, and bass flow (all the audio esoteric stuff) compared to my $150 Quartz. For people who designed their system with vocals and concertos in mind, this cable is a world beater.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 02, 1999]
gary
an Audiophile

This is a great product. I was told it would be a great cable for my satalite audio to my receiver.The cable is very well made and the sound is definately fuller, over out of the box cable. The salesman said it would take an upgreat 2times to hear a diference in a better cable.This seems to be a good value for the money and I will recomend this line to others. BTW, I was very sceptical about monster since all the MIXED reviews I have read. Hum, maybe we all must listen and look for ourselves. Hey, If it's good enough for George Lucas it's good enough for me.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Jun 18, 1999]
rockman
an Audio Enthusiast

the mk-2's are a very good cable for the price. alot better than 100 & 200's they are also alot better than the 550i's. a solid 4 rating.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
[Sep 10, 1999]
carl
an Audio Enthusiast

i got a free pair of these cables (apparently they're now discontinued) when i bought my cd player (hk 8350). i figured there would be an increase in sound quality compared with the freebie oem cable, but that it would be too subtle to make a difference. i was wrong. it almost feels like i have rear speakers in my system... the soundstage has gooten so deep and wide i was amazed. i was a skeptic, and this cable was good enough to make me change my mind. excellent product.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[May 15, 1999]
ynot
an Audio Enthusiast

A definite improvement over the OEM cable. My CD's never sounded better. I didn't think it would make a difference, but i was wrong.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Jan 07, 2001]
Ted N.
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Excellent deep bass response & clarity, good vocal reproduction, reasonable price.

Weakness:

Lack of availability

Unlike the Monster Cable Interlink 400MKII's, these cables do not make the audio sound dynamically compressed and the highs rolled off. The Interlink CD do have the good qualities of the 400's: excellent vocal reproduction--almost as if the levels vocals have been slightly turned up. There is real presence, not the artificial kind by turning up the low-midrange on an equilizer. Secondly, there is profound deep bass; I had to make sure that my subwoofer was not on. I have never heard this much deep bass from my main loudspeaker systems, the original bookshelf Paradigm Phantoms. (I have the Onkyo Integra 919 THX receiver.)

Additionally, the Interlink CD's definitely tame the brightness from digital sources, which was exactly what I wanted to achieve with these cables. The high frequencies can best be described as sounding "delicate", but not rolled off.

Excellent performance for the price. Highly recommended.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 11  

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