Might be entirely appropriate for less demanding applications

Not a high-end speaker cable. currently many superior values from smaller cable companies at around the same money

This was one of the cables I ruled out when auditioning cables for my new system. My gear is sensitive and requires accurate and quiet cables. the monsters were too bright and a bit irritating on the high end. also, there was not enough instrument/vocal separation.

Similar Products Used:

Entry level Audioquest, Kimber other monster products, various home made designs.

for the company many..for you none.

read above. my math or spelling may not be perfect but you get the idea..think about it. read reviews with your brain..dont let them tell you how to think.

Beware sometimes Companies will hire people to write reviews for 8 hours per day just to help sell their product, think about it, hire two people at 9.00per/hour(eight hour day=72.00$per person 142.00 for both) durring a entire shift string(three days) they would be payed 426.00$ not a bad income for typing bunk (i.e. read biased)reviews. At 10 min per review (to write one)durring an eight hour day one employe can produce: 48 reviews. (multiplied by 2 for two employies will give you 96 reviews). Lets think for a moment can these companys afford review writters....I think so and know so. be cautios of the reveiws you take to heart.

Similar Products Used:

many.

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Please people, dont listen to those that say a speaker cable must be "burnt in or Broken in" the only thing that gets broken in is your ears responding to what you physhologicaly want to hear. what you want to hear you will hear. This is not true for some audio products though speaking mostly of tube type compnents, which the sound will chenge with use and temp. Speaker cables do not change conductive qualities with time unless it is due to oxidation ie corosion (rust)be it aluminium oxide, coper oxide or what ever oxide will be produced with you bare cables exposure to the elements, to avoid this proper terminataions must be used. along with quality dielectric, covering ect...

Similar Products Used:

kimber, silver serpent, DIY Cable.

Not completely horrible. That's about the best I can say about the Z1.

See other descriptions below - harsh treble that still lacked clarity, bloated midrange.

I'll keep this brief. I used the Z1 cable for several years. The sound was not especially great but I figured for what I paid (from a reputable manufacturer) that I was getting as good as I was likely to get for what I was willing to pay. I read an article in the April/May 2004 issue of Absolute Sound magazine. They were reviewing speaker cables from the top companies. They also reviewed a cut up extension cord from Home Depot and said it sounded quite good. Partly just out of curiousity, I bought a 50 foot extension cord for $15 (from a competing speaker cable firm - Orchard Supply Hardware) and cut it up to make two lengths of speaker wire and hooked it up. Oh. My. God. It completely stomps and leaves for dead the Z1. The treble is louder but much, MUCH cleaner and clearer, the midrange is rich and realistic and the bass is solid and musical. A cut up extension cord may not be the ultimate in hi-fi cable but the fact that it completely, totally blows away Monster Cable Z1 says something about the hype and value in some cable products. I am not at all opposed to spending money on cables and other accessories. I'm using Audio Quest NR1 power cables on my DVD/CD player and my satellite box and they have been a wonderful upgrade. I am not joking about the extension cord. Do NOT waste your money on Z1. I for one will be very hesitant to upgrade speaker cable from here on out. The extension cord is so dramatically better than the Z1 I was using that I can't see spending $500 - $1000 on speaker cable for what might be no better than a frigging $15 extension cord.

Excellent improvements in soundstage and clarity.

None for the price.

I purchased this cable to replace a five year old pair of ultralink Challengers. I read all the reviews and found quite a variety of opinions. I did however note that a large number of the reviews had similar complaints a common one being that these cables are too bright. Many of these complaints seemed to be from beople with speakers that I find to be bright in the first place leading me to believe that perhaps the cable used prior to the z series masked the speakers natural brightness. That in mind, I set out to try them for myself. I'm glad I did. I must stress....these (and any cable for that matter) must be broken in. To begin, I will say that I an enthusiast with audiophile aspirations but a hobbyist budget. My system consists of a Technics SA-DA10 reciever, A pioneer DVD-440, Mirage 760 front speaker, a PSB Stratus C-5 center channel and Stratus minis for rears. Ultralink balanced cables and power cables are used with a monster power hts-1000 for clean power. When I first hooked these up they sounded terribly bright. Audio fatigue took a brief 10-15 minutes of listening. Soundstage and imaging seemed to be improved but bass was all but non existant, midrange muffled and highs were ear piercing. Having experienced this in other cables and equipment, I was willing to wait for break-in to complete before fully evaluating. These cables seemed to take a long time to break in, but each time I listened, sound quality improved. I am now simply amazed. Bass has improved substantially over the break in. My speakers now produce lower frequencies at a much higher output with tighter dynamics. Midrange has improved significantly leading to a smooth natural sound with excellent staging. Highs have smoothed as well, perhaps from the increased bass and mid output. Frequency respose and reaction is improved. Overall the soundstage is wider and deeper with much more realism. Dynamics are excellent allowing every nuance to be heard. I hear new detail in tracks I have literally heard hundreds of times. I can now here suptle differences like the plucking and tapering of a guitar string and the breaths between lyrics. Overall I consider this cable to be an excellent value. I think on a bang per buck basis, it's the best add on I've purchased. I purchased mine in bulk so it was even better. I have only done the two main speakers, but can't wait to do the others. I would recommend them to anyone. Try them for yourself, but break them in before you review.

Similar Products Used:

Ultralink Challenger 12 gauge, Radio Shack 12 gauge

Available with interchangable connectors. Heavy duty wire is flexible and will stand the test of time. They sound much nicer than any other "budget" monster product.

The rubber around the connectors cracks easily, unlike the designs of some other monster cables.

Decent Cable for the money, it might be an even better match for smaller speakers; of course, it depends on the amp you are using. I have the cables with master pins, but have decided to use bananas instead of the spades I have. They provide a full sound, with excellent high end. I run them around a lot of other eletronics ten feet each, and have no problems with interference or loss.

Similar Products Used:

Monster z2, audiosource, JBL, Clements, radioshack

Good bass Good looking

Little bit overpriced

I had these cables for several months now, and they do sounds great... A good overall cable, but I want to upgrade to the Monster Z2 Biwire ...

Similar Products Used:

Monster XP cables Radioshack cables

Better than zip cord... Did make me a believer of the better cables better sound theroy...

On my system too bright, bass to boomy. Found myself listening to less music. The words "Listener fatige" has been thrown around here. I think I had it.

Well I will start by saying that compared to other Monster products (such as the XP) this cable sounds good. However after almost 2 years on my system and two upgrades since, I must say that there is better stuff out there. As a few of the other reviewers have explained so I will not... Bright highs, bloated mids, and boomy bass. If you are looking at buying this product, find something else. I have upgraded to all Kimber since the Monster fiasco, and havn't looked back. I mean from interconnects to speaker cables and even digital connections. Monster just didn't cut it. Don't buy cables from a furniture store. Go to e-store at Handmade Electronics, they will treat you right. $200 Biwired set of Kimber 8TC 10' $150 Biwired 2 10' runs of Monster Z1 $50 = 10 times the sound. If I can just save one of you it will be worth it all...

Similar Products Used:

Monster XP Monster Z1 (I own 4 runs) I really gave it a chance. Kimber 4PR, 8PR, 8TC.

- Very well made and good look - Good basses

- Very tiring - Trebles and mediums are dribbling - The price (!!!)

I have brouht this cable one year ago because I wanted a great cable for my system. My choice was for the Monster Z1 at a high price. My conclusion after 3 months using this product is that I am disappointed. This cable is tiring : the trebles are to bright and agressive and the medium little blurred but the basses are very deep. The sound is too raw at every stage without delicacy. May be it suit to techno musics ?... In my opinion the price is too high for the value (60 €/4 meters). For a lower price the QED cables are a better choice. Definitively this Z1 is greedy !

Similar Products Used:

Monster XP

Sound good.

More money than any speakers wire is worth.

See the review by the guy with the Engeneering degree. He's absolutely right in saying that cable is cable and for speakers you want if FAT, which means low resistance. Other than that all this stuff about a certain cable giving you a better "soundstage" or having better response to a certain portion of the sound spectrum is NONSENSE. Technically there is just not enough inductance or capacitance at this level for any of that stuff to creep in. It just don't happen. Look it up! These Z1 wires are actually just fine, because the conductors are THICK. If spending the extra money makes you feel better about your system then by all means go with these. You certainly don't need to spend more!

Similar Products Used:

Standard 18/16/12 gauge speaker cable.