Monster Cable Z2 Biwire Speaker Cable Speaker Cables

Monster Cable Z2 Biwire Speaker Cable Speaker Cables 

DESCRIPTION

Precision Audiophile Speaker Cable for Biwire Applications

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-5 of 5  
[Jul 03, 2001]
Les K.
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Interchangeable tips, heavy construction.

Weakness:

none

These cables really made an improvement over the biwire 12 gauge zipcord I was using before. Imaging and detail are much improved and ride cymbal stickwork is much more defined. For those of you that still think that "copper is copper" and that lamp zipcord should be good enough, that's what I thought too and I couldn't believe the difference. Try it out.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 20, 2001]
Joey
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Clean design, modular connectors

Weakness:

Bulk makes it less than ideal for "stealth" installations.
Nothing invisible about these cables

I had used various Monster speaker cables but none have equalled the imaging and additional texture one can hear in the quieter passages of a well miked & recorded disc. Most people turn up the volume on today's popular music and lose out on the dynamics of a musical piece. Next time anyone auditions a pair of speakers, ask the sales rep if they have a CD with a lot of dynamic range to it and listen closely to the quieter passages. IF you can hear the movements of the instruments, piano, violin, flute, etc. under normal listening volumes, you'll know what I mean. I spent a bundle for my system. Yamaha DSPA1, Energy 5+2, 2+2 and AC300. Talk about realism!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 25, 2001]
Hunter Brown
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

easy to use biwire solution, heavy, should last. Hopefully kitty cat proof. Ease of use with interchangeable Monster Lock mechanism which can support seemingly any connection you need for your speaker/amp.

Weakness:

still breaking them in, don't quite know yet

10 foot run...price includes some of the Monster Lock connector heads, 3 packs of 4 ea.. (4 for amp, 8 for speakers).

These are the first bi-wire cables I have tried.. but I didn't audition any other cables, so I can't say really comment what da' bomb is. (More below on that).

Previously, I was using single runs of Monster Cable, heavy, double shielded cable (probably on the higher end, from a spool from my hi fi Paradigm shop. Sorry..don't know model number). Those cables were definitely well shielded and thick and a did a good job with the banana plugs, but curiosity got the better of me to try biwire cables on my own out of faith...and w/o feeling funny with the hi fi shop "poo pooing" my "Denon" system.

My mains are the Paradigm Studio Reference v.2 60's. So, I am using the 10 foot length of the Z2 biwires, which conveniently have the biwire runs well labled with "low pass" and "high pass" so you can keep it straight which ends go where.

To be politically correct, I should have allowed my hi fi shop sell me some other brand of cables or I could have auditioned multiple kinds, but I got the, "need them now complex", and went to the GoodGuys and got this set. Plus, my receiver is the Denon AVR 3801, which is pretty nice, but not as "anal" as a limited/higher end/snooty separate component system that an audiophile would be caught dead with. Since I have a one solution for all system, it sort of made sense to get these cables. Believe me though, I have a music bachelors degree and demand excellence for two channel classical stereo music. I'm also interested in home theater too..so I have to compromise here and there....but require good music/sound hopefully from my system.

Now, I am not sure if what I am hearing is a biwire solution, or these cables. But the effect is a more solid, even feel to the sound between the lows and highs. The Paradigm Ref's are good for that, but I think the biwire/Monster solution improved that.

I notice that the fidelity is clearer at softer volumes with nothing missing. Before, there was more of a "sweet spot" for volume, but now I can have the volume at lot lower and feel that I am getting a consistent/true sound picture. Perhaps that is the biwire getting out of the way of the crossover circuits. dunno. Perhaps the Paradigms are coming to life finally, and these cables are delivering current more efficiently.

I notice more too, weaker recordings. Differences between 16/44 and 24/192 (yes, I do have a DVD-Audio player) recordings...or even recordings where some of the orchestra instruments are exagerated in volume with a net effect of sounding too independent or flatter are apparent. This most likely is because I do have great speakers that don't hide much of anything, but I think the biwiring/cables do even more to define the sound. (Does this mean I have to get a whole new CD library?)

I have to commend Monster Cable for making a pretty smart package of cables that have the inter-changeable, screw on gold connecter heads for these cables. It's just easy to use and assumes that you can use these cables with various sets of speakers through out time. What I think you're paying for is the packaging of biwire cables into an easy to use application. It's no longer an octopus with lots of cables running around...messy messy.

My only regret is not waiting/ordering the 15ft lengths. 10 is rather tight, esp for a wide home theater setting, maybe.

Also got to love the thickness of these things. I think it harder for my cats to chomp on them now.

So I recommend these as they're not bad at all, but I haven't tried other cables out there yet. If you want a single solution and need it now, get these. I think they're worth the price.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Jan 04, 2001]
Michael Boros
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

-Great sound
-Great Looks

Weakness:

-Price

Bi-wiring really does make a difference and these cables look and feel great. I've used the cables on a few occasions to "educate" audiophile-bashers. Audiophile-Bashers are people who think that there's little noticeable difference between a $300 pair of speakers and a $3,000 pair. I ask them if they think there's a difference between speaker cables and they usually laugh. Then I sit them down in front of my B&W CDM7 SEs without the Z2s and then with them... HUGE DIFFERENCE.

I want to buy more of these cables!!!

Similar Products Used:

-Misc junk cables

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Oct 14, 2000]
Dmitriy
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Nice quality sound, very good for its price.

Suggested for a begginer enthusiast, for speakers over $1000.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-5 of 5  

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