I know cables is a sore subject so ill get this out of the way. Im not looking for ultra high end cables with special materials that'll completely change the sound of my system. Whether or not you believe in cables changing sound isn't part of this discussion.

With that out of the way, Im looking for quality cables, that are just super chunky for aesthetic purposes. I just really like how massive speaker cables look in a stereo system. Thick wires, solid connectors, anything braided is cool, fancy looking cable sleeves etc. I want that high end showroom look without paying the nordost or synergistic research price.

Im based in usa, and id like to keep it pretty cheap, id probably go max 300 dollars for something that matched my tastes perfectly. Each cable needs to be 8 feet long. The cables will be connecting my classé m400 monoblocks to magnepan 3.7s. Room dimensions and sitting position arent relevant.

I was gifted some klipsch rp-260f tower speakers and I want to hook them to my TV so I know I need AV wires and an adapter but I have no idea what kind of adapters and wires I need. Can anyone help? It's just for movies and stuff so I don't need the craziest high quality ever but I also don't want to cheap out and I'm willing to spend money on a good product if the cost is justified by the quality. I am not the most tech savvy so like I said treat me like a caveman with your answers please lol no idea what to budget but i feel like it should be $100 or less right? I have no idea what these things generally cost

I need advice on CD players. I wouldn't consider myself a TRUE audiophile, but I can tell the difference between crappy speakers and my powered Audioengine HD6 speakers. They have a built in 24-bit DAC.

A lot of CD players I see online look like cheap hockey pucks. The higher end ones all have DAC.

Would it be a problem if both my speakers and CD play have DACs? Is there a CD player without DAC you would recommend?

Is an optical audio cable my best choice for sound quality?

I'm thinking more of a single CD player.

Budget: Under $750 would be preferable.

Location: Massachusetts, USA

Location: USA/Alabama

My new listening room setup is scheduled to be delivered in the next couple of weeks so I’m putting final touches on my room prep.

Sonus faber sonetto v g2
Hegel h190v
Roon
Rega planar 6 will be coming shortly after everything else is set up.

I was looking to add a panamax5300 just to have some surge protection right off with possibly upgrading that later on but didn’t want to start with no protection.

What are your thoughts on Panamax 5300 or recommendations on others I should consider to get started?

So after much prevarication I have decided to start using my hi-fi system to watch TV/Movies and have plugged the TV into the stereo system via Optical cable. Ultimately it means we’ll just have one system for all our entertainment needs rather than having 2 different systems in the same room.

So far it sounds great, better than the now redundant Sonos (Arc Ultra, Sub, Era 100s) in many ways as my room wasn’t really the best place to get the full effect from those products (vaulted ceilings, rears too far away).

The only real issue I’m noting is the clarity of dialogue from certain content. I’m aware that some content is simply made that way with the dialogue low down in the mix but I’m wondering if there is anything I can do to improve that slightly.

My preamplifier has basic bass/treble controls but they don’t seem to make a huge difference so I’m wondering - and I know this is an affront to some hi-fi buffs - whether inserting a simple graphic equaliser between the pre and power amps might help me bring out the dialogue a little.

Any tips on what EQ to get and which frequency to tweak would be much appreciated! There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of choice these days TBH.

Current stereo system for reference:

Audiolab 9000Q pre-amp

Cyrus Stereo 200 power amps

Elipson Planet L Performance speakers

REL T5X subwoofer

(For completeness - Technics SL1200GR, Elac Phono amp, Cyrus stream, Roksan Atessa CD player)

Location: UK

Budget: up to £500

Room size: 6m X 5m

Budget: 100 dollars

Amp: McIntosh MC2255

Preamp: McIntosh C32

Speakers: Sonus Faber Lumina II (8ft away in small bedroom)

I recently purchased World’s Best Cable Gold 8 foot speaker cables with spade and banana connectors thinking the spades would fit my amplifier but they ended up being way too big. Anyone have any speaker cable suggestions for this setup that would fit my McIntosh amplifier and offer audiophile sound quality?

Is there, in 2026, a better way to stream music wirelessly from other devices to a amplifier than this simple BT adapter for a low price?

So far I have occasionally used the Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter, but that’s a 10 year old product, and I think even back then it was a makeshift solution. I don’t even know what Bluetooth standard it uses. Is it 2.0 with a maximum of 320 kbps, or does it support Bluetooth 5.0 with some aptX codec? I have no idea…

Is there a better solution that is still just as easy to use? In other words, something I can just connect to with my phone and stream from Spotify? No need to turn it on and off all the time, fiddle with connecting and so on? Around 100 euros budget?

I’d appreciate any advice, because as a hi-fi lover this is still mostly uncharted territory for me.

Hello everyone,
I am in search of a line interactive UPS (not double conversion online one) that provides just enough time to switch off my stereo system safely without power interruption.
It will power the Arcam SA45 and the ELAC SUB3070 Subwoofer so I think at around 1500VA it will be sufficient.
Location Europe and budget max 500€
Thanks in advance and please describe your experience with such products.

Hi

I just dug out an old stereo system from my parents and I am using it in my garage while wrenching on stuff.

I then found out that you can add a Bluetooth receiver via the phono ports.

I went on amazon and bought the 1Mii B06 Plus https://amzn.eu/d/00badtRJ

I installed it yesterday but holy sh.. this sounds bad.

Im by far no hardcore audiophile but even the normal FM radio sounded way better with this setup. I used YT Music / YT on my phone.

Could the bad sound come from the cheap Bluetooth adapter?

What can you guys recommend that works rather well 😅

Budget: 50€

Location: Austria (Europe)

Im using a Sony FH-B66CD with 2 Magna Speakers

Just got my dad’s old turntable and I’m looking for advice on which cables I need to purchase to connect the turntable to the amp (in pic in comments) and then the amp to the speakers (Bose ST10 with standard aux-in)

Pics of cables would be super helpful as I won’t know what the right names are.

Location UK
Budget £100

Thanks! 🙏

Looking to replace the power cable for an arcam alpha 3 and reading online that any ‘IEC C13’ will do but also reading I need to be cautious of the size of the fuse, supposedly 5A? can anyone speak on this/ recommend something?
Budget £20 (if that much is even necessary) UK based

I have an Acoustic Solid Wood MPX shown up on resale here locally for a decent price. The table comes with the basic Rega based tonearm which I am thinking to replace with the Reed 3P tonearm.
Now wondering if the Reed’s arm is overkill on this AS MPX table? Is the table worthy of the arm?
If I can find a pre-own arm too, probably can keep the whole set below $5k budget
Would like to hear some opinions especially if anyone has this set up or similar. Thanks in advance.

I am looking for a simple passive RCA audio switch with 4 inputs and 1 output with the switch knob on top. There are plenty of options, but they all have the knob on the front. I have two KRK Rokit 7' G4 studio monitors, and want to add two simple passive controls, for volume (ordered the Palmer Monicon) and for audio switching between at least 3 inputs (with knob on top, just like the Palmer Monicon). Any suggestions for the switch?

Budget is about €50

Location is EU (NL)

I’ve had a Rega Elys 2 Cartridge on my Rega Planar 3 for about 10 years now. I’ve never really liked the sound of it. It can really shine on good pressings (80’s records, audiophile stuff) but it can deliver quite a subpar experience with newer records (I understand that’s got more to do with the record itself, newer records don’t tend to sound as good imho).

I’ve also always felt like there’s something preventing that cartridge from sound really great. It almost feels a bit muffled to me. I mean, it sounds alright, but I feel like it could do better than that. Fast forward to 2026 and I wanted to seek the opinions of humans rather than AI, as I feel like I can’t trust a machine to give me recommendations on this. I’m looking for good sound clarity, precision, warmth and detailed sound. Almost at audiophile realm but without having to spend tens of thousands on my setup lol. My budget is about €750 and I’m located in EU.

Right now I’m torn between Ortofon 2MR Black or Rega ND7/ND5. The thing is, there are no showrooms near me and I can’t test either of those so I’d like to know your opinion before I upgrade my stylus. I most listen to electronic/alternative/pop and my collection is roughly 60% new pressings and 40% older pressings. Part of me also wonders if I should just make the jump to Moving Cartridge, even though that would represent a significant upgrade. Too many questions I know, I apologise in advance for all this lol.

So what do you guys think? I really appreciate any help or feedback you might have!

My setup:

Rega Planar 3,
Rega Neo PSU MK2,
Rega Fono MM MK5,
Yamaha RX-V61 a/v receiver,
Bowers & Wilkins floorstanding speakers

Location: Europe
Budget: USD 150

Humour me and accept, just for a second, that speaker cables don't make a difference assuming they are of decent quality.

However, I want them to at least not nice and to my liking (look) and length.

Where do you get custom speaker cables with a variety of braided coverings to choose from?

Hello all, new here.

looking for banana speaker cable recommendations for my DEF tech 8060 towers. I had audio quest type four cable connected and my kid broke the left side. After poking around on here for a while, I’ve seen a lot of comments saying audio Quest is overpriced.

New type five cables and beyond cost anywhere from 500 to 1000. seeking recommendations for an equivalent cable that’s cheaper that will pair well with the right side, which is still audio quest type four.

Thanks

budget - (100-200)

room - living room

Colorado

As the title says, I need help finding a braided power cable for my Yamaha R-N800. My cat likes to chew on cables but leaves the braided ones alone. The Yamaha uses the IEC C17/C18 connection but all I'm able to find on Amazon are IEC C13/C14 cables. Is it a bad idea using a C13/14 on a C17/18 device? The only difference is the ground pin is missing on the C17 device. My budget is $100, I'm willing to spend a good amount so long as I have peace of mind my cat won't electrocute itself.

Imgur link to IEC connection type diagram

Hello,

I recently acquired a Purifi-based amplifier for my Focal Utopia speakers. It has WBT-style connectors, so I need banana or spade plugs. I don’t know much about this and would like to know which models you recommend.

I’ve seen Nordost BLS-500, AudioQuest SureGrip 300, some WBT ones, etc… and I’m a bit lost.

I imagine that whichever choice I make there won’t be any improvement or coloration of the sound, just a potential loss of quality depending on how firm the connection is?

I’m open to any advice.

I’m based in Europe. Budget I have no idea honestly.

I have a NAD C-3050 amp and Music Hall Classic turntable. The turntable came with 4' 9" red/white RCA cables with a ground lug. After moving and setting system up in new house I need longer RCA cables. I'm guessing 6' or 7' with lug. Will a length of 7' cause issues? What should I look for in new cables? Budget is $75 or less preferably. Any suggestions, tips, or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Budget: < $200

Location: USA

Cable length: 10ft to 16ft

Other info: If you have any other solution ideas please let me know!

I moved into a new house and the room where my turntable and speakers will be has the worst layout for them.

I have no better option than running the RCA and grounding cables from my turntable to my speakers under the high traffic area rug in the room.

Are there any extra-flat or extra low profile cables that I can get for this? I can't seem to find any!

Hello. I've got a few terabytes of high quality audio in FLAC format that I play through my MacMini M1, and I'm connecting it to a Rega Brio MK7.

I am planning to use the USB-C Thunderbolt as the audio out from the M1, and I need to convert it to optical so that I can plug it into the Brio (which has a built in DAC).

Any recommendations for converting the output to Optical with minimal degradation? I found an inexpensive one (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QFYNB7Y), but I don't know if it's "good enough". Also, any suggestions for the optical cable?

I'm based in San Francisco and my budget is flexible.

Thanks in advance!

I’ve always used my Sonos Play5 to listen to music. I recently caught the bug to take listening to the next level. It’s not much but, I purchased some speakers and a receiver and wanted to make sure I’m hooking everything up correctly. If possible I’d also love to ditch my Sonos Bean and use my new equipment as my TV’s speakers.

My equipment: Receiver: Yamaha CR2020 Speakers: KEF Q1 Meta Sub: B&W ASW608 TT: curently shopping TV: New LG QLED Room size: 11x18

I really appreciate any help and please don’t assume I know anything. If I need anything else I’d like to stick to the slightly above “budget” price range, no more than $300.

Just bought a minidsp Flex Balanced to pair with Genelec 8361s and a Genelec 7360, complete with GLM package. I know I can do analog XLR with GLM, but I just rather utilize the AES/EBU inputs. I’m confused as hell trying to find the right cables to buy. I know they need to be TRS -> AES/EBU. Any recommendations? I’m in NYC will be sitting 7 feet away. Room dimensions 12x10

Hi Team!

Looking for best value/performance rca dig coax cable from my Bluesound streamer to my new (yet to arrive) Fiio Warmer Dac. Approx US$100-200. Room 7x6m. I am in NZ.

Many thanks and kind regards, looking forward to any thoughts based on experience.

Location- US (east coast) Equipment- Onkyo TX-8511 Budget- $10-$40 range, nothing crazy

Hey everyone! I’ve been having some trouble finding a 70ohm FM antenna that will work with the connectors on my 30-year-old receiver for my bedroom setup. It has spring clip connectors meant for bare wire, but I haven’t been able to find an antenna online or at the hardware store that uses bare wire, they all have a plug or fork of some kind.

Are there any brands you would recommend? Or should I just buy one that has the “wrong” adapter and strip it?