Radio Shack Stero Audio Cable

[rollo]

   Yessum that's it. Basic generic cables that IMO deliver as much info as neutral as possible. Bought them today installed them as was taken back dead cold that they did not offend me in anyway.
   Second reaction slight anger over the high priced cable before it. Third reaction, hey this sounds really good. As all cables in my experience the breakinitus Will appear for about 100 hours and all will be told. Only time will tell.
    So for $7.99 for 3ft give this a try. 


charles
     

[tmazz]

   Yessum that's it. Basic generic cables that IMO deliver as much info as neutral as possible. Bought them today installed them as was taken back dead cold that they did not offend me in anyway.
   Second reaction slight anger over the high priced cable before it. Third reaction, hey this sounds really good. As all cables in my experience the breakinitus Will appear for about 100 hours and all will be told. Only time will tell.
    So for $7.99 for 3ft give this a try. 


charles
     

Rat Shack sells a lot of different cables. Do you still have the packaging with the SKU number on it so we know which ones to look for?

[TooManyToys]

Something tells me I'm not going to be able to finally sell off all those "gold" RS cables I have stored in a cardboard box in the garage.

[rollo]

Something tells me I'm not going to be able to finally sell off all those "gold" RS cables I have stored in a cardboard box in the garage.

  There is a buyer for everything. No worry. Tom do not have the packageing any longer. They areeasy to identify. A black cable with plastic barrels with three dots on the barrel. They are called "stereo audio cable"
  I had Les over last night and told him that I just got new prototype ICs that cost thousands. after a couple hours of vinyl and then CD I gave up the truth. He was  Les uses Tara decade ICs between the Pre and amp in his system as I do. we could not get over the difference.
   I am well aware of synergy issues however after hearing two systems now using the Radio Shack ICs it appears they are neutral and have no ill affect. maybe a slight emphasis in the upper mid lower treble but no exxagerated sibilance or bright presentation. This trait subsided as more hours were put in. not many either.
   Three feet long is what we have used. Does the 6 foot version sound the same ?? It should but you never know. I am basing my opinion on the 3 ft pair. Just too good to be true but dam it is.


charles

[richidoo]

Rat Catalog #: 42-487
$7.50

[rollo]

Rat Catalog #: 42-487
$7.50

  Rich as always the man on the spot. Those are the ones. I'm still  over these cables ability to perform they do so far.
  Can someone please buy these and comment.


charles

[tmazz]

Picked up a 3 ft and a 6ft pair from the rat last night. I hope to have time to give them a listen today and will report back.

[tmazz]

Picked up a 3 ft and a 6ft pair from the rat last night. I hope to have time to give them a listen today and will report back.

So far they are just not doing it for me.I listen for a short while to the Jacintha "Here's to Ben Album" and compared to my MIT cable the Rat Shack collapsed the sound stage both from a side to side and a front to back perspective and gave the vocals a very hard and edgy sound. Not granted, A) it was a short listening session with only one album, B)I was using the 6 ft version, not the 3 ft that Rollo tried, and C) this was right out of the package with virtually no warm-up, never mind break-in, so I don't want to say that this is indicative of what the cables are capable of. We are also running different equipment so it also my be synergy rearing its ugly head as well. I will leave them in for a while to break in and report back if anything changes. Time will tell.

And BTW, even if they don't hold up well against a $500 pair of cables I think they do a preety nice job for the price you pay for them. Not a bad thing for a mid-fi type HT setup.

[richidoo]

Thanks for trying it out Tom, and reporting.

[tmazz]

Thanks for trying it out Tom, and reporting.

I'm not giving up yet. Who knows what might happen after 100 or so hours of break in?

[mdconnelly]

Those symptoms sound like either a cable in major need of burnin, or a cheap cable that ain't never gonna burn in enough.   Given RatShack and the price, I'd suspect the latter, but Charles has had quite a different experience and that has me curious!

[rollo]

  The cables are a changing. I was told last night by the person who recommended them to me about 150 hours to sound their best.
  I as well experienced a narrower soundstage but not until about 20 hours or so.  A tad softer now. Kinda like the Alan Maher affect but not that extreme Could the AM devices play a role in break-in ? [ I have noticed several times now that changing anything seems to go backwards for a few days and then OK ] Initially when first inserted neutral with zero issues. Now, forming. The bass is still focused and tight. No hardness, Hi Fi sound or exaggerated sibilance so far on top. Tom your findings surprised me. I heard them in two top systems with no ill affect. Time is on your side.   PRAT is spot on as well.  The toes are a tapping. Getting VG separation between instruments with depth. Width not yet. The tonality of the midrange is what lured me in. Midbass more prominent but not over emphasized. Berry berry nice.
  Tom did you separate the conductors ?? Forgot to mention that. Makes a difference. 
I'm burning them in 5 hours on 5 hours off a day. I'll give them one 24/7 burn in between. To my surprise the 5 hours off 5 hours on has been the most affective way to speed up the burn in. I used to leave the sucker on for a week 24/7 using a burn-in disc. No more.  The dielectric must be able to form and  the 5 hour method makes that happen sooner. Just cannot remember where I read that.
  Anyway, having fun trying hope you do too.


charles
   

[Face]

Do you take notes or make drawings when comparing differences in soundstage size?

[Regg]

I still have my Radio Shack Fusion Cables that made a little murmur on several audio forums a few years ago. Decent build with floating grounds, shielded with mylar foil, directional with ferrite slugs...never really put them to the challenge the way Rollo & Tmazz are though.  

[tmazz]

...........Given RatShack and the price, I'd suspect the latter, but Charles has had quite a different experience and that has me curious!

I am too, that's why I haven't given up.