This post has been a long time coming! Every time I walk into a Future Shop, Best Buy or The Source – I take a little stroll down the cable aisle. I really should stay away because that little stroll stresses me out – I fly through the emotions of amusement, shock and then anger. What does this to me is the price of the A/V cables at these various stores.
What a rip off! A $150 for a 1 meter HDMI cable has to be a misprint. A quick chat with one of the sales guy confirms that the price is right. When I express my shock at the price I get the standard sales pitch of “The quality is amazing!” and “You won’t get the same picture from a cheaper cable.” One sales guy even went so far to suggest that the cable did up converting. Pretty impressive for a piece of wire – idiot!
What a bunch of crap! Don’t get suckered in. These expensive cables are all just marketing hype – so do yourself a favour stay away and save your money. Actually the only cable I have ever had fail on me was a very expensive Monster audio cable.
My background is computer engineering, so I am by no means an expert on signal integrity and such exciting topics. However, I do work with a whole bunch of these types who share this view. Debating the theory behind all this would take me way off topic and is better left to A/V sites.
So what should you do when you get that new piece of A/V equipment? First tell the sales guy to take a hike when he walks you over to the cable aisle, then go home and check out these sites:
- Mono Price – I have bought a bunch of stuff from this shop. Prices are almost too low – equivalent HDMI cable to above is less then $5! They are base in the US. Shipping is usually over a week using USPS so no crazy brokerage fees. Great customer service.
- Blue Jeans Cable – I have never purchased from them but I am thinking of giving them my next order. The reason why is they are sticking it to Monster Cable. Read more here.
If you really want a laugh then check out this cable from Denon – $500 for a 1.5 meter ethernet cable. If you bought one of these then get in touch with me because I have a few high quality things to sell you.