Audio-Cable Reviews

The product description is a bit misleading. There are 3 spools of cable included with 30 ft. per spool - 2 spools of flat cable, 1 spool of oxygen-free. There is not an extra 50 ft. of flat cable.

Having said that, I think the kit is an excellent value vor the money. The 2 sets of video cables alone are worth the price of the kit. If you are doing a Home Theater installation, this is the way to go.

Considering that 1 set of Monster cables cost around $50, this package comes complete with 2 6ft Monster compatable cables, 2 long sets of rear speaker wire and a roll of regular speacker wire. Good value.

The cables are valued for money and does the job flawlessly, I hv another pair of monster cable and I cannot hear any different about the sound quality except see the price difference.

I am very happy with these cables and the sound and video they deliver. I only have one complaint which is the cables are very tight when pushed onto the rca jacks for the audio. When you try to pull them off they are difficult to pull off because they grip the rca posts so tightly. This condition may get better as they are used more.

If you need to edit video tape or just copy it to a medium such as VHS tape, get this. It is not only easy to use, the quality of your finished product is fabulous. I love it.

the picture is crystal clear on a 36" screen. clarity and definition can't be beat.

Richard J Greene's comments (below) are a little misleading. Let's be clear, Monster's passive composite to S-Video converter does not improve the quality of one's VHS source material. Richard's DVD analogy is erroneous since DVD video is stored with separate chroma and luminance signals to begin with and benefits greatly from an S-Video link so that the two remain independent. Conversely, the composite output of a DVD player is a compromised combination of the two.

But what the CSVA-1 does do is allow receiver based systems (where sources are switched by the receiver) to use just one S-Video link from receiver to TV. As receivers don't usually have the ability to convert composite signals to S-Video, if a system includes composite components such as a VHS VCR, when they're selected video is not routed to the TV unless a second, composite, receiver to TV connection is in place.

For this reason alone the Monster converter is indispensable, it allows S-Video to be used throughout a system and greatly simplifies A/V switching and wiring schemes.

With the use of the S-Video Adapter I am now able to enjoy other video sources, like TV and VHS in great picture quality. I couldn't imagine watching VHS without it. Especially since I own a DVD player and saw the difference with it's S-Video connection. This is worth the buy.

Monster cable does provide superior sound quality, My stereo system would be a heap of junk without the cables, You can Trust Monster Cable.

Maybe my expectations for this cable were a little high, but with monster products I have learned to set those expectations a little higher. That is why I was a little disappointed with this cable. Overall it is a very high quality cable and it gets the job done. However, this cable produces only moderately better sound then the cable I was using before it, a cable that cost much less. For someone who isn't an audiophile this cable definitely isn't for you. For someone who demands the BEST... I would recommend this cable.

This is a really cool piece of gear! Literally, you just plug it in, and you're set for great music. I have a Sony VAIO laptop w/ wireless connection to the internet. I placed my laptop near my Bose Lifestyle and hooked up the cable within 30 seconds (the cable plugs into the headphone slot in the computer). Great sound! Sounds just like a CD!

Really simple to set up, and the sound is great. I have an IBM T20 laptop computer. The internal speakers for a laptop are pretty good, but for listening to high fidelity audio, they just don't make the grade. I also have Harman/Kardon computer speakers; they're better than the laptop's internal speakers, but still nowhere near the rich sound you get from your hifi.
Then I connected the 10ft Monster Cable from my laptop to my Yamaha Amp. Wow! I have all my CDs ripped as MP3s on my laptop - from now on, this is how I will be listening to my music. The sound is superb - a different league from what you're used to from a laptop/computer. Maybe it's my great Amp, maybe it's my great laptop, but the sound is rich and clear. This cable was worth every penny.

I had some cheap speaker wire running between a great receiver and some decent speakers. I thought it sounded okay, but I wasn't really impressed. I bought some of this cable and as soon as I had everything rewired and turned on the system, I could notice that it sounded better. The bass seemed a lot lower and I was happy with the difference. My roommate also noticed the difference as well. Investing in cables is usually a pretty good idea considering how much interference can be caused by a lack of shielding, and how many cables you usually have running out of the back of a system.

Those cheap, thin wires that come with your speakers do not take full advantage of your stereo. The high resistance of thin wires looses wattage and can make your sound somewhat distortated or lacking depth. If you have a high powered system, a several thousand dollar quality system, or just an every day sony system, you will notice a difference. More power reaches your speakers making more base and less distortion. The thick wire adds depth and can greatly improve overall quality.

Do I use Monster cable? Well, yes, of corse! I have an Onkyo
60 X 5 surround sound reciver with surround sound model
#TX-SV444. I have KLH speakers. 4 satilites, a center, and a 120 watt powered sub. The set is model #SS02-HTIB. I originally had the stock KLH wire hooked up with my system, and it sounded good. But when I added the monster cable, the sound became strong and full of depth. I got much more bass out of the small sattilites, and the highs were noticably clearer.

If I have a choice, I will never buy another brand of wire.

Many people have not had the opportunity to listen to a good stereo with good speaker wire. Let's face it, many people have not had the opportunity to listen to a good stereo. After hooking up the Monster XP speaker wire to my Kenwood 507 Home Theater in a box system, I was truly amazed by the sound quality difference.

I was a little hesitant buying 50 dollar speaker wire - I mean come-on - I'm not made of money here... I just bought a $500 Home Theater system. But it was DEFINATELY WORTH IT. The added bass really enhances the full spectrum of sound. Whether you are listening to electronic music, classic rock, or classical - YOU WILL NOTICE A DIFFERENCE on a good stereo. I did hook it up to my low wattage Aiwa bookshelf system and did not find a huge difference. Maybe a little fuller bass.

When considering buying a good Stereo, Home Theater system, or Speakers - Don't go cheap on the speaker wire. It's like buying a Porche 911 and putting pleather on the seats...why ruin a beautiful thing?

ONE IMPORTANT POINT: Monster offers this wire in a off-white color instead of the clear plastic covers. If you want mount speakers on walls or hide the wire discretly - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND LOOKING FOR THIS COLOR. (...)

I had some cheap speaker wire running between a great receiver and some decent speakers. I thought it sounded okay, but I wasn't really impressed. I bought some of this cable and as soon as I had everything rewired and turned on the system, I could notice that it sounded better. The bass seemed a lot lower and I was happy with the difference. My roommate also noticed the difference as well. Investing in cables is usually a pretty good idea considering how much interference can be caused by a lack of shielding, and how many cables you usually have running out of the back of a system.

Those cheap, thin wires that come with your speakers do not take full advantage of your stereo. The high resistance of thin wires looses wattage and can make your sound somewhat distortated or lacking depth. If you have a high powered system, a several thousand dollar quality system, or just an every day sony system, you will notice a difference. More power reaches your speakers making more base and less distortion. The thick wire adds depth and can greatly improve overall quality.

Do I use Monster cable? Well, yes, of corse! I have an Onkyo
60 X 5 surround sound reciver with surround sound model
#TX-SV444. I have KLH speakers. 4 satilites, a center, and a 120 watt powered sub. The set is model #SS02-HTIB. I originally had the stock KLH wire hooked up with my system, and it sounded good. But when I added the monster cable, the sound became strong and full of depth. I got much more bass out of the small sattilites, and the highs were noticably clearer.

If I have a choice, I will never buy another brand of wire.

Many people have not had the opportunity to listen to a good stereo with good speaker wire. Let's face it, many people have not had the opportunity to listen to a good stereo. After hooking up the Monster XP speaker wire to my Kenwood 507 Home Theater in a box system, I was truly amazed by the sound quality difference.

I was a little hesitant buying 50 dollar speaker wire - I mean come-on - I'm not made of money here... I just bought a $500 Home Theater system. But it was DEFINATELY WORTH IT. The added bass really enhances the full spectrum of sound. Whether you are listening to electronic music, classic rock, or classical - YOU WILL NOTICE A DIFFERENCE on a good stereo. I did hook it up to my low wattage Aiwa bookshelf system and did not find a huge difference. Maybe a little fuller bass.

When considering buying a good Stereo, Home Theater system, or Speakers - Don't go cheap on the speaker wire. It's like buying a Porche 911 and putting pleather on the seats...why ruin a beautiful thing?

ONE IMPORTANT POINT: Monster offers this wire in a off-white color instead of the clear plastic covers. If you want mount speakers on walls or hide the wire discretly - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND LOOKING FOR THIS COLOR. (...)

You can see it on the photo, but I want to reiterate that the pods use staggered cable ends. These are designed for situations where the cable turns as it leaves the connection.

That is a nice feature when that happens (typically, where your cables turn either up or down at the connection, and the connections are in a vertical row).

However, there are some situations where this is a problem. For example, the 3 connectors are not in a row. Or you are making the turn in such a way that the colors do not match.

This design would be improved by interchangeable colors where the shortest radius turn matches your component scheme. One other improvement (in case you're reading, Monster) would be to imprint the cable number on the pod to make it easier to reorder. (Fortunately, Amazon lets you easily view all of your past product orders.)

Other than that, typically good Monster Cable fit and finish.

There are two reasons to buy this cable - high quality and convenience. Monster cables are extraordinary. I'm usually incapable of telling the difference between minor variations in sound and video quality, but after replacing cheap component cables with this, the picture seemed so much better.

This design for the cable (where all conductors pass through the same sheath, instead of glued-together parallel wires) makes cable organization very easy. When you've got a home-theater system, there are so many players that need their own cables; the compactness of the cable helps keep the clutter down.

This unit is much better than your average RCA-to-Mini interconnect. If you're serious about hearing the best your soundcard can provide, or if you're a musician using a soundcard with 1/8th inch jacks, I highly recommend this item.

peace

I bought this cable to connect my portable CD player to my new receiver, since I wasn't up for shelling out the cash for a second CD player. The cable works fine with my Kenwood portable -- it plugs into the player's larger headphone/speaker port. The RCA connectors fit snugly to the receiver inputs, and the sound I get is clean and precise. The cable should also connect to any sound card's output, though you might want more length depending on your setup. Since I just set my CD player on top of the receiver, 1m is plenty.

i've tried to use this on two macs. terrible results

m-audio does not have forums on their site.

there is a reason. their drivers are unreliable and highly incompatible.

absolutely refuse to provide any documentation nor do they accept returns.

if you value the stability of your computer, stay clear. stay well clear.

I have been using this interface with both a Mac and a PC and it works well with both. Great product!

This is a good adapter for home use. Having been a roadie, I can pretty confidently say the Midisport Uno's build quality isn't roadworthy -- the attached MIDI cables are about as thin as the RCA cables that come with most home audio equipment, nowhere near as tough as patch cords for a stage rig. But the average home user, who's not plugging and unplugging in a hurry and stepping on the equipment and such, should have no worries. I have one, and it works fine.

A note about appearance: My Uno's body (the oval part, smaller than an average computer mouse) is a deep translucent blue, rather than the opaque color in the current photo here on Amazon. Also, the cables are all one color, black, though the IN and OUT plugs are clearly labeled in molded lettering. There are three green LEDs: one that lights up when the computer recognizes the adapter, one for MIDI in signals, and one for MIDI out -- handy for troubleshooting.

I bought the Uno to connect my Roland alphaJuno-2 to my PowerBook and play with GarageBand. I took it out of the packaging (a rare treat: a molded clamshell-type plastic package that isn't heat-sealed, so it doesn't have to be cut to shreds to open) and hooked it up, and nothing happened. I initially thought that Mac OS X would recognize it automatically, so it took me a few minutes to realize I needed to install the driver software. Although there are drivers on the included CD-ROM, I downloaded the latest version from the manufacturer's web site, installed, and the Uno instantly lit up and GarageBand informed me (because I already had the Roland powered up) that a MIDI device was now connected. It's worked flawlessly since.

Simple to use; no extra cables to attach -- I think this is the perfect USB MIDI adapter for GarageBand users or anyone else connecting one MIDI keyboard to a computer at home.