Why are Monster Cables so expensive?

sitheris

sitheris

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For HDMI, a 4' Monster cable is $149, but a 6' Acoustic Research is $54.99. Is Monster really that much better? Or are they just gouging?

Now that I'm asking, could someone recommend me a good HDMI cable for kinda cheap. I think 4-6 feet would be plenty. My parents just bought LCD HDTV + DVD Player with HDMI out, need to tell them what to get next :p

Thanks
 
Your BM shops make most of their profit off selling you accessories, hence why they charge some much for monster cables.

if you want good, low-cost cables check out these guys:

http://www.ramelectronics.net/

I got a DVI to HDMI cable and a HDMI to HDMI cable (changed Cable boxes) from them and the prices where very reasonible and they came really quick..but then again I do live in the same state as where they are located.
 
RAM is a great place, but if you want to save even more money, with the same picture quality, try:

http://www.monoprice.com

I bought my 25' HDMI/DVI cable from them. While I plan to use it for my projector, I tested it on my PC using a HDMI to DVI adapter. At 1920x1200, the image was flawless.

FWIW, my 25' HDMI cable uses the same gauge wire as RAM Electronics' "premium" HDMI cable...
 
same reason bose speakers are expensive, they have a great name and marketing
 
ScHpAnKy said:
same reason bose speakers are expensive, they have a great name and marketing
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The only difference is: Monster cables are actually decent and Bose speakers are not :)
 
The short answer is 'because people buy them.' Seriously, if you had a business where you could charge pretty much whatever you wanted and people still bought it, why would you keep the price down?

I'll do another recommendation for monoprice. Placed my first order there yesterday and I should have it on Thursday, just in time to do some rewiring over the Christmas weekend :)

 
OregonLAN said:
The only difference is: Monster cables are actually decent and Bose speakers are not :)
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Yeah, it's comparing a BMW to a Lexus...both have high prices, but the BMW eats the Lexus alive... :p
 
Why are they so expensive? Because there are stupid people (second one on that page) out there who will pay that much (words like "audiophile" and "videophile" come to mind).
CrimandEvil said:
After spenting so much on lawyer fees trying to sue everyone that uses the word "monster" Monster Cables has to make that money back some how.
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That's no joke.
ScHpAnKy said:
same reason bose speakers are expensive, they have a great name and marketing
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'Tis true, unfortunately. Their cables aren't any better than the ones linked in other posts, but they have to pay for the lawyers and the advertisers somehow.

 
Mohonri said:
y better than the ones linked in other posts, but they have to pay for the lawyers and the advertisers somehow.

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Depends on the kind of cable we are talking about.

For HDMI, being that it is a digital signal with error correction, if you get the signal, it is as good as it is going to be.
 
Expensive HDMI cables are about as funny as expensive optical SPDIF cables. It's digital. The signal either gets there or it doesn't. Same reason they use the cheapo coax cable for the connection between the DirecTV dish and the receiver. It's digital.. putting some massive shielded coax there isn't going to help anything.

Would you pay $150 for a super-premium quality Monster Serial ATA cable? Made with Oxygen-free Monster Ultra-High Density 12 gauge Silver Plated Stranded Copper with Quad Shielding technology?? Give me a break. It's sure as hell not going to make your hard drive any faster.

There is a lot to be said for high quality analog cables such as component video or analog audio interconnects, but everything Monster Cable makes is ridiculously overpriced.
 
"Why are Monster Cables so expensive?"

Because if they're the most expensive, then people will assume they're the best ;)
 
kumquat said:
Expensive HDMI cables are about as funny as expensive optical SPDIF cables. It's digital. The signal either gets there or it doesn't. Same reason they use the cheapo coax cable for the connection between the DirecTV dish and the receiver. It's digital.. putting some massive shielded coax there isn't going to help anything.
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Not exactly, many cheap DVI and HDMI cables cannot handle enough bandwidth to transmit high definition signals in 1080p.
 
For DVI, isn't that called 'single-link'? As long as you buy a 'dual-link' DVI cable, 1080p should be no problem. Single link goes up to 1600x1200. I don't remember the upper end on dual link.
 
HiJon89 said:
Not exactly, many cheap DVI and HDMI cables cannot handle enough bandwidth to transmit high definition signals in 1080p.
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DVI yes, but only over long distances or if the cable is broken. HDMI was built with longer cable lengths in mind, and has error correction built in. I have never seen a HDMI cable that wasn't broken be unable to carry a HD signal.
 
SparksNelec said:
For DVI, isn't that called 'single-link'? As long as you buy a 'dual-link' DVI cable, 1080p should be no problem. Single link goes up to 1600x1200. I don't remember the upper end on dual link.
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No HD resolution requires dual-link DVI. Single link DVI will actually do up to 1920x1200, maybe higher, but I know dual-link is required for 2560x1600.
 
Thanks to the OP of the monoprice link!

My projector will thank you once that excellently priced 25ft DVI-M1 cable comes in!! :D
 
Monster cable are good but not that good. Save your money for something else. monoprice.com is a good source. I am NOT saying to go out and buy flea market stuff either.
 
mutazx said:
Thanks to the OP of the monoprice link!

My projector will thank you once that excellently priced 25ft DVI-M1 cable comes in!! :D
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I bought the HDMI to DVI cable, but I'm using it exclusively as a DVI cable between the projector and HTPC (with an adapter). Why not buy a DVI to DVI cable then?

1. Incase I choose to upgrade my HTPC with something that uses HDMI
2. So I can run the cable through 1/2” conduit/holes. HDMI plugs are much smaller than DVI plugs.
 
gah, i just found monoprice yesterday browsing the HTPC deals section. man, i'm gettin me a dvi to component adapter for my 9500 that is in my soon to be HTPC...finally. a vga to tv out adapter for my matrox g450 that'll be going in a dedicated pvr. man, these are exciting times!!!

oh i remember when i worked at BB. only was a stockboy because i had a day job and i wouldn't have been able to well, "sell-up" stuff. got the monster cable headphone to rca adapter meant for ipods....it was like 3 bucks with the employee discount instead of 29.99. only used it a couple times too. oh well, it was cheaper than a value meal.
 
pre1014 said:
gah, i just found monoprice yesterday browsing the HTPC deals section. man, i'm gettin me a dvi to component adapter for my 9500 that is in my soon to be HTPC...finally. a vga to tv out adapter for my matrox g450 that'll be going in a dedicated pvr. man, these are exciting times!!!

oh i remember when i worked at BB. only was a stockboy because i had a day job and i wouldn't have been able to well, "sell-up" stuff. got the monster cable headphone to rca adapter meant for ipods....it was like 3 bucks with the employee discount instead of 29.99. only used it a couple times too. oh well, it was cheaper than a value meal.
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Heh, I used to work at CC. I loved monster (hell, they send me $300 bonus checks every other month because I kept winning their contests), and yeah, I have a ton of Monster stuff just because I could get it so cheap. When they laid me off (company went non-commission and they fired all of the commissioned people making too much to keep on at an hourly wage, what a dick move) I bought up every concievable cable I thought I might need in the next several years at cost. I still have a huge bag full of stuff in my closet.
 
SparksNelec said:
For DVI, isn't that called 'single-link'? As long as you buy a 'dual-link' DVI cable, 1080p should be no problem. Single link goes up to 1600x1200. I don't remember the upper end on dual link.
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NulloModo said:
No HD resolution requires dual-link DVI. Single link DVI will actually do up to 1920x1200, maybe higher, but I know dual-link is required for 2560x1600.
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Dual-Link has nothing to do with use in home theater applications. Taken from various articles written about DVI cables being used to connect home theater components:
Dual link vs Single Link: Don't believe the "hype" some websites are using about dual link cables being superior to single link cables. A single link cable is 100% as good as a dual link cable for single link equipment which covers about 99.5% of current equipment, including HDTV's, Projectors, Plasma Screens, and High Definition Set top Boxes. A better quality cable is a better quality cable, and single and dual link has nothing to do with quality. On the other hand, if both devices being connected support Dual links, then a dual link cable is the proper cable for the application, and you will have the capability of much greater resolutions and refresh rates. A properly designed Dual link cable should have no negative effects when used with single link equipment.
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DVI Single Link or DVI Dual Link? The digital interface uses 24 of the possible 29 pins found on a DVI-I interconnect. A single link DVI cable would enable 12 of those 24 digital pins. A dual link configuration enables all 24. For audio/video applications a single link interconnect is the correct choice. The dual link configuration, while not improving performance on a single link system, will not hinder performance and is interchangeable in that application.
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DVI-D Single Link vs. DVI-D Dual Link. We have found problems using Dual Link cables with DVD players and digital displays. So far, the Single Link seems to work fine.
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In short, buying a dual-link cable is pointless because it doesn't do anything unless both components being connected support dual-link DVI which no home theater components do.
 
OregonLAN said:
http://www.monoprice.com

I bought my 25' HDMI/DVI cable from them. While I plan to use it for my projector, I tested it on my PC using a HDMI to DVI adapter. At 1920x1200, the image was flawless.

FWIW, my 25' HDMI cable uses the same gauge wire as RAM Electronics' "premium" HDMI cable...
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There's a fella at AVS who recently claimed that Monoprice's 50' 24awg dvi cable works perfectly on his projector (i'm assuming he meant no sparklies & blocking). Not 100% sure i believe him because he didn't exactly follow-up with more details. I have their 15' single-link dvi cable and can confirm it works flawless in every way possible.


kumquat said:
It's digital. The signal either gets there or it doesn't.
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That's a myth, otherwise how would we explain "sparklies" "blocking" and "jitter". You still need a decently engineered digital cable especially if you're going to run it longer distances.


NulloModo said:
HDMI was built with longer cable lengths in mind, and has error correction built in.
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I had suspected this but never stumbled upon any evidence to confirm it. One reason i suspected is because i've never seen an HDMI cable with ferrites on the cable. This is good info for those building their HT from scratch, this way they can shoot for 100% hdmi, and not be as concerned with cable lengths (imho).

I'll be putting in another order at Monoprice fairly soon again. I'm re-arranging things with my HT since the arrival of my new projector, and may begin swapping out for new components like dvd players, graphic cards, etc etc etc. Got to figure out what i'm swapping before i buy cables though!
 
SJetski71 said:
I had suspected this but never stumbled upon any evidence to confirm it. One reason i suspected is because i've never seen an HDMI cable with ferrites on the cable. This is good info for those building their HT from scratch, this way they can shoot for 100% hdmi, and not be as concerned with cable lengths (imho).
Click to expand...

These issues are true with DVI, but not with HDMI. HDMI, though mainly pushed because of the mandatory HDCP support, is also much more friendly for longer cable lengths and cheaper cable costs for OEMs.
 
Truthfully monster stuff isn't that good until you get into thier upper tier stuff and at that price point you can get much better quality cables for less than your paying for outlandish prices. I make all my own cables except for HDMI or Optical cables. It is not cheaper but I get better quality than what I would get if I was buying pre-made cables for the same price. Then again its part of my job to make cables during installs so its second nature for me to do so.

I will have to check out a monoprice HDMI cable once the aftermarket HDMI/DVI input card for my Ampro 4600 becomes available.

And there are definitely times where having a cheap cable run over long distances will come into play as a problem. Another thing to think about it connector quality, some cheap toslink cables will pull right out of a component at the slightest breeze or RCA connections where the outside parts of the connector break off can really suck.
 
Bighitter said:
Truthfully monster stuff isn't that good until you get into thier upper tier stuff and at that price point you can get much better quality cables for less than your paying for outlandish prices. I make all my own cables except for HDMI or Optical cables. It is not cheaper but I get better quality than what I would get if I was buying pre-made cables for the same price. Then again its part of my job to make cables during installs so its second nature for me to do so.

I will have to check out a monoprice HDMI cable once the aftermarket HDMI/DVI input card for my Ampro 4600 becomes available.

And there are definitely times where having a cheap cable run over long distances will come into play as a problem. Another thing to think about it connector quality, some cheap toslink cables will pull right out of a component at the slightest breeze or RCA connections where the outside parts of the connector break off can really suck.
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You make your own cables huh? That's pretty hardcore...I'd love to see your media setup, seeing how you have 2 HTPC's and a Media Server, I bet you have a pretty uber entertainment system :)
 
sitheris said:
You make your own cables huh? That's pretty hardcore...I'd love to see your media setup, seeing how you have 2 HTPC's and a Media Server, I bet you have a pretty uber entertainment system :)
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Its surprisingly simple to make cables, considering component, composite, RCA audio, and coaxial digital audio cables are pretty much exactly the same thing. All you really need to make any of these cables is some coaxial cable, some RCA connectors, and a crimping tool.
 
HiJon89 said:
Its surprisingly simple to make cables, considering component, composite, RCA audio, and coaxial digital audio cables are pretty much exactly the same thing. All you really need to make any of these cables is some coaxial cable, some RCA connectors, and a crimping tool.
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And you can get fancy and add sheaths(sp?) to them and nicely heat shrink over the connectors and make some rather nice looking cables. (note the sheaths and heat shrink add no value other than looks).
 
Bighitter said:
And there are definitely times where having a cheap cable run over long distances will come into play as a problem. Another thing to think about it connector quality, some cheap toslink cables will pull right out of a component at the slightest breeze or RCA connections where the outside parts of the connector break off can really suck.
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Bighitter or anyone else, if i may threadjack, i meant to ask someone more familiar with cable building and engineering in general.

I need approx 25' of component cables for a 720p front projector i just purchased. Would you know if this RG-59u based set transmit a sharp picture, or do you believe the picture would be too cough, "softened", or be overly susceptible to interference by something RG-59 based. I realize monoprice's component cables have some pretty cheap connectors, but i would rarely shuffle them around once installed. I'm not looking for 100% quality, i'd be pretty satisfied with 98% percent if you know what i mean.

BTW, these component cables would be used for a secondary dvd player/recorder, my main video sources would be using either hdmi or dvi or vga (htpc, upscaling dvd player etc etc).

Thanks in advance to anyone with some insight.
 
I make my own cable

Canare for the wires and plug ends :)

Works like a champ and is cheap too :)
 
Technically it should work. I work with Liberty Serial Digital Interconnect which is technically RG59 that has been swept tested to 3Ghz and has a very good shielding. Is it possible you will lose some quality, most definitely but truthfully you would have to try it and find out, though as cheap as those are it wouldn't hurt.

I actually like the look of the monoprice cables for budget cables, they use atleast decent quality connectors and the boots appear to be fairly sturdy.
 
www.cablewholesale.com

It's a local company (Livermore, CA), they are about 10 minutes from my Bay Area, CA house. I do business with them ALL the time, they are awesome. I go there in person and talk to them, but you can order online. Use coupon CAT2245 during checkout and you will save an additional 10%.

They have high quality cables for the fraction of the price. You can purchase large lengths for a really reasonable price. I cannot stress how good of a company this is, don't be afraid because they are a smaller company. I probably would have looked them over at first except they are local for me.
 
Why are Monster Cables so expensive? They have to pay for the stadium somehow!
 
i work at an appliance store, so i get all my shit real cheap. the only thing that i buy that monster, is their speaker wire. everything else, i just get acoustic research... cause i ts cheap as balls. it cost me ~$400 to get a ~$1300 sound system, and i just wired it all myself. i would make my own cable, but i am lazy, and dont feel like investing in supplies and cable, when i can get any cable i need for uber cheap. even monster. cheaper than anything on ebay. (except for stolen shit, lol)
 
sitheris said:
For HDMI, a 4' Monster cable is $149, but a 6' Acoustic Research is $54.99. Is Monster really that much better? Or are they just gouging?
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I went to Fry's the other day looking for S-VHS cables for work. I found gold plated connectors (doesn't do much good if the receptacle you're plugging into isn't also gold). Gold or silver braided shields with clear insulation (WTF does insulation color matter)? Cool looking red, blue, silver, or black connector labels (how does that make it work better)? Some even in gold colored plastic packages to make the gold or silver colored parts look even more gold. WTF?

I ended up going back to work and building my cables using RG-179 (cheap military spec coax cable... it costs $0.50 per foot) and cheap S-VHS plugs ($2 each). And my video quality is 100% flawless.

Monster cable $$$ is mostly advertising and hype.
 
Its the same damn reason why cadillacs cost 70 grand, why nike shoes are 2x the price of other shoes, why falcon northwest rigs are insanley overpriced. You are paying more money for a name.
 
bob said:
Its the same damn reason why cadillacs cost 70 grand, why nike shoes are 2x the price of other shoes, why falcon northwest rigs are insanley overpriced. You are paying more money for a name.
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You get a certain amount of luxury and style with each item though. You have to admit, Monster cables do perform well, and they _look_ better than 95% of the stuff on the market. For some people, that is important (not sure why, but heck, it moves product).

BTW - What caddy is 70K other than the XLR? And that one is pretty well priced considering what is competes against, not many other folding hard-top high-performance luxury roadsters under that pricemark.
 
could someone tell me if there's anyone selling a decent component to hdmi cable?
 
jkhan05 said:
could someone tell me if there's anyone selling a decent component to hdmi cable?
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Hdmi = digital
Component = analog

There's no cable that i know of that would bridge the two, you would need a transcoder to accomplish something like that.
 
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