SVS SoundPath Cables
By Stephen Hornbrook on
Performance
Value
Overall
Cable talk is often a hot topic consisting of three main groups: on one end, those who just want the cheapest solution that works, on the other end are those willing to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars for premium cables. In between are the value conscious buyers who still want high quality, but don’t believe in the perceivable benefits of expensive cabling. Reference Home Theater falls in the latter category and the new SoundPath cables from SVS feel right at home.
Build Quality / Looks / Performance
Specs |
---|
Manufacturer: | SVS |
---|---|
Model: | SoundPath |
Review Date: | January 20, 2016 |
Price: | [amazon_link asins=’B01A5LU2Y2′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’refehomethea-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’6bdb18e2-db7b-11e6-b0af-a380e53719e9′] for 8′ pair |
Company Website | |
Buy From Amazon |
SVS offers a couple of termination options for their speaker cable: spade and banana connectors in any combination. Use spades to connect on the speaker end and banana on the amplifier end, it is up to you. Personally, I prefer the ease of banana plugs. SVS uses 24K gold-plated beryllium copper banana plugs that fit snuggly into my amp and speaker terminals. SVS terminates and solders each cable by hand to a custom length of your choice. Starting at just under $44 shipped, this is a very nice cable for the price. Cost goes up with a longer length but not by much. Just $48 for 8 foot, or twice the length of the base cost. Not bad!
The RCA interconnects are just as well constructed as the Ultra speaker cables and downright cheap at $24.99 a pair (1 meter long). Inside is a multi-strand copper cable surrounded by all the necessary insulation to reject RF and electromagnetic interference. This insulation is crucial on interconnects due to the low strength of the signals being passed through them as it leaves them more susceptible to interference. The gold-plated connectors fit snug and securely and have enough flex to keep your cables organized.
In terms of performance, I noticed no difference in sound quality when swapping out from Blue Jeans Cable’s top-of-the-line interconnects and Belden 5000 series speaker cables
. The Belden is a great performing cable, but it is very plain-looking in its white casing. The SVS Ultra Speaker Cables adds an air of sophistication to my home theater that was previously missing.
Conclusion
If you have invested in your sound system and want peace of mind knowing you aren’t missing out on anything due to using the wrong cabling, take a small step above the cheap stuff and connect your gear via the SVS SoundPath cables. They aren’t the cheapest way to connect components but the quality more than meets the minimal investment. The SVS SoundPath Ultra Speaker Cables and Interconnects are a great way to get the most out of your system without breaking the bank and an easy recommendation.
Review Summary |
---|
Product: | SVS SoundPath |
---|---|
Reviewer: | Stephen Hornbrook |
Pros: | Excellent Build Quality, Hand-Terminated, Good looks, Great Price |
Cons: | Perhaps the blue and black braided jacket doesn’t match your decor? |
Summary: | Excellent quality for the right price |
Value: | |
Performance: | |
Overall: | |
Buy From Amazon |