| Author | Message | ||
| Joey Wilson (bigredbass)
Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 75 Registered: 9-2002 |
Wanted to tip all of you off about a recent GOOD experience: After playing through a Monster BASS cable for the last 4 or 5 years, the ground wire came unsoldered from the connector. I'm typically very easy on cable and never break 'em. As for this particular cable, the receipt was history, not to be found. I e*mailed MC at their website, who advised me to return it and they would REPLACE it via their lifetime warranty. They did, no hassle, no questions asked, so I'd like to relay this to all of you as I'm sure I'm hardly a special case to MC. This was the first cable where I HEARD the difference, and their gracious service has made ME a MONSTER too. Joey | ||
| Rami Sourour (rami)
Intermediate Member Username: rami Post Number: 159 Registered: 6-2002 |
Hi Joey, You could have just soldered the connection back yourself and saved the time, money, and grief involved in getting them to replace it for you. I've had that happen to me as well. Five minutes later, my cable was up and running again. | ||
| Joe Schwartz (the_schwartz)
Junior Username: the_schwartz Post Number: 20 Registered: 1-2003 |
...that is, assuming you own a soldering iron ;-) You can get a cheap one for about the cost of an ordinary cable, or you can get a high-end soldering station with extra tips and temperature controls for the cost of 3 or 4 monster cables. | ||
| Joey Wilson (bigredbass)
Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 76 Registered: 9-2002 |
Rami: You're certainly right. But. . . I got a brand new cable instead of a re-soldered old one (and yes, I could have fixed it myself) as I took advantage of their gracious service. Joey | ||
| Bob Novy (bob)
Junior Username: bob Post Number: 34 Registered: 11-2002 |
I guess I have to jump in here, with two points. Yeah, maybe I have a 25-year old soldering iron (perhaps not yet a soldering 'gun') somewhere in the garage, and probably a few twists of solder of unknown origin. But I'd sure have to practice a few times first, and though I'd eventually get it working, it wouldn't be pretty. Which is the second point... cable 'technology' for audio purposes is truly weird science (some good, some bad). While it seems clear no one today fully understands why, it sure does seem to make a difference to me. While Monster might not be my personal choice (there's a separate thread on that, so let's not get started here), it's clear they think about this stuff, and have a lot of experience, so I'd much rather have a replacment. Heck, I'd probably even just buy a new one before taking the time to try fixing it myself - or buying some contemporary soldering supplies. Though it's interesting to think about, Rami - maybe that's why you have about 25 more Alembics than I do... | ||
| Rami Sourour (rami)
Intermediate Member Username: rami Post Number: 161 Registered: 6-2002 |
It's a fact that soldering points come loose from time to time. A quick touch of solder and five minutes later the cable was as good as new. I'm sure that's what would have been done at the company when they got the cable back. I don't think they would discard a cable for a loose solder joint. In any case, it's a testament to their professionalism and desire to keep their customers satisfied that they replace a cable with no questions asked. That's what high end companies do. They really do make great cables. Buy MONSTER Cables! | ||
| Jake Strauss (jake)
Junior Username: jake Post Number: 16 Registered: 3-2003 |
i have a bunch of monster cables and i havent paid for any of them, because i got them all from friends who were going to throw them out after the jack came unsoldered. they work fine now, but i'm sure that if you're really a stickler for a clear sound it would be best to send it back to the company because unless you're an audio guru, chances are you won't be able to solder it well enough to have the connection be as silent as it would if the cable were new, and if it's free to send it back then why not? i don't know why i get so obsessed with little things, but it is fun.... | ||
| David Burgess (dnburgess)
Junior Username: dnburgess Post Number: 23 Registered: 1-2003 |
Does this mean their is an endemic problem with Monster Cables becoming unsoldered? Surely this should not be a frequent problem with a high end cable? | ||
| David Burgess (dnburgess)
Junior Username: dnburgess Post Number: 24 Registered: 1-2003 |
Does this mean there is a fundamental problem with Monster Cables becoming unsoldered? | ||
| Rami Sourour (rami)
Intermediate Member Username: rami Post Number: 163 Registered: 6-2002 |
It happened once to one of my many MONSTER cables. I re-soldered it in a couple of minutes. I can't hear any difference with any other of my MONSTER cables. And it hasn't happened again. It's not like a major failure of the cable, it's just a small contact that can come undone. It's the most minor problem that I've ever seen in equipement, and the easiest to fix. It's really nothing to dwell on. | ||
| Valentino Villevieille (valvil)
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 120 Registered: 7-2002 |
I've sold cables for 3 years in my last job as a music store manager; Monster, Spectraflex, Pro-co, Rapco, Hosa, George L, etc. In terms of of reliability ( defective cables) there wasn't much difference; peridiocally we'd get defective cable returns on all those brands. I wouldn't say that Monster cables have a tendency to become unsoldered any more or any less than other manufacturers. Although I remember for a while that Monster cables were a bit more prone to break off at the tip. Sound-quality-wise there definitely is a large difference; once, during a pro-audio class that was being held at my store, the lecturer grabbed a selection of cables from most of the manufacturers we carried, and he a/b'd them for the public. Hosa, as expected, came in dead last, while the consesus was that Monster and Spectraflex were first in a dead heat. The surprise was Rapco, with its HOG series cables who came in close behind the first 2 ( at a much lower price). Personally, I have both Monster and Spectraflex, cost is similar and I like both; however I've been leaning more & more toward Spectraflex, as I feel after using them for over 4 years that they are a bit more realiable than Monster. They also have lifetime warranty, just like Monster, and even though some folks may dislike the braided and loudly colored cloth wrapping on them, I don't mind it ( if I go to play somewhere nobody else is likely to have a purple cord, which was great any time I forgot it, since everyone knew whose cord that was); plus their silent plug feature is really handy and they seem to be the only ones who have it ( the silent plug, for those not familiar with it, is a little contraption mounted on the end of one jack that prevents the amp from making those loud popping noises that happen if your cord gets disconnected from the bass. You can plug and unplug yourself from an active amp without fear). My 2 cents. Valentino |
