MedicSN6 Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Monster Cables are a Monster Ripoff http://mydailygeek.com/archives/2010/10/11/monster-cables-are-monster-ripoff/ If you've ever shopped at a retail store, you've probably been pushed to buy Monster cables by an eager salesman. At a certain point you probably felt that the salesman was more interested in selling you the Monster cable, than the TV, PS3 or the home theater system that you were actually looking at. And surprise, surprise, you weren't wrong. The dirty secret of retail, is that Monster cables have a huge markup. In fact, the markup on Monster Cables can reach 80%. By comparison the markup on that PS3 that you actually wanted, is usually less than 5%. This means that the retail store would make only$15 on the PS3 console, and more than $130 on the Monster cable to connect your PS3 to your TV with. In essence, the store would have to sell 9 PS3s, in order to match the amount they'd make from selling you that one Monster cable. Because of this, the stores do their best to push Monster cables...it's their money maker. They even setup special viewing stations where you can "see the Monster difference". The only problem is that instead of comparing it to the $10 HDMI cable, they compare it to the regular cables. Of course the picture looks better...they are comparing HD to SD. But what exactly are you paying all that money for with Monster? What do you get, when you pay $250 for a 4 foot cable that you can't get elsewhere? Are the gold plated connectors, shielding from EM/RF interference or special cables worth the mark up? The answer is no. All you are paying for is the Monster name. Why? Simple...HDMI is a digital signal. This means that it contains just zeros and ones...so it either works or it doesn't. And at cable lengths found in most homes(under 6 feet), there is just not enough length for the signal to get corrupted. Especially, since many of today's electronics are already designed to compensate for inferior signals. Even the biggest tech publications in the world, like CNET and Popular Mechanics tell you that you can expect flawless performance from any 4 foot cable, regardless of brand. They've even done actual side by side blind tests of a $10 cable and a $250 Monster cable, and the viewers couldn't tell the difference between the two. So as you can see, you don't need the Monster cable, a simple $10 generic one will do just fine. This isn't the first time Monster's "high end" stuff failed to outperform competitors. A few years back a magazine did a test with audiophiles to see if they could spot the difference between two products. Monster's high end speaker wires vs a DIY project...4 wire coat hangers soldered together. The result? None! None of the audiophiles, the guys whose passion is music...could spot the difference. The bottom line, is that for 99.9% of the consumers, there is absolutely no reason to buy a Monster cable. Your setup just won't need it. For the other 1%, you are still better off buying a generic cable first. It won't cost you much, but at least you'll see if you actually need the Monster cable...before you throw away a couple hundred dollars on something you don't actually need. When buying HDMI cables, it's important to avoid shopping at retail stores. Even the generic stuff they sell is way overpriced. Go online instead. Amazon is a good alternative with their Amazon Basics brand. Their cables are cheap, and are designed to handle even the upcoming 1440p format(even though the 1440p TVs don't actually exist yet). P.S. If you know anyone who might be shopping for electronics in the near future, make sure to forward this email to them so they can avoid getting scammed. Monster has always preyed on consumer ignorance, and educating consumers is the first step to stopping this sort of behavior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MH6~SPARTA~ Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Never buy any kind of cable at a retail store. It's a waste of money; you get like 2ft for the price of 12ft at a store like Monoprice. You want cables? Get them from Monoprice. For comparison, a 6ft HDMI cable from Monoprice costs $6.75. Same length cable from Bestbuy costs $79.95. Granted I'm sure there may be a difference in AWG and the type of plating, but I can't compare those because Bestbuy doesn't list cable specifications. Probably so no one realizes how cheap the cables actually are, quality-wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirSmokalot Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 (edited) Why I buy Ultra cables, cheap and good quality and has the braided protection like monster cables. About half to a quarter the price of Monster cables and even Dynex cables at BestBuy. Why I never buy cables from retail stores unless I need it like yesterday! even then I'm bargain hunting. You can however go into Gamestop and other chain stores that sell used equipment and get monster cables sometimes at the same price as regular used cables Edited October 12, 2010 by SirSmokalot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GySgt~SPARTA~ Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 And thats why ill never buy that crap, and thats why i love my job i do all my own cable work for free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athlon64~SPARTA~ Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) I saw that monster cable crap at the worst buy store(best buy) where it orginated from. I think primarly for honda thumper stereos and audio and video. I woulden't pee on them if they were on fire for that store and cables. I would grabb the radio and call in a hot air strike on them. Edited October 13, 2010 by Athlon64~SPARTA~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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