HDMI Cable for audio - Does it Matter?

[Samuel T Cogley]

1 hour ago, whacky said:

Wanted to check to see what everyones consensus is on an HDMI cable for audio purposes.

 

I am currently using a Mac mini ---> Marantz AV7702 for my surround sound, movies, all channel stereo listening. Its currently connected using a generic HDMI cable.

 

 

Most often when I listen to 2 channel hi-fi I am running the Mac Mini out USB via a Curious Cable USB to a PS Directstream DAC directly to my Primaluna Dialogue HP. Which I find to sound amazing. Love it. 

 

However, due to some temporary issues with my 2 channel setup, I am forced to run everything through my Marantz, which is currently connected via HDMI for ease of use. 

 

 

Are people using high quality, more expensive HDMI cables for audio purposes only?  

Do you find it enhances the audio experience over generic cables?

 

 

If so, any quality recommendations? Nothing ridiculous. Say less than $500 for under 2m. 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

If you're in the market for a $450, 1.5 meter HDMI cable, I'm sure you'll find no shortage of vendors who will gleefully take your money.  Because HDMI also carries video, and video tends to be less tolerant of cable-related problems than audio, my rule of thumb is that if video performance is solid, don't worry about audio.  I recommend a well made, mass market cable. Here's a good example.  Good luck!

 

[Samuel T Cogley]

Just a data point for the thread.  I recently acquired an HDMI 2.0 capable AV receiver and TV.  The existing "high speed" HDMI cables I had pretty much didn't work at all, or required so much dumbing down of the signal as to negate any affect of having HDMI 2.0 capability.

 

After purchasing some Monoprice "Premium Certified" (which seems to mean, "capable of passing 18gbps with low BER") cables, my problems all vanished.  So Monoprice definitely has HDMI 2.0+ capable cables.