MONSTER
Ever wonder why gadget store employees push Monster cables like they're crack? Bitchin' markups, just like you suspected (or knew) all along. That's what we found when a Radio Shack employee sent us his store's entire inventory list, which included the wholesale and retail price of every item in stock.
Some cables, like the 19ft HDMI-DVI cable, have markups as high as 80%. Retail: $179.99. Wholesale, $99.40, a profit of $80.54. Or consider the 16 ft S-Video cable, which Radio Shack buys for $61.24 and sells for $114.99. We found non-name brand versions of both on Meritline.com for under $20. It's not just limited to Radio Shack, Best Buy charges the same retail price, and, presumably, gets them for a similar wholesale price.
Here's the thing: digital cables, by definition, have no signal loss. A cable is either digital or it's not. As long as its built to HDMI standards, the only difference between a "fancy" digital cable and a no-name one is the price.
The worst part isn't really the markup. Stereo equipment routinely has markups of 80 to 100 to 200% by the time it hits the shelves. It's the initial inflated price, and how gadget stores try to push the cables so hard, telling people that Monster cables offer superior picture and sound then what you would get with another cable. But that simply isn't the case. Our sister site Gizmodo ran a battery of tests and found Monster cables are for the most part, completely unnecessary. (see The Truth About Monster Cable - Grand Finale (Part III), HDMI Cable Battlemodo Resumes, The Truth About Monster Cable, Part 2 (Verdict: Cheap Cables Keep Up...Usually), and The Truth About Monster Cable).
Our recommendation? Buy generic digital cables on Monoprice.com, Meritline.com, eBay, or other places online. If you're the type who wants Gucci-brand cables, then god bless, and at least buy them on eBay. Our tv looks fine without Monsters.
Full price list of Monster products below.
Item | Retail Price | Wholesale Price | Profit Margin
MONSTER 19FT HDMI-DVI | $179.99 | $99.94 | $80.05
MONSTER 8M L 26.24' | $137.99 | $73.49 | $64.5
MONSTER 19FT HDMI-HDMI CA | $169.99 | $105.5 | $64.49
"MONSTER 21' STRAIGHT 1/4""" | $149.99 | $88.87 | $61.12
MONSTER HTS 950 | $149.99 | $90.89 | $59.1
MONSTER SLVR FLAT MNT-37I | $149.99 | $91.44 | $58.55
MONSTER 16FT DVI-DVI CABL | $149.99 | $93.08 | $56.91
MONSTER 13FT HDMI-DVI CAB | $149.99 | $93.08 | $56.91
MONSTER 6M L 19.68' - COM | $114.99 | $61.24 | $53.75
MONSTER 8' DIGITAL FIBER | $114.99 | $61.24 | $53.75
MONSTER 25' SUBWOOFER W/R | $114.99 | $61.24 | $53.75
MONSTER 16' S-VIDEO CABLE | $114.99 | $61.24 | $53.75
MONSTER ULTRA 8FT HDMI CA | $119.99 | $69.3 | $50.69
MONSTER ULTRA 4FT HDMI CA | $99.99 | $49.5 | $50.49
MONSTER 8FT COMPONENT CAB | $91.99 | $41.6 | $50.39
MONSTER 50' GOLD XLRS | $119.99 | $71.1 | $48.89
MONSTER 4M L 13.12' | $103.99 | $55.25 | $48.74
MONSTER 8FT HDMI CABLE | $99.99 | $52.23 | $47.76
MONSTER FLAT SCREEN HDMI | $99.99 | $55.7 | $44.29
MONSTER 20' GOLD XLR | $129.99 | $86.05 | $43.94
MONSTER HTS1000 MKII SURG | $149.99 | $107.04 | $42.95
MONSTER THX V600 4' HDMI | $79.99 | $38.23 | $41.76
MONSTER THX 600 4FT COMPO | $68.99 | $27.52 | $41.47
"MONSTER 12' STRAIGHT 1/4""" | $99.99 | $59.24 | $40.75
MONSTER 4FT HDMI CABLE | $79.99 | $41.78 | $38.21
MONSTER 3FT HDMI-DVI CABL | $99.99 | $62.04 | $37.95
MONSTER 3FT HDMI-HDMI CAB | $99.99 | $62.04 | $37.95
MONSTER 36' PIECE 10.97M | $84.99 | $47.1 | $37.89
MONSTER 16' SUBWOOFER W/R | $84.99 | $47.1 | $37.89
MONSTER 19' RCA ADV AUDIO | $89.99 | $55.83 | $34.16
MONSTER 8' RCA AUDIO INTE | $74.99 | $41.38 | $33.61
MONSTER 30' GOLD XLRS | $79.99 | $47.39 | $32.6
MONSTER THX V500 CV-8 | $54.99 | $22.41 | $32.58
MONSTER 24' PIECE 7.32M | $67.99 | $36.47 | $31.52
MONSTER 6FT HDMI-HDMI CAB | $89.97 | $58.57 | $31.4
MONSTER 10' GOLD XLR | $74.99 | $44.42 | $30.57
MONSTER 18' PIECE 5.49M | $57.99 | $28.13 | $29.86
MONSTER 8' DIGITAL COAX C | $99.99 | $70.31 | $29.68
MONSTER 16' RCA AUDIO INT | $99.99 | $70.31 | $29.68
MONSTER HTS800 HP SURGE | $99.99 | $70.31 | $29.68
MONSTER 4M OPTICAL CABLE | $64.99 | $35.66 | $29.33
MONSTER 12' PIECE 3.66M | $64.99 | $35.66 | $29.33
MONSTER 24' PIECE 7.32M | $79.99 | $51.27 | $28.72
MONSTER RADIOPLAY 300 | $59.99 | $31.9 | $28.09
MONSTER THX V500 CV-4 | $45.99 | $18.35 | $27.64
MONSTER 500 SPEAKER CABLE | $64.99 | $37.47 | $27.52
MONSTER 19FT AUDIO W/RCA | $54.99 | $27.53 | $27.46
"MONSTER 6' 1/4"" AUDIO CAB" | $54.99 | $27.53 | $27.46
MONSTER 3FT DVI-DVI CABLE | $69.99 | $43.05 | $26.94
MONSTER GAME TO GO MOBILE | $99.99 | $73.15 | $26.84
MONSTER 6M 19.68' | $51.99 | $25.28 | $26.71
MONSTER 13' RCA ADV AUDIO | $69.99 | $43.43 | $26.56
MONSTER 18' PIECE 5.49M | $69.99 | $44.87 | $25.12
MONSTER 4' DIGITAL COAX C | $62.99 | $38.14 | $24.85
"MONSTER 21' ANGLED 1/4"" P" | $59.99 | $35.54 | $24.45
MONSTER 1000 SPEAKER CABL | $59.99 | $35.54 | $24.45
MONSTER FLAT SCREEN F-PIN | $49.99 | $25.69 | $24.3
MONSTER HT800 SURGE | $79.99 | $56.24 | $23.75
MONSTER PC800 HP SURGE | $79.99 | $56.24 | $23.75
MONSTER 4M 13.12' | $45.99 | $22.42 | $23.57
MONSTER 13FT AUDIO W/RCA | $44.99 | $22.22 | $22.77
"MONSTER 21' STRAIGHT 1/4""" | $49.99 | $29.61 | $20.38
"MONSTER 21' 1/4"" PLUGS " | $49.99 | $29.61 | $20.38
MONSTER 15' GOLD XLRS | $49.99 | $29.61 | $20.38
MONSTER 50' PRECISION XLR | $59.99 | $39.7 | $20.29
MONSTER 4FTDIGITAL OPTIC | $35.99 | $16.25 | $19.74
MONSTER SIRIUS HOME ANTEN | $49.99 | $30.31 | $19.68
MONSTER HDMI TO DVI ADAPT | $34.99 | $16 | $18.99
MONSTER DVI TO HDMI ADAPT | $34.99 | $16 | $18.99
MONSTER 6' RCA ADV AUDIO | $49.99 | $31.01 | $18.98
MONSTER 2M DIGITAL COAX | $49.99 | $31.01 | $18.98
"MONSTER 1M 1/4"" SEND&RETU" | $39.99 | $21.08 | $18.91
MONSTER GAMELINK 450 COMP | $69.99 | $51.2 | $18.79
MONSTER AV800 | $39.97 | $21.42 | $18.55
"MONSTER 12FT ANGLED 1/4"" " | $44.99 | $26.65 | $18.34
MONSTER 6' PEICE 1.83M | $34.99 | $16.91 | $18.08
MONSTER 6' RCA TO 1/8 MIN | $49.99 | $32.04 | $17.95
MONSTER 8M L 26.24' | $40.99 | $23.08 | $17.91
MONSTER 12FT SUB | $39.99 | $22.32 | $17.67
"MONSTER 4M STEREO 1/4"" PL" | $39.99 | $22.5 | $17.49
MONSTER 4M XLR CONNECTORS | $39.99 | $22.5 | $17.49
"MONSTER 21' STRAIGHT 1/4""" | $49.99 | $33.07 | $16.92
MONSTER 400 STEREO RCA TO | $32.99 | $16.51 | $16.48
"MONSTER 400 1/4"" .75M " | $32.99 | $16.51 | $16.48
MONSTER INSTRUMENT 12'-1/ | $39.99 | $23.69 | $16.3
MONSTER 12' 1/4 PLUGS | $39.99 | $23.69 | $16.3
MONSTER 10' GOLD XLRS | $39.99 | $23.69 | $16.3
MONSTER 500 SPEAKER CABLE | $39.99 | $23.69 | $16.3
"MONSTER 10' STRT 1/4"" PLU" | $39.99 | $23.69 | $16.3
MONSTER 2M OPTICAL CABLE | $44.99 | $28.83 | $16.16
MONSTER 1M S-VID | $29.97 | $13.93 | $16.04
"MONSTER 4M 1/4"" RCA " | $34.99 | $19.51 | $15.48
"MONSTER 4M RCA-1/4"" " | $34.99 | $19.51 | $15.48
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 4M 1/4 | $34.99 | $19.51 | $15.48
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 4M RCA | $34.99 | $19.51 | $15.48
MONSTER 500 SPEAKER CABLE | $34.99 | $19.51 | $15.48
MONSTER 100 SPEAKER CABLE | $44.99 | $29.76 | $15.23
MONSTER 3FT ADV AUDIO W/R | $39.99 | $24.8 | $15.19
MONSTER 1.5M L 4.92' | $28.99 | $14.05 | $14.94
MONSTER TYPE A MALE TO TY | $34.99 | $20.55 | $14.44
MONSTER 6M L 19.68' - COM | $39.99 | $25.62 | $14.37
MONSTER 4M TRS-TRS CABLE | $34.99 | $20.72 | $14.27
MONSTER 4M XLRM-XLRF CABL | $34.99 | $20.72 | $14.27
"MONSTER 6' STRAIGHT 1/4"" " | $34.99 | $20.72 | $14.27
MONSTER 13FT HDMI-HDMI CA | $99.97 | $85.74 | $14.23
MONSTER SIRIUS ANTENNA EX | $44.97 | $31 | $13.97
"MONSTER 2M 1/4"" SEND/RETU" | $44.99 | $31.09 | $13.9
MONSTER PRINTER HIGH SPEE | $39.99 | $26.45 | $13.54
MONSTER KEYBOARD 12' -1/4 | $39.99 | $26.45 | $13.54
MONSTER 30' PRECISION XLR | $39.99 | $26.45 | $13.54
"MONSTER 8"" ANGLED 1/4"" PL" | $29.99 | $16.52 | $13.47
"MONSTER 2M STEREO 1/4"" PL" | $29.99 | $16.52 | $13.47
MONSTER GAMELINK 350 S-VI | $49.99 | $36.55 | $13.44
MONSTER GAMELINK 400 COMP | $49.99 | $36.55 | $13.44
MONSTER 3FT AUDIO W/RCA | $26.99 | $13.65 | $13.34
MONSTER 2 HIGH RES VID CA | $34.99 | $22.43 | $12.56
"MONSTER DJ CABLE 4M 1/4""-" | $29.99 | $17.76 | $12.23
MONSTER DJ CABLE 4M RCA-R | $29.99 | $17.76 | $12.23
MONSTER 4M ANGLED RCA-RCA | $29.99 | $17.76 | $12.23
"MONSTER 8"" ANGLED 1/4"" PL" | $29.99 | $17.76 | $12.23
MONSTER 1000 SPEAKER CABL | $29.99 | $17.76 | $12.23
MONSTER GAMELINK 300 S-VI | $44.99 | $32.9 | $12.09
"MONSTER 2M 1/4""-RCA " | $24.99 | $13.52 | $11.47
"MONSTER 2M RCA-1/4"" " | $24.99 | $13.52 | $11.47
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 2M 1/4 | $24.99 | $13.52 | $11.47
"MONSTER 1M STEREO 1/4"" PL" | $24.99 | $13.52 | $11.47
MONSTER 500 SPEAKER CABLE | $24.99 | $13.52 | $11.47
MONSTER LCD POWER PROTECT | $29.99 | $18.78 | $11.21
MONSTER 2M L 6.56' | $29.99 | $19.2 | $10.79
MONSTER GAMELINK 300 S-VI | $39.99 | $29.25 | $10.74
MONSTER 2M TRS-TRS CABLE | $24.99 | $14.79 | $10.2
MONSTER 12' 5 PIN DIN | $24.99 | $14.79 | $10.2
MONSTER PRINTER HIGH SPEE | $29.99 | $19.82 | $10.17
"MONSTER 4M RCA-1/4"" CABLE" | $29.99 | $19.82 | $10.17
MONSTER 100 SPEAKER CABLE | $29.99 | $19.82 | $10.17
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 1M 1/4 | $19.99 | $10.54 | $9.45
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 1M RCA | $19.99 | $10.54 | $9.45
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 1M RCA | $19.99 | $10.54 | $9.45
MONSTER GAMELINK 200 A/V | $34.99 | $25.58 | $9.41
MONSTER MALE DVI-FEM HDMI | $29.97 | $21.06 | $8.91
MONSTER 2M XLRM-XLRF CABL | $24.99 | $16.51 | $8.48
MONSTER 2M XLR CONNECTORS | $24.99 | $16.51 | $8.48
"MONSTER 21' STRAIGHT 1/4""" | $24.99 | $16.51 | $8.48
MONSTER 15' PRECISION XLR | $24.99 | $16.51 | $8.48
"MONSTER 2M RCA-1/4"" CABLE" | $19.99 | $11.83 | $8.16
MONSTER DJ CABLE 2M RCA-R | $19.99 | $11.83 | $8.16
MONSTER 1M TRS-TRS-CABLE | $19.99 | $11.83 | $8.16
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 2M RCA | $19.99 | $11.83 | $8.16
"MONSTER 8"" 1/4"" PLUG " | $19.99 | $11.83 | $8.16
MONSTER GAMELINK 200 PS2 | $29.99 | $21.92 | $8.07
MONSTER LIGHTWAVE 100 FIB | $29.99 | $21.92 | $8.07
MONSTER OUTLETS TO GO | $19.99 | $11.97 | $8.02
MONSTER SIRIUS CAR ANTENN | $39.99 | $32.13 | $7.86
MONSTER ICARPLAY 200 | $49.99 | $42.46 | $7.53
MONSTER 10' PRECISION XLR | $21.99 | $14.53 | $7.46
MONSTER 1M XLR CONNECTROS | $24.99 | $17.78 | $7.21
MONSTER 1M L 3.28' | $19.99 | $12.79 | $7.2
MONSTER LCD SCREEN CLEAN | $19.99 | $12.95 | $7.04
MONSTER HTS850 SUR | $67 | $59.97 | $7.03
"MONSTER DJ CABLE 2M 1/4""-" | $19.99 | $13.2 | $6.79
MONSTER 2M ANGLED RCA-RCA | $19.99 | $13.2 | $6.79
MONSTER 1M XLRM-XLRF CABL | $19.99 | $13.2 | $6.79
"MONSTER 8"" ANGLED 1/4"" " | $19.99 | $13.2 | $6.79
"MONSTER 12' STRAIGHT 1/4""" | $19.99 | $13.2 | $6.79
MONSTER 100 SPEAKER CABLE | $19.99 | $13.2 | $6.79
MONSTER 6' 5 PIN DIN | $19.99 | $13.23 | $6.76
MONSTER STUDIOLINK 1M 1/4 | $19.99 | $13.31 | $6.68
MONSTER 2M S-VID | $26.97 | $20.45 | $6.52
MONSTER DJ CABLE 1M RCA-R | $14.99 | $8.87 | $6.12
MONSTER 1M ANGLED RCA-RCA | $14.99 | $8.87 | $6.12
MONSTER 3' 5 PIN DIN | $14.99 | $8.87 | $6.12
MONSTER PLX12 AC POWER CO | $19.97 | $14.03 | $5.94
MONSTER GAMELINK STD 100 | $19.99 | $14.6 | $5.39
MONSTER GAMELINK STD 100 | $19.99 | $14.6 | $5.39
MONSTER GAMELINK X-LINK E | $19.99 | $14.6 | $5.39
MONSTER GAMELINK STD 100 | $19.99 | $14.6 | $5.39
MONSTER 7' USB | $12.97 | $7.83 | $5.14
MONSTER DJ CABLE 1M RCA-1 | $14.99 | $9.9 | $5.09
"MONSTER DL CABLE 1M 1/4""-" | $14.99 | $9.9 | $5.09
MONSTER 7' USB CABLE | $19.99 | $14.97 | $5.02
MONSTER 6FT HDMI-DVI CABL | $69.97 | $65.08 | $4.89
MONSTER ICLEAN SCREEN CLE | $14.99 | $10.5 | $4.49
"MONSTER 3' STRAIGHT 1/4"" " | $12.99 | $8.58 | $4.41
MONSTER GC COMPOSITE CABL | $19.97 | $15.82 | $4.15
"MONSTER 8"" STRAIGHT 1/4"" " | $9.99 | $6.59 | $3.4
MONS AUDIO W/RCA | $19.97 | $16.73 | $3.24
MONSTER MINI-AV | $19.97 | $17.91 | $2.06
MONSTER PATOL 49MH | $19.57 | $17.97 | $1.6
MONSTER PATROL 27M | $19.02 | $17.97 | $1.05
MONS 1M COMPONENT | $29.97 | $28.94 | $1.03
MONSTER IEZ CLICK | $9.97 | $9.97 | $0
MONSTER DVI400 2 M DVI CA | $29.97 | $29.97 | $0
MONS 1M OPT CABLE | $19.97 | $19.97 | $0
MONS 2M COMPONENT | $29.97 | $29.97 | $0
MONSTER SNOWBOARD (D) | $0.97 | $0.97 | $0
MONSTER PATROL (D) | $19.97 | $19.97 | $0
MONSTER TRUCK SPEED BOOST | $0.97 | $0.97 | $0
MONSTER TRUCK TIRE/WHEEL | $0.97 | $4.09 | $-3.12
MONSTER PWR PS2 | $4.97 | $9.82 | $-4.85
MONS 1M DIG COAX | $8.97 | $22.32 | $-13.35
MONSTER 360 COMPONENT AV | $29.97 | $43.88 | $-13.91
MONSTER 360 VGA VIDEO CAB | $9.97 | $29.97 | $-20
MONSTER SIRIUS RADIO/TV C | $29.97 | $52 | $-22.03
MONSTER ICASE TRAVEL PACK | $6.97 | $42.16 | $-35.19
MONSTER MP AVS2000 | $1499.99 | $909.12 | $590.87
MONSTER MP HTS7000 | $1299.99 | $787.9 | $512.09
MONSTER MP HTS5100 | $699.99 | $453.5 | $246.49
MONSTER MP HTS3600 | $499.99 | $355.27 | $144.72
MONSTER BLACK TILT MOUNT- | $249.99 | $152.43 | $97.56
MONSTER SILVER TILT MOUNT | $249.99 | $152.43 | $97.56
MONSTER HTS2600 SURGE | $349.99 | $253.43 | $96.56
MONSTER MP HTFS500 SURGE | $299.99 | $211 | $88.99
MONSTER FLAT BLK MOUNT-60 | $199.99 | $121.94 | $78.05
MONSTER FLAT SLV MOUNT-60 | $199.99 | $121.94 | $78.05
MONSTER BLK TLIT MNT-37IN | $179.99 | $109.74 | $70.25
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10:16 PM ON THU FEB 7 2008
BY BEN POPKEN
57,588 views
Tagged:
EXCLUSIVES, FEATURES, GIZMODO, INSIDERS, LEAKS, LIFEHACKER, MONSTER CABLES, RADIO SHACK, TOP, TVS
Subscribe BY PHOSPHOLIPID AT 02/07/08 04:05 PM oh god. i love it. monster has been a rip for YEARS now. :D home made audio cables FTW? yes. as for hdmi cables, newegg is the win for cheap prices :D!
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BY SASHAZUR AT 02/07/08 04:06 PM Monster cables are a ripoff? I'm shocked! Who woulda thunk it?!!
It must be a slow news day at Consumerist :-)
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BY SMITTY1123 AT 02/07/08 04:07 PM Constipated Mr. Holmes?
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BY HOMERJAY AT 02/07/08 04:07 PM Gizmodo has been harping on this for about two years now. They went so far as to do side-by-side comparisons of Monster to cheap cables and, if I remember right, got Monster to actually do some testing "in their facility."
Monoprice.com FTW!
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BY BEERNUT AT 02/07/08 04:08 PM Monoprice.com........... only place to buy cables!
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BY SHADOWMAN615 AT 02/07/08 04:10 PM Yup, I just got 2 hdmi cables for a total of under 20 bucks, after shipping from monoprice.
[www.monoprice.com]
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BY UNKLEGWAR AT 02/07/08 04:11 PM funny thing is that RadioShack is getting ripped off too.
I was in a high end audio store (inSANE high end, as in $168,000 for a pair of speakers). They had speaker cables that lookes like they belonged on the USS Enterprise (the spaceship, not the AirCraft Carrier). I think it was $1700 for 6 feet.
Why is that insane? because the you are connecting that cable between crappy cabling inside your receiver and inside your speakers.
I had a salesdork at Circuit City try to tell me that COAX digital cables were better than optical digital cables because they were thicker and had better bass response. Could not make him see that in the digital world, there's no such thing as loss of bass because of bandwidth issues.
Never shop for anything unless you know everything about it already.
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BY LEMKEPF AT 02/07/08 04:12 PM @beernut: Monoprice is awesome. 1080p resolution comes through my hdmi cable just fine.
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BY PINGPONGDARTS AT 02/07/08 04:12 PM Monoprice, Monoprice, Monoprice.
For the love of god, Monoprice!
Never Best Buy, just Monoprice!
If I (Monoprice) repeat it enough (Monoprice) to annoy people (ecirponoM), it'll be more than worth it (M.o.n.o.p.r.i.c.e.) if they end up checking out Monoprice (Monoprice).
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BY UNKLEGWAR AT 02/07/08 04:12 PM @Shadowman615: But I want my sound in stereo. Is there a StereoPrice.com?
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BY TOMOK97 AT 02/07/08 04:13 PM
I've always used www.showmecables.com. I paid $10 for a 1 meter HDMI cable.
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BY CRONICK AT 02/07/08 04:13 PM digital is digital. it either works or it doesn't. paying $90 for an hdmi cable won't make the picture any clearer than a $20 hdmi cable.
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BY SOHP101 AT 02/07/08 04:13 PM Perhaps a '| Profit' should be added to the title of the list?
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BY MYOTHERALT AT 02/07/08 04:16 PM Holy Monster Cable Batman!
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BY TODDIOT AT 02/07/08 04:18 PM SOhp101: Agreed. Took me a few seconds to realize what that column was for.
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BY HUMPHRMI AT 02/07/08 04:19 PM
@PingPongDarts: But where can I buy decent cables for a reasonable price?
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BY ATLANTYS AT 02/07/08 04:19 PM monoprice.com is your best friend in the world for cables
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BY COAN_NET AT 02/07/08 04:21 PM The problem is - 80% of the time when you figure out you need a cable - you want it right then and there. You don't want to wait days to order online and get it shipped - so you run to the store and buy the expensive stuff so you can get your cool new gadgets at home hooked up.
Retailers know this - so they know they can mark those items up a lot more since most who come into the store looking for those will walk away with them - no matter what the price is.
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BY FEARLESSUSER AT 02/07/08 04:21 PM
Yep. Monoprice.com for me too. No one needs to buy Monster. If you really like throwing your money away, I can give you my address and you can me all you extra money.
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BY SPAMWICH AT 02/07/08 04:22 PM @unklegwar: That'll teach you to try and reason with Circuit City/Source staff :)
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BY BRICKSWITHOUTSTRAW AT 02/07/08 04:23 PM
Some BIG LOTS stores actually received 3ft HDMI cables. 12 bucks. I bought two for my HDTV.
If you ever see anyone at a Circuit City or Best Buy in line with Monster Cables, please stop them and save our fellow comrades some cash.
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BY GIT EM STEVEDAVE AT 02/07/08 04:23 PM @coan_net: Well, there's still a difference between Monster and other brand cables at the store.
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BY DORKINS AT 02/07/08 04:24 PM You want stereoprice? Try Best Buy; I'm told sometimes they have two prices on the same item.
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BY MONKEYMONK AT 02/07/08 04:25 PM
Watch out Consumerist! Monster will somehow figure out a way to accuse you of copyright or trademark infringement for this news item.
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BY LASERJOBS AT 02/07/08 04:26 PM
HA HA!!! A sucker born every minute. You get what you negotiate not what you pay for.
Monster Cables = Great Marketing to Uneducated Suckers
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BY COPIOUS28 AT 02/07/08 04:30 PM
You know, retail needs to be marked up a cazy amount to make a profit. That is just gross profit--there are still people to pay, shipping costs, etc. Its not wrong to make a profit--but it is wrong to not make informed decisions about what you are buying. Caveat emptor!
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BY PTKDUDE AT 02/07/08 04:30 PM
"Well you see, Monster uses special "gold" connectors, which transmit the signal much better than those cheapo copper cables most people buy. "
I've actually been told that by a salesperson before at Circuit Shitty. I told him I was partially deaf and wouldn't notice the difference. He was unable to tell me if the connectors were actually made out of gold, or if they were just gold-colored.
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BY XEROTOPE AT 02/07/08 04:38 PM So I don't see the markup as being horrible. IIRC, it's pretty typical for retail to be about twice wholesale.
Monster Cables are a ripoff, even at the wholsale price.
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BY ECO AT 02/07/08 04:39 PM It's odd that there's a commotion about this, if consumers haven't realized by now, most home theater set items in the home theater section at best buy or circuit city are at least marked up by at least 40%. Most consumer electronic stores make most of their profits through the sales made from the Home Theater department. I know at best buy around Super Bowl time, we were always pushed to send customers to the Magnolia Home Theater center. Bigger items = bigger mark up.
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BY NIGHTHAWKE AT 02/07/08 04:41 PM We knew about this for years working the shack. Managers would harass their poor peons to sell sell sell that monster cable.
Stories of woe doing retail at [www.radioshacksucks.biz] .
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BY BELISLE AT 02/07/08 04:43 PM Only time I bought Monster Cable was when I worked at Best Buy and got the discount.
But it's the revenues that make salespeople push Monster Cable, not the margins. The cheap store brand cables have even more ridiculous margins. You know that special harness for your car stereo that cost $20? Costs $1.50. Monster Cable, by comparison, might be half-off.
(Also, this totally unsourced pie chart of Monster Cable's budget is great.)
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BY MONOPLEX AT 02/07/08 04:44 PM @cronick: I've watched cable TV where there has been interference (e.g., thunderstorm). There was "blocking" but i was still able to see a picture. IMVHO, this seems to me that you have an incomplete digital picture. No?
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BY CLAYS AT 02/07/08 04:44 PM
Those are the retail markups...the profit margin to Radio Shack. What I'd like to know is the manufacturing cost of their cable products. I'll bet that Monster's margins are even greater.
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BY DARKJEDI26 AT 02/07/08 04:47 PM I was as best buy once and i saw a sales guy trying to talk this poor fellow into a monster HDMI cable that was $120. The guy seemed reluctant. When the sales guy walked over to him, I told him about monoprice.com. He wrote it down and thanked me a lot. He had a feeling that $120 for an HDMI seemed a little wrong.
Felt good to help out someone not in the know.
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BY WORMFATHER AT 02/07/08 04:50 PM
Here's the thing about HDMI, as my friend who works in AV put it. It's a digital signal so, it either works or it doesnt. The whole conductivity thing they try to sell you at the store is BS.
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BY MMMMNA AT 02/07/08 04:50 PM Monster Cable once claimed their OFHC Copper and their special sheathing increased audio response by reducing parasitic losses. I'm a career Electronic Engineering Technician; the differences between common lamp cord and equivalent gauge Monster cable would only measure a fraction of a decibel in the audible portion of the frequency range. Take the frequency higher (above the audible range), and whaddya know, there is a difference! Doubt anyone can hear it, though. Bass response improvements would need lower resistance wire, and again, Monster wins by a fraction. The fraction depends, like UNKLEGWAR observed, on the amplifiers wiring.
The perception of value is quite important.
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BY MATTO AT 02/07/08 05:01 PM Just another happy monoprice.com customer.
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BY JBNLSD AT 02/07/08 05:07 PM Monster does have a good warranty though. I've never had a need for high end cables but I do have the ridiculously named Monster iCarPlay Wireless to play my iPod through FM in my car. After two or three years of it living in my car through Chicago weather, it finally broke. Monster replaced it for just the price of sending the old one back to them. It saved me a few bucks.
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BY DAVEBG5 AT 02/07/08 05:08 PM
@Coan_Net: A little planning goes a long way. I just had a new LCD delivered and installed 2 days before the Super Bowl. I ordered my cables (a 12 foot HDMI and a 15 foot component) from monoprice.com a couple of days in advance and paid for 2 day shipping. The shipping cost more than the cables, but the total cost (of both cables with shipping) still came to less than half of what I would have paid in a retail store for a single 8ft Monster HDMI cable.
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BY WARF0X0R AT 02/07/08 05:11 PM I worked at BBY when I bought all my HT equipment so I got a hella nice deal on all monster cable. Like 300 bucks worth for 50 dollars.
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BY MONOPLEX AT 02/07/08 05:12 PM @ClayS: I guess that would depend on what you would call "markup." From business classes (IIRC), a product needs to have a retail price point 13 times what its manufacturing costs are.
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BY JIMINIM AT 02/07/08 05:15 PM Once when I needed some speaker wire I went to Radio Shack and the salesman tried to sell me the Monster branded wire. He actually told me that the thickness of the gauge would let the bass frequencies have more surface area to travel on the outside of the wire. This was so nuts I didn't even call him on it, I just purchased the cheapo wire and got out of there.
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BY MIGUELGGARCIA AT 02/07/08 05:15 PM I don't see why you guys have a problem with this, this is America, and that's capitalism, if you don't want to buy Monster cables, you can buy whatever brand you find appropriate and nothing happens. If people felt ripped-off by Monster I don't think that it would be the successful company it is now.
At the end, it's all a matter of supply and demand, if people want to buy Monster cables, there will be Monster; if people want to stop buying them, the company could ultimately fail.
So, probably for the person that put on this "leak" think that Monster is a rip-off because it has an X% mark-up... Are we expecting companies to have a certain level for their mark-ups before their prices are considered rip-offs? Aren't customers who decide what is a rip-off and what is not?
I'm sorry, but I feel this story like if it came out of a communist country.
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BY ENDLESS AT 02/07/08 05:16 PM I like the "digital is digital" argument. I mean, my wireless internet is digital, so i mean, its not like its speed is affected by how far away i am from my router now does it?... yah right.
MMMMNA makes the correct point. Monster cables are almost always BETTER cables. Now by their pricing they should be 10 times better not just 1.1 times better.... i usually buy the cheapys.
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BY SHIFTLESS AT 02/07/08 05:17 PM Gads. Only get these things unless they're massively discounted. I got an optical audio cable for $8 that was originally $100. So, hooray.
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BY DONTHED AT 02/07/08 05:17 PM Monster still makes great car stereo cables. As far as HDMI..Comcast gave me more cords than I will need anytime soon.
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BY BADHATHARRY AT 02/07/08 05:20 PM Seriously? $90.00 RCA cables are a rip-off?
This just in: Water is wet and monkeys are awesome.
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BY CLAYS AT 02/07/08 05:28 PM
@Monoplex:
Good information, I didn't know that.
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BY TECHNODESTRUCTO AT 02/07/08 05:28 PM @jbnlsd:
The fact that you had a cable fail at all is more an argument AGAINST Monster Cable than the warranty is FOR them.
@miguelggarcia:
"That's Capitalism" I can agree with. At least you didn't say "that's the free market." The two may overlap but they aren't the same thing.
Monster Cable only exists because of MASSIVE inequality in information between the seller and the buyer, and the concentration of retail into fewer and fewer hands (which only weakens market forces).
Regardless of their markup, their insane lawsuits are enough to boycott them. (They sue just about any business or organization with the word "monster" in its name, whether it has anything to do with cabling or even electronics or not)
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BY VALARMORGHULIS AT 02/07/08 05:29 PM
While yes, Monster Cables are INSANELY overpriced, it is worth noting that the Monster does have one of the only lossless HDMI cables out there currently in their 12.2 Gb/s. Any other cable out there is not going to give full throughput. Best solution I found was to have a relative/neighbor/friend who works at a retail location buy it for you. My cable went from being over $120.00 to less than $45.00 (and that's for the 4').
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BY FROSTBERG AT 02/07/08 05:29 PM
Newsflash: Stores make money on the stuff they sell. It is also not entirely true that all digital cables are the same. Consumerist is silly to think this. Monster cables have speed ratings. An HDMI 1000 series cable will move data @ 10.2Gbps while a 600 series cable will operate at 4.95Gbps. If you want 120Hz refresh, X.V.Color, and really the best, you have to pay more for it. I will not argie that stores make a profit, thats why they exist. Open up a nonprofit store and there will be a revelation.
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BY FDX3K1 AT 02/07/08 05:32 PM The "wholesale" prices might not even be the actual cost. When I worked for CompUsa (I'm a gluten for punishment), we had a "wholesale" cost that was figured out a different way. They would order 10,000 cables and each store got 100. Then they would take the amount that the cable cost if they bought 100 of them and that was "wholesale" in store...which means they still make money even if it is sold at cost. I know that at one time Radio Shack did the same thing (because my old Comp manager was a district with RS...but he could have been lying...that was typical).
An example was a 25ft gold plated printer cable. We sold them for $100 and our cost was $34...but the manager showed me that the company actually paid $21 because they bought a huge amount. So even at "cost", they were making $13.
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BY LAZLONIBBLE AT 02/07/08 05:32 PM Time for another repost of the digital coat hanger story:
[web.archive.org]
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BY SACRABOS AT 02/07/08 05:33 PM Yes it is a rip-off. However, it is brilliant marketing. They deserve every dollar they make, at least from the retailers.
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BY JBNLSD AT 02/07/08 05:44 PM @TechnoDestructo:
Touchè... It also proves their cables are nothing special.
Now after reading about all their marketing bullshit, forcing the cheap cable makers out of electronics stores, and suing anyone who thinks of the word "Monster" I just feel dirty.
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BY TOOKI AT 02/07/08 05:46 PM It's not true that "digital is digital" and that the cable quality is consequently irrelevant. If that were true, we'd still have iron wires instead of copper. There would also be no need for "fancy" cat-5 network cable, we could just use cheap "silver satin" cord.
HDMI/DVI is a sensitive signal that demands a particular type of cable -- it couldn't run over, say, a bundle of speaker wires. (As it turns out, the DVI signal is actually unusually sensitive to wiring. A better design would have allowed for longer runs on cheaper wire.)
This isn't to say that Monster is worth it. They're selling $15 cables for 20 times that. For most purposes (e.g. a typical 3-6 foot HDMI run), any HDMI cable will provide a completely clear signal at any resolution. But at longer lengths at high resolutions, a better cable IS necessary. But a top-grade cable as good as or better than Monster can be had for peanuts.
Monoprice is great for standard cables. For top-notch ones, I've heard that [www.bluejeanscable.com] is good, though I haven't used them myself. (That site also has a great analysis of HDMI itself and its cable requirements.)
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BY TOOKI AT 02/07/08 05:48 PM Also, way back when I worked at a mom'n'pop computer store, I remember us ordering Belkin brand USB cables from the distributor. Since we ordered only a dozen at a time, tops, we paid a whopping $3 a piece for them. (We sold them for $12.) These were the same exact cables sold at CompUSA for $29.95, and I'm sure that they weren't paying anywhere near $3 a piece!
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BY SKEPTIC AT 02/07/08 05:49 PM
Here's the thing: digital cables, by definition, have no signal loss. A cable is either digital or it's not.
Sorry. That is false. Digital signals are sent as square waves through these copper wires. An out of spec or overly long cable causes degradation in the waveform that makes the signal un-readable. Digital signal transmission schemes have error correction to try and account for the inevitable errors that are made during transmission, but after a point correction is not possible and the signal degradation shows up as quantization on your screen or complete signal failure. However, as long as a cable meets a the proper specification, there is no additional benefit to a more expensive cable.
Monster cables are high quality cables, but there is no need for overpriced Monster cable since you can buy cheap HDMI Certified cables that will work just as well. Just remember to keep your cable lengths as short as possible--digital doesn't mean no signal loss.
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BY BINARYSLYDER AT 02/07/08 05:54 PM If it hasn't been said already, I'll say it. Monster cables come with a life time guarantee. Meaning if a shark breaks into your house and snaps your cable in half, monster will give you a new one for free.
Now, I happen to live in a neighborhood that has very few incidents of shark attacks. So I opt to purchase $10 cables for my products and just hope that it never happens to me.
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BY MANTARI AT 02/07/08 05:56 PM My friend, while he worked at Best Buy, explained to me that in cheaper audio cables, the low frequency noises will travel faster than the high frequency noises. The result is that the signal gets distorted before it hits the speakers. But Monster Cables do not have that problem, and that's why they sound so much better.
Perhaps somewhat related? He was fired by Best Buy.
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BY PRIVATEJOKER75 AT 02/07/08 05:56 PM
www.firefold.com
cheap as hell and great product
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BY MANTARI AT 02/07/08 05:58 PM Did anyone else catch the items that they lose money selling ??
.
MONSTER TRUCK TIRE/WHEEL | $0.97 | $4.09 | $-3.12
MONSTER PWR PS2 | $4.97 | $9.82 | $-4.85
MONS 1M DIG COAX | $8.97 | $22.32 | $-13.35
MONSTER 360 COMPONENT AV | $29.97 | $43.88 | $-13.91
MONSTER 360 VGA VIDEO CAB | $9.97 | $29.97 | $-20
MONSTER SIRIUS RADIO/TV C | $29.97 | $52 | $-22.03
MONSTER ICASE TRAVEL PACK | $6.97 | $42.16 | $-35.19
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BY JMH AT 02/07/08 06:00 PM If you REALLY want to buy Monster cables, you can find them for a lot cheaper on Ebay than in stores.
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BY JAREDHARLEY AT 02/07/08 06:03 PM @mantari: So I WASN'T the only one! I believe it is our civic duty to buy all of the iCase Travel Packs we can to cut into RS's profit margin!
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BY TABER AT 02/07/08 06:04 PM Check the link in the post -- it leads to and reads "mertiline," probably meant "meritline" :)
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BY M4XIMUSPRIM3 AT 02/07/08 06:04 PM
@mantari: Did he go into mortgages?
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BY EVSLIN AT 02/07/08 06:14 PM My dad got suckered into a $90 set of component cables at Best Buy a couple years ago. I had to have a talk with him when I found out.
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BY GUEVERA AT 02/07/08 06:26 PM Funny, monster has a pretty good rep for quality car audio cabling -- but w/power cables you really do see improvement w/quality and size.
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BY ALADDYN AT 02/07/08 06:29 PM Although I agree that monster cables are ridiculous, I bought a monster surge protector. The reason why is because you know how those surge protectors have the guarantees for stuff you have plugged into them? Read the fine print, you have to ship whatever breaks to them for them to diagnose it, and they only fix it if they think that their surge protector caused the problem. If you read the fine print on the monster surge protector they only require a statement from a repair technician stating that your damage was caused by a surge. Now actually having them honor that is a different story but since they only have to sell about 10 cables to cover the cost of a new tv I would imagine they could certainly afford it.
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BY JESTERPHUN AT 02/07/08 06:39 PM
@fdx3k1: Gluten for punishment...
That's why I try to be gluten-free :)
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BY CLANK-O-TRON AT 02/07/08 06:50 PM Has it really gone this far without a consumerist 'make your own if you don't like it' argument? That's what I do fairly often; wire is cheap.
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BY TIMMUS AT 02/07/08 06:52 PM Where do they make Monster Cables? Are they made in China? I'd like to see that markup from the Chinese factory to the distributor.
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BY DRAGONDORM AT 02/07/08 06:55 PM
I work for RadioShack and I offer the Monster but won't push it on people. I own and fully believe in monster cables. I've seen the quality. You pay for what you get. The better the cable the less interferance, less noise that will enter it. Monster cables are also handle more bandwith.
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BY JOHN_NYC AT 02/07/08 07:02 PM
OMG!!! Monster cables are a ripoff?
Crap. What am I going to do now?
Crap crap crap.
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BY RIKKUS256 AT 02/07/08 07:07 PM I've bought over 20 cables from monoprice.com for myself, friends, and families. Great quality at an unbeatable price. (and reasonable shipping too!)
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BY RACHACHA AT 02/07/08 07:09 PM
@Skeptic: Shhh...don't tell too many people that digital signals are square waves as Monster will come out with square cables so that the square waves can glide easily through them with no restriction, and if you want to have a higher bandwidth, you need to have a bigger square cable so that you can squeeze more square waves inside them. :-)
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BY SWOOP41 AT 02/07/08 07:15 PM When you guys find that non-profit retail electronics chain be sure to let me know.
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BY AFTERIMAGEB AT 02/07/08 07:17 PM
If you think audio cables are a rip off then you should try pricing computer cables. I worked for Magnolia Audio/Video a few years ago and since Best Buy was in the process of buying them we also got employee discount at Best Buy stores. I needed a network cable for home so I went over and grabbed one. The price was marked as $18.99. When I got to the register and they applied my discout the cable rang up as $1.86, a 1020% mark up.
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BY EMPIRE AT 02/07/08 07:30 PM @miguelggarcia: I'm actually with you on the margin thing. If I can produce something for $0.01 and people will buy it for $1,000.00, hey why not? But Monster claims their cables are better, and they're not. That's deceptive.
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BY THORNY AT 02/07/08 07:37 PM It's not just cables, most accessories are marked up ridiculously. When I worked at one of the big electronics stores several years ago, our discount was 5% over their cost. Things like laptop cases, camera bags, headphones, adapters, you name it was all marked up like that.
It's sort of like soda at fast food places. You know a huge thing of coke costs like 9 cents, which is why drink prices have gone up significantly over the last years to compensate for the lack of margin on the $1 menus.
So I never order a drink anymore as a passive aggressive maneuver.
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BY GORKY AT 02/07/08 07:45 PM They HAVE to charge big markups on them to make up for the razor thin margin on the TVs they sell. Most retailers make less than 75 bucks on a 2000 dollar TV so in order to make up for it they overprice accessories. Online stores like Newegg have NO overhead and dont sell core products that are margin drainers, therefor they can charge less.
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BY LOGIE-AL AT 02/07/08 07:47 PM Cable markups are nothing. The clothing industry is where the true crimes are. Those Silver jeans that you just had to have at $75-100 a pair? Retailer cost is around $25 each. More than 200% markup at times. Never ever ever buy clothes at full price.
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BY OMYARD AT 02/07/08 07:55 PM Duh?
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BY OMYARD AT 02/07/08 08:00 PM @ptkdude: From what I've been told the gold and silver connectors do make a difference. Too bad they're not exclusive to Monster Cables and even the sub $6 HDMI cable I bought on monoprice the other day is gold plated.
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BY OROLAN AT 02/07/08 08:16 PM @privatejoker75: I second firefold.com. I find they tend to be a little cheaper than NewEgg for cables since shipping rates are variable and are sent in the cheapest appropriate packaging (a padded envelope for a handful of SATA cables).
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BY MATT AT 02/07/08 08:27 PM You're JUST discovering this?
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BY SHADOWFALLS AT 02/07/08 08:46 PM @ptkdude:
Check to see if they are Made in China. If so, they are probably lead connectors :P
@Binaryslyder:
A lifetime warranty doesn't always mean what you think. Many companies have limited lifetime warranties which do not cover abuse or other random actions not part of normal usage.
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BY STOOPIDDOOD AT 02/07/08 08:50 PM @Skeptic: Correct. Additionally, for the longer cable runs, you need a heavier gauge wire within your cables. Wire gauging is rated from large gauge # (thinner wire) to small gauge # (thicker wire). Smaller gauge/thicker wire = more metal to conduct electricity = less resistance to the flow of electricity. For shorter cable runs of, say, less than 15ft, 28 gauge wire is just fine and is used frequently for the 1.5/3/6/10 ft HDMI cable lengths without significant loss of signal quality or noticeable degradation of picture quality. Of course, other factors do come into play when considering signal transmission (like shielding), but for the most part, size does matter for the longer runs. Once you start running lengths of 20 ft or more, then wire gauge becomes an issue and a smaller gauge is required, say, a 24 or 22 gauge. Since HDMI cables have around 20 isolated wires making up the internal structure of the cable, gauge size is an important factor in cable construction. Some brands might overbuild the shorter cables to justify the high prices they charge by using the smaller gauges (and other stuff), but save your money.
Also, MonoPrice is not the only inexpensive cable seller in town. I have been pleased with Rite-AV.com (rite-av.com) for my audio/video wiring and they have an equally appealing pricing structure. For example: 25 ft. "premium" HDMI cable (24 gauge) sells for about $23.50; Monoprice is around $26 for a 22 guage 25 ft. HDMI cable; and BestBuy online $170 for same length (gauge not stated), $100 for for 6ft. Ouch.
@ CLANK-O-TRON: yeah, but time is costly for those without the DIY time (or initiative) budget.
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BY MAC-PHISTO AT 02/07/08 09:34 PM @unklegwar: see fdx3k1's post regarding radioshack getting ripped off. the wholesale cost =/= actual cost. radioshack actually marks up the cables that they ship to the stores! why? good question...a manager once explained to me that they are bundling in other costs (warehousing, shipping, etc.), but also that passing on as much cost as possible to the store gives them specific write-off benefits come tax time. something about distribution of cost...i dunno, it's been awhile.
@mantari: anything ending in a 7 is a clearance item & won't be around much longer. stock is extremely limited & yes, they often take losses on it to get it the hell out...a little tip for you next time you're in a radioshack. =P
@Skeptic: right on. does everyone need high-quality quad-shielded, goo-injected, made-in-a-sealed-lab (whatever) monster cables? no. but those running longer-than-normal lengths (>6ft) should consider it, as well as people that have other loss-of-signal issues due to rf or other interference.
oh, & if you think these are a rip-off, you have no idea. the radioshack brand 12-ft s-video retails at $26.99. store cost on that is ~$7. that may only be a $20 margin, but it's also a 400% markup. & if you think that's bad, consider the watch batteries - they're at ~4000% markup (retail $4.99, cost to store ~$0.11).
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BY HUMPHRMI AT 02/07/08 09:46 PM @dragondorm: While it's true that you get what you pay for, it's also true that you can pay for more than you need.
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BY EDREBBER AT 02/07/08 10:03 PM The dollar tree and big lots sell cables.
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BY SUFFOLKHOUSE AT 02/07/08 10:34 PM Here's another idea. Don't buy anything at Radio Sack.
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BY ETHEREALSTRIFE AT 02/07/08 10:36 PM MONSTER 7' USB | $12.97 | $7.83 | $5.14
Looks like I paid 23% of wholesale ($10.97 for 6 of them). Yup major ripoff.
The cables are much nicer looking than the standard and are easier to manipulate, so I don't mind paying [a fraction of wholesale] for Monster products.
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BY DOOGA AT 02/07/08 10:38 PM Wow... I really feel bad for spending 50$ on a single coaxial cable...
This blows.
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BY SHERRYNESS AT 02/07/08 10:41 PM
Wow - talk about "Monster Madness...."
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BY FAUST1200 AT 02/07/08 10:42 PM @clank-o-tron: No it hasn't. Read the very first comment.
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BY PHILBERTTRW AT 02/07/08 11:00 PM Guys, I am one of those craaaaazy kids that manages a RadioShack. I'm one of the first people to tell my customers that except in extremely long cable runs or other atypical situations, it's not necessary to buy the best. I acknowledge the fact that everything comes at a markup. It's a fact of life in our capitalist society. I have to pay my associates, I have to get the crap into my stores, and I have to keep the lights on. Not to mention, I have to factor in a loss percentage for all the dumbasses who haven't worked an honest day in their life and decide to steal from my store. Blah blah blah, i know. After all that, I still tell people day in and day out that Monster cables are manufactured to wonderfully exacting standards, and that they're really nifty looking, but they don't work any better in standard home applications than our own store-branded stuff.
Long story short is this: buy shit from people in stores that you trust. Don't take people's word for a product. Get to know your salesperson, and he/she won't steer you wrong. I don't lie to any of my customers. If I don't know, I tell them. I don't make anything up to sell a product I don't have faith in. Oh... And stop dogging my company for trying to stay afloat in the world of online discounters and cheap bastards, would ya? When's the last time you could say you're actually PROUD of your employer? Hmmm?
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BY EMAX4 AT 02/07/08 11:03 PM I used to work at Guitar Center and learned a lot about Monster cables. There ARE differences. Already people have posted comments regarding the warranty. If you break your cable for ANY reason after purchasing it from Guitar Center, your fault or not, you could bring in the damaged cable (with or without receipt as they can look up past purchases by name), and just walk out with a replacement cable. I don't know if the same rule applies with Best Buy, Circuit City or other Monster retailers.
Some people commented on the thickness of the cable. Monster cable or not, that can make a difference depending on the application. You never see muscle cars with tires from a Corolla on them, expensive jewelry held together by cheap tin, or the latest computers with a 5 GB drive. There are math calculations involved, but you'll never see professional audio engineers using thin (not talking about price, just thickness) cables in high-end setups. Do you need those same cables for consumer audio and video? Most likely not.
Keep in mind that no matter if it's a home theater, live concert audio, or even a garage band setup; you'll only sound as good as your weakest link. Playing a '56 Les Paul sunburst with Monster Cables and using a guitar amplifier purchased at Wal Mart? The best you'll sound is that from the Wal Mart Amp. The latest Mac using a vintage 13" CRT monitor? The monitor is the best you'll get. I can go on and on.
Does price dictate quality? Not with everything. If you use standard RCA video cable from Monster to hook up your DVD to a TV, it still won't be as crisp as non-Monster brand S-Video cable or a non-Monster brand optical cables to achieve a more desirable video quality.
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BY RABIDDACHSHUND AT 02/07/08 11:12 PM I got eight 7' Monster USB cables for $11 (including shipping) from woot.com the other day. Problem is what the hell am I going to do with 8 USB cables? Any suggestions?
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BY AWPERK AT 02/07/08 11:15 PM this is such a common practice in retail. they don't make money on tv's and such so they make up for that in accessories. Finishline is the same way with their stuff. Shoes make little to no profit for them but insoles, socks, and shoe laces make up the majority of their profit.
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