Who gets credit for the interconnect upgrade war?

treitz3

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I thought this to be an interesting question tonight. Many an audio nut I know [myself included] started out with better IC's way back in the day with Monster cables. I was not alive back then and I can't find much on the subject, so I thought I'd ask.

Who actually does get credit for the introduction of a cable that is better than that of the Radio Shack cable?

Does anybody even know? Who started it all?
 

MylesBAstor

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Apr 20, 2010
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I thought this to be an interesting question tonight. Many an audio nut I know [myself included] started out with better IC's way back in the day with Monster cables. I was not alive back then and I can't find much on the subject, so I thought I'd ask.

Who actually does get credit for the introduction of a cable that is better than that of the Radio Shack cable?

Does anybody even know? Who started it all?

Bob Fulton?
 

FrantzM

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MylesBAstor

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Yes :) http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue1/mainterview.htm

This is the quote from the interview:

I also met Bob Fulton, of Fulton Audio. Among all audiophile engineers in the world, and among all so-called audio gadgets for tweaking systems, Bob Fulton was the number one man—and I think he’s still the number one man, though he died some ten years ago. He first came up with the "crazy" audiophile cable, so thick, so hard, but it sounded so good. And nobody believed it. And he came up with audiophile interconnect, and with (a product) for the turntable. Later on he came up with small cables (for phono cartridges.) So he was the first high-end audiophile (cable) man at that time. Because most didn’t believe that cable makes a difference. Even David Hafler—I checked with David and said, "This is Fulton cable." He said, "All cable is the same! As long as you get good connections." said, "No, this is the best!" He said, "No… " I still remember this!
 

Fast/Forward

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Bob Fulton!
From my memory, Fulton was on the front edge of the cable wave in North America but it was a French audio reviewer who was given credit for earlier publishing thoughts on this new frontier.
Can't quote the actual source.
I have no ;-) doubt they were making better wire as well back during the golden era of tube manufacturing. But in this era where most electronics was hand built could they not be some engineer who may have noticed, what to me seems reasonable to assume that there is a difference in wire and or cable and whose voice was just not heard?
Hope this confusion helps!
Mostly likely any old fart who can remember may have already passed on.
After all, haven't there always been"golden ears"?
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
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New York City
Bob Fulton!
From my memory, Fulton was on the front edge of the cable wave in North America but it was a French audio reviewer who was given credit for earlier publishing thoughts on this new frontier.
Can't quote the actual source.
I have no ;-) doubt they were making better wire as well back during the golden era of tube manufacturing. But in this era where most electronics was hand built could they not be some engineer who may have noticed, what to me seems reasonable to assume that there is a difference in wire and or cable and whose voice was just not heard?
Hope this confusion helps!
Mostly likely any old fart who can remember may have already passed on.
After all, haven't there always been"golden ears"?

Jean Hiraga is the French reviewer/designer you're referring to :)

Not sure about the actual timing. See back then, we were a pretty isolated world and things going on over the big pond didn't make it here and vice versa :)
 

Elliot G.

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Bob Fulton was the first that I knew about. He was the orriginator for all of us in the NY hifi scene. He had some strange ideas and some stranger ways to sell it. Zoo's and animal research were the keys behind it. You had to be there LOL
 

MarinJim

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My first high end cable was from Be Yamamura.
 

microstrip

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It would be nice if posters could quote approximate dates for these events! :cool:

The Audioquest site includes some interesting information about the appearance of high-end audio cables in the USA:

http://www.audioquest.com/about/
 

DonH50

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I have a pair of Fulton Gold speaker cables and several Fulton interconnects from the late 70's or early 80's. Can't nail it down tighter at the moment, sorry. They are in a box in the basement and I can't find the paperwork (for them or anything else from my last great system before a major revamp a few years ago).
 

treitz3

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That was a cool read, microstrip. Thank you, sir.
 

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