Comments on: Save money on cables by skipping brick and mortar stores http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:22:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Sean http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35551 Sean Sun, 17 May 2009 15:18:21 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35551 The best way to get cables is to look at the specs online before you buy, order your cables at an e-tailer like productshiptoday.com and then go to the brick and morter store to buy your camera, printer, etc. Also, radio shack is the worst for quality to price ratio. I always feel dirty when I leave there. The best way to get cables is to look at the specs online before you buy, order your cables at an e-tailer like productshiptoday.com and then go to the brick and morter store to buy your camera, printer, etc. Also, radio shack is the worst for quality to price ratio. I always feel dirty when I leave there.

]]> By: Jose C http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35523 Jose C Sun, 17 May 2009 02:48:43 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35523 Yes, Monoprice has great prices but beware of their unreliable shipping. I live in Florida and 2 out of the 5 times I purchased cables from Monoprice the order got "lost" in their warehouse and were never shipped...meanwhile on their website it said it was...I stopped buying from for that reason. Dealing with their customer service was a pain and it took weeks to resolve the shipping issue. Also I used to work in a high end electronic store many years ago...and anything "Monster" had a markup of over 50% sometimes reaching as high as 80%(!!!) which is pure profit for the store and the salesman's commission. Don't be fooled by the tales of "improved nuances in video and audio and future proofed" its all sale talk...also do beware of very cheap cables because of poor insulation and very poor connectors/plug and how they are connected to the cable(usually just lightly clamped which can easily loosen or cause shorts) Yes, Monoprice has great prices but beware of their unreliable shipping. I live in Florida and 2 out of the 5 times I purchased cables from Monoprice the order got “lost” in their warehouse and were never shipped…meanwhile on their website it said it was…I stopped buying from for that reason. Dealing with their customer service was a pain and it took weeks to resolve the shipping issue. Also I used to work in a high end electronic store many years ago…and anything “Monster” had a markup of over 50% sometimes reaching as high as 80%(!!!) which is pure profit for the store and the salesman’s commission. Don’t be fooled by the tales of “improved nuances in video and audio and future proofed” its all sale talk…also do beware of very cheap cables because of poor insulation and very poor connectors/plug and how they are connected to the cable(usually just lightly clamped which can easily loosen or cause shorts)

]]> By: Mark Adkins http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35370 Mark Adkins Fri, 15 May 2009 03:17:08 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35370 The only caveat I would offer is that you CAN go TOO CHEAP on cables. Some knock-off generics use thin, low-grade conductors, chintzy hardware, etc. There are many of us who have been burned by cheap 'eBay' cables for Palms, iPods, etc. that did not work right. This is why it is nice when there are standards and when you can use a nice website with a good reputation. The only caveat I would offer is that you CAN go TOO CHEAP on cables. Some knock-off generics use thin, low-grade conductors, chintzy hardware, etc. There are many of us who have been burned by cheap ‘eBay’ cables for Palms, iPods, etc. that did not work right.

This is why it is nice when there are standards and when you can use a nice website with a good reputation.

]]> By: Josh http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35326 Josh Thu, 14 May 2009 10:59:42 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35326 HDMI needing a price tag above $12 for a 9 foot cable is absurd. It's a digital signal; it gets the 1's and 0's for its digital data stream, or it doesn't. There's no interference phooey that one could run into... which is something that the salesmen at a place like Best Buy would never admit to. Claiming that Monster future-proof's their cables is garbage as well; It's not like they are able to make HDMI 1.7a qualifying cables when just 1.3 standards are available. You pay upwards of $60 for future-proofing that isn't even future-proofed. And of course, Best Buy only advertises their most expensive stuff to create a false price reference for consumers. They see what BB charges, and automatically it becomes "buyer beware" when they see an offer for cheap HDMI cables, as though there's a difference. Me, I go newegg. You occasionally get free shipping deals and there's a wide array of cheap cables to choose from. HDMI needing a price tag above $12 for a 9 foot cable is absurd. It’s a digital signal; it gets the 1′s and 0′s for its digital data stream, or it doesn’t. There’s no interference phooey that one could run into… which is something that the salesmen at a place like Best Buy would never admit to. Claiming that Monster future-proof’s their cables is garbage as well; It’s not like they are able to make HDMI 1.7a qualifying cables when just 1.3 standards are available. You pay upwards of $60 for future-proofing that isn’t even future-proofed. And of course, Best Buy only advertises their most expensive stuff to create a false price reference for consumers. They see what BB charges, and automatically it becomes “buyer beware” when they see an offer for cheap HDMI cables, as though there’s a difference.

Me, I go newegg. You occasionally get free shipping deals and there’s a wide array of cheap cables to choose from.

]]> By: Shawn http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35289 Shawn Wed, 13 May 2009 23:35:04 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35289 Monoprice is good. By the way James Sullivan, to your post, cablestogo.com is practically a retailer just selling cables online. You can basically assume they are a brick and mortar store. Why don't you shop at Monoprice like the rest of the community and enlighten yourself, that there are better sources for cables other than companies like cablestogo.com. =P Monoprice is good. By the way James Sullivan, to your post, cablestogo.com is practically a retailer just selling cables online. You can basically assume they are a brick and mortar store. Why don’t you shop at Monoprice like the rest of the community and enlighten yourself, that there are better sources for cables other than companies like cablestogo.com. =P

]]> By: Hai Vu http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35284 Hai Vu Wed, 13 May 2009 22:12:15 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35284 +1 for monoprice. I got my HDMI, component, optical cables from them and they perform great so far. While I am not an audiophile, I do have good enough eyes and ears and I could not tell the differences between brand name cables and the generic ones. +1 for monoprice. I got my HDMI, component, optical cables from them and they perform great so far. While I am not an audiophile, I do have good enough eyes and ears and I could not tell the differences between brand name cables and the generic ones.

]]> By: Howie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35280 Howie Wed, 13 May 2009 21:20:16 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35280 The brick and mortar's contributing to the local economy is a great theory. But it's akin to the trickle down theory of economics. You know, give the money to the rich and it will trickle down. Problem is, what is happening is, you pay $100 for cables that cost them $5. $45 goes back into the economy and $50 goes into the corporate pot. Eventually the wealth starts to accumulate with the wealthy. On the other hand, you could look for the best price you can get. Pay $5-10 online. If you want to stir the economy more, take the $90-95 you saved and invest it in stock, bonds, or other securities. The economy starts to rise due to the addition capital coming into the market and you get even richer. In anycase, if you excercise your rights as a consumer to look for the best prices, you actually contribute to the market by making it more competitive and forcing companies to be more aggressive in the level of products and services offered. That is the basis of capitalism. The brick and mortar’s contributing to the local economy is a great theory. But it’s akin to the trickle down theory of economics. You know, give the money to the rich and it will trickle down. Problem is, what is happening is, you pay $100 for cables that cost them $5. $45 goes back into the economy and $50 goes into the corporate pot. Eventually the wealth starts to accumulate with the wealthy.

On the other hand, you could look for the best price you can get. Pay $5-10 online. If you want to stir the economy more, take the $90-95 you saved and invest it in stock, bonds, or other securities. The economy starts to rise due to the addition capital coming into the market and you get even richer.

In anycase, if you excercise your rights as a consumer to look for the best prices, you actually contribute to the market by making it more competitive and forcing companies to be more aggressive in the level of products and services offered. That is the basis of capitalism.

]]> By: Jean-Denis Haas http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35274 Jean-Denis Haas Wed, 13 May 2009 19:06:21 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35274 Yep, another endorsement for MonoPrice. Great selection, awesome price. Although the customer support could be better, but might have been only me. Yep, another endorsement for MonoPrice. Great selection, awesome price. Although the customer support could be better, but might have been only me.

]]> By: Tony C http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35273 Tony C Wed, 13 May 2009 19:01:52 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35273 Another +1 for MonoPrice -- except that being on the opposite coast of California, you pay more for shipping and have to wait longer. Another +1 for MonoPrice — except that being on the opposite coast of California, you pay more for shipping and have to wait longer.

]]> By: James Sullivan http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35262 James Sullivan Wed, 13 May 2009 17:16:42 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35262 I agree that brick & mortar stores charge a premium. But, one must realize that their overhead is much higher than an online store, also that they provide local employment & contribute to the local economy. I personally tend to generally shop locally when possible for those reasons. However when necessary I do shop online. As far as online stores for cables, I am surprised that CablesToGo (http://www.cablestogo.com/) was not mentioned as a extremely good place to shop for cables. I agree that brick & mortar stores charge a premium.
But, one must realize that their overhead is much higher than an online store, also that they provide local employment & contribute to the local economy. I personally tend to generally shop locally when possible for those reasons.

However when necessary I do shop online.
As far as online stores for cables, I am surprised that CablesToGo (http://www.cablestogo.com/) was not mentioned as a extremely good place to shop for cables.

]]> By: Andy Chen http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35250 Andy Chen Wed, 13 May 2009 14:45:24 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35250 +1 for Monoprice. For HDMI cables, for instance... I had no idea you could choose from a variety of gauges, colors, lengths, etc. Incredible. +1 for Monoprice. For HDMI cables, for instance… I had no idea you could choose from a variety of gauges, colors, lengths, etc. Incredible.

]]> By: Jackson http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35247 Jackson Wed, 13 May 2009 14:11:39 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35247 On vacation, movie on iPod, wanted to watch on TV, no cable = $60 at local RS store! So bad! On vacation, movie on iPod, wanted to watch on TV, no cable = $60 at local RS store! So bad!

]]> By: David http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35242 David Wed, 13 May 2009 13:22:24 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35242 The way I see it is they slash the prices on the components that you want. Then make back serious coin on the cables and the little stuff you need to get all of those components hooked up. If you're aware of that and plan for it you can save by having the needed cables already in hand. The way I see it is they slash the prices on the components that you want. Then make back serious coin on the cables and the little stuff you need to get all of those components hooked up. If you’re aware of that and plan for it you can save by having the needed cables already in hand.

]]> By: alan http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35238 alan Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:13 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35238 I tend to use Monoprice.com. "Brand name" cables and most cables purchased at box stores are almost invariably a rip-off. The online retailers have wider selection at better prices and work just as well. I tend to use Monoprice.com. “Brand name” cables and most cables purchased at box stores are almost invariably a rip-off. The online retailers have wider selection at better prices and work just as well.

]]> By: John Ray Cabrera http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/05/13/save-money-on-cables-by-skipping-brick-and-mortar-stores/comment-page-1/#comment-35237 John Ray Cabrera Wed, 13 May 2009 11:51:33 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=15375#comment-35237 i am admittingly a cheapskate, for a good practical reason. in my place, there are cables that i can buy for as meager as $10-15. and they work as fine as those $20 price tag. i am admittingly a cheapskate, for a good practical reason. in my place, there are cables that i can buy for as meager as $10-15. and they work as fine as those $20 price tag.

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