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monster cable posts

Monster Cable learns nothing, sues Monster Transmission

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 9th 2009 at 1:51PM


Wondering why Engadget still has a permanent ban on covering Monster Cable products, even after the company tried to make amends for its frivolous lawsuit and strong-arm settlement offer against Monster Mini Golf? Well, it's because the company hasn't actually changed its ways -- not only did we just catch them trying to peddle their overpriced snakeoil cables using rigged displays for the third time, Noel Lee's lawyers have dusted themselves off and filed a lawsuit against Monster Transmission, a performance auto supplier in Florida. Yes, Monster Cable is suing an American automotive manufacturing company in the middle of a recession. Brilliant PR move, don't you think? So yeah, the ban stands -- and we'd recommend steering your friends to any number of cable brands that are just as good, much cheaper, and far less burdened with the stink of desperation than any of Monster's products.

Update: Monster Cable's sending out a statement saying "Monster does not have an issue with Monster Transmission" and that the "case was filed last year, before the Monster Mini Golf matter was settled" but it sounds to us like they're playing fast and loose with their timeline to distract people -- we just spoke to Achilles Thomas, one of the owners of Monster Transmission, and he said the initial lawsuit was filed between October and November of 2008 and hasn't come close to settling, even though the Mini Golf case settled in January. Naughty, naughty.

Read - Audioholics post on the lawsuit
Read - Monster Transmissions

Monster "HDMI Difference" scam still kickin' in Fry's Electronics

by Darren Murph posted Mar 23rd 2009 at 11:31AM


Man, this is just sad. Over a year after the internet was set ablaze with rage after seeing Monster's HDMI cable scam, we've just been notified that the tactic is still being used in at least one Fry's Electronics store. For those unaware, the rig works as such: two TVs are set beside each other along with a sign that says "See the Monster HDMI Difference." Trouble is, the "Monster set" (on the right) is connected to its source via an HDMI cable, while the "non-Monster set" (on the left) is connected via composite cable. As in, the lamest looking signal next to using an RF modulator. So, is anyone with any amount of power paying attention to this? We get the feeling "false advertising" is a real understatement of the situation.

[Thanks, Jeff]

RedMere introduces industry's thinnest "smart" active HDMI cables

by Darren Murph posted Mar 17th 2009 at 10:37AM


They'll cost just shy of four gazillion dollars per meter, but the world's thinnest "smart" active HDMI cables are still pretty enticing; unfortunately for us, RedMere chose Monster to deliver said cables to retail, but we're crossing our fingers that it partners with other brands that are less soiled by frivolous lawsuits and priced even remotely close to "reasonable." At any rate, the new ultrathin cables feature RedMere's MagnifEye Active chip technology, and while we're not told precisely how slim these new strands will be, we're sure Monster will make quite the fuss whenever they begin to ship. Now, the only question remaining is this: will there be a locking version?

Monster Cable prepping wireless UWB gear

by Darren Murph posted May 28th 2008 at 1:19AM

Monster Cable -- the firm famous for grossly overcharging for its wares and suing nearly every company on Earth with "monster" in its title -- is going wireless. Yep, rather than gouging customers for Unicorn-like wiring, it'll now be promising to transmit signals through the purest air -- the kind only a Monster box could attract, most likely. Over at Hometech 2008 in Dubai, CEO Noel Lee affirmed that it would soon be "coming out with wireless," also noting that the elusive product(s) would be based on ultra-wideband (UWB) technology and support 1080p. Beyond that, it looks like we'll be waiting for specifics, as an official announcement of the device won't come until the "second week of June." Lee also stated that it "[wouldn't] be inexpensive," and threw out a $600 estimation for "a pair of boxes," while each additional room would cost $200 to connect. Color us absolutely unimpressed.

Monster Cable at it again, sues mini-golf company

by Ryan Block posted May 26th 2008 at 11:48PM

If it wasn't already perfectly clear by now that Monster Cable's cables aren't really worth the price (or any price above the cost of a coat-hanger), and that they're only using those bloated markups to perpetuate their reputation as money-grubbing lawsuit-happy snakeoil peddlers, we'd call your attention to their latest target: Monster Mini Golf, a chain of glow-in-the-dark mini-golf courses based out of Rhode Island. Apparently Monster Cable claims that the Monster Mini Golf brand is confusing to the public and dilute their trademark. Of course, this suit isn't really any more absurd than their suits against Monster.com, the Chicago Bears (aka the "Monsters of the Midway"), or the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. -- that is to say, it's equally and completely ridiculous. But hey, when you're making 1000%+ margin on merch, you can only swim in entire pools of liquid gold so long before seeking out the thrill only found in wasting taxpayer dollars on frivolous lawsuits.

Hey, so here's an idea: perhaps everyone should just stop buying anything made by Monster Cable. That or set up a dummy corporation with the word "monster" in the name, since you're basically guaranteed they'll spin their wheels serving a summons for merely existing. (Don't worry, you'll have limited personal liability.) You pick, whatever's easier.

[Thanks, Jason; also, here's the Monster Mini Golf site]

Vote on whether Engadget should blackball coverage of Monster Cable here.

In-store demo compares Monster HDMI interconnect to composite cable

by Darren Murph posted Apr 21st 2008 at 2:02PM


It's not like we haven't seen Monster Cables used in "A-B" demos before, but the latest in-store comparison is downright laughable. The image shown above was reportedly captured at a Fry's Electronics in Indiana, and as you can see, some clever bloke / dame figured they'd attempt to pull the wool over ignorant eyes by setting up an absolutely absurd side-by-side demonstration. The only difference between the two rigs is the use of a Monster Power Filter versus a vanilla power strip and a Monster HDMI cable versus a... no-name composite cable. Both devices were piped to a 19-inch 720p LCD, and according to the tipster who snagged the picture, the actual image quality was only marginally different -- presumably due to the "nearly monochromatic ocean scene" that did nothing to show off the differences between the two mediums. Donuts to dollars a coat hanger would've actually proven superior to the Monster.


[Thanks, P.]

Monster Cable tries to harass Blue Jeans Cable, fails

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 14th 2008 at 9:24PM


Monster Cable's got a pretty shady history for a variety of reasons, but high up on the list is the company's notoriously aggressive legal team, which routinely threatens companies with litigation if they don't pay license fees or otherwise settle over trivial matters. Well, in an ironic turnabout, it looks like Monster's lawyers didn't know what they were in for when they sent a cease-and-desist letter to EHD favorite Blue Jeans Cable recently: the company's founder, Kurt Denke, was a federal litigator for nearly twenty years, and has no intention of backing down. He's making his reply to Monster public, and while it's essentially very similar to what any company's lawyer would have written up in response, Kurt doesn't have to be nearly as polite, which makes it a pretty fun read. Monster's basically saying that Blue Jeans Cable is using connectors that are too similar to Monster's, and Kurt does a pretty good job of taking them to task for being bullies -- all while pointing out that even if they do win, they won't get much, and he'll have made life very difficult in the meantime. Full letter, chuckles included, at the read link.

[Via Audio Junkies]

Monster now shipping SL100 speakers, coat hangers not included

by Steven Kim posted Mar 22nd 2008 at 11:50PM

Monster Cable ships SL100 speakers
Perennial whipping boy in the A/V market, Monster Cable, has launched its compact StreamLine (SL) 100 speakers. Seriously, we've never found Monster Cable products to be bad, it's just the marketing hype and pricing that gets under our skins. Anyways, if you absolutely have to have your cabling and speakers match, take a look. If that's your style, chances are you'll be interested in purchasing a set of the $300 swappable panels (cherry, silver, maple, red or yellow) to make your speakers match your decor as well. The primary tower speakers and the center channel feature 3-inch aluminum woofers and 1-inch aluminum tweeters, and the subwoofer has a 10-inch driver backed by a 120-Watt amp. Prices are $600 (per pair) for the towers, $300 for the center channel, and $500 for the sub. Cables not included, but Monster can cover you there, too.

Audiophiles can't tell the difference between Monster Cable and coat hangers

by Nilay Patel posted Mar 3rd 2008 at 8:03PM

We've always believed that the perceived quality boost that comes from using high-end cables is really just a trick of the mind (read: justifying the ridiculous cost of premium cables to yourself) -- if you've dropped enough cash, you can probably hear anything you want. Still, our belief is one thing -- cold hard proof is another, and it looks like a group of 12 self-professed "audiophiles" recently couldn't tell the difference between Monster 1000 speaker cables and plain old coat hangers. Yeah, coat hangers. The group was A-Bing different cables, and unbeknownst to them, the engineer running the test swapped out a set of cables for coat hangers with soldered-on speaker connections. Not a single one was then able to tell the difference between the Monster Cable and the hangers, and all agreed that the hangers sounded excellent. No wonder Monster has to rig HD displays. Still, we bet people still fall for the hype -- oh hey, if you're looking for the ultimate in sound, we've got half a meter of oxygen-free, triple-wrapped double-insulated Sonically Shielded AmpliSized Egyptian Llama cable here that we'll part ways with for just a couple grand.

[Via BoingBoing]

Monster brings Speed-Rated HDMI cables to Canada, gross markup likely in tow

by Darren Murph posted Feb 18th 2008 at 8:32AM


We didn't believe Monster's claims when it rolled those Speed-Rated cables out here in the US, and we certainly don't think its savvy marketing will increase picture quality any more up north. Nevertheless, the cabling company notorious for snatching hard-earned dollars from unsuspecting shoppers who fall for glamorous packaging and wild claims is bringing its Speed-Rated line to Canada. Holding down the flagship position is the Ultra-High Speed MC1000EX, followed closely behind by the increasingly sluggish MC850HD, MC750HD and MC550HD. Apparently, the family will run Canucks $59.95 to $149.95 for one-meter editions, but we genuinely hope anyone reading this has better sense than to take 'em up on the "offer."

HDMI cable scam used to fool in-store customers?

by Darren Murph posted Dec 17th 2007 at 10:14AM

We'll be straight with you -- we aren't inclined to believe that this is even remotely close to factual, but considering the lengths big box retailers will go to in order to make sure you leave with a totally overpriced cable or two in your bag, we suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility. Reportedly, GizmoRepublic walked into an unspecified "big box store" and went to check out a display touting the superiority of Monster cabling. Upon further inspection, he realized that the difference in picture quality wasn't due to the gold-plating or fancy braiding, but rather the use of composite cables on the non-Monster TV. Of course, there are photos of the scene posted in the read link, but even still, we've got our reservations about the whole thing. Regardless of what happened in one particular store in one particular setup, one thing's still quite clear: there's simply no need to waste your hard-earned dollars paying for fancy packaging.

Monster's CEDIA booth tour

by Darren Murph posted Sep 7th 2007 at 1:38PM


While we never thought we'd see (legitimate) Monster cabling being sold out of the back of a van (ahem), the company definitely had an accessory-packed ride parked right in the middle of its fairly extravagant exhibit. As you'd expect, there seemed to be enough cable there to wire up downtown Denver along with a dedicated control system kiosk, a section of flat-panel mounts, and yes, even a wall of adapters made specifically for Apple products. More interesting than the items on the floor, however, was the item that wasn't: Einstein. After prodding for details, we were told that Monster has in fact pushed back the launch of its Home Control System in order to "fairly significantly retool" the device, and while everyone was tight-lipped about exactly what changes were in store, on-site reps admitted that it wanted to be "ahead of the curve" rather than behind it when this finally lands. Sadly, that means we'll likely be waiting till "around Q4" for this sucka, so we wouldn't be surprised to see the revamped version in Las Vegas early next year.

Gallery: Monster's CEDIA booth tour

Monster Cable producing "speed-rated" HDMI cables

by Matt Burns posted Aug 29th 2007 at 12:36PM

All right Monster Cable, what are ya doing? Speed rating your HDMI cables? We have to be honest, we're a little skeptical about the differences in HDMI speed. Technically, there might be a difference when compared with some special Monster-developed gizmo, but we highly doubt there would be a difference under real world tests. (BTW, we'd love to try it out for ourselves) Besides the obvious revenue answer, if there were a difference in HDMI cables, why wouldn't you just produce the best? Why flood the market with multiple "speed" options and confuse/irritate us consumers when you could just make one uber-high quality HDMI cable? The cables start at $50 for the Standard 1 meter, and go all the way up to $100 for the Ultra-High Speed, with two different speed options in between, along with multiple lengths. Come on Monster Cable, the days of analog interference are gone so hop on the HDMI boat and stop over charging for a digital cable.


[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Monster PS3 HDMI cable price: $100

by Richard Lawler posted Nov 1st 2006 at 11:33AM

Sony's new PlayStation 3 begins the HD Era according to the company, but the box won't include any of the cables necessary to take you there. Sure the old component cables from the PS2 will still work, but with many gamers clamoring for 1080p and digital output to put that brand new HDMI 1.3 connector to use. Monster Cable has revealed its lineup for the Playstation 3 launch and the prices are awe-inspiring. For the low, low price of $99.95 gamers can have the privilege of owning a 2-meter GameLink HDMI cable with a DuraFlex jacket that "complements the look of your PS3", as well as other nice sounding features to make sure nothing interferes with your 1080p gaming. Also featured are similarly-priced fiber optic audio and component video cables that are certain to be prominently placed in the videogames section of your local electronics retailer. Unless you know where to find cables for less, avoiding the assault on your wallet this holiday season could be difficult.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Alchemy produces and ships new HDTV "lip-sync" solution - DDL & DDL4

by Matt Burns posted Jun 27th 2006 at 9:37AM


Don't you hate it when the audio is just a half-a-sec ahead/behind the movement of the lips. Oh we can't stand that, but Alchemy has a new solution that will hopefully put the end to the notorious Chinese Kung Fu movie syndrome. Simply plug in your digital audio cable to this little magical box and then output it to your receiver via another digital wire. You can then select the amount of delay to make it as precise as you want. Alchemy has made it easy for you to work as well with a built-in IR code learner so when you switch your receiver to another input, this box will switch as well. The two source DDL retails for $399 and while the four source DDL4 only fifty bucks more at $449. Monster Cable is getting into this game too and will be selling the DDL4 under the MonsterISF brand for surprisingly the same price.




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