Customer Reviews

Monster S100-M-20 Standard 100 Microphone Cable (20 Feet)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Monster makes some decent quality cables and while no less reliable than other major manufacturers' cables they are more expensive than other brands. Monster throws lots of techno-babble around about things like "time correct windings" but if the cable doesn't work it doesn't matter how good it is. Their higher end products make more of a difference in sound quality than their entry level line.

Monster makes three series of progressively more expensive microphone cables which are the 100 (this one), the 500 (BETTER) and 1000 (BEST.) This "100" cable series is their "entry level" mic cable and their lightest weight XLR cable series with the smallest diameter cable.

While the cable itself is small in diameter, the 100 series cable has big fat MOLDED-ON XLR connectors, the presence of which creates with two drawbacks. First, if they break you can't fix them and you just have to cut them off and replace them. Second, when you pull a Shure SM-57 or SM-58 size mic out of the stand adapter these fat molded connectors don't slide as smoothly through the stand adapter as a standard Switchcraft type connector would.

When these connectors go bad, you could buy a new Switchcraft connector and solder it on which would void the warranty, but the cable is not user serviceable otherwise. Since they have a "LIFETIME" warranty on all Monster products, instead of fixing it you can get it replaced free and I'm of the opinion that this warranty is why this cable costs about twice what it should. Plus you have to do without the cable for a while until you get the replacement.

There are a multitude of other manufacturers making good reliable mic cables and some have better material quality than the Monster 100. Aside from the Monster lifetime warranty you'd be just as well off with a quality cable from another quality line and in some cases better off. Some of the other manufacturers also have a lifetime warranty.

The color coding was a nice idea, but from 30 feet away the tech won't be able to see the little colored insert stripe ring. 3-M Mystic tape is the time proven color coding material anyway.

Cables with these molded on type connectors would be more suitable for a permanent installation such as a church or meeting hall or infrequent use than for a band that plays a different room every night. They are not as durable as one with standard Switchcraft or Neutrik XLR connectors.

If you must have a Monster mic cable and if you are going to be using the cable a lot, or using it in a critical situation I'd step up at least to the 500 series or try another reliable name brand like Planet Waves or the Horizon brand which are very well made. I've also had good luck with the Shure brand cables which is a very economical solution.

There are also a number of small companies selling custom made Mogami or Canare mic cables. Just do an internet search on Mogami mic cable. In many recording studios you can usually find Mogami and/or Canare brand cables.

I do use the pricier Monster instrument cables which are worth at least some of the extra money to me. I own two of those and they have been good cables. These Series 100 Microphone cables are better than nothing, but no cable is 100% failsafe so I'd keep a spare handy. You are paying a premium price but don't expect cables that never fail.

Our choir bought some house-brand microphone cables from that website that claims to be a friend to musicians. They barely outlasted the warranty. We proposed plopping down nearly 4 C-notes on a dozen 20-foot Standard 100 mike cables to our church's finance council. The words "Lifetime Warranty" were the clincher.

Hum? Forget about it. Cell phone static? Thing o' the past. CB radio interference? Tunes it right out. The secret is twisted pair construction, which eats up an extra inch or so of wire per foot of finished cable. The signal becomes its own electronic shield against noise. Cheaper cables use a side-by-side or linear configuration. It saves wire and keeps the price down but the cable acts as an antenna and attracts all kinds of electromagnetic junk from the air.

The jacket resists twisting and uncoils smoothly. It also rolls up for storage without fighting back like a snake that's had a few espresso shots.

The ends are finished with somewhat oversize connectors, providing a generous grip for smooth insertion and removal, but they can be a hindrance for performers who like a grab a mike off the stand and solo. That's not a problem in a church choir, so we expect the cables to last a long time. If you need a cable with a slimmer connector, move up to the Performer 500 or Studio Pro 1000 series.

The finishing touch in our sound setup is the Monster Cable S-100 instrument patch cord and an attenuating adapter for hooking our mixer to the sound system. Velvety-quiet signal transfer and audio quality that's good to the last note.

We have yet to use the Lifetime Warranty but the peace of mind is, well, as good as a gift from God.

Item received as ordered. Fast delivery. Be carefull if you want to use this cable with Shure SM57 mic. The mic clip fits at the end of the microphone, and prevents you from connecting the XLR connector to the mic since the rubberized end is wider than the clip. I'm gonna have to buy a different mic clip.

I ordered this cable from a retailer in the US who sent it (free) to my post box. Unfortunately, I didn't open the package for several weeks after I received it, as I had ordered extra stuff I didn't need right away. Good retailer - no issue there. This cable was bad right out of the package - at least one pin not connected, so it produced the most glorious hum. Ah, but Monster has a Lifetime Warranty, you say? Sure. So I sent them a message, and didn't get a response for over 2 weeks. Then I requested an RA number for my address. Well, I work for the US military outside the US, and only have a Mil Post mail box. And guess what? Monster won't deliver to a box, only a real street address. So I gave them that, which they turned over to a distributor in the country where I live, and those folks contacted me (about a week later) with an RA number for their shop. Well, postage over here is about 3 times more than in the US, and I pointed out to them that the cable was defective and should be replaced at no cost to me. No, I'd have to pay the postage. So, a $30 cable just became a $45 cable (plus the inconvenience of traveling to a local PO when the US one is right where I live). That's fine. Last Monster product I buy, and I told them that. But "it's not our policy to pay for shipping" a defective cable back to them for replacement. Okay, but what about attracting and keeping paying customers? Apparently not a real concern...And BTW, my $12 mic cables that I've had for years have given me absolutely no issues and sound fine. And if you're still buying into the Monster hype, if you really think there's a difference in audio quality, check out the blindfold test where "audiophiles" couldn't tell the difference between Monster speaker cable (pricey!) and coat hangers. Can't include the link, but it's easy to find; just search for the key words. I found it while trying to find their contact and warranty info.

My recommendation? Save some bucks and don't pay for hype.

The 2 cables I got look new, but were in beat-up packaging that I haven't seen in a retail store in at least a few years. I bought a couple new ones at Guitar Center around the same time and the plugs have a new design (which is displayed in the product image here). Even so, the old-style cable I bought 5 years ago is still doing fine today, and I can get new cables anytime if these wonk out thanks to the lifetime warranty. Bottom line: A tad disappointing about the old plugs, but the price here is better than any retail store I've seen.

I've used this cable to do some really solid sounding recordings that I think are only limited by the mic and my only intermediate engineering know-how. Great buy.

The performance of this cable is astonishing. It is a must have item!