Consumerist
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.
UPDATE: Monster Responds To "Monster Cables, Monster Ripoff" Story
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
Comments
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!
Monster cables are a ripoff? I'm shocked! Who woulda thunk it?!!
It must be a slow news day at Consumerist :-)
Constipated Mr. Holmes?
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!
Monoprice.com........... only place to buy cables!
Yup, I just got 2 hdmi cables for a total of under 20 bucks, after shipping from monoprice.
[www.monoprice.com]
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.
@beernut: Monoprice is awesome. 1080p resolution comes through my hdmi cable just fine.
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).
@Shadowman615: But I want my sound in stereo. Is there a StereoPrice.com?
I've always used www.showmecables.com. I paid $10 for a 1 meter HDMI cable.
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.
Perhaps a '| Profit' should be added to the title of the list?
Holy Monster Cable Batman!
SOhp101: Agreed. Took me a few seconds to realize what that column was for.
@PingPongDarts: But where can I buy decent cables for a reasonable price?
monoprice.com is your best friend in the world for cables
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.
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.
@unklegwar: That'll teach you to try and reason with Circuit City/Source staff :)
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.
@coan_net: Well, there's still a difference between Monster and other brand cables at the store.
You want stereoprice? Try Best Buy; I'm told sometimes they have two prices on the same item.
Watch out Consumerist! Monster will somehow figure out a way to accuse you of copyright or trademark infringement for this news item.
HA HA!!! A sucker born every minute. You get what you negotiate not what you pay for.
Monster Cables = Great Marketing to Uneducated Suckers
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!
"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.
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.
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.
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] .
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.)
@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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Just another happy monoprice.com customer.
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.
@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.
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.
@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.
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.
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.
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.
Gads. Only get these things unless they're massively discounted. I got an optical audio cable for $8 that was originally $100. So, hooray.
Monster still makes great car stereo cables. As far as HDMI..Comcast gave me more cords than I will need anytime soon.
Seriously? $90.00 RCA cables are a rip-off?
This just in: Water is wet and monkeys are awesome.
@Monoplex:
Good information, I didn't know that.
@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)
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').