The notoriously litigious manufacturers of insanely and (some would argue) needlessly expensive cables, Monster Cable, are apparently hurting after the death of Circuit City. USAToday says that the company is slashing prices in order to increase market share.

“We’re lowering prices, due to the recession, but we’re also increasing performance,” says founder and “Head Monster” Noel Lee.

An 8′ HDMI cable that used to cost $125 will now retail for $99. (For comparison’s sake, an 8′ HDMI cable at Monoprice.com goes for about $4.)

Monster would certainly like you to believe that their cables are worth the extra money, but it seemed like most experts interviewed by USAToday weren’t buying it.

“Cables are enjoying percentages consumers would scream about if they knew the markup on them,” says Richard Doherty, an independent analyst at Envisioneering Group.
…
“Monster used higher-quality products in the analog era to give you better sound, but as things went digital, it either works or it doesn’t,” he says. “Now there’s an awful lot of $15 cables out there which would give you the exact same performance as Monster Cable.”

Monster Cable lowers prices during recession [USAToday] (Thanks, Everyone!)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.