Boycott Monster Cable

ORIGINAL: bitflipper

A forum member posted a question, looking for advice on a Monster Pro outlet strip (not a power conditioner, just an outlet strip with a cheap varistor like any K-Mart extension cord.) I suggested that Monster was a less than reputable company, but I had no idea how evil they are until yep replied with a comment about lawsuits and stuff.

I followed the links and was absolutely shocked at the arrogance of Monster Cable, Inc. So shocked that I felt it deserved its own thread. Hope I don't get sued.

Companies being sued by Monster Cable

One guy's story

On top of just being @holes they are just a marketing company, nothing special at all. Kinda like Bose only even less inovation. Consumer grade stuff at best.

As I posted on that other thread, it's actually much worse than that. Google Monstervintage for a real horror story about a small business being shaken down for a lawer-fueled protection racket. Small, vintage-clothing shop that called back to say they had nothing to do with monster cable and the lawyer goes: can you come up with $1,000? we could let you use "our trademark" for a grand up front plus 1% of your gross revenues...

Obscene. I actually picked that particular website only because the guy did such a good job of documenting their despicableness, not because it's the most egregious example.

The worst thing is, Monster IS slowly taking over the entire cable industry. I went to Daddy's Junky music for new drum heads today and the only cables or adapters they were carrying were Monster. I too thought they were just another obnoxious overpriced company ripping people off until I saw how seriously evil they are. It's not even monopolistic or anticompetitive, it's just an outright lawyer-fueled protection racket designed to shake down anyone using the word "monster."

They have even had the gall to sue the "green monster" at Fenway Park for trademark infringement!

Seriously, if you go to the MASSIVE job-search website "Monster.com", even THEY have been forced to have a disclaimer that says they're no affiliated with Monster Cable. WTF?

This is (was) a small company pitching overpriced cables that has quietly become the biggest shakedown racket since the Mafia. I'm gonna start a comapny called "Mom's cables" and then sue anyone who uses the word Mom for a grand plus 1% of their income for life...

Anyway, if anyone wants to copy my sig, I not only won't be offended, I encourage it, especially if you take it to a an even higher-profiel website.

Cheers.

ORIGINAL: mwd
...I actually like some of the Bose stuff.

Bose has (fairly or not) a bit of a reputation in the pro audio world for being sort of over-hyped, over-priced consumer-grade equipment marketed as high-end equipment.

Unfortunately for their victims, Monster actually *does* make high-quality cables and components, which has won them some credibility in the pro audio world. Professionals may snicker up their sleeve at the "jazz" instrument cables or whatever, but monster is still generally regarded as being on par with Mogami or whatever. They are also widely available and have their name stamped all over the place. As a result, they have a rather high-visibility presence in pro recording studios and sound reinforcement, often just because a couple of monster cables are conspicuous as such in a mass of generic-looking Ameriquad or Mogami cables. This visibility trickles down as credibility to end users who 'remember' seeing this $100 cable in use at the recording studio or whatever.

Somehow, Monster has also persuaded owners of cheap hi-fi systems to spend ridiculous sums for speaker cable and the like. Perhaps this is something like the phenomenon of people who would rather own a designer watch or a flashy car than own a home. You may not be able to afford a top-line stereo system, but for $100, you can have the same cables that rich people use, or something like that. Whatever the reason, Monster cable has somehow become a sizable company selling overpriced, high-margin cables and connectors. Ordinarily I would congratulate them on their success and leave it at that, but for whatever reason they have decided to supplement their legitimate business income with exploitative, frivilous lawsuits aimed at any company that has employed the ancient word "monster" in any capacity at all.

And that is what makes them a completely disgusting company. One that undermines the whole spirit of capitalism and free enterprise. They have made a sideline business of simply "gaming the system" for unearned profit, looking for opportunities not to create products or services better, cheaper, or faster, but simply to exploit the vagaries of trademark law to file bogus lawsuits as part of a shakedown scheme to get random companies to thow their lawyers some cash because paying the protection money is cheaper than fighting a lawsuit.

I hope the officers of monster cable all become afflicted with gruesome venereal diseases and chronic scabby mucous around all their bodily orifices. I hope that all their lawyers' spouses cheat on them and leave them and successfully sue them for 80% of their income. I hope that all the aforementioned people become afflicted with a yellowish, jaundiced complexion and a chronic bad egg smell emnating from their pores. And I hope they make all the money the money in the world and still never escape that bad egg smell.

Speaking of boycotting cable manufacturers. Has anyone here tried making their own cable? I have been thinking of seeing how well that would work out. Buying bulk Mogami or Canare Starquad at $0.40 a foot and a few Neutrik connectors.

Anyony with any experience with this? It seems reasonable, expecially with the prices of some longer XLR cable runs (100-200ft)

ORIGINAL: Joe Bravo

I boycotted them years ago, but for being over-priced and over-valued. Oh, and for having big clucky connectors that break down female jacks prematurely, and for robbing mids from the signal. I won't call their product junk, but it ain't 'all that' either.

yes i have had that happen to, tore up the inside of my LP Jr's female
jack then poped off my Marshall input jack............grrr

might as well make your own with Radioshack parts

This name trademarking thing has been out of hand for quite some time now. Someone managed to trademark the name "Mark Twain" a few years ago. All of his books are of course in public domain; however, if you're a small publisher and you want to reprint any of those books you'll have to get permission to actually put Twain's name on the book. They've even gone after people using Twain's name at fan sites. Absolutely silly.

ORIGINAL: rumleymusic ~ Speaking of boycotting cable manufacturers. Has anyone here tried making their own cable? I have been thinking of seeing how well that would work out.

Recently did just that with about 4 billion miles of studio cable. Purchased Canare cable and G&H Connectors. Also used some Neutrik connectors.

It was actually quite therapeutic. Saved a good chunk-o-$$$ and got custom cable lengths, as needed, which turned out much cleaner.

My one tip or trick is to get really good solder. Makes a diff.

Best info I've found is this Chart from Rane to show you any hookup you'll encounter.

ORIGINAL: rumleymusic

Speaking of boycotting cable manufacturers. Has anyone here tried making their own cable? I have been thinking of seeing how well that would work out. Buying bulk Mogami or Canare Starquad at $0.40 a foot and a few Neutrik connectors.

Anyony with any experience with this? It seems reasonable, expecially with the prices of some longer XLR cable runs (100-200ft)

Yep. I've been making my own cables for about 25 yrs.
Now I use Star Quad and usually switchcraft.

Everybody's got a favorite Guitar Center anecdote, here's my most recent one.

My last visit to that entertaining establishment was back in January after I'd just bought some new monitors and didn't realize until I got home that they required XLR cables. Quick trip to GC. As I am perusing the generic cable rack, a sales associate asks if he can help. How thoughtful. I explain that I need XLR cables for my monitors.

He asks, "what type of monitors?". Irrelevant question but he catches me off guard and I respond that they are ADAM P11s. "Oh, he says, then you'll definitely want these cables over here...", takes me to the Monster Cable display. Figures if I'm willing to spend a couple grand on monitors I won't flinch at a couple hundred bucks for cables. I can't resist jerking around GC salesmen, so I ask "why do I need THESE particular cables?". You can fill in the rest, I'm sure...

ORIGINAL: marcos69

So have any of these Moster lawsuits seen court yet? Seems like any sensible judge would throw them out and set precedence.

These are clearly "shakedown" lawsuits, never intended to stand up in court. Their purpose is to harrass other companies to extract a settlement because paying off the plaintiff is cheaper than fighting it in court. If you look at the details of the suits they all show Monster cable filing for extensions on their own lawsuits-- IOW, they sue you and then apply for extensions to drag it out rather than trying to wrap it up quickly.

For good or for ill, the US courts system is set up in a way that is designed to strongly protect public access to the courts for legal remedy. A consequence of this is that it can be easy for crooked people with the means to exploit the system by filing frivolous lawsuits.

"Yep. I've been making my own cables for about 25 yrs.
Now I use Star Quad and usually switchcraft."

Another vote here for Switchcraft. You can mostly just find their connectors now, but they used to make cables too. I've got one of their Y-chords that's probably 20 years old and still has the best shielding I've ever seen. And their connectors are still exemplary in my opinion. Pro Performer is a good all around cable for the money as well.

ORIGINAL: Joe Bravo
Oh, and for having big clucky connectors that break down female jacks prematurely

I passed up on a heavy duty Monster RCA cable once upon a time because I could tell it could cause that exact problem and actually never considered them seriously since. That's one Bay Area company that I regret to say I will not be sorry to see go away.

Richard

most of cable is not really good. They need to use terms that convey an image that is not reality. Many monster stores have low ox high out put cables. RG69 video is very good. The video cables require remanufacturing to in stall plugs. Clean and super glue wrap with nylon fibers(shredded rope). A small amount of high tin solder is ok. At anytime coin grade silver can be used it is an electonic bonus. A caution on the new dollar coins. Take a new George whasington dollar and keep it in your pocket for a month. Lot of corrosion. Dimes still got good electronic silver. glass optical is best by 850x. plastic light is good over short distances. Shave your dimes and electro plate. Give your dimes back to the bank and get new shavers. Stop at a bar and pee in an empty beer bottle and tell the barkeep he gave you a warm one.

ORIGINAL: bitflipper

Here's some more monster information. The article notes that Bose claims to own the decimal point -- sounds like Bose and Monster work from the same playbook.

Need Money?

Dig this: these jerks actually threatened Hannah Barberra for naming one of their cartoons "Scooby Doo and the Monster of Mexico". Man, would I have loved to be in the courtroom when their lawyers explained the logic behind that one.

he-heheehe! (in Scoobie Voice)

Actually, I didn't look through the entire list, but I wonder if they tried to tackle monstercommerce.com? That was started by the son of one of my longtime clients in town along with his girlfriend in an old farmhouse. They sold it year before last for several million but still manage it for the new owners.