" ...We monkeys figured out the first thing these cords work for: whipping solicitors who come to your door (and boy, howdy, did they work for that). "

      Title: Gamelink 300x by Monster Cable

      Format: Enhanced Xbox Game Cable

      Reviewing Monkey: Dungapult

      The Hype: The hook ups that came with your Xbox are crap- or at least so Monster Cable would have you believe. So much so in fact that they're pushing these "high end" gold plated links for about the same price that a new game will cost you. So, could simple cords be worth it? Read on, my monkeys. Read on.

      What This Monkey Thought...

      Usefulness: Well, right out of the box we monkeys figured out the first thing these cords work for: whipping solicitors who come to your door (and boy, howdy, did they work for that). Once we actually hooked them up, though, the crew was pretty heavily divided. On the one hand, you could well argue that, in general, the Xbox's performance doesn't need improving. But, to us hard-core videophiles, better is always…Well…Better. And, given that it not only improves your video and audio quality but also gives you S-video hook ups and a surround sound adapter (keen!) I think they're worth quite a bit. I'm happy I don't have to go back to the stock cables. 3.5 out of 5

      Compatibility: I would have been shocked and stunned if they hadn't worked with the Xbox (which they do), so really the only two compatibility issues are with your TV and your stereo. The issue with your TV is whether or not you'll actually see a performance boost, and the short answer is "maybe". The slightly longer answer is "the better your TV, the greater the improvement." We tried it with a couple of different classes of TVs and found that for your typical "Target Special" box you're really not going to notice any difference. With a high end Sony (oooh…Can I say "Sony" and "Xbox" in the same review?) flat screen the difference is palpable. The stereo part comes in less with your actual hi-fi than with the games on the 'Box. Short version is not many come with surround sound, so what's it matter? Long version is that they will soon so it'll be a big deal in 6 months. Add it all up and you'll find that it matters whether or not you've got this little beast about half the time. 3 out of 5

      Performance: Well, if you read the last paragraph you know where I'm going to go with this. The better your system the happier you'll be at bumping up to these cords. On a high-end system, the improvement is actually quite impressive. Colors are brighter, images are sharper, the sound is definitely crisper, and surround kicks ass! As I said, they work great and I'm glad I don't have to give them back. 4 out of 5

      The Verdict:

Though not landmark in and of itself, the Gamelink 300x really does improve the look and sound of your Xbox. That, of course, hinging on the fact that you have a TV and stereo that isn't holding your 'Box back.

      The Good: Makes an already kick ass system even better.

      The Bad: Your actual improvement may be negligible and it's a bit pricey.

      The Overall Ugly: A must have for videophiles and serious gamer geeks…Probably a good "wish list" item for anyone else.

      What it's Worth: Market plus or minus a few bucks.