Monster cable is not "slightly" more expensive. Expect to pay $60-$70 for the Monster cable, then another $40-$50 for their propriatary "Lightwave" Fiber Optic Cable (it won't use standard FiberOptic cables, so without this addon you can't use 5.1 Dolby Digital).However, on an HDTV with 5.1, the Xbox is simply beautiful. Was it worth the extra $120 I spent on Monster cables? Probabally not. Get this one and a $10 fiber optic cable and I'm sure you'll be just as happy.