Cable - audible differences?

I am not talking expensive ones either. I mean just not the crap lamp cord stuff.

OK. And I'm not trying to stir the pot. I think this is where things break down sometimes: when ridicule of outrageously expensive products gets in the way of reasoned discussion of reasonable products that can improve sound. I'm one step above lamp cord (fancy lamp cord for audio, basically) because cables are such a circus that I haven't dipped my toe in. :dunno: Not saying that's your fault either. Just saying. :biggrin:
 
Ah, I think Archguy's post was tongue in cheek...

I went back and forth with myself about including the emoji, because I hate being obvious.
But sometimes it's impossible to be obvious enough :(

On the bright side, as noted above this thread does include references to death threats :)

It's not a real cable thread without death threats
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Me thinks buying nice cables gets you some nice rca connectors but the cable part well not so sure about that. I just took the ends off some audioquest interconnects that had gotten sticky from outer jacket degrading. And used some heavily shielded timing clock wire off a job i did to replace the cable. Can’t tell the difference. It was Belden cable though LOL.
 
Interconnects and speaker wire are in the signal path so they are tuning options. Roger Russell's website is well known and has been discussed at length. Your answers are there. Forget about power cables, they are no where near the signal path.
 
Usually wire and cables sounds the same to me, although a couple of IC's did sound noticeably different, one for the better, one threw a blanket over the tweeters. It must have been defective. I did replace my speaker cables with some Belden 9497 wire and it was a real sonic improvement over what I had been using. Surprised me a bit.

I've never spent anywhere near $100 for cables, so I suppose my experience is limited.
 
I need to learn what to do about that. Several amps I've seen lately have insistent labels on the rear saying COMPONENT MUST BE EARTHED or some such. Last time I asked, someone said 'connect the ground terminal to your turntable' but what if you don't have a turntable in that system? (Mine are actually in boxes; I'm so ashamed.) I'd love to ground my few expensive amps but what should I connect a ground wire to? While I'm at it, I wish everything would have three-prong plugs. Then you'd never have to worry about reversing polarity (I ruined an electric lawn mower that way). But is that kind of grounding the same as what we're talking about here?
 
As the topic states, 'audible differences.' Yes, I hear differences when I change cables. Are there improvements? That remains to be seen. I must say I hear more differences when I change out speaker cables than interconnects etc. I would suspect many people use cable changes as tone controls in their systems.
 
I wouldn't buy anything from "one man operation , kitchen table " business type of manufacturers ,Mike Morrow type of china enterprises , "giant killers" etc etc. I have not heard Morrow's cables.

Why would you say this? Most of our hobby started this way.

My main system is loomed entirely with cables made by Paul Laudati / Clear Day Cables. Im running true bi-wire with two sets of his double shotgun cables ($900) and I’m running his interconnects from my CD Player and Phono Preamp to my preamp ($190 per meter pair, $380.) I was running his cables from my DAC to my preamp until I got my Oppo Sonica when I switched to Mogami Gold XLRs. I also run Mogami Gold XLRs from my preamp to my monoblocks.

I’ve used cables from lots of companies including Chord, Morrow, AudioQuest, WireWorld, Signal Cable, Audience, And many more.

For me Paul’s Cables have the right balance of clarity, space, tone and timbre in my system. They are hand made by him using pure soft annealed silver. The silver is the main reason for his pricing. Plus some labor. He has a money back guarantee and will even send out sets of cables for free for people to try. Wanna try some nicer wires... call him up.

In the grand scheme of cables these are far from the high end price wise. But feel free to flame me if you don’t get it. My system most likely still sounds better than yours, and cables do play a part.

I too am tired of people putting those of us who know Cables make a difference on blast for spending money. It’s ridiculous if you aren’t willing to even try for yourself. Plus this is The Cutting Edge (Formally Thinking Out Loud) where anything is fair game and YOU are in the wrong if you are harassing.

I know Cables CANNOT be additive. But they can, and do, change the sound of a system. If you don’t think so, your system probably isn’t transparent enough to show the changes off. Sometimes they are subtle... sometimes not.

I have an 18” Wirewold interconnect I’ll send to anyone who wants to hear the high end roll off. I have an AudioQuest Evergreen that collapses the soundstage and loses clairity and air. I have a base model Signal Cable that just lacks life. I have some home built silver plated copper which are unshielded that can be lively... but in the wrong rig be a touch bright. I KNOW what my cables do... I won’t say what they sound like. THEY don’t have a sound. They are my tone controls.

Oh. And I use about $1k worth of Shunyata Venom Power cords in my main rig. Bite me.

Flame on.

- Woody
 
No reason to be touchy really. Most of us here are happy to live and let live, and I've lost count of the number of times I've read people saying versions of 'whatever floats your boat' and more to the point: "people are different; hearing is different" and importantly: "there are WAY too many variables in play to speak with utter assurance about what's doing what, especially regarding someone else's system being described over the internet!"

Who knows, I might well have been a skeptic except for one substitution I made early on which was transformative. Took out a dirt-cheap random patch cable and replaced it with a Mission interconnect from Zu Audio (which is hardly 'carriage trade'). But it was like night and day. Clarity and Power. So I became a bit of a believer right there and then. I don't spend megabucks on cables of any kind but ever since that day I'm sure to buy good ones. Yes, there are diminishing returns in all things but (as hinted above) it's hard enough to judge that point for yourself, much less anyone else.

Besides, I like neat stuff and lots of cables are neat :)
 
Why would you say this? Most of our hobby started this way.

My main system is loomed entirely with cables made by Paul Laudati / Clear Day Cables...

In my random perambulations across the 'net I have also encountered a one-man shop which guy works in a house in Japan, overlooking the sea. I can't remember his name but I was mighty impressed with everything about him. Anyone know who I mean? Can't really afford his offerings anyway, but they seemed impressive.

Very late edit! I think I mean Black Cat Cable. Thanks for your patience ;)
 
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I have a very modest system,and years ago Goodwill had individual boxes of Audioquest interconnects for sale.I couldnt pass them up,and everywhere in the chain that Ive used them,from cd players to turntable interconnects,the sound has improved noticeably.If I had the system,and the means,I would definitely buy better cables.Probably not extremely high end ones,but good ones to be sure.
 
Interconnects and speaker wire are in the signal path so they are tuning options. Roger Russell's website is well known and has been discussed at length. Your answers are there. Forget about power cables, they are no where near the signal path.


You might think so, but like all of the other "experts" RR has never showed us any non-audible cable-solutions. Anyone can come up with fancy theories but the proof is in the pudding.

I discovered how to make inaudible audiocables back in the 90`s + a few things moore
 
You might think so, but like all of the other "experts" RR has never showed us any non-audible cable-solutions. Anyone can come up with fancy theories but the proof is in the pudding.

I discovered how to make inaudible audiocables back in the 90`s + a few things moore

So, you have come up with something that everyone else with their "fancy theories" have missed? Alright, I'll grant you that you think your discovery has led to sound that suits your subjective preference. What about the rest of the audiophiles who say the same thing about their latest cable purchases? Their enthusiasm is the same as yours and cannot be so easily dismissed. Whether you place any value in RR is up to you. He has presented his scientific findings which goes a long way towards explaining why cable purchasers can hear a difference.
 
PS. Why would anybody wanted to buy "inaudible" cables ? If I wanted to buy "inaudible" cables I'd just buy industrial /studio cable pennies or single dollars a foot (or even meter ) and I'm done. :) It's kind of oxymoron really, because there isn't really any comparative process to asses inaudibility of the cables

How do you know your cables are "inaudible" or not? How do you know there is no way of testing them, and hearing differences?

"Inaudible" cables are for not altering the complexity of the recording, assuming one wants it natural sounding. What is wrong with natural?

I have tweaked systems with friends working with the venue, and the closer the system is to accurate, the more natural the voices and instruments,,,synergy. Sure there are bad recordings, but a lot of good ones as well.

keep on truckin

joe
 
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I am just going to throw my OCDness in here...just for fun.

A 3 meter cable is absolutely physically longer than a 1 meter cable.:D

And it is absolutely true that some believe that there is difference in the performance of cables and some do not and some are not decided and some may change their mind.:D

And I fall into the above category.
 
Seriously, who wants skinny, cheap-ass looking cables on the floor connected to megabuck speakers and amplifiers? It looks stupid.

As with everything, there is the law of diminishing returns and some people are prepared to push further along that curve than others. Good luck to them I say.
 
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