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A/B test of interconnects - Will this work???

I have some spare time on my hands over the next couple of weeks and thought I'd sit down and try to figure out whether I can "really" hear differences between interconnects that I have accumulated. My thought was to put a Y-adapter on my cd player output and run one set of interconnects to the cd input on my integrated amp and another set of interconnects to another input. Then I can sit in one place and use the remote to flip between the two inputs while playing a cd.

I don't think this should blow anything up (let me know if you know otherwise) but will it work for what I intend? Or will the mere existence of another interconnect hanging off the Y taint whatever results I get?

Thanks for any thoughts.

Bill
wstritt

Showing 1 response by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
Tieing the two cables together in parallel will alter the total impedance that the source sees regardless of which cable is selected to listen to.

Running the two cables into different inputs may change things slightly. Since i am a confirmed believer in cable break in, it is possible for one input to have more "mileage" or "break in" on the internal conductors than the other input selected. If you must do this, select two line levels that are commonly used so as to minimize the potential differences.

Other than that, i would say that this test might give you some idea of what each cable sounds like, but it would not be an exact duplication as to what you'll get if they were set up individually within the confines of a system. Sean
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