Cable elevators - conventional wisdom wrong?

Stevecham, given how thin chopsticks are, this is probably good.

Unfortunately, our conventional electrical understanding doesn't allow an answer to your question. If you try raising your cables and using different materials, you will hear differences. There are multiple components to these differences. Vibrations, static, EMI, RFI etc. all detract from the realism you hear from your speakers. My best advice is to leave your ears guide you as science, given our present understanding, cannot.

I prefer ceramic isolators, with one on every wire, including those with no contact with anything except at each end. I have, however, experience the benefits of wood on top these isolators under speaker wires. I also know that raw silk pads under these speaker wires at the isolators absolutely killed the sound. Also, with the exception of the Townshend interconnects, I have always rejected ferrite rings anywhere.

Dave_b, yep, try ceramics, but use one and only one per all cables.

Samuel, I suspect that most any manufacturer could or would claim that their cable risers were developed "from sound theory." I guess sound here has two meanings-well based and sounding good. I assume you mean the former. If so, what is that theory?

About five years ago, I made or bought some 25 different types of risers. I folded cardboard into triangular shape with notches for the cables. I had chopsticks with twistems around their centers. I had glass blocks and glass isolators found behind at power substation as well as ceramic ones also found there. I had ceramic tiles with two angled together and held into position on a wooden base. I made sting supporter and monofilm supporters with wood supports. I made risers out of maple, walnut, pine, oak, and even some with ebony tops. I tried china cups, earthenware bowls, stemmed glasses. I got tall risers made of the material that chips are or were shipped in. I bought ceramic entirely dark brown Suspenders from Rightway Audio shaped like electrical isolators and from a surplus isolator site in Iowa defective 18K volt 15" tall isolators with lead bases. I don't think I tried jewel boxes, but I did have plastic cups and paper cups. I use one gallon milk bottles with their top cut off. I am probably forgetting some of my attempts. All of these were, of course, without any "sound theory," just shots in the dark.

Everyone of these help over having the cables on the ground, but one stood out, the Rightway Audio Suspenders. I think they are out of business now and I have never tried the present company making such ceramic isolators product.

I must say that I bought Combac speaker wire wooden supports at a later date, which were nice under my speaker wires,but they had to be on top my Suspenders. I do not see these feet on the Combac page now.

I will just turn further experimentation over to younger audiophiles and enjoy my Suspenders.

Clio09, can you not use the cheap little cd boxes rather than jewel boxes? I don't like plastic risers but do wonder whether the type of plastic matters.

Rdoc, what do you make of these differences of opinion? Is it possible that you are both right? This happens so often, that I think everyone should have reservations about others' opinions on components.

Sabai, I understand your problem with too many wires. I also have a problem with stiff power cords. Basically, I will only use the now discontinues Rightway Audio ceramic insulators. Typically, I put one pc in the notch in the insulator and others at right angles across it. This allows me to keep all wires off the floor and to not interfere with each other.

Most of my ics are in free air from one connection to the other, although I know they sound best with one isolator per set of cables, it is difficult to do. Speaker cables, however, are supported by a single isolator often high off the floor.

Were I still a potterer I would make a tall piece with multiple branches sticking off each direction and a broad base with a clear and hard glaze. This would allow one to support many cables

I find soft objects dampen dynamics and remove the decay of the signal. Most hard objects, including glass and metals, lack the sharp edge of impact and brass. I think the glaze on insulator makes a difference. Also a single insulator is superior to multiple insulators.

I have demonstrated this to others, including in rooms at shows, but as always these are personal preferences, YMMV.

Sabai, I don't hear any real impact of cables touching but great impact from them being on both my hardwood floors or on carpeting. As I said the greatest benefit I get is on glazed ceramics, notably the Rightway Audio insulators. I have a dozen of them. I also have four 18k volt isolators with the Rightways mounted on top of them. By themselves the big ones don't sound good, but they weigh a lot and are quite tall.

Mrtennis, as I said before, with ceramic standoffs, I hear greater clarity, dynamics, and accuracy. It is not subtle.