Chinese fake cables How fake, how good?

If you can’t tell the sonic difference then the only thing fake are the prices some audiophile snobs are being charged.

Global economics doesn’t bother people on other areas, so why worry about a few stuck up Hi-Fi snobs?

The Western world economic system is close to hanging by a thread.

http://www.usdebtclock.org

@mikeybc , err sorry for mentioning this, but you realise that even a bone fide Cardas cable will sound the same as 12 gauge, right? Or maybe they're not fakes after all.

Why do you think cable manufacturers only gently, very gently IMPLY and SUGGEST that their products might be better than the norm?

I have never seen any cable ever advertised as offering better performance. There might be a reason for this too.

For cable manufacturers to decry Chinese fakes must be the greatest irony in audio.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! 

Err...half the UK audio industry has moved production out to China without any adverse quality control issues. 

It's the implementation that counts. We used to hear this crap about Japanese cars until it sank in that they left the British made ones for dead when it came to QC and reliability. Ditto for motorbikes.

In fact it can be argued that British manufacturing, what's left of it, has improved dramatically because of this direct competition. 

As for the quality of these goods, well there is always the acid test - listening. No wonder some cable makers / sellers are so troubled - their little racket party has been gatecrashed.

The Chinese probably can't believe the idiocy of westerners paying such prices for copper cables, or for polyester football shirts for that matter.....

Well, the consumer's attention has never in history been in such voracious demand as today. The sheer number of sites tracking everyone's online activity is bewildering.

I guess the consumer has responsibilities too, but at the end of the day we all want good value. Which is why Amazon is king right now. Just wish Mr Bezos was more willing to share his success with his colleagues. Never mind.

I’ll take Chinese ’fake’ OFC copper (99.95% copper or the higher purity 99.99% copper) cables anytime of the day over extortionately priced strange hybrids be they interconnects or speaker wires. I have absolutely no need to be deceived by ’genuine’ manufacturers anymore.

Seriously.

If someone wants to decry fake cables then let them present some evidence that their own are superior in performance. It shouldn’t be hard should it? Resistance induction and capacitance are all easily measured yet strangely NEVER EVER mentioned by manufacturers and dealers. Ask yourself, why not?

This is nothing like the fake headphone scams where the similarities are largely only cosmetic. Or cheaply made computer parts such as Power Supplies, RAM or SSDs. Sometimes too many corners get cut.

On the other hand some Chinese goods can actually be of high quality. I’ve had several ’unknown branded’ phones from China and they rivalled from my iPhone 6s Plus in performance apart from inferior camera quality and lack of updates (which I didn’t need as I don’t keep them for more than 2/3 years anyway). One budget model even bettered the iPhone in battery life and screen quality as it had an OLED screen which Apple didn’t adopt til much later.

And all of this at less than 1/4 of the price. Great value for the consumer I’d say.

Back to the main point I’d say if manufacturers argue that Chinese cables are a scam, then let them present some or even ANY evidence that their products aren’t a FAR FAR bigger scam.

Overpriced cables remain the oldest and greatest scam in the already dubious world of domestic audio retail.

https://copperalliance.org.uk/about-copper/conductivity-materials/oxygen-free-high-conductivity-copp...

Moral or ethical or ethical considerations when it comes to Audiophile sales techniques?

Since when?

No one EVER claims that their product is better than anyone elses.

Never.

And why not?

Because that would mean having to prove it, having to back it with facts and data if challenged.

Because that might mean making enemies.

Because the best you can claim is superior construction, better more durable materials, better support - but that doesn’t really cut the ice much with the price obsessed consumer does it? Especially not with fancy overpriced wires.

No, it's far better to imply some quasi mystical quality using terminology evoking the various Nordic legends as you go. How about Thor's hammer next? Don't think that's been copyrighted by Marvel (Disney) just yet or has it?

Irony of ironies, the established snake oil cable salesmen are now begrudging the new kids on their block. It’s getting like the audio equivalent of ghetto turf wars.

Cheerfully peddling everyday tat to the gullible at the highest dollar just like the fashion industry, especially the big dollar sports branch. And then oneday someone puts out an equivalent product, steals your logo, and exposes you for what you really are... You can call it market forces or chickens coming home to roost if you like.

There’s a reason why Led Zeppelin never took anyone to court for plagiarism. Pot calling the kettle black.

Seriously, is there any cable peddler who is willing to claim that there products are sonically more accurate in ANY way?

Is there?

@zalive, sadly I found your words to be all too true. I still remember all the hassle of trying to source genuine high purity OFC copper speaker cables on eBay.

After trying to trawl through the maze of varying prices and some non too convincing pictures and fine print descriptions I gave up went to Amazon UK and read through the reviews there which eventually led me to some transparent sleeved BasicLine15 metre 2x2 5mm set from Germany (DCSk) claiming to be 99.99% saueurstoffreie.

I have no real way of knowing whether they are the genuine article but they are reassuringly heavy and do have that reddish copper colour.