Have audio cables really improved in last 20 years?

YES!!

My feeling generally has been that while cables sound different, they rarely justify their asking price. Stay frugal and stay happy.

paulcreed

Yes. Production and technology have greatly improved over the last 20 years for Cabling, in general. Like vintage electronics, there are a few cables/cords, that were made to last a lifetime. JPS Superconductor is one of such products.

Happy Listening!

OP: By "really" improved do you mean improved "a lot" or "actually improved at all" (i.e., above and beyond marketing hype)?

@paulcreed Paul this is a very wide sweeping question which I can’t fully answer but one way of looking at it is to examine which cable manufacturers still sell the same cables from 10-20 years ago. If they are still being sold then they are in demand and then by simple deduction they must or have a good chance of sounding good.

Take Cardas for example the Clear Beyond range is still top of the heap so you could be confident in purchasing a used cable for a fraction of the cost.

Tara Labs’ top power cable was the Cobalt, it’s still in Tara’s current lineup but has two other power cables above it now with the top being almost three times the price.

So again by simple deduction the original Cobalt must be good because it’s still for sale, however they dropped the Onyx power cable.

So, I’m not being facetious but Tara Labs must have made some mighty strides in the last 10-20 years and seemingly Cardas has stood still or they cannot improve their Clear Beyond range.

One thing is for sure that prices will go up and wisely chosen cables have been a good investment for me over the last 20 years. Buy used when you can.

have-audio-cables-really-improved-in-last-20-years?

imho not substantially, but the highest offerings have certainly gotten significantly more expensive... cables in this industry have by far the greatest marketing content and least substantive content in all items sold... well except for things like tweaks like fuses and such...

@paulcreed - YES! cables have improved immensly over the past 20 years

There have been improvements in:

1. type of wire now used
   • Pure copper, OFC, UP-OCC copper and UP-OCC silver
   • The higher the Conductivity Rating the better the wire
2. type of insulation now used
   • PTFE, Foamed Teflon, Cotton/Silk etc...
   • they have a lower value of Dielectric Constant, which improved clarity and details
3. advanced cable geometries
   • this is how the conductors are situated within the cables
   • A good example of Geometry is the braided approach used by Kimber Kable
   • for examples of more modern geometries take a look at Zavfino, In-Akustik, Hijiri and the Helix DIY cables below
   • they have a lower noise floor due ot their geometry and insulations
4. Advanced connectors
   • pure copper is now used a lot more vs. the more manageable/machinable copper alloys (beryllium,teryllium) of of "yesterday" which have a lower level of conductivity than Pure Copper or UP-OCC copper
   • Low Mass RCA connectors have emerged and are far superior to those massive WBT RCA’s from the past

Compared to the more conventional wires that ARE still being sold as TOTL products, the newer cables are far superior and provide

• improved clarity and details
• an expansive and enveloping image
• more neutral sounding
• faster dynamic performance
• have the ability to make speakers "disappear"

With the right design approach and materials, today’s cables (some mentioned above) will get you closer to Audio Nirvana that anything from 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, just like anyting else in this hobby, YOU have to do your homework.

You can ask for opinions, but that will get you 100’s of recommendations, making the choice very difficult

But here are a couple of threads about some great sounding cables to be going on with and lots of comments from other members

• Zavfino
• Hijiri

You can of course, be like many other members and DIY your cables - in which case these threads may be of interest

• Helix DIY Cable Design
• Helix DIY - what other members think
• The Helix Cables are exceptional performers and can be built for a fraction of the cost, and will compete with some exceptional branded products

There is a lot of science behind the latest cables, but because many brands use unique terminology to advertise their products, and the advances can seem more like "snake oil". This can have a detrimental impact on possible customers, so they end up confused and will ignore the real breakthroughs in cable development

Hope that helps

Regards - Steve

It’s really hard to say “improved” as cables are so system and taste dependent.  It’s the true voodoo product in the industry. 

@hilde45 +1

No

No, just more really bad values and more profit for sellers in a few relatively rare “high end” cases than ever. In other words more people than ever attempting to cash in on “easy money” . Any Joe Blow can come on here and try to sell a wire for astronomical profit. Why not? If scams are allowed someone will take up the invitation.

One totally unknown guy was hawking a $10k power cable here not long ago and had a noisy cohort here handy who supposedly tried it (for free most likely) and then gushed in a thread that cost nothing as well here. I wonder what his cut of the almost total profit was?

It can be pretty shameful. But it’s only hifi. Nobody hurt except any suckers who bite.

@williewonka did a nice job of recapping some of the FACTS on how cables and conductors have definitely improved. Just no doubt about it. Just because some individuals make or made cables of suspect value does not mean cable and conductor sound quality has not improved. The two have nothing to do with other. Every facet of life is occupied by some crooks.

Not sure about the cables, but advertisement, propaganda and info-wars really did.

@grannyring, like myself, is just one of many Audiogon members that has experimented with many different facets of cable design over many years.

• We investigate the latest claims from various sources
• We try things for ourselves i.e. if they seem to hold some merit
• We trust our ears to tell us when something is working - or not
• We prototype and refine our cable solutions,
• We learn from our journey

From my perspective, if a company does not reveal the "science" behind their cables then they are not worth considering.

The basic "Cable Science" that should be considered in order to achieve a very good product - as stated in my previous post, is

1. metlurgy of the wire and gauge
2. insulation
3. Cable Geometry
4. Connector design & implementation

Incorporating the best of these four facets into a cable does not come cheap and the very best cable companies, like those I have mentioned in my previous post, adopt further refinements of those four basic design elements, in order to achieve outstanding levels of performance from their cables, so their cables can get a little pricey.

The next time you are looking to update your cables, see how the company that you are condicering, adresses those 4 basic design elements. If you are unable to discover them in their advertising literature - move on to another company.

Worthwhile cable companies reveal their designs. But you do have to understand some basics - it's just like buying any other component.

Regards - Steve

Looks like everybody has different views, I have a couple old Tara Labs The One power cord from long ago just looked it up there still making it. I have JPS Superconductor plus speaker cables and Superconductor 3 speaker cables and interconnects there is a nice difference the JPS 3’s are over 10 rears old, they are now on 4’s. So 4’s must be better right. I have some old Verastarr power cords and some much more current and there is a difference. Have these company’s finally reached a ceiling since some here think there has not much improvement over the years. I can’t help but think one day there is a point there is only so much you can do with wire.