What do audiophiles want from a cable?


What should a high quality interconnect or speaker cable do to the sound of a system? Make it more transparent? Improve the sound stage and focus? Soften unpleasant highs? Tighten the base? Bring out the mids?

To me, a good cable should reveal more of what is on the recording and more of the true nature of my components. So when trying new cables, I look for more detail and accuracy without becoming cold and clinical. This seems logical, and yet after reading reviews and trying a few of the cables in the reviews, I find that the cables that have received glowing endorsements are not especially transparent or revealing. They modify the sound, but they don’t take me where I want to go. I wonder if the reason I don’t hear what the reviewer heard is that I don’t know what to listen for. Am I too focused on cable accuracy and resolution, and not enough on actual sound quality? Or is it just a case of no two systems sounding alike so why trust a review anyway? Thanks.
mward

Showing 9 responses by hifiman5

+1 for inna  Cables Are components and should be up to the quality of the components they are connecting.  jmcgrogan2  +1  Your comment above is also correct.  I don't think there is a cable that is totally neutral.  


And there is nothing wrong with those two schools.  Each listener gets to decide which camp they place themselves in.  As long as they are happy and satisfied with where they are then so be it.

@helomech  What length and how much?  Are they terminated in spades or bananas???
If you're an engaged audiophile and have experimented with your system to explore possible improvements to the sound and have not at least investigated the cable issue you may be missing out.  Sad.  As several have correctly posted here, there are very cost effective high performing brands as there are the more expensive spreads.  Do what fits your audio budget.

If you are a cable denier and won't consider the importance of the cables that transmit the audio signal from component to component I guess you don't experience a difference with the quality of tires that connect your car to the road.  Really??

"My guess is that audiophiles see cables as similar to water hoses, and the goal is to increase the flow and remove the constriction. That's at odds with reality, since we're not dealing with electrons flowing into preamps, amps or speakers."

I hope the above is a typo!  If its not electrons flowing along the cables into our components and speakers then what is it?  Little fairies?
@geoffkait Might your electrons need testing for ADD/ADHD??  For gods' sake man organize your electrons.

 Look at what's going on at the quantum level here.  Is this reality or are all of us really in the Matrix?