Cables more hype than value?

"There is a thread here, somewhere, where Douglas Schroeder (a reviewer) tried out a high end Van Alstine ABX Comparator Switchbox and it was like a cold bucket of water in the face as it was impossible to tell the difference between amps with levels properly matched but the kicker was the biggest difference was between cables. It was very easy for him to hear the differences."

And people wonder why I don't trust audio reviews. So all our amps will sound the same if we match our levels? But our cables won't? No wonder people buy cables that cost more than their components.

I expected such a response.
We're all reviewers of some sort, no? What makes us, here, so special? I tried to find the thread here where he mentions it but couldn't.

My memory wasn't as good as I thought so I went and dug up the article and after quite an exhaustive set up and conditioning, he could discern differences but they were slight. Repeatable but slight. There were enough clues to go on but how many here go to that length?

I'm in no way going full Pete Aczel here but if you if you do match levels and don't clip the amp, the cables will make a bigger difference.

It''s so easy to be an armchair warrior.

All the best,
Nonoise

"09-12-15: Nonoise
I expected such a response.
We're all reviewers of some sort, no? What makes us, here, so special? I tried to find the thread here where he mentions it but couldn't."

It was one of the silliest I've ever heard. It makes no sense. Your minds already made up, so it would be a waste of time discussing the matter.

I'll make 1 quick point. I went over to his website and had a look at a few of his amp reviews. In his own reference system he has a $31,000 amp. And when he compares the differences in sound between them, they are anything but small or subtle.

Its the complete opposite of this.

"My memory wasn't as good as I thought so I went and dug up the article and after quite an exhaustive set up and conditioning, he could discern differences but they were slight. Repeatable but slight. There were enough clues to go on but how many here go to that length?"

Which is it? If the differences are so small, why buy a $31,000 amp? He's clearly not taking his own advice.

I have a good deal of respect for Mr. Schroeder's reviews, and certainly for his sincerity. However, when a single isolated experiment yields results which fly in the face of both technical understanding and the overwhelming preponderance of reported experience-based belief, there are two possibilities:

1)The applicable technical understanding and reported experience-based belief are flawed, for reasons that are unexplained and probably unexplainable.

2)The experiment was flawed, for reasons that are unexplained and perhaps unexplainable.

Which is more likely?

Best regards,
-- Al

Z, you're quickly becoming the resident crank, if not already. Hyperbole is your vessel. You're as over the top with knee jerk reactions as anyone I've seen. It must be nice up there on Olympus throwing those (oh so hurtful, my, my) thunderbolts of wisdom.

How you came to the conclusion that my mind was already made up is beyond me. Quoting someone to add perspective doesn't translate to a closed mind. It's just another perspective added to the mix (keep your options open).

Also, anyone can go to his website and see the many amps he's reviewed but the ABX comparator review came afterwards. I don't believe he's done an amp review since. There is a timeline here of sorts that would make it apparent to just about anyone who'd care to do a proper search.

About the two different amps he refers to here on A'gon (the thread I couldn't find) he ABX'd two different amps that I believe were from Wells Audio (the Akasha and Innamorata) and was sincerely puzzled as in sighted reviews he could discern a difference but when ABX'd, it was very difficult.

As for Al's thoughtful and considerate approach (something you could learn from), I believe both possibilities do apply. Nothing is absolute and quite difficult to reproduce in any reliable manner.

But I'll go so far as to say that based on my experience, if everything remains constant in your system and you only have one variable, cables will make a bigger difference than amps provided you listen at the same levels, staying within the limits of the amp. Not a harsh or hard to fathom concept, Z.

Also, if anyone can find that thread with Mr. Schroeder's contribution you'll see where I offered that maybe the ABX device was the equalizer and played an unintended role, which may add weight to my thinking that despite the coloring of the music by the comparator, the cables were able to get in the way of the music more than the amps could. Nothing here to go nuclear over, nothing to see here folk, move along.

All the best,
Nonoise