Who thinks $5K speaker cable really better than generic 14AWG cable?


I recently ordered high end speaker, power amp, and preamp to be installed in couple more weeks. So the next search are interconnect and speaker cable. After challenging the dealer and 3 of my so called audiophile friends, I think the only reason I would buy expensive cable is for its appearance to match with the high end gears but not for sound performance. I personally found out that $5K cable vs $10 cable are no difference, at least not to our ears. Prior to this, I was totally believe that cable makes a difference but not after this and reading few articles online.

Here is how I found out.

After the purchase of my system, I went to another dealer to ask for cable opinion (because the original dealer doesn't carry the brand I want) and once I told him my gears, he suggested me the high end expensive cable ranging from $5 - 10K pair, depending on length. He also suggested the minimum length must be 8-12ft. If longer than 12ft, I should upgrade to even more expensive series. So I challenged him that if he can show me the difference, I would purchase all 7 AQ Redwood cables from him.

It's a blind test and I would connect 3 different cables - 1 is the Audioquest Redwood, 1 is Cardas Audio Clear, and 1 my own generic 14AWG about 7ft. Same gears, same source, same song..... he started saying the first cable sound much better, wide, deep, bla...bla...bla......and second is decently good...bla...bla...bla.. and the last one sounded crappy and bla...bla...bla... BUT THE REALITY, I NEVER CHANGED THE CABLE, its the same 14AWG cable. I didn't disclosed and move on to second test. I told him I connected audioquest redwood but actually 14AWG and he started to praise the sound quality and next one I am connected the 14awg but actually is Redwood and he started to give negative comment. WOW!!!! Just blew me right off.

I did the same test with 3 of my audiophile friends and they all have difference inputs but no one really got it right. Especially the part where I use same generic 14awg cable and they all start to give different feedback!!!

SO WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? OR I AM THE LAST PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT EXPENSIVE CABLE JUST A RIP OFF?
sautan904
mapman

Mystery not unraveled. Life and expensive wire go on.

There is no mystery. You need to look deeper, grasshopper. Look inside.
You need to look deeper, grasshopper. Look inside.
Why look inside....does the hook-up wire inside of the $99K amp need to be changed too?  
These threads can be most entertaining for sure so at risk of upsetting EVERYBODY I am just going to throw this out there.

Surely there are only so many ways you can make a piece of cable whose sole purpose is to transmit signals from A to B?
Surely there is a point where no amount of money is going to improve this function to any measurable degree?
Do not get me wrong, I am not advocating we all hook up our speakers with bell wire but once up to a certain point of construction that is it?
Maybe I am a luddite but I did manage to change out the 30 year old QED 14g speaker wire about 2 years ago for some Canare quad core stuff. Did I hear a difference? Not really...lol. Maybe this old fart is just going deaf from working in heavy industrial plants too long.

And to the point of industrial cable, we have quite a number of wiring installs  that carriy analog signals that ABSOLUTELY have to have no noise or hum or interference of any sorts and the spec is dictated by the manufacturer of the equipment. Now you can ignore this and go with cheaper stuff but do you know what the price difference is? It is roughly double for the high end stuff. Not 10 times, or 100 times or 1000 times.....
 
mitch2

Geoffkait: You need to look deeper, grasshopper. Look inside.

Why look inside....does the hook-up wire inside of the $99K amp need to be changed too?

Definitely. If it were up to me I'd use cryo'd pure silver wire or silver over pure copper wire for the internal wiring. With special attention to the directionality of the internal wire. Ditto all capacitors, transformers, and of course fuses. I'm betting the $99K amps don't even have their fuses in the right direction.