2. cables
  3. 128927-305

Most Important, Unloved Cable...

Ethernet. I used to say the power cord was the most unloved, but important cable. Now, I update that assessment to the Ethernet cable. Review work forthcoming. 

I can't wait to invite my newer friend who is an engineer who was involved with the construction of Fermilab, the National Accelerator Lab, to hear this! Previously he was an overt mocker; no longer. He decided to try comparing cables and had his mind changed. That's not uncommon, as many of you former skeptics know. :)

I had my biggest doubts about the Ethernet cable. But, I was wrong - SO wrong! I'm so happy I made the decision years ago that I would try things rather than simply flip a coin mentally and decide without experience. It has made all the difference in quality of systems and my enjoyment of them. Reminder; I settled the matter of efficacy of cables years before becoming a reviewer and with my own money, so my enthusiasm for them does not spring from reviewing. Reviewing has allowed me to more fully explore their potential.  

I find fascinating the cognitive dissonance that exists between the skeptical mind in regard to cables and the real world results which can be obtained with them. I'm still shaking my head at this result... profoundly unexpected results way beyond expectation. Anyone who would need an ABX for this should exit the hobby and take up gun shooting, because your hearing would be for crap.  
douglas_schroeder
jinjuku's avatar
jinjuku
226 posts
 
What are you feeding with Ethernet? I can always order and evaluate.
rodman99999
6,030 posts
 
Once again, AudiogoN members have exemplified the adverb, "ad nauseam". Or, (to be more colloquial) managed to, "beat another dead horse".  KUDOS!
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
"real world results" from a creationist

now that is real made up marketing!
dgarretson
2,592 posts
 

@jinjuku

The main problem with your test(if I understand it correctly) is that it is a multivariable experiment.  You swap cables 7-10 times at regular intervals throughout one track.  Unfortunately the music is changing on top of the cable changes-- confusing the listener by precluding direct comparisons. What you need to do is to repeat the track(or a segment of that track) with the same cable across the duration of each sample. Then all that the listener must do is to identify and appraise the deviant segment.  And the odds at 7:1 are still in favor of the house...

jinjuku's avatar
jinjuku
226 posts
 
I don’t think you are understanding the proposed in situ method. I would take a track of the claimants choosing, take a 1 minute interval of their choosing of said track. I would tack on a 15 second elevator clip of music.

This would be two rounds of 8 and changes would or wouldn’t happen during the 15 second interval. A cable will ALWAYS be unplugged/plugged in. Could be the same cable could be the other.

There could be anything from 0 to 7 changes. The order would be randomly chosen prior to each evaluation run.

Of course I encourage the claimant, prior to sitting for the sight bias controlled portion, to interact directly with the switch and they could play music and swap cabling out to their hearts content. I would hope 1 - 3 hours would be enough. As long as your streamer has 6-10 seconds worth of buffer you should be able to swap in real-time without interruption in playback.

Part of the origin this approach was me listening through the Phillips Golden Ear Challenge and seeing that it could work for other evaluation.

You are correct that the tracks I uploaded had a change made during playback as some people are fans of quick A/B.
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