DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?

@calvinj  

OK, I won't waste time with made up words.  Archimago has tested a boat load of cables over the years.  His methodology is sound.  His metrics show no change to many of the quantifiable specifications regarding hifi that have an effect on sonic character. If you get a chance, that is at least worth looking at.

From an epistemological point of view you wrote, "There are those of us that know that they make a difference based on the ability of your system to be resolving and transparent."

How do you really "know?" Via the sense of hearing, is that as reliable as science?  Only you can say what you think there. The business with high resolving systems sounds rather elitist and takes away from your credibility.  If you say you can hear something in the cables, how can you say at the same time no one else can if they don't have a resolving and transparent system?  That sounds like hypocrisy to me.

Who is to say that confirmation bias is not at work either?  Someone spends $500 on a cable because they believe it will enhance the sonic performance of their system is going to be psychologically pre-disposed to hearing it.  There is no way around that.  How much so is up for debate.

Glupson, I didn’t say they were comfortable. I said they sounded bad. Reading 101.

Well I will say this. To each his own. In my system my choice of equipment and cabling work for me in my listening enviorment.  Your room does play a major part in how your music sound. Positioning of speakers also play a major part. In my situation I’m basically locked in component wise. My system is very niche because of the brands I chose. They are great performers that most don’t know about so I think you should listen to your own ear to determine if the difference is worth it. I’m not going to go drop 5k on one Cable but I will spend a decent amount if I think a Cable brings out the little things that make enjoy my system more.  It’s up to each individual to decide what he or she wants to do. Remember though you are the one listening to your system the most so you have to like it not anybody else. As far as hearing is concerned. Some can’t hear the difference. I actually can so for me and my ear enjoyment I will tweak with cabling a little. Enjoy everyone. 

I may be wrong, but the fallacy that "some" seem to be making is people are purchasing cables without listening to them in their own system. I've listened to many different cables in my system. I have never purchased cables or anything based on cost.

When you have 3 people sitting there listening to a system they have heard a number of times each in the past few years.   All listen to the same 4-5 cuts using one set of cables, and then all listen to the same 4-5 cuts using the other set of cables.  Each of them concludes in similar ways on what was improved, and it was transformational to the system.  This was done with broken in cables that one or both of them brought over to hear.  I had not bought anything yet, and really had no desire to do so, unless there was a significant difference in the sound and it took my system to a much more realistic sound.  Being as all that happened, I then ordered the said cables from the distributer, or I bought them from one of my friends at a used price.  Call it what you want, that is THE way to do listening tests and to possibly see if something is a vast improvement to your system IMO.