DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?

chemman,

I think that bias may occur, although I am not sure it is always in favorable direction.

For whatever it is worth, I recently blasphemously bought a cable (RCA) without ever listening to it. It was a few-hundred-Dollar "upgrade" from $15-16 cable I had had (and still keep). I bought it for the looks. It simply appeared "fancier" on the pictures and was affordable enough for the purpose I had for it. I did not expect much and I got exactly that. The sound is not better for sure. In fact, I think nothing changed although someone might convince me it is even a little worse. I kept it connected because I like those shinier connectors, which I actually almost never see as they are behind the equipment. Was it worth it for the sound? Not at all. Was it worth it for me? Definitely yes. Would I buy it again? No way, novelty has worn off.

I suspect that some, probably not all, of the buyers fall in the similar category. They want finishing touches to their equipment, a final stroke they may feel is missing. Something that, at least in their minds, matches the rest of their system. It does take some sheepish courage to admit you fell for the looks and that is where some of the bias may come from.

If I have to use another RCA cable, I will go back to the $15-16 pair. Unlike these more expensive ones, cheap ones are pliable, have angled connectors, and can easily fit behind the equipment. Expensive ones are hard to bend and fit anywhere without strain. Does anyone else have a problem with stiffer cables?

To answer the title question of this thread, yes, cables matter, but it is not always for the sound.

I suspect that some, probably not all, of the buyers fall in the similar category. They want finishing touches to their equipment, a final stroke they may feel is missing. Something that, at least in their minds, matches the rest of their system. It does take some sheepish courage to admit you fell for the looks and that is where some of the bias may come from.

geoffkait,

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

You misunderstood me. I neither said, nor implied you said the IKEA chairs were comfortable. As chairs are primarily used for sitting and not changing the sound in the room, I did an usual mistake people make when watching the picture of the chair. I thought of how comfortable it would be. Your mentioning of stuffing in chairs being intolerable to you, enforced my opinion the chair may be uncomfortable. Stuffing in IKEA chairs is placed there for comfort purposes.

While we are at that, could you copy and post the part of your earlier thread you are referring to, in which you said "they sounded bad", so we can read it again? It may be hidden well-enough in your post that no Reading 101 would help. It may call for Writing 101, though.

nonoise,

I suspect that you're prone to projection, at least in this case.

You are definitely right about that one.

At the same time, sides here are so fierce about their beliefs that no logic will settle it and, so far, I am the only one who raised the issue of the appearance as being important. If appearance were completely unimportant, many cables would look much more mundane.

People often buy cars based on the outside appearance while they never look at it that way while using it. It should not be inconceivable that appearance of the cables has some, maybe minor, influence in the buying decision. Some marketing and psychology professionals probably wrote books and books about it. Think of the second generation Suzuki Hayabusa design. Influenced and made to somehow resemble, among other things, the average/usual rider of that motorcycle shape. I am not saying that cable manufacturers think all their buyers are super-skinny, but they certainly do think about the visual presentation.