Thiel Owners

Brayeagle.

*bro fist*

Not many of us here;-)

It's not like I'm unfamiliar with having "heard" high end cables.  I used to review audio gear for a while and have well-placed pals in the high end audio reviewing business, so I have for years been hearing systems, swapping cables with top of the line cabling (literally, sometimes my pal's system is running up to 50 or 60 grand just for the cables and power conditioners!  He's getting a big new haul of cables in again so I'll hear the system again with new cables soon).  I've heard speakers I own with cables that I almost guarantee are higher in the bleeding edge of price than anyone in this thread is likely using (think top of the line Nordost, Crystal Cable and others).  So, my own view is not due to lack of experience in the subject :-)

But...I would never tell someone else how to spend their own money.  If someone gets a buzz from trying out various cables, enjoy life!

(There's another "extreme"for me which is those "objectivists" who dismiss so much in high end audio that they pride themselves in purchasing the cheapest possible equipment, speakers, amps etc.  That approach doesn't appeal to me either, not for the "saving money" aspect which is fine, but for the way it dismisses so many interesting designs available in high end audio).

I always enjoy reading what Prof has to say, even though I don't agree with everything he has to say about audio cables. Like Prof, though, my views are not at either extreme in the cable wars because I can't afford to buy super-expensive cables and I don't think that we've figured out the right things to measure in order to be able to rely on measurements alone to know how audio equipments sounds. So I'm not either a price-no-object audiophile or a pure "objectivist." 

I currently have Canare speaker wire (which I terminated myself) connected to my five Thiel PowerPoints in my basement HT system, and I use a range of Belden interconnects with that system. The sound I get with tv and movies in my HT system is very clear and listenable, and I have no burning desire to replace what I have with more expensive cables. However, I have tried a range of cheap to moderately priced cables in my 2-channel system in my living room, and I have had to go slightly beyond my usual "BlueJeans budget" to be happy with the sound from my PS Audio amps and Thiel 2.2 speakers. I'm currently using moderately priced Straight Wire speaker cable and Cardas interconnects.

I respect that Prof has actually listened to many expensive cables and likes his Thiels with Belden wire from BlueJeans cable "better" than may high-priced systems. What that tells me is that he actually hears some differences between systems with different cables, though I don't know if he's tried some of those expensive wires with his own Thiels. Regardless, I'm completely fine with his willingness to use his own ears and reasoned judgment to decide what cables to use with his system. 

Here's where my perspective is a little different. Prof suggests that he prefers using his "neutral-performance" BlueJeans cable rather than searching for cables to function as tone controls, but I take the view that every cable functions as a tone control in some way. Belden cables are certainly not immune to having that issue, and I would not regard them as any more neutral than more expensive cables.

Interestingly, BlueJeans Cable has recently started to offer the Iconoclast line of cables, which has been designed by a now-retired Belden engineer who believed that he could improve on the stock Belden speaker wire and interconnects by making cables that both measured and sounded better. Belden is now making these cables, although the challenges of building the new designs make the cables more expensive. I have not heard them yet in my system, but I hope to at some point to see if they are worth the extra cost for me. It's interesting that even Belden engineers think that their cables can be improved upon.

In my experience, cables can sound different - even when tested blindly - but different is not always better, and system synergy and personal preference play a large role in making cable choices.  

" Thank You for citing WyWires. Which model(s) have you owned / tried?"

I currently have the Platinum (speaker cables).  I had an older (WyWires) pair (when the company was first started) from an older series for a bit and some home made things along the way as well.

cascadesphil

Thank You for the follow up. Are you using a full loom of WyWires?

Happy Listening!

sdl4

Good to see you here. Belden/Blue Jeans cables are quite popular.
I have not auditioned either brand. I am not familiar with Canare.

Happy Listening!