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Are cables really worth their high price because of their geometry?

They’re some pricey cables that have claim to fame because of the high tech geometry used in their cables.
Many of these cables have patents on specific geometry patterns used in their cables and use this as a reason their cables sound so good. For that reason, many say the reason their cables cost so much is they’re so complex . The man hours to make a pr results in their high price. That maybe true for some cables, but I’ve seen very pricey cables using the same geometry reason that look like a thin piece of wire rapped in outer jacket no thicker than a pencil. So,Is all this geometry just another way to justify their cost or is it true science that we are paying in the end?
hiendmmoe
cakyol's avatar
cakyol
940 posts
 

The lower the signal a cable carries, the more important its SHIELDING becomes. If the geometry helps to achieve that and/or reduce stray capacitance and/or inductance, then maybe it is worth the extra cost, but NOT by much. I bought a $10 phono shielded cable from Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016QVZF06/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) and compared it to another shielded phono cable costing in excess of $400 and there was absolutely NO difference in the sound except the $390.

As the amount of current the cables carry increase, the geometry matters less and less. In that situation about the only criteria that matters is to reduce the resistance of the wire by choosing it to be thicker.

Other than that, the rest is snake oil.

andy2
1,619 posts
 
As the amount of current the cables carry increase, the geometry matters less and less.
I think it's the opposite.  That is the higher the current, the more geometry matters.  


pesky_wabbit's avatar
pesky_wabbit
1,183 posts
 
Investing in decent interconnects has saved me big bucks in the long run. They have enabled me to hear and enjoy almost exactly what I am buying upstream, not some filtered, dynamically compressed facsimile thereof. Had I not, I could have made some choices I would have regretted later down the track.
b4icu's avatar
b4icu
558 posts
 
Mr.  andy2

I think it's the opposite. That is the higher the current, the more geometry matters.  

Could you please explain? Why?
The way I see it, geometry matters only for the profit line of those who sale it.
kennyc
2,961 posts
 
@b4icuIf If you want to find out about audio cable design from a rather scientific point of view, I suggest reading the Iconoclast “white papers - design briefs” where a seasoned cable designer/engineer shares his process/methodology of his designing Iconoclast cables using the resources/equipment of the large cable company Belden.https://www.iconoclastcable.com/story/


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