How accurate are cable descriptions for your system?

Thanks to posters. I suppose I’m still interested in your answer to the question in the OP. 

Let me rephrase it:

When you hear cables described in a certain way -- but not specific to your system -- how accurately do you find those descriptions matching up to what you eventually here, if you try the cables?

how accurately do you find those descriptions matching up to what you eventually here, if you try the cables?

I’d give it some credence. But it often comes down to a matter of scale. IOW, the bass may be 90% for one and 10% for another. It also depends upon which speaker cable you went from to the new one. What happens when your your existing cables naturally have more/better bass than the ones in question? Maybe your existing cables are giving 100% of what they are getting from the amp. The ones in questions can do no better than 100%. So in essence, there are a lot of variables which can rear their head when you speak in generalities. But generally speaking, Id give credence to the posters opinion. Hows that for circling around? 😀

@hilde45 - the answer to your question really is - you get what you pay for !

$100 cables are generally mediocre performers because

• they may be built using bulk cable that may not really suited to Audiophile use,
  • i.e.  no advanced cable geometry is used
• they are lilkely made using OFC copper - UP-OCC copper is much better
• they will likely have mediocre connectors and insulation

If the budget allows look at Zavfino cables - for a little more money you will get

• cables that will sound noticebly better than most of the competition
• they are better made with quality parts
• they adopt more recent wire types and cable geometries
• and you can upgrade to higer grade cables as you feel it is required for even better sound

Take a look at the Zavfino thread for more information about them

These are very good cables to start out with

Arcadia OCC Interconnect Cable - ZavfinoUSA
Nova OCC Speaker Cable

Fina OCC power cable

As for your question

When you hear cables described in a certain way -- but not specific to your system -- how accurately do you find those descriptions matching up to what you eventually here, if you try the cables?

I do not pay any attention to cable reviews because...

• I am not hearing the music being played - I trust my own ears only
  • the reviewer could be deaf as far as I know
• reviewers are paid for their reviews,
  • so they sorta have to say something nice
  • or they will not be asked to ever review again
• If the reviewer descibes the cable geometry and wire/insulation being used I might consider he is at least aware of what makes a good cables
  • if the reviewer does not mention these aspects then I would not consider the cables.

This hobby is very subjective

• no two systems are alike
• no two listening environments are alike
• no two individuals hearing are alike
• no two musical tastes are alike

Also, we tend to review any component/cable using our favourite tracks, which may not bring out the best in their performance

• I have over 70 audition tracks for reviewing anything
  • some are extremely dynamic and punchy
  • some are live recordings in very large venues
    • with lots of micro venue acoustics
      • those little echoes and reverberations 
  • some are live recordings in very small, intimate venues
    • where you can hear a pin drop
      • or the truck passing by outside
      • or the creaking of a person’s chair
  • some have studio engineered environments with an exaggerated (i.e. overly wide) sound stage
  • some have just voice
  • others are full on orchestral pieces that allow me to hear individual instruments
  • and one track recreates a superbly realistic small music hall from the 60’s in some back alley location

The secret to reviewing anything is to find tracks that cover a wide selection of sounds and not just favourite tracks

Hope that helps - Steve

If you get 10 guys saying what a cable sounds like and they all agree, or the majority agree you can bet that the description is a good evaluation. Now in your system they may or may not be as dramatic or more dramatic because it's the interaction with the gear it's hooked up to that makes a bigger difference.  

If you get 10 guys saying what a cable sounds like and they all agree, or the majority agree you can bet that the description is a good evaluation. Now in your system they may or may not be as dramatic or more dramatic because it’s the interaction with the gear it’s hooked up to that makes a bigger difference.

Exactly!

And any cables improvement is minor , save if you own bad cables, compared to electrical noise floor control, vibrations control, and acoustical control...

Discussing cables is a plague among audiophiles, not because they dont made a difference but because they made one, a minor one... This focus our attention in a secondary factor among other secondary factors...The main factors are the three i just mentionned...

Cables and price tag of gear are only some blinders...If someone want to see clearly he must experiment with the three working dimensions of any audio system...At any price...

😁😊