Tonearm.
Which Cable Makes the Biggest Impact?
To all the audiophiles that have tried different power cables, interconnects, and speaker cables, which do you believe makes the biggest impact in your system in order of ranking? If you don't believe that cables/interconnects/pc's make any difference at all, and is all marketing hype and snake oil, you can vote accordingly, but my ONLY request is that you've tried different cables first!
Ok..My ranking:
1. Power cables - most important
2. Interconnects
3. Speaker cable
Ok..My ranking:
1. Power cables - most important
2. Interconnects
3. Speaker cable
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- 71 posts total
IMO… 1. Power cables - for power conditioner, amp, source components 2. Speaker cables 3. interconnects 4. digital cables (whatever the connection method…USB, ARS/EBU, etc.) 5. Ethernet cable to streamer
All with a caveat that you have all the critical stuff (top notch components, speakers that you really like and your room acoustics) in order. I wouldn’t worry too much about cables (isolation devices, or footers too) if any of the above critical items aren’t taken care of first. Cable swaps are easiest and most of the time the cheapest changes we tend to gravitate towards but as long as you have decent, neutral basic cables like BlueJeans or Mogami, worry about room acoustics and components first. @deep_333 I don’t thing $100 is a point of diminishing returns for anything in this world right now…although it would really be nice if that was the case! |
Unfortunately - my impression of biggest impact is clouded because the order I experimented. I think the answer might be 'where ever you start'. I started with speakers, ICs and power cables. In each case they made an impact resulting in me continuing to experiment and listen. During my experimenting with speaker cables I used mogami XLRs and the OEM power cables.
And for the record I would have been really happy to not have heard a difference!
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@overthemoon I tend to agree, and much earlier in this thread suggested that the last cable added was the most important because you had taken care of issues elsewhere and now you were more fully experiencing and expressing the benefits of the next addition. I got called out at the time for being somewhat naive as each cable has it’s own function in a system and therefore can only have so much effect. My answer to this criticism many years later, having a better system, a much, much better room, and much more experience tweaking, is “whatever”. It all matters, and matters in different ways depending on what specific “problems” you are trying to address to preserve and keep signals in their lanes in your room and set up. I generally agree with the original premise that power cables make the biggest difference, and have now assembled and used many from different bulk cable and connectors, and have also used many PCs built by others. What I find is that different cables can make both revelatory and frustrating levels of difference depending on the system and application with different equipment models and types. But in the end, the effort is definitely worth it. I am also blown away with the difference digital cables make. I just swapped a USB cable from a SSD to my streamer and was gobsmacked. YMMV kn |
- 71 posts total