@mahgister +++1. Perfectly stated. People really should accept the fact that other people have different priorities for their music listening experiences. There’s not an absolute “right” or “wrong”. IMO, of course 😉
Yes, cables do make a difference -- regardless of price...
I thought you may find this interesting…or not. I know, another "cable post". Disclaimer up front — I am a believer that cables can make a difference in the sound that you hear from your system. With my speakers, like most high(er) efficiency speakers, I can hear large and small changes made to the system components — and cables are part of that system.
What I want to share is an exercise that I went through with my better half in setting up her recording equipment that she will be using to record audio books. The hardware part of the system is simple: Audio Technica Cardioid Condenser Microphone AT2035 connected with a XLR cable to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 preamp.
We started with the XLR cable that came with the microphone and recorded the short introduction of the book she has been contracted to record. Then she recorded the same section using each of the our XLR cables I have on hand: Vovox Excelsus, Mogami 2549, Gotham GAC-3, and Grimm TPR. Each of the cables have the same Neutrik connector and are very good studio cables that I have used in my system at one time.
Listening through headphones via the Scarlett 2i2, it was super easy to hear distinct differences in these cables. The differences were not small and very apparent. In the end, the Mogami cable was the winner — it seemed more open and warmer than the other cables and suited the tone of her voice the best. I have heard similar differences from these cables in my stereo system but not to the significant degree borne out by this exercise.
To keep going, today I replaced the $10 USB C to C cable that I bought as an “upgrade” from the Scarlett 2i2 to a MacBook Air with a $70 Audioquest Forest cable. We were more than surprised that with the AQ cable in the system the drop of the noise floor was very significant and the blackness of background made the sound even more crystal clear.
The purpose of this post is not to promote or compares cables, just a public service posting for those of you who do not believe cables make a difference. They really do affect how your system sounds (positive or negative) and if you cannot hear a difference then maybe looking at the transparency of your system is a place you should examine.
Imagine peace everyone.
- ...
- 118 posts total
@laoman My role play comment was tongue-in-cheek to point out an experimenter effect would be plausible given OP stated he’d already perceived audible variation among cables in his stereo system. In lieu of a minion-hunt or any other expression of “home team vs. visitor” mentality, how ‘bout we continue to heed the OP’s last remark?
|
Have you ever thought of the fact that like AC cables the cable isn't what's important but the connections and the first connection inside the equipment. For some reason people think a crimped connection to a connection that only pressure scrapes to make an electrical connection on the opposite connector, most of the connection on connectors aren't good enough to support 100% field flow of electrons. A soldered connection at least uses a tin and silver mix that makes a good flow but even every soldered connection changes the chemistry. If you spend 10k$ on your cable and then it enters your equipment and flows through a fuse then a trace on a PC board you can't convince anyone that the 2 meters of 10k$ cable is helping, in the case of AC the wall sends the power through 12ga Romex. No one has ever explained how miles of AC power then transformers then wall plug then 10k$ cable then fuse then cheap internal cables will make the 10k$ audiophile cable effective. I asked every cable maker at AXPONA how this could be effective, only 1 maker had an answer that the cable acted as a reservoir of power that conditioned the signal. OK no, nice try. How do such smart people not look at basics? |
Watch it one might think you a flat earther ! Perhaps more learning time to hear is needed, you know rule out the A / B, placebo, or 50-50 results. In the future you will probably see some Yum Yum selling cables with very small ‘audio’ only capacitors installed in their cables. Damn there’s that alternating current problem again… |
- 118 posts total