Using cables to fix or correct a sound problem, such as excessive treble, will lead you down numerous rabbit holes.
First off, what type of treatment are you using in the room? If you are using absorbers, diffusers, and bass traps, are they properly placed and have you measured the room response after setting up the treatment? If your speakers are placed along walls, length wise, I have had success placing absorption directly to the right and left face of the speaker on the wall to ameliorate sideways sound reflection. This will aid in providing more direct sound at the listening position.
If you have hardwood floors and the speakers are sitting in a normal corner setup, place a large rug in front of the speakers so that the downward radiation of sound is absorbed and reduces echo and spurious noise which could appear to make the system sound more bright. Are you using solid state or tube based system? If tube, recommend experimenting with other tubes which might help with the perceived uptick in treble. If solid state, then move onto cable management, same with tube based system. Are your cables crossing over each other? Do you have the cables lifted off the floor? Especially on carpet. Try some good cable management and move cables around so that they don’t touch each other as much as possible.
Cables, cables, cables. Well, lots has been said about cables. Here’s my personal opinion.
Do expensive cables = better sound? (Sometime)
Do expensive cables = better build quality? (Sometime)
Do less expensive cables = high performance cost performance to sound ratio? (Sometimes)
Do less expensive cables = less quality? (Sometimes)
Bottom line, it’s a null result. Your cables, no matter the costs, and build quality, should just allow your system to breathe as one intimate connection without adding or subtracting anything to the sound. Lesser price cables can have shoddy shielding which could add noise to your system and this could lead to artifacts such as hash and the appearance of tipped up treble.
Overview
Shielding audio cables is crucial for protecting the sound signal from external electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI), preventing annoying hums, buzzes, and static, which ensures cleaner, clearer, and more detailed audio, maintaining signal integrity and performance, especially in environments with many electronics or over long distances. It acts as a protective barrier, reflecting or conducting noise away, resulting in a more accurate, dynamic, and immersive listening experience.
- Reduces Noise & Hum: Blocks interference from nearby power lines, mobile phones, Wi-Fi, and other electronics, eliminating audible distortion.
- Maintains Signal Integrity: Keeps the audio signal true to its source, preventing signal degradation over longer cable runs.
- Improves Clarity & Detail: Allows subtle musical nuances and dynamics to come through, which would otherwise be lost.
- Prevents Crosstalk: Stops signals from one cable from interfering with adjacent cables.
- Enhances Durability: Industrial shielding adds physical protection, extending cable life.
- Ensures Reliability: Vital in high-interference zones like studios, factories, or commercial settings for consistent performance
With that being said, it is important to choose a cable that will not interfere with your listening environment. Adequate shielding should equate to better build quality, but not necessarily in all instances. Sometimes, listeners purposefully use unshielded cables since their system is more impervious to stray audio, power, or WiFi signals.
Remember, and this is a an experience lot of us had, that more pricey cables don’t always equal better, sometimes different. Does different = better? This rule can be applied to any priced cables.
So, that being said, I recently have had great success with ViaBlue cables after finding about them at the Capital Audio Fest. They are Quite open and transparent sounding to me. The music just breathes and I find the price performance ratio to be excellent compared to other cables costing 2, 3, and 4 times more. The connectors are great and they are all hand made in Germany.
Remember this, keep an eye on key characteristics of the cable, shielding, quality, and reliability. I also have used Neotech audio cables for years and they were my baseline and reference for the same reasoning I explained above. Nothing added or nothing taken way from the music. Bottom line, look for a cable that gives you more musical joy, regardless of price, and ensure that the quality is commensurate with your needs.