How Much Have You Spent On Cables Throughout The Years. I'm Shocked When I Checked.

This discussion about cables reminds me of something a recent video on DAC upgrades made vivid — the logic maps almost perfectly onto cables.
The core point the presenter makes is about what he calls "surviving the chain." 

At 14:09 he puts it bluntly:

"That is the standard that matters. Can the difference survive the chain? Can it make it through the preamp, the amplifier, the speaker, the room, and your listening position strongly enough to still matter? If the answer is yes, then now we're talking about a real audible mechanism. If the answer is no, then the story may be bigger than the effect. And that distinction is where a lot of money gets saved."

Substitute "cable" for "DAC" and the argument is identical. Any difference a cable introduces has to run that same gauntlet. Which means the question isn't really "is this cable better?" — it's whether whatever it does can still be heard after passing through your amplifier, your speakers, and your room.

He sets up why this is so hard at 1:36–1:59:

"The speakers, the room, bass integration, listening position, gain structure, system noise, amplifier and speaker interaction — that is where a lot of [these] arguments go off the rails."

Those are the dominant variables. Cables sit upstream of all of them. So if your room has peaks and nulls, if bass integration isn't sorted, if your listening position is compromised — you're unlikely to hear a cable change clearly enough to evaluate it honestly. And if those things are sorted, the bar for a cable to clear becomes genuinely high.

The presenter's broader point is that "the story may be bigger than the effect" — which is about as precise a description of high-end cable marketing as I've heard.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohuahjd-yxM&t=3s

I’ve spent more than I care to admit - even to myself. But I’m generally at peace with it - even though I have a couple of conflicting observations I think are worth sharing.

Several system iterations ago, I auditioned balanced interconnects at my local dealer first and then in system and I was astounded at the easily identifiable differences. I suspect everyone interested in this thread would have easily heard those differences. However, my current systems are much, much better (and vastly more resolving) and the differences in ICs is essentially non-existent. I am unsure if there is any difference whatsoever. I literally just tested this again.  

I’m not sure if it’s a matter of whether a system is resolving enough. I think it might be how that equipment is designed. 

Likewise, my current systems are less affected by power cords. While there is some difference, few would claim it night and day between my Valhalla 2 cords and stock. I suspect (but am not sure) if I had tube gear, differences would be far more significant here. 

About 15 years ago, I put some Analysis plus biwire cables in my system (low end in their range) and remembering being truly gobsmacked (love that word!) by a difference I could hear from the next room over the “audiophile” vampire wire it replaced. Night and day.

Today I am running what some would consider SOTA/TOTL speaker cables on my primary speakers. However, I needed to swap in some other cables (Analysis plus again but much higher up their line) when I was getting things sorted out in my new room. Is there a difference between the two other than the 5 digit spread in price? Yes. While I prefer the better cable, I could live with either. 

Let me summarize: I have experienced that cables can matter greatly and cables can matter very little so I don’t think I am deluding myself.

So - I also don’t think conclusions should be drawn from the experiences of others. System topology, power quality and who knows what else are factors at play that are different for every one of us.

Deniers and believers alike should be skeptical of their deeply held beliefs and give some space for the rest of us to enjoy our hobby without sneering or sniping. I think the best advice is to try in your own system and be open to what your ears tell you. It seems clear to me the science of this isn’t clear at all. Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. There appear to be no absolutes.

My $.03 (inflation).

@mgrif104 +1 really thoughtful post. 

@devinplombier - “However, only an imbecile would argue that an Ethernet cable has any sonic properties whatsoever.”

For you, and others who feel the same way, there is a German forum run by Eric Giese, known as ethernet-sound.com, documenting something called a ‘drosselkabel’ or throttle/choke cable, homemade by many now, involving ferrites clamped over any ordinary ethernet cable. And yes, measured, quantified and qualified, to be currently known to reduce noise, ripple, and subsequent errors in the digital signal travelling through the ethernet cable.

Do have a care that the journey of true science has a way of turning the insults we use against ourselves.

In friendship - kevin

@kevn 

Ferrites are crude low-pass filters. They prevent cables from acting like antennas. They belong on laptop power cables, old VGA cables, and the like.

Audiophiles who understand how digital audio works use SFP cabling anyway.

As always, thank you for making my point.