This thread reminds me of Monty Python’s Argument Clinic. Except it isn’t funny.
audiophile folklore - cables and claims from manufacturers
The cable debate.
Cables make a difference, sure.
But SHOULD they?
I have been grappling with this question for the better part of 20 years!
Fanatical claims from manufacturers, talking about how their cables will improve your system in specific ways, sonically.
More accurate bass, cleaner midrange sounds, treble resolution... etc. soundstage and imaging, you get the idea.
The fundamental disconnect is - they have never heard YOUR system!
So then, how do they know what their cables will sound like in your system. Not to mention, astronomical prices on some of these interconnects. The wilder the claims, the higher the cost.
The behavior we should be looking for is passing on the signal, with as little losses as possible. That can be done relatively cheaply, with well made professional interconnects that cost less than 100 dollars in most cases.
If you could build an audio system (all of it) from thrift store finds and cables really did make that much of a difference, then wouldn’t the sound quality scale that way?
It seems many audiophiles I know are in denial. And even worse, some use cables as TONE controls! This is where audiophoolery becomes a religion. Audio dealers promote it, because it impacts their bottom line!
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@ghdprentice said - A shorter signal path is better in isolation... but start packing more subcomponents and parallel wires in a small space and they start interacting with each other... then it isn’t better. Every little detail counts.... and as we frequently say, it depends. @frank009 said - You seem to be on the wrong train of thought. Preamplifiers and Power amplifiers that are used for their own respective purposes in their own boxes don’t have the negative interactions that all integrated and all-in-one audio components have. I’m saying - I think we all are saying that a shorter signal path can but does not always produce better sound. Integrateds can have negative interactions between components in their shorter circuits, and when you stretch those circuits out into separates you can achieve better sound. Separates divide the circuit between boxes, but they are still all part of the circuit the music must travel to our speakers. So, I think we can all agree that the shortest circuit does not always provide the best sound, but shorter circuits are a good thing in the right circumstances. As @ghdprentice said, it depends. |
- 119 posts total