Analog - yes. Especially with older tube design and simple schematics, like Audio Note, where impedance matters. Ethernet and USB - no.
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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First, someone said cables make a difference. Then I tried swapping the skinny stock cable that was plugged in, for a fat one, and I got more bass off of it. After that, every time I check google reviews, and then pull the trigger, the reviews seem understated compared to what I get. It could be because my player is good, but I'm finding cables to be a second and cheaper way to upgrade what I"m getting, plus, I could never get exactly that from just a normal gear item upgrade. I just put a $300 power cable on my gaming pc, and now I'm all messed up about which pc to use for movies, since MS didn't mess up video, but still, movies have audio too. Nonetheless, as planned, my games off the pc look all new level richer, and I'm still waiting for a signal cable to arrive in 1 days. that's before the great news I know I will find out, is that signal cable on top of source cable will mean bliss, and I have yet to even order a monitor cable. I know i'm going off into video, but cables have proven out to be the same bonus in video land true, there. Other people monitors didn't look so plain compared to my pro monitor, until I upped it's cable. With that, it probably had more room to reveal more, and is a cheap way to upgrade a $2k monitor. Anyone with a mac retina display is in the same league of monitor, and will surely benefit from better cabling with those, if you care about your image quality, which you've paid for already. My mac has a nordost hdmi cable only, but it's the other 3rd of a special display, and my forum pages also look more varied in color, and are sharper, although that's not.a priority for forum use to me. |
People like you are doing valuable work. Your cables being great quality will prevent some customers from buying ultra-cheap or improperly made cables. In some cases, friends of mine have damaged the inputs and outputs on their audio electronics because of careless mistakes made by manufacturers. You are right. And make a lot of sense! First hand experience is paramount. I know that the input impedance and output impedance of certain inputs and outputs - on power amps and preamps for example, or even on integrated amplifiers can be more sensitive to wire, which can change the sound. However, this is rare and not a common cause for concern if you're getting clear, high quality sound output. On vintage amplifiers including integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers, using the "aux" out instead of CD yielded a clear, sharper, more defined overall sound. Why? because when we look at the block diagram we see that the signal effectively didn't go through much processing at all. It's the shortest signal path. Likewise, for all new/modern stereo equipment, would-be customers should ask and audition them that way. Sometimes, there is a specific input that has a cleaner signal path; and some sneaky audio dealers perform those cable swaps without the listener knowing in demo rooms; hence why the sound is different. My original argument touched on how cables SHOULDN'T make a meaningful difference - in other words, in well designed equipment and when properly dialed in, you shouldn't have to depend on the last few feet of wire for audio nirvana. Your power amplifier, preamplifier, DAC, etc. the ELECTRONICS are already doing the heavy lifting! |
The OP starts out with a post that seems benign with a touch of sincere interest in discussion, but concludes with reference to audiophoolery - be wary. Then the OP posts become longer, as if number of words equals knowledge. Insults become a bit more direct and then the strident belief system becomes clear. Vague reference to science, a single personal experience example regarding burn in, and repeating cliche's are not proof of any universal truth. Being skeptical of manufacturer claims is not a unique revelation by the OP. Be skeptical and figure out what works for you, and you alone. Lecturing that some absolute exists known only to a select few is a non starter. |
@kevemaher Our fundamental models of electricity are not static. |
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