Cable Quality Control and Objective Reviewers
Cable quality control is rarely discussed among audiophiles I know in person.
They would much rather chat about the claims made by manufacturers that include specific, system-level improvements that cannot be validated.
I’m all for high quality cables with proper terminations for long-term reliability, and proper gauge wires, and connections that fit snugly enough on ports.
I was browsing the web yesterday and found this: Kimber RCA Cable vs Amazon Basics (Video) | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
Now, in all fairness, the Kimber cable is a luxury item first, and an audiophile item second.
I really like a brand called "world’s best cables" on amazon. Their cables are very high quality and the their quality control is top notch.
How do I know this?
Well I’ve used their cables for many years; and have spliced some of them open just out of curiosity to see what’s inside, because I intentionally bought extras just for that purpose.
I really hate cost cutting in audio. Especially when it happens to be from a vendor that should do better.
Inside the amazon basics RCA cable, we find mostly heavy-duty tubing and very little copper.
The worst cable I’ve ever seen was the Hosa HRR-005X2 5-Feet Dual REAN RCA Pro Stereo Interconnect Cable.
Cut it open, and inside found what looked like a cotton ball stretched apart, and the thinnest, cheapest, ugliest copper I had ever seen in my life. Thinner than hair on people who have very thin hair. Weak, brittle copper that was soft and rough to the touch as the same time. Disgusting.
Did it make a difference in my system? Yes it did.
And not in a good way. the midrange became "glassy" and the treble took on a hard edge. The bass frequencies sounded more rounded and less tight, and the soundstage shrunk. I hated them...
Now before anyone accuses me of talking nonsense, we need to acknowledge that cables are physical devices and don’t pass sound through a quantum vacuum. Physics still applies, whether objective reviewers like it or not. It’s not an opinion, it’s a fact.
Interconnects measured under resistive loads will of course not be impacted in the same way as how they are when plugged in to real audio electronics. Numerous electrical factors are missing from the equation with "test bench only" reviews.
It’s like saying a piece of chocolate tastes good - in isolation (on its own)
But melted in to a cake you’re baking - well that’s a different equation. The flavor of the cake will change; the balance and texture may change too... You get the idea.
The cable being so thin, the dielectric being so lousy, and the shielding being so poor means it could not only pick up noise, but acted as a suboptimal conductor; a bad bridge between two points -input and output. And I’d wager to say the most important connection, even before your source is between your preamplifier and power amplifier. Keep the resistance and cable length as short as possible, and choose truly high quality interconnects.
Some may dismiss this as folklore, yet videos like this paint a broad brush and force a specific kind of cognitive dissonance on the audience:
First of all, it’s heading is completely illogical.
What it sounds like: 400 dollar steak vs. 7 dollar prime rib sub from a random shop in a ghetto.
The naysayers, non audiophiles, and people who genuinely hate us for our hobby will laugh and write drivel in the comment section on the video as they always do, talking about how we’re such fools.
Yet we have a right to pay for quality control and a higher bill of materials is a often a better indicator that a manufacturer "did their homework" and has higher quality control standards.
This has been my experience with interconnects.
jperry2,536 posts I think it would be great if you posted your system on-line here. It helps others understand your perspective. frank009 OP71 posts And why would I do that? I guess I need to say that again: "It helps others understand your perspective."
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Narcissism is characterized by a grandiose sense of self-importance, a lack of empathy for others, a need for excessive admiration, and the belief that one is unique and deserving of special treatment. Highly critical of others. Looks for offense. These are signs of comparative thinking/measuring - “I’m better than, they are worse than me..” to others. When we were kids, it’s common to compare. But as adults, it’s unwise to compare because one can always find perceived examples of people better than us leading to envy/anger/disappointment or people worse than us leading to arrogance or feeling superior to others. Self worth is tied to the comparison. High probability of linking self worth to being right or wrong, admission of wrong highly emotionally painful and often avoided. High probability of hating change, the necessary ingredient to personal growth. High probability of isolation. Building relationships low/no priority. This is not the same of expressing opinions to be heard. From isolation, a fair chance of mental reduction. Many posts are random/choppy, not well thought out. Makes claims without ANY investigating other side. Seems to confuse opinion with fact. The best thing for the OP is to develop empathy- put yourself on their shoes to understand what they think and feel, and avoid isolation- humans have social needs. Change is uncomfortable and often hard, but the lifelong benefits are well worth it. Peace and happiness is better than criticism and anger. |
