A fresh approach to cable analysis


Here’s an interesting idea that I wish someone would do. Start a YouTube channel in which you take full range of power cords, interconnects, and speaker wire ranging from cheap to top-of-the-line and carefully dissect them and expose how they are constructed and with what. In the past, we have been through all the arguments about measurements and subjective evaluation, and that gets us nowhere. I think, looking at the physical construction of these chords, which I assume almost no one ever does, especially on the more expensive ones, would produce some surprising results and really be hard to argue with. I’m sure manufacturers would hate this idea, but I don’t think there’s any way legally that they could challenge it. 

bruce19

@bruce19 hence its on the first page "AI can make mistakes", I let it write it itself....it often spouts doubious claims with total confidence, when challenged, it apologizes....lol...its scary how "smart" and at the same time totally stupid it is....no doubt...

I would go absolutely nuts and throw backflips watching a youtube channel on cables. I would probably have to hit my head with a frying pan to calm myself down.

Afraid I have to call a foul on that line of argument when discussing manufactured products. Especially pricey manufactured products

unproven assumption. 

So your saying open 1 cable represents all possible materials, weave structures, metal alloys…? I have not seen the insides of some $10k+ cabling, have you?

The amount of allowable variation in that case is just about zero. You expect them to exercise quality control.

You’re mixing apples and oranges. Isn’t this thread about opening up and looking? You’re talking about measurements.

Also, assuming it is measured, how do we know what is measured is all we hear?

Finally, consumers reports tests and compares against other “known” products. Quite different from looking at a sample then proclaiming the entire population follows the same pattern 

 

Interesting idea, unfortunately it has lead to the inevitable arguments as is usually the case on this topic.

My only input is to share this Video covering a product from a Japanese brand called TiGLON that I have been enjoying lately. It is not in english but subtitles are available and seem accurate. At about the 2:30 mark he shows a cut open cross section as the original poster was talking about. It lets us see the unique magnesium shielding system which is not something I've seen anywhere else. They have a patent for it so that makes sense. 

We can debate whether cables matter or not until the end of time, I suspect not many minds will be changed. I just wanted to show this example of the sort of thing OP was describing as it does seem interesting. I'd love to see other similar examples. The pictures posted above by @mclinnguy are useful but it would seem better to get a real world view like the TiGLON video shows, rather than just CGI or AI generated pictures. 

@gs5556 

Something like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kU5SeaSQs

Missing from that video is a listening test.

Those home-made cables might sound good.  But his opening assertion: "The best cable or wire for audio might be hiding right underneath your nose..."

The best?

And some people eat it up.  He has lots of fancy equipment behind him, so naturally he has to be right.  Right?

Where is his stereo?

Where are the Audioquest Sky interconnects to conduct an actual listening session between his home-made cables an the Sky interconnects.

Nothing wrong with going the "do it yourself" route.  But you will not be getting the results that Shunyata Alpha-X interconnects will give you.

I doubt that you will get the results that my once-owned Quicksilver interconnects gave me.

Watching and being fascinated by the equipment and the testing gear and the hands-on tutorial is compelling -- especially to people that do not have revealing stereos and have never demoed top-tier, quality signal cables.

Without hearing the final product, then what is the point?

The stereo is the lab.  The entire point of better signal cables is to have better sound quality.  And that core purpose is absent from that video.

It is like someone building a car in a video, and he looks competent, and has a fancy garage with all kinds of equipment, and the car looks great.  But he never takes it for a drive.

Would you buy a TV from someone that showed you how to build them yourself, but never showed you it playing a movie?  Never showed you the picture quality?