Lifting cables off of synthetic carpets makes a difference here. What I consistently hear when I lift my cables off the synthetic carpet is an improvement in clarity and in leading edge transients. When I've had my system on a hardwood floor, I found no difference lifting the cables off of direct contact with the wood floor. But in a room with a synthetic carpet there is a difference for my system, and I keep my cables lifted 4-6" off the carpet.
As has been explained to me, synthetic materials (such as a nylon carpet) will store energy (picking it up from the flow of current through the cable) and will then release that stored energy randomly. This random release of stored energy back into the cable will muddle the sound to some degree. Same principle as applied by many manufacturers in choosing how to insulate cables: use of teflon not pvc, use of air core, use of cotton and silk wraps, miimizing use of dielectric materials wherever possible, etc.
In any event, this is easy to try for yourself without any cost other than the investment of a little of your time. Use anything that is non-conductive and not made from synthetics to raise your cables 4-6" off the carpet (minimum, some recommend 8") and then listen over a period of a few hours. Then remove the lift and listen again. (Remember that whenever you move your cables, they need some time to settle again before you can tell what you're hearing, so don't do this as quick A/B listening comparison or all you'll hear is the impact of moving the cables.)
My cable elevators are completely home built, using a variety of found household materials: paper towel rolls, corrugated cardboard, thread to hang by in some places, crumpled paper towel between cables where they cross, wood paint stirring sticks... Corrogated cardboard can be used to easily construct some effective and pretty non-obtrusive crossed-towers (being used here to support speaker cables and preamp to amp interconnects).
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As has been explained to me, synthetic materials (such as a nylon carpet) will store energy (picking it up from the flow of current through the cable) and will then release that stored energy randomly. This random release of stored energy back into the cable will muddle the sound to some degree. Same principle as applied by many manufacturers in choosing how to insulate cables: use of teflon not pvc, use of air core, use of cotton and silk wraps, miimizing use of dielectric materials wherever possible, etc.
In any event, this is easy to try for yourself without any cost other than the investment of a little of your time. Use anything that is non-conductive and not made from synthetics to raise your cables 4-6" off the carpet (minimum, some recommend 8") and then listen over a period of a few hours. Then remove the lift and listen again. (Remember that whenever you move your cables, they need some time to settle again before you can tell what you're hearing, so don't do this as quick A/B listening comparison or all you'll hear is the impact of moving the cables.)
My cable elevators are completely home built, using a variety of found household materials: paper towel rolls, corrugated cardboard, thread to hang by in some places, crumpled paper towel between cables where they cross, wood paint stirring sticks... Corrogated cardboard can be used to easily construct some effective and pretty non-obtrusive crossed-towers (being used here to support speaker cables and preamp to amp interconnects).
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