The Truth vs Hype about Expensive HDMI Cables

[Speedskater]

You are over three years late to the party.

 

[lovinthehd]

You are over three years late to the party.

Depends what party Observe is trying to portray. Nonsense it seems....

 

[highfigh]

The demands placed on cables have changed constantly over the years s became a thorn in our sides and the introduction of 4K/HDR/10 bit color will make many cables useless because this new standard requires the cables to handle 18Gbps signal. The Redmere cables with a chip at each end are no longer useful for more than about 25' and the replacement, which uses wires and optical, cost much more- close to the price of HDMI extenders.

 

[Pogre]

High end cables of any kind, from Audioquest or Synergistic Research for example, absolutely make noticeable improvements in audio and video. One should buy what ever one's wallet and sound/video values permit. People that say high end cables make no difference have poor listening skills or hearing and/or have never heard these type of cables.

Having eyes and ears, and the other two senses too, does not make a person observant. Being able to eat food, or hear sound, or see does not instantly make a person observant. Practice makes perfect. Observing the details and changes that happen over time with audio and video hones the skills needed to appreciate what high end cable manufacturers create. They know what they are doing!

If you have good listening and viewing skills and so can see and hear differences in video and audio reproductions, then try the Audioquest Cinnamon HDMI. It will please you as you watch and/ or listen to your system. If you can afford the Vodka HDMI cable, by all means get it.

If your visual or audio observation skills are poor, then a better reproduction of video or audio will be difficult, and probably unimportant to you, so don't even read about better cables.

I am using the Diamond HDMI cable. It was like getting an upgrade on my top of the line Sony displays. Brighter, better contrast, blacks, more 3D, transparency, etc. Overall, these changes, with the Audioquest HDMI upgrade was very natural. I found the Wireworld cables overly etched and not natural the way they changed the images and audio. Audioquest hdmi is better for my taste. The changes were remarkable.

Give it a try.

Click

I don't believe in magic cables that defy measurement and the laws of physics.

 

[everettT]

I love my hdmi cable that goes into my displays Service Menu and and corrects the offsets

 

[Observe]

Belief is the important word that's used there. I am speaking of "rational", deliberate, analytical component in observation. Practicing observing aural or visual differences, like anything else, from plumbing to cooking, requires a set of techniques, vocabulary, and accumulated observations. The better practiced a person is at noticing things that happen in the sound and vision experience, the better the judgements about what the differences are and what makes them so.

Belief is different from preferences. Audio and visual awareness and critical thinking are acquired things.
Getting better at those things is not a bad thing. Knowing the difference between things is a developed ability, provided the acuity it there of course. Anything I have ever done, from furniture making to engineering music to gardening, has gotten better by practice. Who's against practice or getting better at something? (!)

Don't take this personally. This is just so. Cables that cost more than the $3 or $12 cable, and at a wild amount more than that, e.g. Audioquest Vodka or even Cinamon HDMI, are not make believe prices. They charge so much because they are that much better. Unfortunately, it is not so easy to make a high end cable, so many many hours and much experience is required. Blue Jeans or other higher price cables do not
have the expertise of the upper end of cable makers like Audioquest, Synergistic Research, Wireworld and others.

 

[Pogre]

Belief is why audiophools buy ridiculously priced cables. Belief is not a path to truth. I prefer to follow the evidence to where it leads. What evidence do you have to support your claim? Convince me.

 

[NINaudio]

Belief is why audiophools buy ridiculously priced cables. Belief is not a path to truth. I prefer to follow the evidence to where it leads. What evidence do you have to support your claim? Convince me.

You just aren't advanced enough to detect the differences Pogre. It's ok, I'm in the same boat as you.

I'll keep that money and put it towards something with tangible benefit, you know, like better speakers...

 

[Observe]

So you think that people, like me, who pay $300, $500, $1,000 for cables are not hearing or seeing what they do? Sounds like they may have a mental disorder. What other consumer experience or experience with the senses is like that? Is filet mignon overpriced? Are top of the line cars from BMW or Mercedes
overpriced and the owners are hypnotized. Are not the differences between high priced and low priced things not perceptible by people?

Sound, taste, smell, vision, touch can all be heightened and a deeper awareness of them acquired. Do you not believe that?

 

[Pogre]

So you think that people, like me, who pay $300, $500, $1,000 for cables are not hearing or seeing what they do? Sounds like they may have a mental disorder. What other consumer experience or experience with the senses is like that? Is filet mignon overpriced? Are top of the line cars from BMW or Mercedes
overpriced and the owners are hypnotized. Are not the differences between high priced and low priced things not perceptible by people?

Sound, taste, smell, vision, touch can all be heightened and a deeper awareness of them acquired. Do you not believe that?

It's called the placebo effect, and it's very powerful. No one is immune. I've fallen for it myself (not just with audio). After reading enough info on objective measurements and the DBT's that correlate with them that show absolutely no audible differences I've decided to follow the evidence to where it leads.

I mean, you have guys sneaking in coat hangers and crinkled up tin foil without telling the participants and they can't tell the difference? I would recommend you try some DBT testing. You might be surprised.

 

[NINaudio]

Sound, taste, smell, vision, touch can all be heightened and a deeper awareness of them acquired. Do you not believe that?

There is no doubt that you can develop your senses through using them. However, a lot of those things you speak of can be measured and are tangible. High end cars often have better interiors, finer leathers, more expensive paint, etc. etc. that you can quantify and see. You can't compare them to cables whose job is to convey an electric signal. The physics of electricity are very well studied and known.

I'll agree that you believe you notice a difference.

 

[rojo]

Cables that cost more than the $3 or $12 cable, and at a wild amount more than that, e.g. Audioquest Vodka or even Cinamon HDMI, are not make believe prices. They charge so much because they are that much better at marketing and moral flexibility.

There, fixed that for you.

 

[Pogre]

You know what's funny? I was a butcher for 30 years and imo, filet mignon is definitely overpriced and you'll be lucky to get a package of nice, center cut filets in a typical grocery store. If I'm in the mood for steak, I'd much rather eat a ribeye. It's generally almost half the price and actually tastes a lot better than filet mignon. Filet has no flavor, it's just tender.

So yes, it's definitely overpriced (imo, ime). As long as people will keep paying that price for it tho, the industry will keep selling it. Filet is overrated.

I think NIN covered cars...

 

[mtrycrafts]

So you think that people, like me, who pay $300, $500, $1,000 for cables are not hearing or seeing what they do? Sounds like they may have a mental disorder. What other consumer experience or experience with the senses is like that? Is filet mignon overpriced? Are top of the line cars from BMW or Mercedes
overpriced and the owners are hypnotized. Are not the differences between high priced and low priced things not perceptible by people?

Sound, taste, smell, vision, touch can all be heightened and a deeper awareness of them acquired. Do you not believe that?

Exactly what I am saying. Unless you can demonstrate your claimed audio prowess in detecting below thresholds of detection under double blind protocols, your testimony is just another anecdote with no fact or value.
And, of course you have to justify your claims with meaningless comparisons to cars, steaks and what nots.

But, you should enjoy your cables nonetheless.

 

[mtrycrafts]

You know what's funny? I was a butcher for 30 years and imo, filet mignon is definitely overpriced and you'll be lucky to get a package of nice, center cut filets in a typical grocery store. If I'm in the mood for steak, I'd much rather eat a ribeye. It's generally almost half the price and actually tastes a lot better than filet mignon. Filet has no flavor, it's just tender.

So yes, it's definitely overpriced (imo, ime). As long as people will keep paying that price for it tho, the industry will keep selling it. Filet is overrated.

I think NIN covered cars...

It seems that the marketing over the years for filet drove up the price. The Barnum effect demonstrated once again, over time and time again.

 

[Speedskater]

When thinking about HDMI cables, there is one important question:

Does the cable have "Premium HDMI Cable" certification?

 

[NINaudio]

And for the record I prefer a nice NY strip over a filet any day... mmm... now I want a steak.

 

[Observe]

I do agree no doubt that the prices of high quality is outrageous!

But what I am speaking to is the idea that the "quality", in this case audio and video resolution or fidelity and so that which is more "real", is not always something that can be measured.

Just because fidelity can't entirely be measured with devices, does not mean the senses of hearing and seeing are not valid measures of high quality audio and video reproduction. Add to that, that the aesthetics in general or even aspects of physics can be known but can't be explained fully. Discovering something new, unexpected or not what one wants to perceive, is exciting. That is one thing that makes audio and video playback so much fun. I love it! To share why it is so much fun for me or tell nudge someone who shares my interest in the subject is what being a member of forums like this are about.

The fact is, anyone with normal hearing and an adequate attention plan, who is not keeping a good dose of envy or malice secretly packed in their back pocket, they can and will see and hear a difference in a high end cable. Giving those senses more weight in the audio and video experience is absolutely worthwhile.
Specs in the form of numbers and manufacturers theories or descriptions about their products notwithstanding, are just part of the picture. One should rely on their senses in the end.. Yeah..because,
my eyes, ears, and observation and critical thinking skills are all that I am left with. They are real, not abstract like specs.

 

[Observe]

There are many false or partly misleading claims about things that involve the senses. The question, Does the cable have "Premium HDMI Cable" certification? is probably misleading. Who determines what "Premium" means?

Again, you ears and eyes and skills with them are the only thing any person has to have an experience.
Try a premium cable, but don't stop there. The parochial view of something so varied and expansive will
just be a cage.

If one really loves the area of audio and video reproduction, feed it, don't wall it in with someones labels.
Explore!

 

[NINaudio]

Our eyes and ears are very easily tricked into seeing and hearing things that aren't there. The power of the mind (placebo effect) is very strong as has been shown throughout a number of scientific studies.

Belief is the important word that's used there. I am speaking of "rational", deliberate, analytical component in observation.

You are contradicting yourself, saying analytical components are important and then saying that specs are abstract.

In theoretical physics research signals are being analyzed that are on the order of micro to nano volts, if not smaller. Why aren't they using exotic hyper expensive wiring for their experiments when the signal is often just a few microvolts above the noise floor?