Cables Make a Difference

[mtrycrafts]

Just out of curiosity (seriously), seeing as I have never heard such an expensive setup, how was it?

Regards

Like the other setups with those speakers and room

But, was it a beautiful eye candy

Been a while since my last trip though. Maybe Krell really modifed their newer amps

 

[mtrycrafts]

why are any of you nonbelievers even in this forum?

I thought I read the rules on this board. I missed the rule about only believers are allowed to post. Please shom me that rule, thanks.

Every piece of crappy equipment you own was built by a company who was started by an individual who thought his product was better than everything else.

You know this for sure, or dreaming this stuff up?

With your logic every receiver or amp or "well designed" speaker should all sound the same.

Is this what you gathered from your energetic reading of all the past posts here, by everyone? Or, just make this stuff up as you go??


must be mass hypnosis or some as yet undiscovered disease that makes us all "think" we hear a difference or wait, even better, we hear a difference


You must have been asleep in your psychology classes? Oh, maybe you are a professor of psychology and know human behavior?



I can't stand it when you guys always resort to the" science says there's no difference" routine.


Well, science tells us a lot. You should try it.





Scientists have only changed their minds on about thousand things in this century alone.


I am curious. Please list a dozen.

When dealing with speaker cables and electronic equipment for that matter, there are quantum and dynamic effects at work,

Oh, really? You know this because you are a man of science? Or, read silly posts on audio websites, such as AA??


which are difficult to measure with conventional tests.

Oh, please. You are embarrassing yourself. Your local college or university has some real good science classes. Take a few night courses, incuding some in electronics, OK
Stop reading pseudoscience, if you can differentiate it.

Great cables don't have to be really expensive but only cable designers who listen to their own product make great cables and the market place determines their price like everthing else.


No, the Barnum Effect determines market prices. Cable designers work for companies like Belden. Designer cable companies are a sham storefront.



You guys should go ahead and listen to your $199 receivers( since they all sound the same),

I will, not that I have your permission, thanks


your home depot 14 gauge wire (every other cable is B.S.), your $39.99 cd players (bits are bits) and enjoy the almost holographic soundscapes projected before you while the rest of us poor slobs feel around for lint in our empty pockets. This hobby should be fun!

Oh, this hobby is fun, just read the posts, all of them.

Good to see you here. We'll have a great time together.

 

[Rob Babcock]

How much need I spend before the hobby is fun? I didn't realize there was a two drink minimum...

 

[Resident Loser]

You guys should go ahead and listen to your $199 receivers( since they all sound the same), your home depot 14 gauge wire (every other cable is B.S.), your $39.99 cd players (bits are bits) and enjoy the almost holographic soundscapes projected before you while the rest of us poor slobs feel around for lint in our empty pockets. This hobby should be fun!

Actually, my most recent purchases were a GPX portable CD player which cost $7(after rebate) at Sears and a pair of Koss 'phones which cost nearly as much($4.95) at Wal-mart. Of course the phones don't sound quite as good as my Stax SR-44 Earspeakers or even my Sennheiser HD-414s...however, the former cost me nearly 25X as much, but they aren't 25 times better...the Senns were only 25 clams back in 1974...a tad bass-shy, but as comfortable as all get-out...over thirty years and still performing quite well...

Listening to music IS fun...listening to wires(or other gear) isn't...

So if you're into eutectic solders, and cryoed power cords, and Teflon coated CAT5 wires or the latest and greatest tweek-du-jour, AA IS a viable alternative...you probably won't like it here.

jimHJJ(...reality is a b!tch...)

 

[Spiffyfast]

I wouldn't say someone wouldnt like it here, they are just going to find the majority of ppl have a different opinion. If they like to debate and are a little bit of an antagonist then they may in fact love it here. There may in fact be a lot of ppl here that think cables do make a difference but dont post their opinions b/c of critisism. Personally I think a well built cable thats reasonably priced (which is different for everyone) but for me in the 30-40 dollar range doesn't sound any different than much more expensive cables.

 

[Buckle-meister]

Like the other setups with those speakers and room, only much, much better. I tell you, I've never heard highs so delicate, nor lows so choclatey smooth!

But, was it a beautiful eye candy. I was so impressed, I bought the entire system on the spot!

Been a while since my last trip though. Maybe Krell really modifed their newer amps. I never knew that amps all sounded differently from each other until now!

Wow! Was it really as good as that?!

Welcome to my world!

Regards

 

[Buckle-meister]

...the Barnum Effect determines market prices.

What's that?

Regards

 

[Taifun]

I have a good friend who has the exact opposite view from me on cables. I am firmly in the camp that a well made cable makes no difference from another well made cable. He on the other hand thinks they make all the difference in the world. We agree to disagree but continue to debate this.

I think the continuing debate is good for those who are undecided as well as those in one camp or the other; with open minds. We clear the way for people to make up their own minds by debating this.

 

[Sleestack]

I have wired my 2 channel setup with 2 sets of cables. One set consisted of all Onix blue cables. The other set is a full set of Cardas Golden Reference. Total cost of the Onix cables was about $500. Total cost of the Cardas Golden Reference was well over $5K.

First, let me say that I have no regrets about buying the Cardas cables... they look great mated with my high end pieces. If I had a tighter budget, I might not feel that way, but I wanted to buy at least one complete set of high end cables so I could really judge for myself.

In any case, my conclusion (which was not the result of any rigorous DBT) is that my system sounds the great with either the Onix Blue and Cardas Golden Ref. cables. I can't hear a difference, nor was I really expecting to. I don't think I will buy another set of esoteric cables unless I want more eye-candy for my systems, but I may do so, despite my findings.

 

[miklorsmith]

Swing

I definitely used to be a pro-cable guy. I've got a pretty diverse mish-mash of cables, some pretty expensive, and I'd say if they make a difference it's pretty subtle.

I'm ambivalent about them now and won't be diverting any more $$ that direction any time soon. I won't say they don't make a difference, but I also wouldn't recommend them for a bang-for-the-buck winner. Electronics are a mo' bettah value, by far.

Solid cables with good core wire and connectors are probably all that most people need until their electronics leave Nothing to be desired. Oh, and the jewelry factor is valid, though my kit is ugly and pretty cables would be like diamond earrings on a pig.

 

[Spiffyfast]

Oh, and the jewelry factor is valid, though my kit is ugly and pretty cables would be like diamond earrings on a pig.

thats a great comparison

 

[markw]

Hey! I had 414's also!

.. Of course the phones don't sound quite as good as my Stax SR-44 Earspeakers or even my Sennheiser HD-414s...however, the former cost me nearly 25X as much, but they aren't 25 times better...the Senns were only 25 clams back in 1974...a tad bass-shy, but as comfortable as all get-out...over thirty years and still performing quite well...

Funny looking critters.. white headband and leetle orange foam earpieces. Unfortunately one of the drivers opened up a few years later and I jetisoned 'em. ...still have my Koss ro4A's, though.

Markw (...If reality is a b!tch then my first wife was real, not a nightmare...)

 

[Resident Loser]

During their long...

Funny looking critters.. white headband and leetle orange foam earpieces. Unfortunately one of the drivers opened up a few years later and I jetisoned 'em. ...still have my Koss ro4A's, though.

...product life, I believe they were available in a number of color combos...Mine were a lt. gray for the headband and element cups with an odd, blue foam for the ear-cushions...the only things I've had to replace were those cushions...once they were charcoal and the last time they were yellow...At some point in their history, I also swapped the cord for one that had a two-pot volume/balance control. All in all a pretty nifty affair as they were entirely modular, just snap and plug.

I did have to mod some Ratshack pads the last go-round as OEM spare parts are hard to come by...actually they may sound a bit better(bass-wise) as the foam is a bit thinner which moves the transducers a little closer to the ear-bones. The rigid foam stiffener I had to add also may have attenuated the highs a bit...still goin, and goin' and goin'...

jimHJJ(...I certainly got my money's worth...)

 

[wilkenboy]

So if you're into eutectic solders, and cryoed power cords, and Teflon coated CAT5 wires or the latest and greatest tweek-du-jour, AA IS a viable alternative...you probably won't like it here.

What is AA? If its a forum that is into esoteric, tweaky, cryo-frozen, battery boosted, hand woven, inverse themal effect, piezio-electrical cable designs with hot pink foil, someone point me to it. I could use some entertainment.

I think I'll go try and sell them some old lamp wire spray painted gold.

BTW, I love it when companies sell gold-plated TOSLINK cables. I wonder what them photons think about it...

~Josh

 

[MDS]

What's that? [In re: mtrycraft's statement that the Barnum Effect determines market prices of exotic cables].

P.T. Barnum is credited with having said 'There's a sucker born every minute'. I'm sure that was what mtrycrafts was getting at.

 

[jaxvon]

AA = AudioAsylum. And yes Wilken, it's a tweaky forum. Go check it out...

www.audioasylum.com

 

[Audiosouse]

Understanding wives

Many who claim to purchase cables for the jewelry factor must have VERY understanding spouses to let you display your systems in the open with wires running all over the place.

This is why the jewelry factor makes me laugh as I spend most of my time trying to hide cables for a clean install. Mind you, if I spend $5K for cables, I'd probably have them backlit displayed under glass.

 

[Sleestack]

Many who claim to purchase cables for the jewelry factor must have VERY understanding spouses to let you display your systems in the open with wires running all over the place.

This is why the jewelry factor makes me laugh as I spend most of my time trying to hide cables for a clean install. Mind you, if I spend $5K for cables, I'd probably have them backlit displayed under glass.

Claim? Do you really go around life being that skeptical? Some wives can actually be open minded on the matter. In a HT setup, I definitely try to hide the cables, but in my 2 channel setups, the cables are much more controlled and can look good. But, I forgot, you're Audioswayze, the ever closed-minded with an inexplicable chip on his shoulder.

 

[Nick250]

P.T. Barnum is credited with having said 'There's a sucker born every minute'. I'm sure that was what mtrycrafts was getting at.

I thought he was referring to Barnum's quote "nobody every went broke over estimating the gulibility of the American Pubilc".

 

[MDS]

I thought he was referring to Barnum's quote "nobody every went broke over estimating the gulibility of the American Pubilc".

That too. Forgot about that one.