Performance versus durability

[docferdie]

Which would people prefer; a cable or interconnect that was as neutral or transparent or (insert fancy terminology here) as it could get but would break down within 3 months to a year or one that was 50-90 percent as good sonically but lasted 5 years? Pretend cost is not an issue.

 

[Yamahaluver]

Dont know if Radio Shack Gold Patch cables qualifies as high end but I have several still running afer 12 long years of service with no apparent degradation.

 

[ericb]

hmmm

As much as I would like to say durability, I would end up feeling like I'm missing out so I would probably have to say I would go for better quality and fork out the $$ every few months so I can make myself feel better and no wonder all the time "What if". But couldnt I spend a couple more bucks and get both, something that is durable and more gooder? (How do ya like for fancy terminology?)

 

[cornelius]

I would go for the less durable (more frequent change), cleaning contacts is a good thing. Not to mention the better resolution between changes.

 

[JoeE SP9]

Are you kidding?

With cost no object it would be of no importance that the product has a short life. Replacement would be no problem. If you were/are an audio/vidiophile you would go for the accurate one although it would require frequent replacement.

 

[av_phile]

With the rate of obsolescence usually designed into much of what is used in this hobby, i'd go for performance. As it doesn't make much sense, other than economic sense perhaps, to have it last even a year, when it's almost useless after the 6th month.

 

[djoxygen]

Obviously a hypothetical, since in the real world one can have both, or at least a reasonable compromise.

Cost-no-object, obviously the performance would be my choice. But would you sacrifice a few percent of both max performance and max durability if you could have both? I would.

 

[av_phile]

If I can have both with just a few compromises, well and good. And many appliances do have a reasonable degree of both. But if a choice had to be made, my response would have to be performance.