a great take on big$ cables

At least 90% of that article is true. I have heard high $$$ cables that sounded terrible (but did make a difference). That being said, I have yet to hear a cable that made such a marked improvement as to warrant spending similar $$$ for the marginal improvement. Big fat cheap OFC (yes I do think I can hear the crud in non-OFC)does it for me.

Physiologically men do loose their hearing to a larger degree than women and at a relatively faster and more constant pace. Even those who take care not to expose themselves to damaging SPL's will gradually and irreparably loose some of their hearing in the upper frequencies. Those who depend on their auditory acuity to perform specific tasks on a regular basis (ex-A.J. van den Hul) will suffer this to a much smaller degree. Also, these are often people who started at a higher mark on the hearing scale continuum therefore reducing the effective functional degredation regardless of the quantitative loss.

Are we all going to be the Jack Lalaine of the auditory world? Probably not. We can expect to get a reasonably good reproduction of the music that makes us happy for some 30 to 50 years before having to tip the trebble knob and turn the volume up enough to cause complaints.

Happy listening!

Bigjoe, you use to have to spend a lot of money to get that last 10% of performance but not anyone! http://www.realitycables.com And to improve things even more try some dakiom 203 series feedback stabilizer http://www.dakiom.com and QuickSilver contact enhancer http://www.xtremecables.com

As an over-50 year old male, I'd have to say that, even though I notice my hearing deteriorates with time, I NEVER have any trouble telling that it's my equipment playing a Beethoven quartet and not the Emerson Q somehow getting into my listening room just to fool me. They know enough not to even try.

Referencing anything Stereo Review printed regarding sound is not a plus IMO. In fact, putting that out there potentially removes credibility from the poster. I leaned first hand (not via heresay or in a magazine) that the reviewer at Stereo Review was either 1 - lying, 2 - had substantial hearing loss, or 3 - his setup was so convoluted that the sonic differences between Bose 601s and Wilson Sohias would be inaudible. Stereo Review was a joke, and a likely token for the various manufacturers, not a source for any real, credible information.

Pmotz.

i have a question for you,what are you talking about when you say " this goes against everything audiophiles strive for" isnt better sound what audiophiles strive for & how does an enginer's finding's done in blind listening test's go against anything ? its nothing more than information,use it if you like or dont its of no matter to me but i would love to know what goes against all that that is hifi.

what i find odd is you choose to fixate on useless information like stereo review & aes instead of the real information in the article which was the results of blind listening tests set up in such a way that there was no time lapse between the changing of wires not what some stupid mag had to say.

if you want to stress a point atleast come up with a response that has merit to it instead of refering to how many people buy exotic wires & cables,that's like saying that bose sells more speakers than anybody else so they cant be wrong.

when i read the page at no time did i take the the parts about stereo review or aes as a reference nor do i think they were intended as such, i think they were included to show just how fast these mag's & reviewers changed their tune, he even admited to his own company reversing its own findings on wire's & cables as to not hurt dealer sales.

to tell the truth i was hoping that someone would comment on the published results of the listening tests instead of focusing on trivial issues such as the honesty of audio mags or reviewer's,as far as i know this type of testing is the most precise way to present different cable's & wire's to test subject's without corupting the test's with visual's of wire's being changed or a prolonged break in the music.

mike.