2. cables
  3. 125500-1483

Cable Controversy

I love the cable forum. Discussions about cable can really generate sparks among the mature audiophiles. Regarding cable design: Other than the basics of resistance, impedance, and conductance, it seems that there is very little firm ground upon which one can form convincing conclusions. Witness the bewildering array of cable designs, incoporating network boxes, magnets, biased shields, liquid conductors, solid core, braided strands, exotic metals, air dialectrics, to name but a few. In contrast: Regarding balanced cables, at least one experienced poster and equipment designer has stated here that all balanced cables perform identically, once a few basic design parameters are met.  I ask for the voices of experience and sanity to offer their theories and experience on the topic of cable design and performance. Thanks in advance.
psag
wattsperchannel
142 posts
 
Atmasphere,

Interesting post. Your views certainly are in contrast to many of your peers. Obviously, many well regarded designers believe the benefits of a single ended topology significantly outweigh the benefits of common mode noise rejection (a view with which I strongly concur as is evidenced by my Soulution preamp). But saving that arguement for another day, I don’t see how you can claim that a cable's sound is not impacted by variables other than cmnr. Even at the most fundamental level, you must acknowledge capacitance and inductance are frequency dependent and as such can be designed into a wire to filter analog signals to taste?

psag OP
518 posts
 
"Obviously, many well regarded designers believe the benefits of a single ended topology significantly outweigh the benefits of common mode noise rejection"

That's news to me. Quite different from the commonly expressed view that for short runs, balanced cable offers no real advantage over single ended cable.
wattsperchannel
142 posts
 
Psag, I guess I was not clear. That is the same point I was trying to make. For short runs cmnr is inconsequential ergo inclusion of a a phase inverter is a net loss (all else held constant).
psag OP
518 posts
 
Ok, but even for short runs, I don't agree that a single ended cable will outperform a balanced cable. There may be exceptions, but in general, I think its accepted that balanced cable is an advance over single ended.
williewonka
3,082 posts
 
Psag, I, like you, believed balanced were the best solution.

Then I  got the opportunity to compare a 2 meter Kimber Kable silver balanced IC to a 1 meter KLE Innovations gZero3  single ended IC on a very  nice Ayre/Magic system.

The gZero3 sounded better with respect to clarity, dynamics, bass extension, bass control,  Imaging and neutrality. They were also free of any colouration.

Not only did it surprise me, it surprised the owner of the system.

Just another person's observation 😊

But it made me change my view of single ended cables, which is all I use now.

BTW, KLE Innovations only make Single ended cables because they believe them to be superior for shorter cables.

Just another opinion.
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