2. cables
  3. 190838-139277

Can hi-end cables benefit less expensive electronics?

Some time ago, there was a guy on a Polish hi-end forum claiming that in his case it was better to buy some hi-end power chord than investing in a more expensive CD player. Has anybody had an experience where they invested in an expensive cable and felt the investment justified without upgrading the unit utilising the cable? Overall, would there possibly be any point in buying some expensive cable to feed electronics nearly the cost of the cable itself? I'm currently using a KT88 amplifier with a Metronome CD8 (which is also used as DAC) plus Metronome DSS as the streamer (transport only). Speakers: Franco Serblin Accords. In my case, an upgrade in electronics would involve spending at least USD 15,000 to make it sensible. But I can also spend much less and buy a Transparent XL Digital cable to replace my DIY cable that I currently use, at a much smaller expense. Is a high-end digital cable in some cases able to make it a worthwhile investment in a setup which is not top hi-end? I can afford the Transparent XL digital cable, but not necessarily any upgrade to the electronics I own. Has anybody experienced an improvement with an expensive cable even if the rest of the system would rather call for a less expensive one? When I wrote to Transparent about it, they said I should get advice from my dealer. Cable naysayers please do not comment. Also I'm not looking for cheaper alternatives to the Transparent XL. Just fancying buying a cable that many people say is an excellent cable. Of course, I do not expect the same improvement with this cable as with a full DCS Vivaldi setup, but am I likely to get an improvement, considering that the system is balanced and nothing really bothers me in it? Or should I absolutely get a cheaper cable because the more expensive one is bound to make things worse? 

serblinfan
soix
9,455 posts
 

I think the new Corvette ZR1 is gonna have 1000hp.  Yikes.  I thought the Z06 was pretty sick as it is.  

1971gto455ho's avatar
1971gto455ho
471 posts
 

@fastfreight 

Hi guy, 

You’re right to some it did make a lot of noise but it was worth it. With the help of Butler Parts and my wallet that car noise and all was in the low 10’s in the quarter at 145+ miles an hour. It’s been a hobby as well as audio for years now. I don’t know what your twin turbo V6 did but the times I generated for a 4000 pound car I think it’s right up there. 
Cheers 

fastfreight
769 posts
 

Sweet.  Cheers!

mclinnguy's avatar
mclinnguy
427 posts
 

I don't know if it's related to the length of the exhaust with the mid/rear engine mount or an intentional change, but the new C8 Corvettes don't sound as good as previous generations.  They have a more supercar sound, but it's the "Walmart" version.  I have yet to hear one that I appreciated, but I'm sure when they are opened up they likely sound great.

They all sound the same. You put all that snake oil fancy fairy dust exhaust systems on there and you are a money wasting fool. 

vthokie83
832 posts
 

Serblinfan

Some great comments already, and I'll only add my experience. Better cables can absolutely improve SQ, but only if the component is capable of taking advantage of the better cable.

Better cables can also make a system's SQ worse, if they are very revealing and the components are below the quality level of the cable. Better cables color the sound less, and usually are more transparent and more revealing....they will not hide any warts so to speak.

However if you are on the "never ending" upgrade path (as I am), my system tends to "grow into" the better cables as I upgrade components. I however do not own extremely high end cables, those costing thousands of dollars.

In hind sight, I would have upgraded my digital cables first; they gave the largest upgrades in SQ. From there interconnects and speaker cables were about equal, and lastly power cables......however they all made noticeable improvements.

Also pay attention to what type of cable you are using for a specific application, and use that type of topology. For digital components, is your equipment optimized for USB? AES/EBU? I2S? For XLR/RCA are your components fully balanced, or am I using a longer cable run that XLR would better suit.

Some companies optimize for a specific connection, and that is usually the preferred type to use. Pay attention to the limitations of a certain topology. Most DACS/DDCs/streamers will publish their specs on a specific connection.

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