DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?

You forgot to add, “But I have nothing cogent or thoughtful to say, myself.”

There you go, again. 

Cables do matter. Don't fall for the pickled red herring of red herrings that once some old, run of the mill cable is used to record something that a better made cable can't be any better at retrieving more info. That you can't get any more out of it with a better cable presupposes that something happened to the info when recorded, using the older cable.

About 100% of the signal is/was passed by the older cable (unless you're running 50' of speaker cable or 150' of interconnects)) only to be masked by it's inferior design during recording and playback using the same cable. It didn't eat it, or absorb it, so where did the signal go? Does the older cable look like a boa digesting a goat?

The music residing in that recording is there even if it came across on some run of the mill Belden cable. The better cable will reveal more of it. And it doesn't need to be expensive. Just take a look at what one ex Belden engineer designed over at Cabledyne (their entry level speaker cable). I, myself, use Tempo Electric speaker cables and the only real cost is in the silver used and the gauge necessary to get what I like out of it, and it's as simple a cable as one can get.

And, if you get that lower noise floor, freeing up more info to make it more enjoyable and realistic, that minute amount is across the board in any and all ways you chose to look at it adding up to a bigger and more satisfying amount of appreciation in what you hear.

You guys who say otherwise need a better argument.

All the best,
Nonoise

nonoise,

Thanks, but I found your post fairly confusing, not sure exactly what you wanted to argue. Because it seemed at some points you acknowledged that standard cable used for the recording transmitted 100% of the signal...and then at another point seemingly leaped to the idea you want a "better cable" to transmit that same information in your stereo system.

The way you got there didn’t make sense.

So, as you said:

The music residing in that recording is there even if it came across on some run of the mill Belden cable.

Right. The incredible sound of many recordings that blow audiophiles away was easily transmitted via run of the mill cables.

The better cable will reveal more of it.

Wait...how can using a "better cable" in your stereo system "reveal more" than what is on the source (which was captured by, for sake of argument, standard Belden cables)?  That seems impossible.  You can't reveal "more" of what wasn't there; the only thing there to "reveal" is what was transmitted by the original, basic recording/mastering cables.

Can you clarify your argument for me?

Thanks.

Prof,

I already addressed your concerns it in my statement and it wasn't confusing unless it's another game afoot. 

There are better made cables that allow more info to come forth. You've said as much earlier when you admitted that a minute amount improvement can't account for the big increases that some say they hear and appreciate. I say they do.

The signal measured shows everything to be okay but it doesn't take into account what is smeared or messed with by a lesser cable. They are tone controls after all but some do less damage than others. They may measure similar but can sound quite different. 

The smeared or compromised sound is not what's getting through in the final recording. It's what being heard while it happens. And it's repeatable until a better cable is used. Then, one can hear and appreciate the difference.


All the best,
Nonoise