The Intellectual People Podcast - Galen Gareis (Former Belden Wire Designer)

Thank you, thyname and boxer12.

Yes, an arbitrary threshold and methodology (testing/comparing only 1 cable/pair) that favors not spending money is nearly assured to yield an outcome that is more likely to be 1. more difficult to discern, and , 2. more likely to be deemed not significant enough.

And skeptics like to talk about me having bias! The level of cynicism of some of these people is off the chart!

What other component is so despised, so disdained that audiophiles completely ignore the recommendations of the manufacturer for use, in fact, eagerly (and often arrogantly) do the opposite? The answers usually given are skepticism/distrust, "thriftiness", and pure ego that they think they can make or assemble a better set. It would kill some of these people to think that they would have to spend money on an entire set, when they can apply their incredibly shrewd power of guessing to assemble a premier collection of cheap, used cables!

The ignorance and arrogance expressed in the audiophile community is one of the reasons I have the adage; the greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.

I'm thinking of giving the Iconoclast cables a try between my preamp and monoblocks. I need approximately 25ft XLRs, so these won't be inexpensive (at least using 4x4 with UP-OCC) at $4250. I'm currently using Neotech NEI-3001 Mk III. At this price, I'd expect a fairly noticeable improvement. 

Anyone tried these cables (particularly a longer run) and decided against them?

Which manufacturer, I wonder, would not suggest using all of their components (or at least all they produce) in a single system?

Thinking, and using the huge available knowledge set available to us, as well as our own expertise is not cynicism, it is called critical thought. Most technically knowledgeable people in an area more skeptical of claims, and they are also more immune to confirmation bias. 


When I am looking to invest in mining stocks, I don't ask my dentist nor the guy who drives a truck at the mine. I talk to my friend who is a mining executive and another friend who is a geologist. Using a piece of equipment does not give you expertise. It is like asking someone who drives a car, whether a manufacturers claims of reduced emissions due to platinum/palladium alloys in the catalytic converter is true. Use of something does not confer expertise.