Totem Forest Signature v. Joseph Audio Profile

Hi Prof1 - I've read your posts with considerable attention and appreciation for your thoughtful and detailed observations. They have added to my awareness and deepened my experience of listening to the music I love. While I certainly agree with you about the major importance of speaker placement I ha e found that cables do make some measure of difference. Prior to purchasing some (alas) pricey cables I was employing a "one off" and much less expensive set in my system hoping to save a little cash. Unfortunately they added some sense of shrill (too strong a word, I don't have your gift for audio language) to my experience. That went away immediately with the purchase of the more costly brand named set. They did not need burn-in time to hear the difference. I do agree with you that the "200 hrs" recommendation is something of a self serving con by the manufacturers and sales people. Just wanted to add this comment to the discussion. I think I will get a friend to help me with a "blind" A-B test to check out my impression more thoroughly though. With great and continuing respect I will look forward to your future posts. Best wishes, Tom

Ok. As per my most recent post I just finished up a blind A-B test with the two sets of cables I own. I recruited a friend to switch them in and out while I was out of the room. He covered them with a light cloth and called me back in. We played some Keith Jarrett Trio lps and cds plus some wonderful Bobby Watson (jazz sax) discs, the latest (2018) version of The Beatles White Album, a terrific 200 gram lp of Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" and assorted other tracks. It was immediately apparent which speaker cable was which. The cables were the Cardas Clear Cygnus vs a one-off label that touted itself as a "silver reference." The treble was more edgy and the whole presentation was less focused with the one-off. With the Cardas the sound was more smooth/less fatiguing. Plus the music tended to emerge out a black background. Clearly there was a far greater sense of depth and sound stage with the Cardas. My friend tried to trick me multiple times by leaving the cables un-changed from one trial to the next as well as switching them up. The process did take a little time and cost me a six-pack of good micro-brew IPA but was worth it. We did adjust the speaker placement, too, to see what changes that wrought. Prof1 and countless others are right about the importance of room  placement. I note that the two times I've been to audio shows and saw how fussy Jeff Joseph was about placement has long caught my attention. Just thought I'd pass this along. I must add that I greatly value Prof1's detailed and thoughtful critiques as they have helped raise my consciousness about how music sounds through different transducers. It's just that to my ears thru my Joseph Profiles I could readily detect the difference between the two cables I own. 

If you can’t hear differences in cables then you might as well not bother with high end gear.  Consider yourself blessed and enjoy the angst free savings you will reap.  If you can hear the difference, Lord help you!