Why Do Cables Matter?

Around and around we go… yes, no, maybe, count up see who won this time. 
 

Cheers 
 

Why spend money on a decent stereo if you won't buy decent cables?  Just buy a all in one system from Walmart.  Save money!

After you spend mucho dollars on cables, some jerk moved your chair, 5 inches to the left or right or back. Then you’re buying more cables what a laugh.

Hi All,

I am new to the forum, but learn a lot from all the postings. 
@robbydouglas2 , I too purchased MIT RCA ICs and speaker cables in the late 90’s for my 5.1 HT system. After we moved into our new house, my HT system was banished and most of the equipment is stored in the basement. I did have a need to use some MIT ICs for my kids’ college systems. One of them was DOA, and I couldn’t recall what those little boxes on the MIT cables were for? Was it hype, or was there a bona dude purpose?

i had forgotten about the MIT gear until I read your post 😉

The problem I have with the "water hose diameter requirement for the sprinkler" analogy is that the sprinkler company is specifying a requirement for their sprinkler to work properly. A requirement that they’ve tested. Kind of like "use high octane fuel" for a performance car (and why using it in a car that doesn’t call for it is a waste). Still not a great analogy because it doesn’t take into consideration other parameters like your initial water pressure but whatever...

To make the comparison to speakers, do speaker companies specify the engineering requirements of the cable to make their speakers work properly? And how can they do that for some cables when the cable manufacturer keeps their "sauce" secret?

Is there some cable spec that the speaker designer is engineering into their product so that the result is what the engineer is shooting for?

The Magnepan 1.7i manual just says it supports cables up to 10AWG. I know the Vandersteen manual is way more specific on what cables to use.

The wires INSIDE the components (whatever quality they are) are there based on the engineer’s choice (balancing performance, marketing, and cost) so that wire is in those components purposefully.

If the manual says use at least 12 AWG, that’s probably the right route to take. Are there any speaker manuals that call for "use only oxygen free copper" or "use Audio Quest cables for best results"? They would if there was a marketing partnership!

Personally, I fall on the "buy a thick cable that looks nice but other than that, it’s not going to matter much" camp. But if the manual for a speaker said "use X gauge" I probably would.