Are audiophiles still out of their minds?

Regarding the $24/foot in-wall power cabling, I would certainly envision that it might make a difference in many applications, to a greater or lesser degree depending on many variables. Including the length that is required; whether the incoming AC voltage at the particular location happens to be greater than or less than the voltage the particular components were designed to sound best at; the magnitude and spectral characteristics of whatever noise may be riding on that AC; whether the power amp is biased in class A or AB or D (which affects the extent to which the current it draws fluctuates with the dynamics of the music); the susceptibility of the components in the system to ground loop issues, which can also be dependent on how they are interconnected; and countless other variables involving the design of the particular components in the system.

However I also see no reason to rule out the possibility that depending on all of those variables the results that would be provided in many cases by the $24/foot wiring might be worse than ordinary Romex would provide, rather than better. Certainly from a subjective standpoint, at least.

Regards,
-- Al

Lest I compound the impression of being rich as Croesus 💰💰💰💰  I should not that for my most recent build out I did not use the JPS again but instead opted for the Synergistic Research cryo treated Romex at <$10/foot (I forget the actual price)

Do I think the JPS sounded better than the SR? No idea -- but the JPS was a bear to work with and given my use of other SR products I opted for the cheaper and lighter cable

One consideration on in-wall is that it has zero resale value ... unless you can demolish your construction, so cost of ownership is that much higher 

Almarg wrote,

"However I also see no reason to rule out the possibility that depending on all of those variables the results that would be provided in many cases by the $24/foot wiring might be worse than ordinary Romex would provide, rather than better. Certainly from a subjective standpoint, at least."

Hey, Al, correct me if I’m wrong but the whole point of thorough and conscientious testing is to eliminate all those persnickety variables you refer to, or at least as many as you can. Not all of the variables will be known, if that’s what you mean I agree! Hey, that would make an excellent topic, how many variables are there? The same way you would for tests of any cables, fuses, or any product.

The easiest (only) way to solve three simultaneous equations in four unknowns is get rid of one of the unknowns. - old audiophile expression

g. kait
m. dynamica

Hey, Al, correct me if I’m wrong but the whole point of thorough and conscientious testing is to eliminate all those persnickety variables you refer to, or at least as many as you can.

Well, of course, Geoff. Not sure what your point is, though, with respect to my comment about expensive in-wall wiring vs. Romex. Obviously not many of us are going to do A/B comparisons of those alternatives. And I see little if any reason to expect the findings of those few people who may do such comparisons to be applicable to other systems and installations, considering all of the variables I cited.

Regards,
-- Al

What troubles me more than any price that someone can sell something and the price for which someone is willing to pay for something, is the reality that there are two sets of rules in our current so-called, but in reality no longer, capitalist society. One set of rules is for those of us who may complain about prices from time to time, but by and large play by a set of rules that is fair. We call ’em as we see ’em and expect a fair deal and quality.

Then there’s the set of rules that I’ll bet none-to-very-few-of-us has access to. Who here can buy a credit default swap for 7 figures or higher and gain from someone else’s failure? Who here can sequester $Ms in off-shore tax-free havens? Who here is able to buy or sell equities on secondary markets with nanosecond transactions? I have to place a bid and then wait hours before it is denied or confirmed, all the while the market shifts and moves out of my purview.

Some are able to transact these things in an informed manner, or have agents who have access to such transaction capabilities, but they don’t care about the price of an audio cable or component and whether it is priced too high. And by the way I was raised, such second sets of rules accessible by some and not all is NOT free market capitalism and never will be.

So I don’t complain about the prices of audio gear; there are far more important fish to fry.