Cable Controversy


I love the cable forum. Discussions about cable can really generate sparks among the mature audiophiles. Regarding cable design: Other than the basics of resistance, impedance, and conductance, it seems that there is very little firm ground upon which one can form convincing conclusions. Witness the bewildering array of cable designs, incoporating network boxes, magnets, biased shields, liquid conductors, solid core, braided strands, exotic metals, air dialectrics, to name but a few. In contrast: Regarding balanced cables, at least one experienced poster and equipment designer has stated here that all balanced cables perform identically, once a few basic design parameters are met.  I ask for the voices of experience and sanity to offer their theories and experience on the topic of cable design and performance. Thanks in advance.
psag
@cleeds, maybe I didn't explain myself well enough. I wouldn't be surprised if manufacturers used blind testing within their own company to test out their products amongst other companies. I meant that they wouldn't want US to do it.
@devilboy  If you are advocating a double blind cable test of, let's say interconnects in YOUR system where you, the listener get to judge what sounds best to you in your system and setting, then I am all in with ya.  As many people have been quick to note here, the sound a cable brings to a system depends on that system.  I would love to have someone like The Cable Company bring a half dozen interconnects and speaker cables of the same length but of varying designs and costs to do such a test on my system to see what sounds best on it.  If only...

"As many people have been quick to note here, the sound a cable brings to a system depends on that system."

Has certainly been said here many times, and accepted by many as dogma.  Personally, I'd prefer not to think of cables as 'flavors' or tone controls, to be used to balance out a system. Rather, I evaluate cables for their inherent 'quality' (for lack of a better word). Another way to look at it is that a well designed and executed (high quality) cable loom will sound great in any neutral, high quality setup.
Agree with hifiman5, disagree with psag.  I believe cables ARE tone controls...without question. 
Everyone's perception of what "sounds good" is different.

 Let's say someone prefers a certain flavor of sound. Cable A might take them further away from that flavor, while cable B may bring their system closer to it. All components have their own flavor as well. They're like ingredients in a recipe. Certain ingredients work well together, some don't. Depends what you want it to taste like. Also, too much of one ingredient can ruin the meal...just like cables.
I have one friend who has two different model pairs of interconnects. The ones going to his preamp are five times as expensive as the ones going to his amp. Why? Because while the first pair has tremendous air but is slightly thinner in bass, the second pair brings that needed bass to the signal. (there's more to it than that but I'm just trying to make this long, borring post shorter, lol).

 There is no right and wrong, just right and wrong TO THAT PERSON, IN THEIR SYSTEM.  


Cabling is not necessarily tone controls, more like, filters.
As in filtering out specific information, filtering in specific information.