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Who thinks $5K speaker cable really better than generic 14AWG cable?

I recently ordered high end speaker, power amp, and preamp to be installed in couple more weeks. So the next search are interconnect and speaker cable. After challenging the dealer and 3 of my so called audiophile friends, I think the only reason I would buy expensive cable is for its appearance to match with the high end gears but not for sound performance. I personally found out that $5K cable vs $10 cable are no difference, at least not to our ears. Prior to this, I was totally believe that cable makes a difference but not after this and reading few articles online.

Here is how I found out.

After the purchase of my system, I went to another dealer to ask for cable opinion (because the original dealer doesn't carry the brand I want) and once I told him my gears, he suggested me the high end expensive cable ranging from $5 - 10K pair, depending on length. He also suggested the minimum length must be 8-12ft. If longer than 12ft, I should upgrade to even more expensive series. So I challenged him that if he can show me the difference, I would purchase all 7 AQ Redwood cables from him.

It's a blind test and I would connect 3 different cables - 1 is the Audioquest Redwood, 1 is Cardas Audio Clear, and 1 my own generic 14AWG about 7ft. Same gears, same source, same song..... he started saying the first cable sound much better, wide, deep, bla...bla...bla......and second is decently good...bla...bla...bla.. and the last one sounded crappy and bla...bla...bla... BUT THE REALITY, I NEVER CHANGED THE CABLE, its the same 14AWG cable. I didn't disclosed and move on to second test. I told him I connected audioquest redwood but actually 14AWG and he started to praise the sound quality and next one I am connected the 14awg but actually is Redwood and he started to give negative comment. WOW!!!! Just blew me right off.

I did the same test with 3 of my audiophile friends and they all have difference inputs but no one really got it right. Especially the part where I use same generic 14awg cable and they all start to give different feedback!!!

SO WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? OR I AM THE LAST PERSON TO FIND OUT THAT EXPENSIVE CABLE JUST A RIP OFF?
sautan904
dynaquest4's avatar
dynaquest4
445 posts
 
Exactly!  People who complain about these type threads can easily enough just "opt out" and unfollow any particular discussion.  But they don't.  They just complain, I suspect, just to demonstrate how "above this" they are.  Funny.
rbstehno
1,434 posts
 
I'm guessing this is a bogus entry. If this was really true, why would somebody buy Wilson speakers that use fairly pricey wire inside of each speaker instead of ordering a special pair of wilsons with 14ga zip cord in them to save a buck?
i have always heard differences between cables: interconnects, speaker, USB, and es[ecially power cables. Not saying that more expensive cables are always better, but there is a difference.
i normally bring home multiple pairs of whatever cables I'm looking at and do my own shootout, and when I finish, I bring in my wife to get her opinion. She can also hear a difference between cables. I'm the last person who would buy a $10k cable to get 5% better quality.
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knownothing
1,579 posts
 
Dynaquest4

Thanks for your reply, similarly busy.  I first started experimenting with cables in a serious way over 10 years ago in an attempt to improve a crappy system with out changing any of the boxes that I wanted to like.  We are not talking high end wires here, and a lot of it was home brew, but right off the bat I heard differences.  These wire related differences were not always for the better, and some cables just highlighted deficiencies in some element of the electronics they were connecting.

Fast forward to today and I now have a purpose designed and built listening room with its own dedicated power line, so a lot of factors are controlled.  In my decidedly midfi system I find wire differences to be on par with changing out DACs, with descending effect of PCs, SCs, analog ICs then digital ICs, but all show noticeable changes to my ears in my system.

I am a trained scientist, but in earth sciences, not electrical engineering. In my immediate family I have two electrical emgineers working in bleeding edge aerospace and two mechanical engineers. All either musicians and/or audiophiles.  Of the four engineers, one of the mechanical engineers is a complete wire skeptic.  The others are more willing to accept that there are attributes of materials, design and application that can result in better perceived performance that is difficult to measure with typically available measurement equipment.  Perhaps derived from designing electronic guidance systems to operate to spec in dirty emf environments, dunno cause they don't talk about it.

I think there are two areas where measurement and specs may not relate to real world experience with hifi cables.  1) things we hear like tone, soundstage and "speed" may be hard to measure, and 2) wire specifications and performance may not be conservative in dirty complicated applications behind your gear.

Bottom line, you either hear a difference or you don't, and if you don't, you have more $$ left for source material.
dynaquest4's avatar
dynaquest4
445 posts
 
Thanks for the reply, kn.  Absolutely concur that if you cannot hear/perceive a positive difference, money is better spent elsewhere.

Best, Bill
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
KN, possibly the best post in any of these threads where folks come on and spout science and feel they are right and the rest are wrong.  Thanks for sharing.  
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