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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
stargazer3's avatar
stargazer3
135 posts
 
I think real expensive cable is aimed at a market where the buyer is not fussed about price. If a buyer purchases a high end expensive equipment which is lets say equivalent on cost to a luxury sports car it would be psychologically correct to buy equivalent high end cable/wire/interconnect; even if the sound of that component is no different to a cable costing four times less.  The more cynically minded view the whole business of HiFi as a psychological ploy, some even consider the issue of burning in new components such as speakers or amplifiers or whatever as complete psychological nonsense.  Their argument is usually based on hard evidence (or some would say science) and claim that the reviewer who had to burn in a speaker lets say for 40 hours thinks he (or her) is hearing the difference in sound and in reality it is his (or her) ears is simply acclamitising to the particular sound of that speaker...!
willemj
1,036 posts
 
In fact, it is more than that: demand for them goes up, the higher the price, perhaps precisely because of the high price. They are what is called Veblen goods, with a positive price elasticity of demand.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 

willemj
In fact, it is more than that: demand for them goes up, the higher the price, perhaps precisely because of the high price. They are what is called Veblen goods, with a positive price elasticity of demand.

>>>>Whoa! That’s funny! What came first, the chicken or the egg? 🐓 Of course the obvious problem with such a far-fetched conspiratorial theory of economics - that higher and higher prices increase demand further - is that very high priced cables actually do not (rpt not) sell that well compared to reasonably priced cables. Which makes sense given the percentage of extremely well-heeled audiophiles 👞 in the general population of audiophiles. It’s reasonably priced cables that sell the best - by far. Do the math.

Look, would you rather sell 10 cables at $5,000 a pair or 500 cables at only $500 a pair? Answer at 11. By the way, that same conspiratorial theory of economics that willemj supports is what forced so many high end companies to go out of business in the economic environment that we got after the system collapsed in 2008, produced by banks and a housing market in general that was convinced higher and higher prices meant economic success and security for everybody. Hel-loo!

Note to self: All this ruckus over high priced audiophile cables is starting to sound a lot like sour grapes. 🍇
willemj
1,036 posts
 
Geoff, you are producing just noise. You obviously need a first year undergraduate course in economics. And mind you, pricing stuff this way is not what I advocate - on the contrary. I only gave the mainstream academic description. Additionally, none of this has anythng to do with the craze in the US housing market and near collapse of the financial system. Just go to the library and read a book on such matters.
By the way, once again we witness the argument that those who object to wasting their money are just jealous they cannot afford these tweaks. Apart from the fact that I happen to know that this is not the case for a number of your most vocal critics, it is also a pretty crude example of bad taste. So please restrain your outbursts.
clearthink
1,421 posts
 
"geoffkaitAll this ruckus over high priced audiophile cables is starting to sound a lot like sour grapes"
If by sour grapes you mean envy/jealousy then of course you are correct that has been quite obvious from the numerous postings here about cable prices for quite some time and I have pointed this out previously. It is an understandable matter because of course if among you're primary concerns is meeting the needs of basic life such as housing and food then the value offered by improved performance in your Music Reproduction System is of lesser overall value to you because of these other needs. On the other hand if these basic needs are securely met and not of primary concern then even marginal improvements in your Music Reproduction System will be worthwhile because the actual cost of obtaining the improvement does not come at the price of limiting your ability to meet your other basic needs. This is why those who oppose such things as superior cables almost always lack first hand experience with them because they can't afford them and no dealer will loan them a set because the dealer knows they are not a customer and cannot afford them. It is also why those who oppose superior cables find it so frequently necessary to insult those who choose them by saying they are deluded or snake oil suckers or suffering confirmation bias or are scientifically illiterate because they need to do this to feel comfortable with their lot in life. It is very much a matter of their simple inability to even imagine living a life where for example a $10,000 speaker cable could be in the overall budget of an audiophile a fairly trivial expense and whenever I point this out I am subject to complaints here but that is the cost sometimes of telling the truth in a public forum.

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