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Do IC and Power Cables Really Make a Difference?

If you had asked me a few months ago I would have said either "very little" or "not really" not from experience but from a generally cynical attitude regarding all the hype that often infects this hobby. However, I have come to a new opinion based upon my recent experiences with cable substitution that imparted such positive benefits that I had to share.

My system includes:

VPI Scout/JMW9/Dyna 20XH
Rotel RCD-971
Audio Research SP16
Audio Research 100.2
Harbeth Compact 7ES

I've had the system wired for several years as follows:

VPI Cable from the Scout to the SP16
Wireworld Eclipse from the SP16 to the 100.2
Wireworld Equinox III from the Rotel to the SP16
Naim NACA5 from the 100.2 to the Harbeth's
Stock Powercords for the SP16 and 100.2

And achieved very good results. However, after reading numerous posts extolling the virtues of Audience cables I decided to outfit the whole rig (except the VPI cable which I had custom made) with Audience wire. I began by replacing the IC's between amp and pre (Au24) and CD and pre (Conductor) and the speaker wires (Au24). I fired everything up and heard VERY slight differences in the sound--some of which I figured were in my head! As I listened further I began to feel that the new cables were slightly more musical, coherent and tonally correct than the previous set up. This was not a huge difference, rather very subtle. I doubt the casual listener would have heard it and I'm not even sure that I would have been able to tell the difference with a blind test. I attribute the small degree of change to the fact that the Wireworld cables were very good to begin with and that the Naim wire was no real slouch despite their inexpensive price tag. After about a month I took the next step of replacing the stock power cords with Audience Powercords. Holy Crap!! The system was markedly improved. The music emerges from a dead silent (blackness). Dynamics and speed are enhanced. Pace and timing are improved. Transparancy increased. This was not a minor change but rather a mindblowing one--akin to upgrading from an inexpensive integrated amp to full blown high end separates. And remember--I came into this very skeptical and fearful that I would be wasting my money. Bottom line: the Audience products and very good indeed and seem designed to work synergistically (in other words I don't think I enjoyed the full benefits of the IC's until I also put the powercords into the system). The powercords in particular were transformative. I don't know why or how they improve the sound but if you are on the fence about making the investment in aftermarket cords, are skeptical of their value or are looking for another excuse to upgrade your system (like you really need another excuse!) I cannot recommend these cables more highly. My system, which sounded good before, has reached another level altogether. I am particularly pleased with the additional openness, naturalness and dynamics that the cables provide. I just wish I had seen the light earlier.
128x128dodgealum
vman71
218 posts
 
Mitch,

I quickly looked over your system to include your listening environment. Your environment and system will allow for audible improvements to be heard more than my environment and system. If I can quote from your system thread -

"After 90 hours or so I realize that my Hales are in a completely different league than they used to be. They are now a much better cleaner bigger sounding speaker.The sound is so clean that I can play music loud without getting fatigued. At low levels the sound is bigger sounding than it was before at the same volume. The sound stage is wider from side to side and from front to back. What comes to mind is "like a tricycle to a Harley"
The vocals have opened up in such a way as voices take on a much larger space in my room being more realistic sounding. The bass is deeper and more pronounced without boominess. The highs are sweet and the midrange is smooth. This is only after 90 hours. It will improve more over time. I can only imagine but I will hear in time what the final results will be. I've heard horror stories of peoples faillures with crossover mods so I consider myself very lucky to have done it with good results.

With a little over 300 hours on my speakers with the crossover mods the sound is really beginning to open up. The sound is also becoming sweeter and sweeter.Ic do not regret modding the crossovers. I have a much better speaker in return."

What you describe is exactly what I heard from upgrading my speaker crossover networks. I would add that the cost, at least for me since I do all my own work, was a very small fraction of just a single pair of IC's. Also important to note is that upgrading the capacitors and resistors doesn't impact system synergy. Some people prefer certain cabling to use with certain equipment. Caps and resistors don't care, they just improve the sonics.

Price/Performance is clearly in favor of upgrading the electronics vs. the cabling. The cabling does improve things, I agree, but dollar-for-dollar the simple swapping of capacitors and resistors is a winner.

I'm now in the process of upgrading all the capacitors in my EAD CD-1000 mkIII and can't wait to hear the results.
mitchb's avatar
mitchb
336 posts
 
As much as the speaker crossover mods wowed me so did the cable upgrades. The main difference is that I upgraded the cables in steps being impressed each time. If you were able to mod your speakers at a reasonable cost then that's a really good thing, better than cables, as the cables can be quite costly. Price to performance ratio you are definately right. Enen at the cost of having a tech do my ctossovers and even though I got relatively expensive parts it was still less than the price of one cable.
reggy
56 posts
 
@TVAD @dodgealum 

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audience-next-generation-powerchord-models-the-new-au24-sx-...
The powerChord SE-I is available at $915 suggested retail 
Au24 SE-i powerChord has a suggested retail price of $2,560
The powerChord Au24 SX MP 13 AWG medium-power version powerChord  is available at $3,500 suggested retail 
The 6-foot Au24SX 10 AWG powerChord carries a suggested retail price of $4,600

Let me guess you tried the base version and noticed a huge difference in the quality and then bought the most expensive one costing you $4600 and noticed a HUGER difference. 

The engineering and costs that goes into making and building these cables far surpasses the audible differences in sound quality you could ever hear. It's all snake oil salesman after that, and someone is clearly f*CKED to want to spend a whopping 5 grand on an "Audiophile" power cord (you didn't right?).

Without a double blind test your mind tricked you into it sounding better, dozen of examples on that you can find in published experiments it's called expectation bias. The mind and expectation bias is a very powerful and malleable thing, until you claim to do a double blind test, I don't believe anyone including yourself could tell the difference between a well constructed non-defective generic power cord that costs less than $30 and one of the Audience power chords, nor should anyone else for the respect to their wallet let alone sanity.
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prof
3,480 posts
 
spent an additional $9000 on just interconnects


Whew!

Far be it from me to say you shouldn't spend money on what makes you happy.

But when I read such things I'm very glad high end cables are not part of my audio obsession.  I look at $9,000 spent on interconnects and just think of all the other things I could buy instead.  It's expensive enough just getting the speakers I like! 


People here often ask "why bother asking skeptical questions about whether high end cables are worth the money?  If you like them, just buy them; it's your money!"

That's obviously true on one level.  I wouldn't want anyone dictating what I spend my money on.  


But being informed that some claims are sketchy, or at least controversial, and why, is a way of being a more informed consumer.


And, personally, if I was considering whether my 9 grand was well spent, and it may be the case that my 9 grand was not going to in fact get any better performance over a vastly less expensive set of cables, then that's something I'd really want to know, so I can save that money and put it to use elsewhere.

I would think most people actually feel the same way.  It's just that most people in this cables forum of course feel that the cables they are buying are making that sonic difference, and that it's worth it to them.  But if they had good evidence the cables didn't make the sonic difference they believed, I'd think most people here would save their money.  


Personally I was helped out long ago by listening to both sides of the cable debates, and it helped push me to further test my own impressions.   I almost bought a $2,500 AC cable, sure that it had transformed the sound of my system.  But then I went on to test it blinded against a good quality $15 AC cable and could detect no reliable difference at all.  I was glad to save that money! 


That's why I think the discussion as to whether high end cable manufacturers claims are valid is always a worthwhile discussion. Of course some will always land on the side of their subjective impressions, but others, upon being informed by such debates may decide the evidence isn't strong enough to put their money into high end cabling and be happy with the savings.





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