DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?

@prof If a blind/double test can’t reveal obvious benefits of vastly more expensive cables then it’s like throwing money at the moon. It may make you feel feel reassured by quietening the audio paranoia symptoms induced by clever marketing and pseudo science but hugely cost ineffective in real world sonic terms.

On the other hand if Henry Miller was selling the cables, I’m in, regardless of which tropic we were currently in or the colour of Spring. Hey, he could even call them Sexus, Nexus and Plexus. Yes, Henry Miller Cables - always merry and bright.

The only problem I have with double blind tests is that the same ineptitude oft involved in sighted tests can potentially be found in double blind tests.

Not to mention it’s the double blind test someone somewhere will do sometime in the future, not a double blind test they did or will do. Heaven forbid they lift a finger. It’s the old walkers vs talkers type situation.

Not to mention negative results of double blinds tests signify nothing. You, know, because of all the things that can go awry.

Not to mention the old audiophile axiom - “It’s what they choose to believe.”

Case solved.

+1 cd318! You are about the only one to get 
my reference to Henry Miller! Sad that in our Internet Age hardly anybody reads him anymore! A unique voice in American fiction!

geoffkait,

Not to mention negative results of double blinds tests signify nothing.

Sure geoff.
That's why if you come to the FDA proposing to sell a new drug treatment, and your blinded clinical trial results were all negative for showing efficacy, the FDA won't think twice about approving your drug.

Negative results of blind trials have no significance.  Nope.

Yeesh.

Just one more " vote" for newbies trying to sort  it out, I know I won't change any minds for the vast majority. My background :  EE degree, serious acoustic musician, well versed on subtle tonal nuances, very knowledgable about testing, stats, and multiple forms of bias and outcome incentive.  Audiophile with much electronic hands on experience. Open to the fun of tinkering testing tweaking etc. Have tried many cables for fun.

No, cables if solid basic design and constructiion are highly unlikely to make an audible difference in any audio sysytem unless adding a filtering component.  Ears like taste buds are highly influenced by expectation. At least wine snobs will do double blind tests and have a good laugh at unexpected results. And of course variations in wine chemistry really DO affect taste and smell, well in accordance with well defined laws of physics biology and chemistry.  Audio cables of good basic design would necessitate violations of well established physics to make the differences discussed, which while not inconceivable, puts huge burden of proof i.e. hign degree of unbiased repeatability to be taken seriously. And THEN and only then a search for the exciting new laws of physics would begin.  Scence denial is not a serious problem in enjoying a hobby.  It IS a serious problem in many other aspects of life, health and ecology so it might be a shame if cable silliness is a gateway drug  to "science is fake".
Just my take for newbies and the "still questioning" few.
I do sometimes choose to exploit tne very real Placebo effect in on health with a few dollars of a supplement with a hint of scientific underpinning, if there is very low likelihood of harm. (Immunology, psychology, microbiome etc. hugely complex systems with MUCH unresolved science, unlike 0-mhz electronic signal transmission)  Obviously we all choose what amount to spend on audio placebo. But some of us will chose to challenge the science deniers in part because "I can say anything I want and shout you down to make a buck" isn't working out so well. 
OK off to practice mandolin. Anyone want to discuss if a $30 pick is "worth it"  vs. a .35  one?
  ;  )