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The Science of Cables

It seems to me that there is too little scientific, objective evidence for why cables sound the way they do. When I see discussions on cables, physical attributes are discussed; things like shielding, gauge, material, geometry, etc. and rarely are things like resistance, impedance, inductance, capacitance, etc. Why is this? Why aren’t cables discussed in terms of physical measurements very often?

Seems to me like that would increase the customer base. I know several “objectivist” that won’t accept any of your claims unless you have measurements and blind tests. If there were measurements that correlated to what you hear, I think more people would be interested in cables. 

I know cables are often system dependent but there are still many generalizations that can be made.
128x128mkgus
jhills
618 posts
 
+1vwfan
Well said....Jim

maplegrovemusic's avatar
maplegrovemusic
1,113 posts
 
+2vfwfan53 . I have tried many cables and have always come back to my Mogami . Just a well balanced wire all around . It works well with my King Sound King stats , it has underperformed with other speakers though . Some dull sounding speakers sounded , well dull using the Mogami and wires that boosted highs worked better in those cases .
joshfilm
70 posts
 
What is the audio equivalent of adjusting “contrast” (like in a photo / image editor)? When I have rejected a lot of cables and power conditioners  (very expensive ones included) it is because I find them artificially boosting what I can only describe as “contrast”. Like in photography, boosting contrast can makes images look better (sharper, clearer, punchier, etc...), but kinda just for an instant. Over the long term, you kinda lose interest in the artificial boost and just want your images (or music) to look (sound) natural. In a sense I find a lot of cables trying to sell themselves on a sonic gimmick of sorts. That said when you find the right cable it can sound so “natural”, “balanced”, “uncolored”, “organic”, etc...

partly i I ask this question and make this comment because I don’t feel I hear a vocabulary around the “sound” of cables that corresponds to my experience. I do agree with the previous comment re: modern tone control... I have noticed that too. But more so in the negative... I find many deficient cables lacking in a proper tonal balance and the most synergistic cables pretty balanced across the spectrum, perhaps with a bit of extra weight in the mid-bass that seems to be my personal preference (or tolerance for a lack of perfect balance.)
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michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio
1,019 posts
 

Hi vwfan53

Remember when HEA went discrete only giving the listener a volume control to adjust lol? We all looked at each other and said "what are these guys thinking". It was like a big joke at first until we realized these goofballs were serious.

I think more than anything, going to a volume control only was what started the writing on the wall for the end of HEA. And they made this horrible move with such arrogance. So weird to walk into a studio with all the adjustments then walk into a HEA store and there were none. Think about the insanity of HEA plug & play. Instead of making an adjustment these guys would change out a component. They made a hobby out of component swapping. I’m still amazed at the few who still are stuck in that mode, and stuck in that mode standing on mounds of ashes.

What a sales job!

Like I’ve been saying along with those who are sane, DSP, Equalizing or Physical. Only three ways this thing is going to work or ever did work.

Thank you vwfan53 for posting your post.

mg


BTW I should add to be clear, I don't use an Eq and I don't use DSP. I use variable Acoustical, Mechanical and Electrical adjusting tools, a purist approach.

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