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.
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It is with mixed emotions I interject into a nice scientific cable discussion the observation that -all things being equal - a white jacketed cable or power cord whatever will sound better than one with another color jacket. As the little mice in the movie say, that’s the way things are! OK, bickering may continue.
He also said that two cables with the same "RLC" measurements could have completely different sound.
DOH! That is no surprise.

There innumerable ways to lumped L, C & R parameters. The signal responds to an infinite series of µL µC & µR. GEOMETRY is every bit as important.

Mr Kait, don't forget to mention ink color and font.
the word ’lumped’ is the dead giveaway.....

as an aside just for the sheer annoyance factor of the easily excited on the buzzword front... molecular/atomic level fluids like the room temperature fluid metal alloys in Teo cables, are technically and in definition...to fall under quantum rules...and charged ionic systems like that of plasma (tubes) are considered to be classical.

This means.. the true fluid metal alloy in the Teo cables, while under signal loading... is constantly switching or sliding between being quantum and classical, with a indeterminate Schrodinger-like complexity, due to the high mass and atom to atom (electron orbital to electron orbital) ..where the loading is a radically discontinuous variable due to the high mass. The math is insane and very incomplete at this time in physics.

Ouch.

The tube kinda does the same but is mostly a stressed/loaded system while in-situ, so just about 100% classical, as it is, in operation, never really going to zero. One would think that the liquid metal cable is thus the same but the high mass vs that of the tube’s low mass constitution, makes the quantum connection in the metal fluid - considerably more real.

Importantly, none of this takes place with wire as the wire is in a frozen lattice form. In truth..some of it is still there but of such a minor dangling part, that it is not really ever included in any of the calculations - no point. Under certain stress and loading conditions it can be made to come to the fore, though.

It might be considered that the frozen lattice form of the structure of the ’wire’, gives rise to complex impedance, as we know it, as a set of lumped parameters. LCR is a lumped parameter, and that L, C, and R are each lumped parameters all on their own - when in full analysis.

Those lumped parameters, the LCR and the individual lumped L, C, and R, are for engineering or building. One has to go back to the theory as it is all theory when seeking solutions to complex layered problems. That is....if we can recognize the problem in the first place.

If one wishes to analyze problems in interpretation and projection into solution seeking or problems in observation vs measurement, then one should consider going down to those basics and analyze at the fundamental physics level. Otherwise one might find themselves going in circles, or arguing without understanding the actual questions at hand...
There innumerable ways to lumped L, C & R parameters. The signal responds to an infinite series of µL µC & µR. GEOMETRY is every bit as important.

"Lumped parameter" is an approximation.  The actual (at least as far as one can approximate) condition is distributed.  One can go deeper and deeper into the reality to find final truth.  
"Lumped parameter" is an approximation. The actual (at least as far as one can approximate) condition is distributed. One must go deeper and deeper into the reality to find final truth.

Just sayin' eh....