So What Is Real?
What is it that Art Linkletter used to say? Kids say the darndest things. Well, it seems some FB audio group administrators, audiophiles, high-end audio salespersons, audiophile society officials, and manufacturers also say things that make little or no sense when talking or posting about cables.
I usually steer clear of FB posts or online magazines that promote high-end audio cables. It's just never safe to present with science, established electrical engineering theory and practice, or objectiveness when cables are concerned. A recent exchange on a familiar FB audio group page resulted in a member calling me a "cable denier" because I advocated for science and physics in evaluating power cords.
The thread basically dismissed my comments because I'm a member of the professional audio engineering community. Audio equipment salespeople, FB administrators, high-end audio marketing managers, and the general audio buying public are claimed to be better and more reliable sources of information when it comes to recommending expensive accessories and cables. According to the gentleman below, they are capable of listening in ways that audio professionals can not.
One commenter wrote:
"Mark is a pro and speaks just like one, but he is not a professional LISTENER, like you (Writer's NOTE: the guy offering the ultra expensive power cords), I and so many others in the high-end industry. Interesting is that most so-called experts are also naysayers who work in the recording industry, not in the high-end industry."
What does this statement actually claim? That professional audio engineers and producers do not know how to listen? That spending one's professional life in front of speakers in a control room doesn't require listening?Maybe...just maybe...the engineers responsible for producing the recordings that are played back in these guys high-end systems are correct in their assessment of power cords and expensive USB/Ethernet cables. Image that!
Can you really trust a gentlemen that just launched a new cable company that offers a 6-foot power cord for $3150? Oh and this person also believes that cables are directional! BTW They are not.
Here's a couple of additional comments...
"Cables can make a difference. I’m glad I can hear those differences it truly enhances the experience. I have been a dedicated audiophile and in the industry for over 45 years and have been able to identify those differences since my first experience with Smog Lifters in the 70’s. I search for and usually discover great products that deserve special attention by people looking for the last bit of resolution and coherency. I’m truly sorry for those that wouldn’t hear the difference."
Here's a comment from an individual that swapped a normal Ethernet cable for an expensive one.
"...the Vodka seemed to remove a layer of film for superior textural reveal. There was also a shade more tonal depth and recording space ‘air’. Most noticeable of all was a further uptick in micro-dynamic jump."
I don't know about you but I cringe when I hear people talk about audio in such terms. And this after listening to a commercial album and then stopping, swapping the cable and relistening. It's unbelievable.
I could pull quotes from cable reviews all afternoon but I think you get the point. When anyone starts spewing nonsense about power cords, digital interconnects, or network cables, run away. Keep your wallet in your pocket and unsubscribe from that group or online magazine. Their motivations are suspect. They either want to sell you something (usually at very high cost) or are dependent on advertising dollars from the companies they write about or the individuals they interview.
"@mahlman For many here on Audiogon, we are just misguided and have far more money than sense it seems. With that said, why would you want to go and rain on our parade? LOL Klipsch....is not my standard nor benchmark. It may be for many and that’s cool. I am only slightly more interested in the wire Klipsch uses than the wire that Bose chooses to use. I would advise though that your anger and rage is not going to get better if you keep on doing what you’ve been doing, whatever that is. Peace. |
I want so much to agree with you. The good ones I’ve heard in my rig each have their own nuanced sound. My relatively limited (as compared to others here) experience is that a good cable can make sound come alive. As for what sounds ‘real‘, you know it when you hear it. Certain cables will sound very real, but in a more ‘beautiful’ way. I know that sounds unscientific. Certain DACs can lend that same elusive quality too. I find that the cable which sounds more beautiful to me produces a large three-dimensional sound and has that presence in the lower end, a big blooming midrange, with sparkling but not overcooked highs. One the other hand, i have a cable that is exciting, and definitely a bit tilted in the high frequencies. It sounds a a db louder at similar volume settings and the initial impression is more definition and resolution, which is not the case. This cable to me doesn’t have the same degree of true resolution overall and it can’t render tonal beauty to the same degree. So in a long winded way, I am sorry to say its not as easy as ‘all cables sound the same’. Take heart though, because you don’t have to spend a king’s ransom to get a great sounding interconnect and speaker cable, but you may have to save up the pocket money for several months 😬 |
On a not-so-related note.... here's our speakers for the '30's...*G* https://www.wired.com/video/watch/scientist-explains-how-to-levitate-objects-with-sound |
