Cable comparison charts?


I see 18 interconnect  Audioquest cables, I see 8 different IC Cardas cables.  Are there any charts showing the differences between the cables without going through each spec sheet one by one?  Am I missing something or are they making it hard on purpose?

Thanks 
Dale
daleberlin
@daleberlin I wish you luck in your pursuit of the perfect cables for your system. I don't think your post was stupid or uninformed, there's a staggering number of options available and it can be daunting. 

  1. Most will agree that specs don't begin to tell you how a cable will sound in your system. 
  2. Most will agree that any given cable can sound great in one system, and not so great in another. 
  3. Most will agree that the price paid for a cable doesn't directly reflect the sound quality you will enjoy.
  4. I believe it be conventional wisdom that a more revealing system will exploit the differences of cables more so than in modest systems. 
  5. And finally I think most folks can agree that you will most likely have to try different cables to see what works best for you. 
So yeah it can be fun or aggravating, however you look at it. That said I can see the value of a spreadsheet that lists commonly available cables. Perhaps listing price, conductor material, insulation/dielectric, connectors used ,basic electrical characteristics and ideally consumer ratings on key audio metrics. Maybe a pivot table that would allow you to bring up results for cables in a certain price range, that have a specific conductor and insulation properties that you're looking for.

From there research those results a bit more and arrange for some home demos? 

Again....good luck and stay safe!


The number before last of The Absolute Sound features an extensive though far from comprehensive listing cables and models, with a few specs of each and every one of them.
mammothguy54,
Thank you sir, I appreciate that. 

And if I may....for cables that you are very interested in but can't find an avenue for home demo, try the used markets. You can find just about anything you may be interested in relatively cheap and you can always resell for little to no loss if it doesn't work out. 

I learned that one on this forum years ago and it paid off on my purchase of Acoustic Zen Hollogram II speaker cables that were basically new, but half off list. 
treynolds155, thank you for the good information.  I presently have all that I need but who knows what the future may require.  I have been exclusively using Audioquest products since 1990 and presently penetrate well up into their line for all signal, speaker, and power cables (Earth for signal, William Tell ZERO for speaker, and Tornado for power).  I personally find their methods of R&D, metalergy, application of materials, and manufacturing process to be superb and meet all of my needs.  But I do have an open mind, and especially for a great price it's always fun to try other products, too.  I will keep in mind what you mentioned.
Be safe and healthy.