Harley quote

audio2design, thanks for your reply!

Are you taking the position that there is no discernible difference between cables, i.e. that if there is no measurable difference, then there Is no difference?

How many sets of cables have you handled? How many sets of cables have you compared in order to stake your claim?

You are suggesting the cable manufacturers are lying, "marketing". Correct? So, you give no credence to the suggestion that cable makers may know something about signal transmission? As if they do not design their individual products with such considerations in mind. I find that to be a simplistic argument. 

My point is that the argument is between measurements and perception of differences as heard by the listener. If you want to demonstrate that there are differences, quite aside from the measurements, wouldn’t it make sense to swap out a full loom of cables versus just one or two?

Imo, your arguments regarding the "marketing" etc. are irrelevant to my suggestion.

Some of the know something about signal transmission. A lot of them don't appear to. Whether they know something about it or not, what is definitely true is that many, possibly even a majority create marketing material that is full of exaggerations about material differences and geometry differences if not, for lack of a better word, making up how electricity and basic physics work.

However, there is a huge difference between a small difference in electrical transmission and something that is truly audible. I can detect far smaller differences in cable transmission with equipment than what can be heard. It is not even close.

I have been working in professional audio since the late 80s. I have many audiophile friends, many with fairly significant financial means, and my own system is certainly no slouch.  I have lost count of the number of time my friends have said these new cables are a huge difference, only for me to show that blind, they couldn't tell the difference from their old cables, or in most cases, much cheaper. We are talking over the years, 50-75.  There have been cases with audible speaker cables, and a quick check with the test equipment has shown excessive inductance, capacitance, and even in some cases resistance.  For interconnects, we have found the odd poor solder connection too.

audio2design, I will clarify my question; have you ever compared entire sets of cables in a single listening session, swapping them with intent to see what the differences are? 

It seems to me from your answer that you have not, but have conducted blind comparisons of particular cables. Is that correct? 

I am uninterested in the pedigree of systems you have heard, and of the potential manufacturing problems of some cable makers, as I believe these are tangential, and not pertinent to my point.   :)

"I am uninterested in the pedigree of systems you have heard, and of the potential manufacturing problems of some cable makers, as I believe these are tangential, and not pertinent to my point. :)"

It would mean that buying a $100 receiver and $100 set of speakers and connecting them with the world’s best speaker cables would make it all sound fantastic. The pedigree of systems cables are tested on is not tangential, it may be more relevant than those cables themselves. As many who have tried different cables would tell you.

Not having interest in relevant variables during any kind of testing renders the results irrelevant.

Of course, glupson, you will default to the most extreme, invalid comparisons, completely ignoring the context. What else would be expected of you? Pathetic.