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If Cables Are Not Tone Controls...

I can't count the times audiophiles have said "Cables are not tone controls".  But if we audition (remember that?) two sets of speaker cables and decide that one sounds "better" than the other, aren't we using it as a tone control?  You can call it whatever you want, but in reality we are deciding which cable contours the sound to our liking?  Or should we just buy the speaker cable with the lowest resistance, inductance and capacitance we can find and if it sounds like crap, change other components until it sounds good?  Then we're just using the other components we've swapped out as tone controls. Just asking.  
chayro
inna
7,296 posts
 
Cables or active components, I always 'compare' the sound I get from the speakers with what I heard live, as I remember it. I have a few recordings of the musicians that I heard live, some of them without microphones. So I always know, if I remember right, where the system is going. 
By the way, microphones do not 'hear' everything there is to hear, only ear can do it. Might come close but not really there.
cakyol's avatar
cakyol
940 posts
 
You answered your own question.

An ideal wire should have 0 resistance, 0 capacitance and 0 inductance.
But that does not exist.

So, try and find one with the lowest capacitance.  All things being equal, the capacitance of the wire is probably the most influential at audio frequencies.  If you want to be really fanatical about it, separate the normally dual speaker wire into individual ones and place them away from each other.

But, this is an exaggeration.  Human ear will not perceive any difference on wires shorter than about 50 - 60 feet.
ieales's avatar
ieales
1,201 posts
 
 separate the normally dual speaker wire into individual ones and place them away from each other

Ummm, maybe not
Capacitance will drop, but Inductance will rise as will Impedance.

Better bet is to buy well engineered cables that integrate well into the system.
alfa100's avatar
alfa100
221 posts
 
Different cables transfer information differently.   We hear the difference.  As with every component we strive to achieve as realistic quality of sound as possible. I am certain that my cable does a better job than cheap flex wire. Our audiophile community in general will not waste money on tone control items. We strive for purity and as a general rule one gets closer higher up the price pyramid. 
inna
7,296 posts
 
I use only two brands and just move higher, step by step. See no reason to experiment with other brands until I start seriously upgrading all or most of the active components. In any case, the most important cable - tonearm cable - I cannot change without tonearm rewiring, it is fixed.
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