Why Do Cables Matter?


To me, all you need is low L, C, and R. I run Mogami W3104 bi-wire from my McIntosh MAC7200 to my Martin Logan Theos. We all know that a chain is only as strong as its' weakest link - so I am honestly confused by all this cable discussion. 

What kind of wiring goes from the transistor or tube to the amplifier speaker binding post inside the amplifier? It is usually plain old 16 ga or 14 ga copper. Then we are supposed to install 5 - 10' or so of wallet-emptying, pipe-sized pure CU or AG with "special configurations" to the speaker terminals?

What kind of wiring is inside the speaker from the terminals to the crossover, and from the crossover to the drivers? Usually plain old 16 ga or 14 ga copper.

So you have "weak links" inside the amplifier, and inside the speaker, so why bother with mega expensive cabling between the two? It doesn't make logical sense to me. It makes more sense to match the quality of your speaker wires with the existing wires in the signal path [inside the amplifier and inside the speaker].

 

 

kinarow1

@thyname I have several speakers, and different types of speakers, of various prices (though by the way I have not found that price determines musical satisfaction level nor even necessarily correlates with it).  Some I've had for a long and satisfying time, and some are newer.  

But it ain’t my speakers that are at issue here.

if you don't like them return them, nothing complicated here...try something else or not...

 

 

soix 6,892 posts

I won’t even bother reading this ridiculous thread. I’ll only say just put crap tires on a Ferrari or Porsche and see what that gets you. Chain only as strong as the cheapest link. Underspend on cables at your own peril. They’re a necessary evil, so just deal with it.

————-

@soix …. you nailed it , sir! “Point, Set, and Match!” in tennis jargon.

There exists an undeniable embedded schism in this hobby that is shared in every audio forum The cold, hard fact is that it’s a binary choice belief based on personal experience in these all too-often and oft-repeated disputed cable values challenges.

Simply put, there is a minority cohort of cable naysayers that are polar opposites and diametrically opposed to the cable advocates; with an absolute zero success of either side ever convincing the other camp of changing their position.

As @soix clearly and eloquently summarized in his post …. Do watcha want and carry on…. Fine ,…. No worries …. But kindly resist an urge of floating futile, boring, and entirely predictable stand-off result in new cable “yay or nay cable value” posts .

the following quote fits:

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Albert Esinstein

 

 

 

Just a wild guess, less than $2,000 a pair? If so, who in the right mind would spend $2,000 on speaker wire for speakers costing a few hundred bucks? 

I once had $3k cables on speakers that cost me ≈$400 forty years ago.

Kimber BiFocal and bi-wired, XO recapped Spica TC-50. Scarily musical.

I laugh when I hear $50k speakers. Mostly because they are badly designed wrt to time coherence.