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

key to remember is that good quality hifi cables need NOT to be very expensive, and as a rule, one should stay away from those in nosebleed territory, even for very good systems

Why?  If so, then perhaps everyone should stay away from all audio gear in nosebleed territory.  You gotta pay to play.  We work to refine and improve our audio systems over time- sometimes we hit a dead end and have to start over or let go of a favorite component because it is just not working well in our system.  Cables are as much as a component as anything else in our audio system.  

I don’t like the idea of spending my hard earned money on a cable anymore than anyone else.  It’s just as bad as having to pay for an expensive car repair.  I go for sound over looks but I can appreciate how some cable manufacturers make their cables look like jewelry.  Some can at least feel like they got something more for their money.  Here’s the reality:  $100k worth of speakers, amps, preamps and source are going to require something around $25k in power cords and cables.  If you are aspiring to get to that level of a system, better budget for cables up front.  Don’t agree?  Well, those with that level of system or higher are nodding their heads.

Perhaps a better piece of advice is to stay within your means when it comes to this hobby.  We all have our passions and it’s fun to play in the high end HiFi arena.  When you find a bargain on a high end amp or a pair of speakers just remember:  they simply will never perform at their best if you scrimp on cables.  

I was at the Ford Proving Grounds in the early 1990’s.  The Mustang group was in the adjacent bays.  I noticed at the beginning of the week they had a large stack of tires sitting there.  I could hear tires squealing all day as they drove the cars on the tire test track.  They would wear out a set of tires on each car in a day.  I was surprised to see that large stack of tires was gone by the end of the week.  One of the engineers remarked to me that for all the work the Mustang group does evaluating tires and finding the best tire for ride and handling, most people will just replace their worn tires with the cheapest set they can find.

why should someone not evaluate nose bleed cables for an ultra nosebleed system ??

Specialized speaker cables often incorporate shielding to protect the audio signal from external electromagnetic interference.

I've been at this a long time and have never seen a shielded speaker cable. If they're so common, @tokushi why don't you provide a link to a few?

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cleeds

5,094 posts

 

tokushi

Specialized speaker cables often incorporate shielding to protect the audio signal from external electromagnetic interference.

I've been at this a long time and have never seen a shielded speaker cable. If they're so common, @tokushi why don't you provide a link to a few?

I am afraid his thesis / write up was AI generated. Otherwise known as a "bot". You are wasting your time.

 

 

May not be for audiophiles but there are shielded speaker cables in the market.

Seems to be a lot of bot/AI paranoia if a person, new person posts something that goes against the consensus around here. Very amusing. 

 

https://www.showmecables.com/12-2-belden-5000fe-shielded-speaker-cable-gray-1000-ft?srsltid=AR57-fDvl_w-C3fBZ6FcZxsgmZQDPrJZqFEME1hRJjrhkea3gdz5adrNnRU