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Did Amir Change Your Mind About Anything?

It’s easy to make snide remarks like “yes- I do the opposite of what he says.”  And in some respects I agree, but if you do that, this is just going to be taken down. So I’m asking a serious question. Has ASR actually changed your opinion on anything?  For me, I would say 2 things. I am a conservatory-trained musician and I do trust my ears. But ASR has reminded me to double check my opinions on a piece of gear to make sure I’m not imagining improvements. Not to get into double blind testing, but just to keep in mind that the brain can be fooled and make doubly sure that I’m hearing what I think I’m hearing. The second is power conditioning. I went from an expensive box back to my wiremold and I really don’t think I can hear a difference. I think that now that I understand the engineering behind AC use in an audio component, I am not convinced that power conditioning affects the component output. I think. 
So please resist the urge to pile on. I think this could be a worthwhile discussion if that’s possible anymore. I hope it is. 

chayro
amir_asr
623 posts
 

Are you saying Ethan’s Null Tester device was flawed?

No.  Just hard for average audiophile to understand.  For anyone with understanding of what it did, it was great.  But those were not the people who needed convincing....

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thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 

No.  Just hard for average audiophile to understand. 

Care to elaborate: what is the “average audiophile”?

 

amir_asr
623 posts
 

Sure! What low-end cables do YOU recommend?

For USB-A to -B I recommend Amazon Basics.  They are cheap but flexible and have been ultra reliable.  I am able to get state of the art measurements using them.

For RCA cables, I also like the 6 foot Amazon cable as a bargain choice.  But there are many others such as WBC.  I avoid the super generic ones as the connectors are so thin that the get loose after a bit.  

For power cables, I use what comes with my gear.  I do have a $99 Audioquest one that I have started to use recently because it is flexible and has a lower resistance than some of the thin AC cords.  It hasn't made any difference in any measurement (or sound) but I have it so I use it.

For XLR cables, I use Mogami Gold.  They are a bit pricey but incredibly reliable.  I have bought generic stuff and while they have identical performance, after a few plug/unplug, their solder connections often break.

For speaker cables, I use whatever.  For testing though, I like a flexible one so use high-strand count silicone cables.  These things are superb in how flexible they are (even when cold) and their strands are wonderful to work with whether you crimp or solder.  They are relatively expensive though so I don't bother to use them for long runs of speaker cables.

S/PDIF cables can make a measurable difference due to impedance mismatches but nothing remotely close to audible.  It is best to get an impedance matched one if you just want that comfort.

For optical cable, I think the one I have I bought years ago from Monster (?).

HDMI cables cables can be tricky at higher speeds (>4K).  Try to keep them as short as possible.  But for audio, they make no difference.

BTW, I have a few high-end cables from Transparent, Monster, etc. which I don't use.

I think this is it.

amir_asr
623 posts
 

Care to elaborate: what is the “average audiophile”?

In this case someone without engineering background to understand why Ethan has to turn a pot every time he changes cables on his null tester.  Or why there is residual noise "if there is no difference."  Do you fall in this category?

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