WHY CABLES MATTER!

@asctim  the cable that goes from left to right channel in the Polk sda is out of phase and does work really well. I've had Polk sda2a speakers for over 30 years and with upgraded crossovers and tweeters they do some things better than My apogee duetta 2 speakers can do, plus they can be positioned up against the wall.

When I’ve been involved in deep disagreements with someone I usually go the reductionist route - i.e. trying to find the fork in the road between our beliefs so as to find the common ground before it.

In this case, I suggest the most productive conversation would be about how to scientifically prove cables matter. Whether listening tests or some form of measurement...whatever...but if we can’t even agree on a method of proof, this will go on forever.

I’ve found that quick switches in the audio signal, like you’d have in a double blind, may be somewhat effective in detecting differences, but unless one of the samples is truly bad, I have found that these quick switches do not tell you which is superior. It’s often the case that hot treble sounds better at first but is fatiguing.

This happens to me often when I switch gear. An immediate improvement is detected but in the long run the other was better, or vice versa.

Long term listening is far more effective to me in terms of what sounds best. But not really effective to be able to differentiate at the snap of a finger.

In other words, audio comparisons are amazingly challenging relative to, say, comparing something visually. There is nothing to put your finger on in the same way.

Let’s fix that issue and agree on a form of proof and then someone just do it. I’m too busy but I’ll definitely watch 🍿

I use hardware calibration for my monitor. My software tells me how accurate the colors my screen puts out are. If I swap digital cables, it shows me a different measured result. Sound will be like that too, some people will argue they can tell even more.

I just started with power cables, and got the $50 super fat and cheaply shielded pair from Amazon. They made a huge improvement into each of my amp, dac, pc, and monitor. After those, it will be all about the smart guy’s way of making better cables, and how much purity of metal costs on top of it. I’m not really looking forward to that, but I know in my head that big fat high purity cables will be better. My poor wallet.

Oh, but if you happen to be running a pc that’s plugged into a cheap $20 power bar, you won’t believe how much deeper your audio and video’s digital signals really are until you get it off of that. The $50 power cable will help that even more, too. You’re probably going to need a power distributor if you have a component-stereo setup, though. The cable you use for that will make a difference to everything...

Just skip this hobby, you’ll need to get rich to make it sound like it’s supposed to, anyhow. Actually, you could do it with only 1 billion. Even with the 10-story tall planars with 2 10 story tall stacks of 1 story subs behind them in a stadium with the roof open, that someone will say sounds better. I could get back into good headphones if that’s what I really needed, though. They’ve only reached costing $6k so far, outside of the Orpheus and Sennheiser’s $40k set that includes its custom amp and built in dac, encased in marble. That set is nonsense, since you can plug a better dac in, right away. I don’t know how much the best amp with a headphone jack is. Why do they stop including headphone jacks on power amps? Hmm, you would need the older 3-pin pair of XLR connectors on an unbraided pair of cables for the dual mono blocks, at some point. Nobody cares about headphone listeners, yet. They all want stadium sized sound. Which you could argue sounds better. But, as the speakers get further away, you might miss something compared to the speaker being right next to your ear. Then the IEM people will get right into your head. I don’t know, I still like my cheap HD800 open-backs, so far. With the microphone-measured EQ running as a plug-in only through Audirvana, they’re really nice.  It will be the same problem I had with the HD 600's though, I still know they were cheap.  Plus, I haven't heard planars or electrostats, yet.  Then I'll want a more powerful amp, too. :(   My DAC is ready for that upgrade, though!  👍  A good dac on $50 speakers would so sound like they were playing something that sounds good.

Interestingly, last night I saw some video's of black and white 60's performances at 4k50fps on YouTube.  If you have a 4k monitor, you should look them up.  Too bad they do something to your pictures and sound that make them worse, after already making you have to make them small.  They have not looked anywhere near as good at home, until now.

That guy Dion is a wanderer, he's not going to get married.  Those other girls will be real nice ones, though.  😍

audioman2015,

You're totally right, I don't know how anyone cannot like OCC single crystal over OFC wire and just to let you know the rectangular OCC single crystal wire is even better than the round, not cheap though, check out the Neotech Sahara which is the copper rectangular OCC or the Amazon which is the silver rectangular OCC that's one is double the price of the copper, I have the Sahara in my system and it absolutely blew away my harmonic technology round OCC, I have the full loom of the rectangular in my system and boy did it make a difference but an even more significant difference and upgrade is putting the Townshend podiums underneath your speakers it stops all vibration down to three Hertz, it was as if I upgraded my electronics to something way more expensive, best upgrade that you could ever do. stops all room problems as well.

@audioisnobiggie 

A lot of nonsense and exaggeration in your post, as well as silly assumptions about what audiophiles want from their systems. As far as Dion goes, I don't know what you're trying to say...