WHY CABLES MATTER!

@tvrgeek 

So don't tell me crystal orientation in 10 feet of cable, though measurable, makes a sonic difference...But geometry and dielectric can.

When evaluating ancillary audio stuff, from cables, to fuses, to small add-on in-line digital boxes, etc., I try and first decide whether I actually hear a difference and consider whether the difference is actually better, or just different.  Then I think about the possible reasons why something works, or not.  It is best when what I hear aligns with plausible reasons for the difference/improvement, but it doesn't always work that way.

I agree with you about metal purity and generally believe soft annealed OFC (or OFE) at 100%+ IACS is good enough for audio signals (although it so happens all of my cables are made from PCOCC).  However, to your point about dielectric and geometry, I have found the speaker cables I like best use foamed polyethylene dielectric, and I do believe twisting and star-quad geometries used to lower noise and lower inductance are good for speaker and power cables.  I find it interesting that BJC states, "Our favorite speaker cable is the Belden 5000 series," which is a simple pair of twisted, stranded copper wires with PVC dielectric and a PVC jacket.  Also interesting is that the highest purity copper available in the Iconoclast speaker cable line is OFE or Oxygen-Free Electrolytic Copper (99.99% pure), although they do offer OCC, or Ohno Continuous Cast copper (99.99998% pure), in their interconnects.

Gads

Found a case where the cable mattered!

My Mocero hub that monitors my crawlspace for humidity was flakey. Intermittent  Ethernet cable!   New generic cable from Amazon, works fine. 

I do love how those grain crystals are "diodes" so direction matters... in an AC circuit!  🤣

Lower inductance of power cords?  The opposite of what you want.  Sure, twisting reduces emissions which is a good thing. ( at least 1 per inch)  but to block RF, add a big ferrite choke on them.  More inductance.  If you believe the engineers from Jensen who are about the worlds experts on hum, twist the power lines, but separate the ground out. Don't braid it.    This is science, not magic. 

In any case, it does not matter if you hear an actual physical-in-this-universe difference, or if it is your brain telling you so. Your enjoyment is what counts.  I prefer to use science to get there, not advertising.  Others seem to be big fans of Kool-Aid and have the disposable income to indulge chasing their imagination. 

tvrgeek

I prefer to use science to get there, not advertising.  Others seem to be big fans of Kool-Aid and have the disposable income to indulge chasing their imagination. 

This is the logical fallacy of the excluded middle. It's interesting that the measurementalists who so noisily proclaim their faith in science are so often guilty of these basic logical errors.

Most articles from cable designers that I have read indicate that power transmission cables, such as speaker cables and power cords, benefit from low resistance and low inductance designs, with low resistance being most important.  Of course, lowering those parameters raises capacitance, which is why certain ultra-low inductance speaker cables such as Alpha Core Goertz caused instability/oscillation in some amplifiers.  

This about speaker cables from Audioquest:

High-Inductance geometry smears sound and reduces information. Star-Quad low-inductance geometry preserves time information, preserving dynamics and clarity.

This about power cables from Steve Nugent, owner/designer at Empirical Audio:

Good power cords, (primarily for power amps), are low inductance. The idea is to have a cord that is at least as low inductance as the ROMEX in the walls and yet flexible and durable. The reason I believe that low-inductance power cords can make a positive difference, particularly in power amplifiers is that they eliminate inductance in the path from the power grid to the amplifier power supply. This inductance, I believe, can cause the voltage to sag at the output power transistors during high-current transients in the music when the capacitor bank discharges and power line must recharge it quickly (during the time that the rectifier diodes are conducting), in order that a sag in voltage does not occur at the power transistor DC supply.

A link to one more interesting article on speaker cable design by Gareis of Belden, who designed his Iconoclast cables to have geometry and materials that provide balanced and consistent parameters.