Experiences With Costly Balanced XLR Interconnects Above $3,000

Next year most audio manufacturers will have a better preamp, better amp, better DAC, and better speakers.

Well since all the cables sounded the same, that begs the question why the preamp couldn’t discern the differences.

@dave_b 

No, it doesn't and that's not a thing... Let's put it another way? Its good you have the resolution to hear cable differences. Its bad that you actually do.

Next year most audio manufacturers will have a better preamp, better amp, better DAC, and better speakers.

Yes. But as we all know, cables can cost as much or more than a component. One customer of mine had balanced interconnect that cost $1000/foot ten years ago and he had 24 feet.

Wouldn't it be nice to just not to ever have to worry about what the cable is doing in your system; to have it reliably always be completely neutral, without it being an investment?

To understand how balanced lines are supposed to work, look at it this way:

With RCA cables, the sound of the cable is dependent on its construction, which might cost quite a lot.

With balanced line, if the standard is supported, the equipment is doing the heavy lifting rather than the cable. This results in plug and play.

The wonderful thing about cables is that they’re incredibly easy to buy and sell used.

Yes easy to buy new then easy to sell for a significant loss. I see so many pricey second hand wires on hifi sites these days!  It would seem there is an abundance of bad investments accumulating out there over time.   Wires do tend to be relatively durable compared to electronics over time so there is that.

Maybe many of us learned folks here chase “better ” cables because our hearing is declining? Maybe we get used to one kind of sonic signature and trade it for another? There are so many other variables too; least of all many folks just plain like to tinker or buy/try something else. How many here are collectors of watches, records, stamps, tools just to name a few? My psychic powers say many. Hope this is beyond clear. 

I am neither an engineer or a cable expert. I, however, am an expert in determining the quality and admissibility of expert opinions in court. See Fed. R. Evid. 702.  Most of the ASR guys do not follow any scientific methodology, have zero experience in cable design or construction, and refuse to test their hypotheses.  If you claim a $50 cable is as good as a $1500 cable, test it:  swap them out and listen. ASR guys will not do that.  Courts would call their approach “junk science.”