2. cables
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Yes, cables do make a difference -- regardless of price...

I thought you may find this interesting…or not.  I know, another "cable post".  Disclaimer up front — I am a believer that cables can make a difference in the sound that you hear from your system.  With my speakers, like most high(er) efficiency speakers, I can hear large and small changes made to the system components — and cables are part of that system.

What I want to share is an exercise that I went through with my better half in setting up her recording equipment that she will be using to record audio books.  The hardware part of the system is simple:  Audio Technica Cardioid Condenser Microphone AT2035 connected with a XLR cable to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 preamp.

We started with the XLR cable that came with the microphone and recorded the short introduction of the book she has been contracted to record.  Then she recorded the same section using each of the our XLR cables I have on hand:  Vovox Excelsus, Mogami 2549, Gotham GAC-3, and Grimm TPR. Each of the cables have the same Neutrik connector and are very good studio cables that I have used in my system at one time.

Listening through headphones via the Scarlett 2i2, it was super easy to hear distinct differences in these cables.  The differences were not small and very apparent.  In the end, the Mogami cable was the winner — it seemed more open and warmer than the other cables and suited the tone of her voice the best. I have heard similar differences from these cables in my stereo system but not to the significant degree borne out by this exercise. 

To keep going, today I replaced the $10 USB C to C cable that I bought as an “upgrade” from the Scarlett 2i2 to a MacBook Air with a $70 Audioquest Forest cable. We were more than surprised that with the AQ cable in the system the drop of the noise floor was very significant and the blackness of background made the sound even more crystal clear.

The purpose of this post is not to promote or compares cables, just a public service posting for those of you who do not believe cables make a difference.  They really do affect how your system sounds (positive or negative) and if you cannot hear a difference then maybe looking at the transparency of your system is a place you should examine.

Imagine peace everyone.

crozbo
lanx0003
864 posts
 

@kennyc @dave_b Other than the qualitative description of removing undesirable capacitance, resistance, etc., Masterbuilt and/or Transparent cable manufactures seem not being transparent about the technical specifications. While it is not uncommon for high-end or boutique cable manufacturers to emphasize qualitative descriptions and subjective evaluations in their marketing, rather than providing detailed technical specifications, the omission of such transparency impedes customers from making informed decisions when acquiring expensive products like these. It is advisable to reach out directly to the manufacturers to obtain these details before making a substantial investment, however.

Combined with proprietary counter-helix winding geometry to avoid inductance and capacitance interactions, the Signature Line also offers the world’s finest quality connectors to transmit the musical signal with accuracy.

By the elimination of parasitic effects of excess resistance, capacitance, and inductance, the Signature Interconnects can transmit the musical signal so faithfully that their introduction to your system will be as dramatic as any major component upgrade.

kennyc
1,544 posts
 

@lanx0003 

In an ideal world I agree that customers would be better served knowing exactly what they are buying including the manufacturers costs including R&D and markup.  However, we live in a competitive market with many copycats.  If these manufacturers revealed their “secret sauce” derived from their efforts and expense, other would quickly copy at the manufacturer’s expense.  Subsequently trying to sue copycats would be financially prohibitive and nearly impossible such as Chinese copycats and recouping their expenses from their efforts would be impossible (I hate to use this word but none other fits as well).  
 

In a way, I sort of got around some uncertainty but purchasing Siltech Classic Legend which is silver impregnated with gold.  The price is somewhat higher than other silver cable offerings but at least I have a clue of the value of what I purchased - better metallurgy vs no clue.

68pete
1,003 posts
 

Cables make a difference some more than others and all have a break in period

wolf_garcia
6,711 posts
 

Solid uranium cables take no time to break-in but the radiation can be an issue.

lemonhaze
416 posts
 
@steakster, If electrons could only talk, I’d certainly get a charge out of hearing their stories.

I think it would be electrifying, quite amped to hear this 😵

An exploratory visit to warmer climes happening soon.

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