HAVE CABLES EVER TAKEN YOUR SYSTEM FROM SOUNDING JUST OK TO SOUNDING GREAT? Experiences ?


Just asking the question. If you don’t  believe in cables. Good for you. But if you do have you ever made a cable change that opened up your system to new heights. Just interested if you have or haven’t. If you don’t believe in cables this isn’t a thread for you. What are your thoughts ?

calvinj

Not dramatic. Subtle differences if any. I buy cables based on need - length, type of connection, build quality, reputation, reasonable price... not to change the sound of my system.  

Confirmation bias is real.  I remember a specific instance where a while back I purchased an inexpensive cable to try and then bought a much more spendy cable that was one of the "it" cables.  I put it in the system, and was able to easily switch back and forth between the less expensive cable in near real time. I thought the new cable was sounding better than the other and was quite pleased with myself. Some time later, I repeated the listening test and could not detect any significant difference between the two cables.

Which isn't to say that I don't think cables impact sound, other instances have shown that they clearly can, but my experience is more that cheap cables can degrade sound, not that expensive cables magically make your system much better.

...only when the prior set of cables was really bad, like cheaply made lamp cord, did I notice a change from something okay to something great. 

I have not heard any differences in any cables I ever tried. Based on my experience and demonstrated experimentation, not preconceived notions, I don't think cables make any difference.

Marginal compared to other changes. I'm still committed to my decent cables (DAC to Preamp, Preamp to Amp) but in my system, I do not hear much difference from power cables. Will likely sell the unwieldy ones off.

Like most responders here, I hear subtle but definite changes from cables, although not to the level that would make a good system sound bad or a bad system sound good.  Since I have a box (or two) of cables around here, a change in cables is sometimes helpful to compliment a component change, subtly of course.