S23chang, great points.
First I love your concept of getting rid of the "system dependant" comments. Cables are only system dependant if they are making up for weaknesses in the system. A strong system will help us determine what the cable is doing, but if the cable is bad, it's bad (and in my opinion there are more bad ones than good ones) This may be why some people claim cables make no difference or are scams, snake oil and the like. Many cables are just plain &^%$ and are simply created to take advantage of the audiophile hype. That is true, but there are also some truly amazing cables on the market, finding them is the trick. Especially if we want "affordable" ones. I believe some people have found some affordable great cables, but I unfortunately have not found the same. The cables that I have had the greatest success with are not cheap, but I have not quite looking either. In fact I'm awaiting another set to try, and I am studying the science to begin building some beta interconnects to try. It's interesting in that the only way to know what you want from a system is to have heard the best it can be. It is then possible to try and downsize from there, trying to find a cheaper alternative that provides the aspects in sonics we find most pleasing.
As an example, I tried a 300B SET amp in my system. It pointed out what was possible in the mid-range and dimensionality with my other components. It also showed me the weaknesses of SET amps. I took that experience and through footers and cabling I was able to match the mid-range qualities within my solid state amp. I could not have done this without hearing what was possible, this is why it is so important to try other friends equipment in our own systems, and why we need to hear as many systems as possible.
My goal is to continue to tweak my system to achieve the best aspects of other systems I hear (and that I chose to afford). If I continue to strive for the best of every system I have heard, then my system continues to be the best I have yet heard, and it is to my ears.
You have also brought up two of the most important and most often overlooked issues. Room acoustics and speaker placement can do more than all the money on earth. Acoustics is not only vital, but scientific and predictable. We all need to do a lot more research and self education on room acoustics if we want the best from our investment.
Thanks for the great post, very well thought out!
jd
First I love your concept of getting rid of the "system dependant" comments. Cables are only system dependant if they are making up for weaknesses in the system. A strong system will help us determine what the cable is doing, but if the cable is bad, it's bad (and in my opinion there are more bad ones than good ones) This may be why some people claim cables make no difference or are scams, snake oil and the like. Many cables are just plain &^%$ and are simply created to take advantage of the audiophile hype. That is true, but there are also some truly amazing cables on the market, finding them is the trick. Especially if we want "affordable" ones. I believe some people have found some affordable great cables, but I unfortunately have not found the same. The cables that I have had the greatest success with are not cheap, but I have not quite looking either. In fact I'm awaiting another set to try, and I am studying the science to begin building some beta interconnects to try. It's interesting in that the only way to know what you want from a system is to have heard the best it can be. It is then possible to try and downsize from there, trying to find a cheaper alternative that provides the aspects in sonics we find most pleasing.
As an example, I tried a 300B SET amp in my system. It pointed out what was possible in the mid-range and dimensionality with my other components. It also showed me the weaknesses of SET amps. I took that experience and through footers and cabling I was able to match the mid-range qualities within my solid state amp. I could not have done this without hearing what was possible, this is why it is so important to try other friends equipment in our own systems, and why we need to hear as many systems as possible.
My goal is to continue to tweak my system to achieve the best aspects of other systems I hear (and that I chose to afford). If I continue to strive for the best of every system I have heard, then my system continues to be the best I have yet heard, and it is to my ears.
You have also brought up two of the most important and most often overlooked issues. Room acoustics and speaker placement can do more than all the money on earth. Acoustics is not only vital, but scientific and predictable. We all need to do a lot more research and self education on room acoustics if we want the best from our investment.
Thanks for the great post, very well thought out!
jd