A New Believer

I cant believe that this is still talked about or debated. Anyone with any hearing left can hear the difference in all cables, if they just relax, and listen, its that easy. So many of the responses are about what you have read , or how you can measure such things, instead of just listening. They indeed make a difference, and if you cant hear it, you should get out of the hobby.

To Chrissain:

'They indeed make a difference, and if you cant hear it, you should get out of the hobby.'

Is your decision final, or do I have a right to appeal?

Almarg

I tend to agree. We don't know, and we can't know - we can only cautiously make assumptions. I reckon that is why we have to rely to some degree on what we think we hear when we listen to something, rather than expect a scientific explanation or measurement for it. For example we can do a null test on something and get a sqiggly line error function, but the debate remains as to whether anyone can hear it, and if they can then whether it is musically meaningful. The trouble is that the ear/brain is what we must satisfy, but it doesn't have a digital read-out or have consistent and verifiable results, and it is subject to error and bias. Beyond a certain point we have to design by ear, and be prepared to alter our belief-sets in response to that.

That's why they call it Psycho-acoustics 8^).

Rok2id

The more questions you ask, the less answers I see and understand. This is science right? Where are the tests, what instrument do they use and what are the results??? These are fair questions. From what I read in this forum, "believers" are saying their ears hear a difference and there is no electrical instrument to measure the difference....or WHY there is a difference. Is it possible the human ear and brain notice a real difference that no electrical instrument has yet been invented to measure??? Fair question!!

Antipodes_audio's answer was complete bullshit in respect to your question, in my opinion.