Given that you're correct, Steve, and others would readily believe you about how a conductor performs, why are you so adamant about disagreeing with their reports? Don't you believe that respect deserves respect in return? Do you really care about sharing perspectives or are you just trolling? If it's the former, you'll certainly have to be more open minded to get anything out of the exchange. If it's the latter, which more and more seems to be the popular notion, then you've come to the wrong place.
Don't get me wrong. My beliefs include the notion that a certain amount of snake oil is sold under the guise of cables. I'm a salesman by trade and know most of the tricks, thus am *very* resistant to marketing and sales pitches. Also, there is merit to measuring that which is pertinent and measureable. But being a realist I draw the line at believing everything has to have a scientific explaination before it can be considered. It is just as important, if not more so, to be aware of what hands-on experience teaches us.
Regardless of how much theory one absorbs, first-hand experience simply cannot be replaced. No engineer designs a high-end audio amp on paper and sends the schematic to manufacturing without first building a prototype to test and voice the final the design. He can torture numbers all day, run simulations 'til he's cross-eyed, but until he's actually done it, actually built the amp and heard it, the job's not done. The proof is ultimately in the hearing.
This is similar to another of my hobbies. In hang gliding the rules of physics always apply. The gliders are all made of almost identical cloth and aluminum tubing and are limited by design constraints such as weight and size. But as with high-performance amps, high-performance gliders have differences. While performance is surprisingly similar, *how* they perform is quite another thing. Some have light handling which limits tactile feedback. Others provide lots of feedback, but that negatively effects their handling. All gliders are compromises and giving up some of one thing gets more of another. Kind of like audio gear.
The same thing applies with measurements. Almost everyone flies with instruments because the basic elements of flight can be measured. Altitude and rate of ascent/descent are commonly monitored as they're useful references. Some guys fly around staring at their instruments, but the best pilots rarely do more than glance at theirs. Instead, they reach beyond what can be read on a display. A change in the air's texture, a bit of straw blowing by and, most importantly of all, what other people are experiencing are all indicators that when combined suggest a certain course of action. Everyone that launches gets a flight. A minor adjustment here and a tweak there be may be all the difference between getting the most out of a flight and not having much of flight at all. Those that do so consistently do more than stare at their instruments. Beginning to see the parallel? Yeah, it's a lot like audio.
At the risk of sounding preachy, remember that enlightenment is something that an individual must seek to achieve; it is not something someone else can or will just hand them. Others have offered their real world experience based on years of trial and error. The only response they received from you thus far has been nay-saying with nothing of substance to back it up. It's a conundrum given your immoveable position.
In response to your last comments to me, that you've not (at least that I've seen) admitted to having tried anything besides zip cord, you experimenting with *anything* else should be enlightening. So do enlighten yourself. But if it's meter readings you're after call the power company. That's their job, not ours.
PS - You also either missed or chose to ignore the obvious tongue in cheek sarcasm of my previous entry, neither of which scores you many intelligence points. For what that's worth (which admittedly ain't much).
