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Which cables go with what?????

I never fails to amaze me, the questions people ask on this forum, always trying to find some synergy between cables and their components/speakers.

The fact is: there are two classes of cables:
1) Those that are neutral
2) Those that impose a sonic signature (tone controls of a sort)

If the average audiophile spent his time trying to weed-out the tone control cables and get some neutral cables, then all that would be left is to determine the right synergy between his or her components. This may mean elimination of an offensive component, as painful as that sounds.

Component synergy is real. Amps and speaker combinations definitely need to be selected carefully. In some cases also preamp-amp synergies are important. If you are using tubes, then there are even more compatibility issues. But cables, forget it. If you are trying to compensate for a poor component or speaker design by using tone control cables, you will probably never be happy and likely compromise the sound of the other components in the process. You will certainly never approach a live or "master-tape" sound. There, that's my editorial. Hopefully some will learn from it.
audioengr
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,556 posts
 
No such thing as neutral, especially when matching many parts as a whole. There is no known reference as to what a master tape "should" sound like (even a memory of the live event does not qualify due to the recording chain, which does not even come close to duplicating the sound heard @ such).

What this leaves us with is synergy between components, listening rooms and cables (tuning a system to personal taste).
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Sogood51, thanks for the laugh!
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,556 posts
 
SoGood:

"I do expect to someday read a post where the poster has gone out and bought a PC, and now wants to know what system he should build around it, he may get a few answers on it."

I never posted, but kind of did this very thing the last time I downsized (sold or stored all of the system components except for a CD player, however I kept all of the original cabling).

So, in effect I built a new system from the ground up with nothing to start with but the cables (plus a CD player, an equipment rack and the power conditioners:-).

Never really thought about it this way before.
sonic_genius
528 posts
 
I agree, forget the theory and try a bunch a cables to get the best system match.

Nrchy: I guess you don't find Steve Nugent (Audioengr) aka Empirical Audio cables findings as a valid argument?
abex
322 posts
 
Has getting as close to what you would think is the real thing fit into the equation or is that being neutral?

Some cables just do not work with systems or speakers I would think. Atleast that is what I have founnd in my system. I also do not weigh much into having a cable for 30days. In some cases I can tell within the first week weather they are going to be right.Sometimes In the first day. Then there are others which I cannot put my final impression on because there is that something that just does not come off correct. It is only after an extended period I figure it out then they are gone.

I have a passive controller. I never thought of cables as being tone controls. If I wanted tone controls I would get an active Pre-Amp. I would rather just have what is what I would think to be the regular presentation as the Engineer had settled on being the final version. I could always add an EQ if I felt I needed one.

JMO
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