Which cables go with what?????

Nrchy/Sonic_genius/Nighthawk: FIY, cable business is very hard to make a buck because lack of customers. Audio is a luxury hobby not neccessity. Many of them has a real job other than this hobby. However, they're very proud of what they design(or something they found) and they're trying to prove that their idea works.
exactly like Corona said
If you don't read this why you come?
and obviously there are some hidden secrets where you need to find out yourself otherwise they wouldn't be able to stay in business.

Sean is correct, I don't have equipment to test any of the DIY cables I built myself since I'm not in EE or a real hifi shop. I only work with a 99 cents plier, a radio shack twizzer and solder iron and a good set of ears : )
Btw, I did have ME degree more than a decade ago but I've never work in the ME field. I'm currently in CS field.

Here are some hints:
I have found that solid core gauge size has more sonic signature (based on the resonance frequency response) and insulation (vibration damping) and shielding (dielectric)has more influence in noise reduction. The electrical property (resistance and capacitance) will have greater influence on pace and rhythem (pace). The purity of the material (metallurgy) will increase the detail over all.

The statement above is based my own findings from DIY IC and speaker cables. I have not applied the above on AC cords yet.

For all the DIY folks, you can try to build the most suitable cable with above conclusion in mind and you'll be happy with the results or you should have a good idea of what type of cable you own and what needs to improve.

Audioengr's original post and replies to it like Sean's constitute what I think is an interesting and important question.

As an engineer, I'm well aware that the putting together of optimized systems is normally done by a design team that would never dream of leaving it to an untutored end user to shape through mix and match.

As stated already in this thread, audiophiles usually match gear on sound and much audio gear is designed according to idiosyncratic engineering principles, therefore the end result is that the connecting cables become a battleground for the subtle mismatch of electronic parameters, as in Sean's detailed reactive loading description.

Audioengr's original argument is that IF you match components well enough, including with tubed systems, that it is at least possible to get the cable influence out of the equation. Obviously cables need to be as well designed as possible (re S23chang) but the HUGE dependency of system sound on cable parameters can be avoided - unless you give up and admit that your goal is not to optimize the accuracy of sound reproduction but just to color the whole system according to your own whims ..make that..tastes.

Personally I think this is a goal worth working for (if achievable). The way forward would involve manufacturers taking a substantially more active position in determining system match for their own components and in publishing those data. Audiophiles can hardly be expected to do it, and nothing will happen when everyone insists that 'its all a matter of taste'.

What a mess!

System synergy is dung? What about impedance matching between pre and power amp, between power amps and speakers, between speakers and rooms, etc.. I'm with Sean on this one, though I see Audio Engineers point. With out uniform standards, we need to find synergy.

lemme@lone wrote:
"if a 15 foot run of cable can be readily had from Empirical, why does everyone else have so much trouble making a standard 3 footer that should have 5 times less 'signature'"

The answer is simple. Most manufacturers of cable do not have a clue about the physics. It helps to have almost 30 years experience doing hardware engineering design. I have been researching cables specifically for almost ten years, including computer simulations of IC's and speaker cables. These really help one understand the physics without the need to build hundreds of prototypes. It eliminates much of the trial-and-error. If you see a manufacturer of cables that uses a similar design for IC's and speaker cables, this is the first indication that they don't have a clue....